"special" = (of occurrences, gestures, etc.) emotionally or sentimentally moving; tenderly affecting.

[Charles Doyle]

Many of us, I expect, first became aware of this usage, buried beneath several layers of irony, in the voice of Saturday-Night-Live's Church Lady: "Well, isn't that special!"

--Charlie
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---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2007 14:13:22 -0800
>From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>Subject: "special" = (of occurrences, gestures, etc.) emotionally or sentimentally moving; tenderly affecting.
>
>This became prominent about twenty-five years ago, IIRC, too late for OED2.  Now, of course, it's everywhere. Many of us find it drippy. What the hell's wrong with "affecting" or "moving" or even "sweet"?
>
>  Here's a good printed ex.:
>
>  2001 _Bart Simpson [Comics]_ (No. 6) (unp.): He...he...winked at me, too. It was very special!
>
>  JL

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