Category: Language Matters
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It’s a House, not a Home
Don't talk like a realtor unless you are one. And even then . . .
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Why Women are ‘Over-Represented’ among Realtors
Have you ever wondered why women are 'over-represented' among realtors? It is because they excel men when it comes to conciliation and mediation. I don't mean this as a snarky put-down of the distaff contingent. I mean it as praise. And if females do not take it as praise, are they not assuming the superiority…
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Language and Intellectual Honesty
Precision in the use of language is the beginning of intellectual honesty.
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The Leftist as Denier of Distinctions
The 'woker' the leftist, the broader the scope of the denial of distinctions necessary for clear thought and rationally informed action. Here are just some of them: citizen-noncitizen asylum-illegal entry legal immigration-illegal immigration immigration-emigration. This distinction elided by talk of 'migrants.' hate-dissent sex-gender dissenting speech-violence tax-penalty buy back-confiscation et cetera ad nauseam.
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Propaganda
Despite the term's largely pejorative connotation, propaganda is not by definition false or misleading or harmful. Propaganda is anything of a verbal or pictorial nature that is propagated to influence behavior. Propaganda can consist of truths or falsehoods, good advice or bad, exhortation to good behavior or subornation of bad. Anti-smoking and anti-drug messaging are…
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Don’t Surrender to the Left on Language
The Left's destructiveness extends even unto language. The subversion of language is the mother of all subversion. Punch back against the linguistic hijackers. Here's some argumentative ammo from Peter Kreeft's Socratic Logic, 3rd ed., p. 36, n. 1: The use of the traditional inclusive generic pronoun "he" is a decision of language, not of…
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Einstein ‘Quotation’ Abuse
Written 7 March 2005. ……………………………….. Senator Charles Grassley (R) was on C-SPAN this morning talking about Social Security reform among other things. He attributed the following quotation to Albert Einstein: "Compound interest is the only miracle in the world." Did Einstein say that? I rather doubt it. It is too stupid a thing for Einstein…
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True For and True
There are expressions that should be avoided by those who aim to think clearly and to promote clear thinking in others. Expressions of the form, ‘true for X’ are prime examples. In a logically sanitized world, the following would be verboten: ‘true for me,’ ‘true for you,’ ‘true for Jews,’ ‘true for Arabs,’ ‘true for…
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Four Senses of ‘Absurd’
Substack latest.
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Montaigne on Why Language Matters
My Substack latest begins like this after a quotation from the Frenchman: Montaigne's point is mine. Language matters. It deserves respect as the vehicle and enabler of our thoughts and — to change the metaphor — the common currency for the exchange of ideas. To tamper with the accepted meanings of words in order to…
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Conspiracy Theories?
The Language Nazi strikes again. Substack latest.
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‘Gun Buy Back’
An obfuscatory Orwellianism! Well, what did you expect from the mendacious mouths of Democrat subversives? Substack latest.
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On Looking Up Words
Patrick Kurp of Anecdotal Evidence is a man after my own mold: When I encounter a new word, lengthy or not, I like to know what it means and where it comes from. I won’t necessarily use it, in writing or speech, but I’ve grown accustomed to plugging holes in my knowledge of the world.…
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On Prejudice
Hector writes, It seems he [John McWhorter] is not aware that 'prejudice' does not necessarily require a negative attitude towards that concerning which one is prejudiced and is therefore actually not an ideal replacement for 'racist'. Surely, 'bigoted' would be better. I agree. 'Prejudice' admits of pejorative but also non-pejorative uses. 'Bigot' does not. Note…
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Is it Better to Write in Latin or in Anglo-Saxon?
Brand Blanshard, On Philosophical Style (Indiana University Press, 1967; orig. pub. 1954), pp. 46-48. I have broken Blanshard’s one paragraph into three. The question has often been canvassed whether it is better to write, in the main, in Latin or Anglo-Saxon. There is no doubt that one’s writing will have a different mood or atmosphere as the…