Category: Wordplay

Have I been using weasel words?

"Some people say...""I have heard that...""It's well known...""In most respects...""It's somewhat true...""I've seen research..." At one time or another, I have said all of the above—and they're all examples of "weasel words." "Weasel words" are words and phrases that "are aimed at creating an impression that something specific and meaningful has been said, when in … Continue reading Have I been using weasel words? →

What “box” are we talking about when we “think outside the box”?

Think outside the box has to be one of the most overused pieces of business jargon out there. In my less than decade-long career, I've lost count of the number of times someone has encouraged me to "think outside the box." In researching a separate post about metaphor, I was reading a blog post on … Continue reading What “box” are we talking about when we “think outside the box”? →

Why ER’s “give me the bullet” catchphrase might be a bad idea

Over the past month, my wife and I have made an episode (or two) of ER a staple of our evenings. In our pandemic era of complex public health policy, there is a strange pleasure in watching fictional medical personnel execute the routines of emergency medicine over and over again. One thing we have noticed … Continue reading Why ER’s “give me the bullet” catchphrase might be a bad idea →

Being aware of metaphors that we live by

A few months ago, I skim-read Metaphors We Live By, by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, a fairly academic treatise on the use of conceptual metaphor in language, a book regarded as seminal in the field of metaphor studies (it's a thing!) and in the more broader field of cognitive linguistics: . This short but … Continue reading Being aware of metaphors that we live by →

Should we stop using shoot to talk about photography?

Sometimes, certain words just don't feel right. Around a year ago, I was writing an email to the principal of a school my firm had designed, which had recently been completed. My email began something like this: Hi [Principal],I am reaching out to discuss when we might be able to come and shoot your school. … Continue reading Should we stop using shoot to talk about photography? →

What do we mean when we say something is “21st-century”?

I spend a fair amount of time reading about PK-12 education and learning environments. In this world, especially on the design side, 21st-century comes up a lot. Teachers, administrators, planners, and architects love to talk about the school of the 21st-century and 21st-century learning environments. Here's a good example in an RFQ for an architect … Continue reading What do we mean when we say something is “21st-century”? →

On the “controlled flight into terrain”

The other day I was reading a New York Times article about the power outages in Texas and the potential troubles ahead for the Texas G.O.P., when I encountered a strange phrase: ...energy experts say that state regulators appointed by the Republican governors in power for decades in Texas have been loath to do anything … Continue reading On the “controlled flight into terrain” →