Here are a few words which I invite you to help me save from liberal dumb-speak.
IMMIGRANT/MIGRANT
There was a time when we all understood that “immigrant” and “migrant” were different words, with different meanings. Some time in the last decade, politicians and the media started using the words interchangeably, and recently, “migrant” has almost completely replaced “immigrant.”
A “migrant” goes to a place temporarily. For example, migrant workers go to a place to work (such as to harvest crops), then return to their homes at the end of the work season. Cliff swallows migrate from Argentina to San Juan Capistrano, California in the summer, and return in the winter. “Immigrants,” on the other hand, go to a place with the intention of remaining permanently.
Are the millions of people who have crossed our borders in recent years here temporarily, on vacation or to work, or have they come here intending to remain? Clearly, they are not migrants; they are immigrants. Please let’s stop talking about illegal (or undocumented) migrants, and please correct those who call them migrants. They are not migrants; they are immigrants.
AFFECT/IMPACT
The verb “affect” means “to act upon; to produce a change upon.” In recent years, TV talking heads have decided to turn the noun “impact” into a verb. Now they say “Inflation impacts middle class voters” instead of “Inflation affects middle class voters.” The definition of “impact” as a verb is – are you ready? — “to affect.” So why does everybody say “impact” nowadays, and rarely “affect”? I don’t know; apparently “they” (whoever they are) decided that “impact” sounds cooler. Well, “they” are wrong. It doesn’t sound cooler; it sounds like somebody is trying to impress somebody, and it affects my mood negatively. Harrumph!
FENTANYL
Note to politicians and TV talking heads: it is pronounced fentaNIL, not fentaNOL. Rhymes with fill, hill, kill Bill. Fentanyl is an important topic, worthy of discussion, but if you can’t even pronounce it, I have no interest in whatever you might have to say; you have no credibility. As soon as I hear “fentaNOL,” I tune out. It’s similar to “nuclear,” which is pronounced “new clear,” not “new cue lar. President Bush used to do that, and I always thought “Yesterday, he couldn’t even pronounce newcuelar, and today he has the launch codes!” So please, fentaNIL, not fentaNOL.
BULLET/CARTRIDGE
A cartridge has four parts: the case, the gunpowder, the primer, and the bullet. When the firing pin hits the primer, it causes a spark. The spark ignites the gunpowder, which turns into a rapidly expanding gas. The expanding gas forces the bullet out of the case, like a cork popping out of a champagne bottle. The bullet goes speeding down the barrel and comes out with a very loud noise (again, like a champagne bottle), leaving behind the empty case with a used-up primer. When people say that a gun had bullets in the clip, they mean there were cartridges in the magazine. (Don’t get me started on clip and magazine!)
MAN/GENTLEMAN; WOMAN/LADY
Some of us actually know how to define “man” and “woman.” (XY chromosomes; XX chromosomes. Simple.) The words “man” and “woman” are not interchangeable with “gentleman” and “lady.” “Gentleman” and “lady” are “honorifics,” words intended to convey honor, respect, admiration. A gentleman is a man, and a lady is a woman, who exhibits excellent manners and proper behavior. How silly it sounds to hear a police officer say “I observed the lady setting the homeless person on fire,” or “I observed the gentleman shooting the schoolchildren.” Those are not admirable behaviors, are they? Please, “man” and “woman” are perfectly good words; don’t be afraid to use them. Save the honorifics for those who deserve them.
COPSPEAK
Come to think of it, police officers never “see”; they “observe.” Maybe it is compensation for feelings of inadequacy; they feel like they have to talk highfalutin’. No police officer ever wrote a report saying that he got out of his car. He “exited his vehicle.” What about you? Do you exit your vehicle, or do you just get out of your car? Also, a police officer will never utilize the word “use” when he can use the word “utilize.”
THANK YOU/YOU’RE WELCOME
It used to be generally understood that the appropriate response to “Thank you,” is “You’re welcome.” Recently, people have stopped saying “You’re welcome.” Now, if you say “Thank you” to a waiter or waitress, he or she will reply “No problem,” or “Of course,” or some other alternative to the newly unpopular “You’re welcome.” OK, I understand that the folks at Chick-Fil-A have adopted “My pleasure” as sort of a trademark, but nobody else has a decent excuse. It’s especially amusing to hear guests on TV talk shows. When the host says “Thank you,” the guest replies “Thank YOU.” This could go on indefinitely. “No, thank YOU.” “Well, thank you more!” “Oh yeah? Thank you even more, to infinity plus infinity zillion!” Just say “You’re welcome,” people!
THANK YOU
You’re welcome.
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