A man said to the universe: “Sir, I exist!” “However,” replied the universe, “That fact has not created in me A sense of obligation.” — Stephen Crane — I’m in one of those moods this morning. I could slather you with the reasons, but as I’m also feeling charitable, I’ll spare …
Category: language
Jun 26 2022
Distortions And Evasions
My responsibilities to my Gentle Readers are more extensive than you might imagine. Yes, I’m here to provide analysis and commentary. Yes, I’m here to dissect the statements of others who don’t always express themselves clearly. But alongside those duties, I’m also here to pull the wool off your eyes – to tell you, …
Jun 10 2022
Trends In Babblage
Yes! It’s another Fran Porretto coinage! But it strikes me (of course) as one that’s of particular relevance to contemporary discourse. It is intuitively obvious, isn’t it? Steven Hayward at Power Line has produced a concise translation table for specifically left-wing babblage. I shan’t invade his copyright by reproducing it here. But Gentle …
May 23 2022
The Era Of The Illiterate
Apologies, Gentle Reader. I have no better word than illiterate with which to describe this sort of locution: “No I do not,” [New York City Mayor Eric] Adams said when asked at the “Bans Off Our Bodies” demonstration in New York City whether there should be any limitations on abortion. “I think …
May 22 2022
The War Of The Words
Yes, the title has been used by others. But the motif is critical to political combat in our time. Words are weapons. Words are tools. Define or be defined! — Michael Emerling I read in this morning’s news sweep that a Republican Congresswoman, Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), has introduced a “Women’s Rights” …
Mar 03 2022
Let’s Mince Some Words!
I was just tooling around, surfing through my usual list of news and commentary sources, when I found this piece: I first noticed that the Democrats had shanghaied control of our language when the phrase “Global Warming” began to disappear. It was replaced almost overnight with ‘Climate Change,’ mostly because we had had …
Dec 20 2021
Shibboleths And Scare Talk
Political talk is mostly hot air, of course. Among other influences, politicians almost unanimously regard their own voices as the sweetest sound in the universe. They’ll fill whatever space is provided to them with as much blather as they can get away with – and it won’t necessarily mean anything in particular. So …
Nov 14 2021
How It’s Done
As liberals shy away from the word “woke,” the media has blamed Republicans’ negative use of the term for its downfall. What actually happened to “woke” may be more complicated, and cause problems for Democrats in coming elections. — Kelsey Koberg, Fox News This isn’t the first time the Right has successfully wrested …
Mar 12 2021
“Normal”
I just found this brilliant little piece at Ace’s place: Suppose you have a kid your age who finds that he has the urge to fuck a toaster. In the past, he’d either keep it to himself and learn to live with it, or, if he mentioned it to someone else, they’d tell …
Jun 07 2002
Dictionary Of Government Doublespeak
Ever wondered why you simply can’t understand bureaucratese? It’s a problem that daunts many people, what with phraseology like “firmly tentative,” “bold caution,” and “interim final rules.” But never fear: your old friend Fran is on the job, and herewith presents the First Edition (collectors be alert!) of his fabulous… DICTIONARY OF GOVERNMENT DOUBLESPEAK Like …
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