Bryan Mills
  • Home
  • Bio and About
  • PowerPoints
  • Papers and text
  • Videos
  • Activities
  • Favourite Things
  • Free Book
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Untitled

Language - uses and abuses (random mutterings of a mad man)

7/17/2011

5 Comments

 
I’m sat waiting for the tide to turn, literally not  metaphorically; it seems to have turned metaphorically this week already, at
  least in journalism.   Whilst  musing and pondering a variety of topics I came to an underlying theme of  language.  Now I am no linguist, in  fact I am handicapped still further (but I do know it’s not farther – I think)  by an amazing capacity for missed typos, but I have ears and a sense of  aesthetic and it strikes me some words and phrases are just plain ugly,  especially when you consider what a rich lexicon English offers us.  So, for no reason other than to alleviate may own boredom, and with the  vain hope you’ll avoid them in conversation with me, here is my top x list (x  being the unknown at this point):

 1.      
Deliverables – what  exactly is this mess of a word? 
Used by people in meetings already too long as a shortened version of ‘things that the project will deliver’.  Will  the seconds saved really help?

 2.      
Mumpreneur – I haven’t  made that up. 
It even has its own  website.  I blame a friend whose identity I will protect for introducing me to it.  Really why is a female entrepreneur with children any different to a male one, or one without, or one looking after parents?  Apart from the fact that it butchers the original word to create this rather ‘cuddly’ (I imagine) sounding word it suggests that these entrepreneurs are somewhat different than ‘real’ ones (otherwise they would use same word surely?).  Where will it end?

 3.      
Kind Regards – please can we stop, especially the shortened ‘regards’. 
What was wrong with the perfectly erviceable ‘yours sincerely’, ‘yours faithfully’ and, for those confused by friend or stranger, ‘thank you’.   Each time I read this at the end of a letter or automatic signature I simply assume the writer is trying to sell me double glazing, has no command of English and had a previous career  saying ‘have a nice day’.

 4.      
 Networking event – not so much the phrase this time as the concept. 
Actually the word ‘networking’ is also a problem.  “Had a good networking evening.”  Do you work for CISCO or some other cable company?   In truth no networks are created – a network has nodes and links.  Most ‘networking’events consist of  someone trying to flog something to someone else.   That’s not a network that’s just annoying.

 5.      
CEO – again I have no issue with the acronym, makes perfect sense. 
What bothers me is way everyone from  the window cleaner to the head of Apple is now referred to as a CEO.   Let’s think about the words, Chief Executive Officer, the ‘boss’ of a collection of executive officers.  In other words not a general manger, not an owner, not a managing  director.  Please, unless you have a 1,000 plus employees or are listed on a major exchange simplify the language.
  
6.
Spin-out company – you were  laid off and now you are doing a similar thing and scratching for work.

 7.      
  Executive – why is everyone in marketing an executive? 
If you are paid something around national average wage, even plus £10k, I’m sorry but regardless of nameplate you are not an executive. 
 
8.      
Vice president (VP) – is  there anyone in the States who isn’t a VP?

 9.      
Mentor – who isn’t or doesn’t have one nowadays? 
Well apart from me that is. I receive and give advice – that’s part of being the social animal that is human but this word has become massively overused.

 10.  
Business angel – does  anyone even have a workable definition for this? 
Seems to range from a more acceptable form of venture capital (and why in a capitalist society should that be a problem?) to people with a little bit of money and too much ‘advice’ to  give.  Sleeping partners, silent partners and business partners were all perfectly workable terms.   Venture capital provides the  social distance for the more detached version – the suffix angel doesn’t fool  anyone –or perhaps it does?

 I’ll stop there as 10 is a nice round number and I fancy a coffee and a slice of cake before it sells out J


  

5 Comments
Lucy link
7/17/2011 12:43:38 am

I'm sure this list could go on and on.

Most of these seem to boil down to egotism. They're aimed at creating a sense of the importance of the user and in some cases to exclude those who are not 'in the know' or part of the clique (as most jargon does).

Kind regards :D

Lucy

Reply
Sarah Davis
7/17/2011 08:39:32 pm

Language can be used to keep people in the dark, inflate the egos of those in specific roles & talk secretly to their colleagues. People make up words & use them in closed circles to make themselves seem important and used as power tool to make those not in the know feel stupid for asking the meaning. Bring back the plain English language all is forgiven.

Reply
b
7/18/2011 06:49:21 am

http://www.suite101.com/content/list-of-letter-closings-and-salutations-a88155

I can't decide between "warmest regards" or "with anticipation".

Reply
Bryan link
7/18/2011 07:08:55 am

Yes - a classic example of the rubbish that passes for advice to writers and students these days. Thank you for the link. I shall add it to my blocked list :D

Reply
Jason
7/19/2011 05:21:48 am

Whilst in the midst of trying to write a book(Yes I surprised myself too!!)I find the repetition of words annoys me, so have took to reading some literature(something else that I've rediscovered),From Outliers(recommended by the good DR)Londonstani, Gross On Psychology and The Fourth Protocol and Harry Potters last exploits. Now the written word by each author differs in approach, but its' helped me so maybe thats where it all goes wrong? People don't read books anymore. As for the
'ego' thing, Jargon exists in many professions and will continue to, and modern twists on words are a bit pretentious but creative so why not. Anyhow I'm banjaxed so, catch you later!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Dr Bryan Mills

    "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die" Hunter S Thompson describing the author in 1971.

    Archives

    November 2016
    August 2016
    April 2016
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    October 2013
    August 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011

    Categories

    All
    Strategy

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from vaRiax_, bochalla, playful.geometer, bixentro, Thomas's Pics, alexbuiter, ShanMcG213, EVO GT, DaveBleasdale, Sharon Mollerus, Rob Swystun