Watch Your Language!

I don't know about you but I'm already saturated with campaign news. Given the 24/7 coverage by thousands of voices and keyboards, from here to November is looking like an eternity.

One problem is the teeth-grinding effect of watching and reading too much "news." Because of the writing. I'm a writer to the bone. I love this language you and I read, write and speak. It's called English. And I'm seriously doubting that it's known to some of the unseen people who write the news.

I don't seem to have much effect when I throw shoes at the television screen during a news broadcast, but perhaps I can at least urge a few citizens to resist taking up the absurdities of language that are being thrown at us -- as if they were viable English.

OK, consider "war on terror." I know that's an administration-manufactured term, but there's nothing that says anyone else has to use it. Terror isn't a nation, or a cause, or a faction. It's an emotion. You can't wage war on an emotion. It's like saying "war on fear," which would actually be a lot more productive an idea. Given the odds on your being harmed by a terrorist (see "Necks Out, Chins Up") it would behoove all of us to stop letting authorities rattle our cages with that one.

If the term has to be short, just add "-ists," and make it "war on terrorists." And none of us should follow the government's lead in using the term for peace activists -- "domestic terrorists" according to a succession of benighted administrations, include thousands of good people who object to government policies and actions, like pre-emptive wars and the sanctioning of torture. (It's not a new story. Look at what happened to Brian Wilson and Jack Ryan back in the '80s.)

Another one to watch for and never use is "claim responsibility" when it means admitting guilt. For-real terrorists may be proud of blowing things up and killing people, but we don't have to describe their warped pride with what is an admiring term. I claim responsibility for the good things I may have done in my life; if/when I've done something awful, I admit guilt.

I've fussed quite a bit about "Jewish Americans," never having heard of "Methodist Americans" or "Catholic Americans." It seems a dangerous way to describe religious affiliation. I know Judaism isn't the only factor in being a Jew, but this one looks like a slippery slope to me.

More frivolousy, how about "used housing"? I actually heard the words come out of Katie Couric's mouth, put there by a so-called "writer." Couldn't believe my ears. If (in my wildest dreams) I put in a bid on a five-bedroom, pre-war apartment on Park Avenue, would I be trying to buy "used housing"? There's a world of attitude underlying such a term, perhaps written by someone from the metastasizing suburbs around our cities, where mile after mile of brand new houses are built and sold, no one wishing to live in a place with a little history and solidity.

Those came quickly to mind. What strange uses of English have you heard or read lately?

Comments

[youngec]

My pet peeve is "human resources" rather than "personnel." But the great sin of the newscasters is their ignorance of grammar. The most recent example is Chris Matthews sayibg -- twice--" . . .with Andrea and I . . ."

[dadw5boys]

How would I be addressed in todays culture?

A Disabled Veteran or as the Government like to call me a Vietnam Era Disabled Veteran.
Maybe a burnt out 58 year old American who worked too many years of 12 and 14 hours days 7 days a week when out country was in desperate need of ships to carry natural gas and oil.

No, American at one times was something to be proud of till waterboarding, wasteful spending, and illegal wire tap. We are losing our freedoms to give others freedoms how does that work exactly.

I know, address me as the ANGERY American who is MAD AS HELL AND IS NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!

[larry278]

Try watching BBC News & reading periodicals from the UK & the rest of the English speaking world. Go back to listening to, watching American news & reading American periodicals. You will find that people in the news media don't speak or write English; they sodomize English. It doesn't matter where news people work-most of them sodomize English. The Brits are never in the hospital; Brits are in hospital. I have no idea why Brits & other avoid using the article "the" or use the word whilst in lieu of using while.
I don't think that people who love the English language go into the news business any more or they ever did go into the news business.