BillF Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 More and more I'm thinking we live in an age of weasel words. The one you have to watch here at the moment is "aspirational". Quote
Big Beat Steve Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 Buzz words in general. Getting worse (almost) by the hour, I feel, in the name of impact-making and customer baiting on the one hand and political "correctness" on the other. Speaking of which, just reading Tubby Hayes' bio (about halfway through). Great, but how much of a less trustworthy ("derogatory") term is "journeyman" in connection with a musician and his credentials as used TODAY? Quote
BeBop Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 "Great personality" or any other such phrase designed to distract the listener from what he or she should be hearing. Or asking. See, for example, automobile advertising. Quote
Bill Nelson Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 Punk writers often lard their copy with vacuous, empty accolades: "legendary", "award-winning", and "Grammy-nominated". Quote
duaneiac Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 "Awesome". The overuse of this word to describe everything and every one nowadays really irritates me. Awesome should be used in rare circumstances -- to describe the Grand Canyon, the Taj Mahal, holding a newborn child -- not to describe your lunch or your last workout session. Quote
mjazzg Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 "icon" and "iconic". Never a day goes by anymore without someone, or something, being described thus Quote
A Lark Ascending Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 "Awesome". The overuse of this word to describe everything and every one nowadays really irritates me. Awesome should be used in rare circumstances -- to describe the Grand Canyon, the Taj Mahal, holding a newborn child -- not to describe your lunch or your last workout session. Yes! I'm notorious at work for going off on one when a younger colleague describes the fact that I've offered them a cup of tea as 'Awesome!' 'Cool' is another. I'm sure that disappeared as a hipster word for a while (in the UK at least) - when I was growing up it wasn't used. Seemed to reappear in the 90s. ******************** There a nasty bit of manipulation going on at present. Our re-elected government has appropriated the term 'working people'. Slowly the expression 'working class' is being neutralised; 'working people' are now differentiated from 'those scroungers on benefits'. I know - getting too political....but the manipulation of language is very much about power. Quote
paul secor Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 I still use cool occasionally, but I may be entitled to, since I grew up with it. The phrase I don't like is " that's interesting". Nothing wrong with the phrase itself, but it's used too often as a way to avoid passing judgment or to avoid saying anything meaningful. Quote
erwbol Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 There a nasty bit of manipulation going on at present. Our re-elected government has appropriated the term 'working people'. Slowly the expression 'working class' is being neutralised; 'working people' are now differentiated from 'those scroungers on benefits'. I know - getting too political....but the manipulation of language is very much about power. Hear, hear! Quote
Big Beat Steve Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 "Awesome". The overuse of this word to describe everything and every one nowadays really irritates me. Awesome should be used in rare circumstances -- to describe the Grand Canyon, the Taj Mahal, holding a newborn child -- not to describe your lunch or your last workout session. :tup Another one in a similar vein: The German "one-affirmative-fits-all" phrase best translated literally as "I am with you (on this or that matter)" which is really getting used to death, even way outside any business talks. Why can't they just say "I agree"? I for one would certainly not want each and everyone at random to be (that close) "with me". Quote
Jazzmoose Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 This seems to have developed into a grumpy old men thread... Quote
Big Beat Steve Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 Now you REALLY make me feel grumpy and old ... Quote
BillF Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 We're not hearing "I hear what you say" so much these days - fortunately, as the speaker usually means "I completely disagree with you". Rather like that other weasel expression beloved of politicians, "with respect", which probably amounts to "fuck you". Quote
Shawn Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 That's interesting = "I don't really like that at all, I would never listen to it personally, but since I don't want to hurt your feelings or question your suspect musical taste I'll just say 'hmmmm...that's interesting'." Quote
AllenLowe Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 (edited) two I hate: "reaching out" and "the culture of" (as though cops beating the crap out of people has anything to do with culture) Edited June 8, 2015 by AllenLowe Quote
medjuck Posted June 8, 2015 Report Posted June 8, 2015 "icon" and "iconic". Never a day goes by anymore without someone, or something, being described thus I'm with you on that one. And most people think it just "famous". Quote
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