Obfuscating language

[Buck]

This falls into a 'pet peeve' sub-category.

I've long disliked the over-use of the word 'impact' when what is meant is 'effect' and/or 'affect.'
The over-use of 'impact' has resulted in its loss of 'impact.'

My latest one is 'reach out.'
Enough already. You contacted the person, you left a voicemail, you sent an email.
Why does it always have to be: "I've reached out to XXXX.'
Ugh

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Agree with both of those.

The one that drives me nuts is "______ is speaking out tonight..."

I probably take at least three of those out of scripts each week. Answering the phone and agreeing to talk should not be considered "speaking out."

 

[MisterCreosote]

Pretty much anything that has ever been written in the lede of an AP "alternative writethru."

 

[Bronco77]

This falls into a 'pet peeve' sub-category.

I've long disliked the over-use of the word 'impact' when what is meant is 'effect' and/or 'affect.'
The over-use of 'impact' has resulted in its loss of 'impact.'

This word also is a pet peeve of mine, especially when used as a verb: "Injuries to the offensive line are impacting Team A's running game and pass protection." It's almost as bad as "efforting."

Another is the use of "up" as a verb, as in "Insurer ups auto rates."

 

[Spartan Squad]

My peeve lately is "so-and-so told the Podunk Press." Well no **** they told you; you're quoting them. Tell me when they didn't speak with you because that is actually important.

 

[SpeedTchr]

My peeve lately is "so-and-so told the Podunk Press." Well no **** they told you; you're quoting them. Tell me when they didn't speak with you because that is actually important.

The only time I want to see that phrase is when the story is in the Pissant Post and their writer didn't get his own quote.

 

[Spartan Squad]

The only time I want to see that phrase is when the story is in the Pissant Post and their writer didn't get his own quote.

That's what I meant, I just wrote it badly. If you got the quote from another outlet, say so. If you got it from a press release/website, say so. Otherwise we're all smart enough to assume you spoke with the person.

 

[Vombatus]

I hate the word "peeve".

 

[MisterCreosote]

My peeve lately is "so-and-so told the Podunk Press." Well no **** they told you; you're quoting them. Tell me when they didn't speak with you because that is actually important.

My favorite is when multiple outlets say that while all using the same exact quote.

It's all part of the "branding strategy" that someone thinks will make us look more important and "connected" than we are.

 

[forever_town]

My peeve lately is "so-and-so told the Podunk Press." Well no **** they told you; you're quoting them. Tell me when they didn't speak with you because that is actually important.

Perhaps if it WAS you who got the quote, I could see it. Or if that's your publication's style when getting a quote from the source, I could see it.

Otherwise, ugh.

 

[User 11148]

What the ****'s with the big word in the thread head? Whaddaya think, we've all got vocabularies around here? [/93Devil]

 

[micropolitan guy]

Two things my best journalism professor at Three Chopt Tech ever said:

1. When asked how to spell "diminutive," he replied, "S M A L L."

2. "Less is better."

 

[Bronco77]

Four more irritating expressions:

"Going forward" (as in, "The franchise expects higher attendance going forward")
"At the end of the day" (unless something really did take place at the end of the day)
"Best practices" (one of the worst bizspeak phrases I know of and all too often used to describe cost-cutting strategies -- but OK in a sports context if we're writing, "The Bulldogs had one of their best practices")
"Rightsizing" (awful euphemism for downsizing, which is bad enough)

 

[doctorx]

"As we first told you on Eyewitnessactionnewschannel..."

 

[da man]

Four more irritating expressions:

"Going forward" (as in, "The franchise expects higher attendance going forward")
"At the end of the day" (unless something really did take place at the end of the day)
"Best practices" (one of the worst bizspeak phrases I know of and all too often used to describe cost-cutting strategies -- but OK in a sports context if we're writing, "The Bulldogs had one of their best practices")
"Rightsizing" (awful euphemism for downsizing, which is bad enough)

Hey, if you're going to start talking about the business world, there isn't enough room on the Internet for that list.

 

[da man]

That's what I meant, I just wrote it badly. If you got the quote from another outlet, say so. If you got it from a press release/website, say so. Otherwise we're all smart enough to assume you spoke with the person.

ESPN is the all-time king of this, no?

 

[da man]

Two things my best journalism professor at Three Chopt Tech ever said:

1. When asked how to spell "diminutive," he replied, "S M A L L."

2. "Less is better."

I love this. I work in the business world now and one of the words that drives me most nuts -- and is used most often -- is "utilize." It means "use." I change that every time. I recently told one of the biz-types I work with if they ever see the word "utilize" in one of my publications, it's a proofing mistake, because if I see it, it will be gone.

We once ran a story in which an industry expert said of some of her clients, "They’re not really sure they want to do this kind of stuff.” When I sent the edited version to the writer for approval, she wrote back, "Is there anyway to rewrite this sentence so it doesn’t say 'stuff'? ... It just sounds so dumb."

My response was, "It doesn't sound dumb at all. It sounds like the way people actually talk."

I'm happy to say the final version ran complete with the word "stuff."

 

[da man]

Four more irritating expressions:

"Going forward" (as in, "The franchise expects higher attendance going forward")
"At the end of the day" (unless something really did take place at the end of the day)
"Best practices" (one of the worst bizspeak phrases I know of and all too often used to describe cost-cutting strategies -- but OK in a sports context if we're writing, "The Bulldogs had one of their best practices")
"Rightsizing" (awful euphemism for downsizing, which is bad enough)

"Leverage" as a verb
"Solution," meaning a product or service

 

[Buck]

I love the word 'stuff.'

It gets axed all the time.

 

[da man]

I love the word 'stuff.'

It gets axed all the time.

My next sentence after the ones in the previous post was, "Full disclosure: Stuff is one of my favorite words of all time."