Business In Washington - Business Operations & Management Consulting

I get the biggest kick out of hearing new words, at least words that are new to me. The best part of Bill O’Reilly’s show on Fox News is his word of the day, always tied to sending him email. “When you write to us, don’t be _________!” There, he plugs in his latest favorite or new discovery.

Examples: Blatherskite. Pedantic. Lugubrious.

What’s not to love?

I also love to hear new definitions of words or word origins, usually spun for laughs rather than true facts. Take the word “politics”. I recently heard someone (maybe Dennis Miller? Not sure. My apologies for the shaky attribution!) break this down into “poli” meaning “many” and “tics”, meaning blood sucking nits. I roared.

Political commentary is rife with new words, distorted words and obscure words used by the more erudite speakers. I recently heard a political speech by someone in high political office described as “abstract, vapid, and self-absorbed”. Isn’t that wonderful? When did you last hear the word “vapid” in conversation? (I will leave this reference nameless, in the interest of avoiding offense. Some people are so sensitive and my interest is in the words, not the politics. My apologies to the brilliant commentator!)

Heard any interesting ones yourself lately? Please share them! The Word Cop looks forward to hearing from you.

English is our primary language in the United States. (Some among us wish it were our official language, but we’ll save that for another post.) It is a magnificent language, rich in its variety and vital in its continual expansion. As The Word Cop, I may decry some aspects of that expansion, but I still applaud the ability of the language to reflect the vitality and progress of the people who use it.

The process of change has certainly accelerated lately. The development of new expressions, new combinations of old words, pregnant with new meaning continues apace. (Now there’s a word I don’t get to use every day! According to the American Heritage Dictionary, apace means “at a rapid pace; swiftly” or “In such a way or at such a speed as to keep up the requisite momentum; abreast.”)

I was struck by one new combination of words I heard from a commentator on a national news network. Commenting on the 90% tax rate legislation pending to address the perceived bonus abuses at AIG, the man referred to “vigilante taxation”. I wrote it down immediately so I wouldn’t forget it. I wish I had also written down the man’s name and I apologize for quoting him without attribution.

I love the expression! Very creative. I am not so sure I love what it says about us and our government right now.