One of most hated words of 2012, I read

I read on Facebook early this year that when it came to New Year's resolutions, one of the top ones was to STOP using the word, "awesome."

But it will not go away...I keep hearing some young man shouting to someone else on the street,
"Dude, that is so AWESOME" -- it is an expression that does not want to die..

Just like the word "Cool" meaning desirable and hip has been around since at least the early 1950's....when the word "hot" was fading away...only to make a comeback in this century.

What are the origins of this expletive,  anyway? Let me see if I can find anything... 

Well, you know, I am defeated..for the moment...I cannot find anyone who can tell me when we started using "awesome" in its current form ( I'll bet some dictionary has it...)

Anyway, in the meantime, if you have resolved NOT to use "awesome," here are some alternatives

Q: What can I use instead of "awesome"?

---

A:

Interesting exclamation words are: astonishing, awe-inspiring, daunting, formidable, majestic, stupefying, or wondrous.