Words on Words

1. Maybe this year all the pundits will pivot away from saying 'pivot.'

2. That said, using current buzz phrases doesn't always represent verbal laziness as the scolds insist; it's a fun way to participate in the popular culture of the moment. The trouble is that by the time people my age get hip to a phrase it's often too late. (I know, right?)

3. I also support curse words. Used moderately, they add flavor.

4. I'll even defend the occasional use of 'like.' Isn't it better to say "I was like, there's no way I'm going to that movie" than to say, "And then I said, and I paraphrase, there's no way . . ."

5. When politicians are on TV, they always use the word 'look' to re-frame a question they don't like. "Look. The issue here is whether we can maintain our dependence on fossil fuels."

6. My pet peeve lately is the shift among policy geeks and pundits from the collective singular to the collective plural. The singular usage is the American tradition; the plural, British. But suddenly the experts are always saying that the "the data show that . . ." instead of "the data shows . . . ." It's as if there was a language virus that struck the chattering classes, or that some sort of tacit agreement was made -- without my consent.

7. How many more politicians will continue to "evolve" on the question of marriage equality?

8. When is the last time you heard anyone say "information superhighway"?