I’ve thought of myself as a writer since I was a little kid. I can get absolutely enthralled with how words sound in certain combinations and how they wrap around ideas and bring them to life. But today, I fear for them. Because I think we are wearing them out.
I love social media and all the conversations. I love how empowered the consumer has become and how that is forcing us to be more transparent so everyone can see and trust our authenticity. The new ROI for me is Relationship over Investment. I know that I need to engage my audience and make them a part of my community. Content is king, Baby!
Anyone else rubbing their temples? Tiptoe through that last paragraph and pick out the words that we have overused to the point of wearing them down to their nubs. Go ahead, admit your guilt. You know you’ve exceeded your quota on more than a few.
Is it possible that linguaocide is a side effect of a few million people creating content on a daily basis?
Words are juicy and filled with nuance and richness. But, when we use and use and use a word – we squeeze the juice out of it until it becomes limp and lifeless. They either become an almost generic term (like Kleenex) that no longer has any pinpointed meaning or they become so empty that we stop using them all together. I suppose it’s inevitable for most words. Really, when was the last time you said “rain bonnet?”
But I’m worried that we’re accelerating the process and pretty soon, we’re not going to have any words left. Am I being an alarmist?
Maybe it’s time to shift my blog from words to sketches. Where’s that matchbook with the art school ad in it…..
I don’t think you’re being an alarmist. But as has always been the case, words can either serve as an expression of ideas or as their counterfeit.
Only education and wisdom will allow us to know the difference.
It’s so true, Drew. Certain words get overused to the point we get sick of hearing them.
We’re all culprits, but some groups tend to grab onto words and (over)use them, almost as a badge of honor for who they are or what they do. Some corporate-types overuse words because they’ve become part of the MBA lexicon, when plain old English can do the same job. Our friends in the media jump on words until we get sick of them. And, again thanks to the media, mainstream America picks up and often overuses words from various subcultures, like urban slang that’s now part of our language. The latest, it seems, is the abbreviated language of texting, as sort-of words like BFF become used and overused.
But that’s the challenge to those of us who write. We’ve got to find other words to say what we want to say, so we don’t sound like a cliche.
OMG, does all this make sense?
Drew,
I hear you but writing is based on a simple theory: It isn’t about finding words, it’s about writing the way one talks. Writing is simply another means of communicating.
Keep it simple, keep it conversational and words such as “love, empowered, trust and authenticity” will be used only when needed to make a point.
Seriously, except for a few of us social-media geeks, who uses the word “engaged” to mean a type of customer loyalty tactic?
In the words of the late, great Jim Dickey, “Writing is easy. You just have to get the right damn words in the right damn place.”
When words are over-used by people in an industry or a corporation, I think
it’s often done to feel part of a club. People who don’t write or edit for a
living are not as sensitive about words. And you know what they say about
imitation–
I have a friend who writes as though stringing together quotes from Hallmark
cards and commercials punctuated by corporate-speak. She’s always worked for the giants. And in a recent cutback-to-the-quick, she’s the only one left
standing in her department. Maybe there’s something to be said–or written–about her style [that makes me cringe] if you work at some places
and want to eat?
Sometimes, I find that I need to define terms up-front, because certain words become so watered-down as to be almost meaningless. It’s not only overuse of short-shelf-life buzzwords that threatens language. It’s also voiding words of objective meaning.
Oh – and when I say “words”, I’m talking about those things up there – collections of letters into clumps that convey meaning. Werd, dude. Or wurd. Never mind.
Sorry – have to disagree with your premise here. Words don’t wear out from use, they wear out from misuse. Even faster when combined into expressions: think of “perfect storm,” which was evocative for about twelve and a half minutes and now mostly makes me groan when I hear it (as I do over, and over, and over).
Don’t think you’re getting out of the dilemma by going to sketching! Certain elements of drawing can also become standardized and empty when shared across a population, especially if you’re drawing what you THINK you see (a square table, for example) and not what you actually see (on paper that table actually needs to be a different shape, depending on the angle of the viewer, in order to look real).
I suppose it is theoretically possible that all of us writing away could overuse all the available words, plus some new ones we make up, creating conventional phrase after conventional phrase. But as individuals we are limited in how much we can take in, retain, and express. What was old is new again and even the infinite archiving capability of the web won’t stop that. Perhaps instead of dying the language will take on a new form of cyclical life.
At the end of the day, I’ll shift my paradigm to check the box next to John Whiteside’s comment: “Words don’t wear out from use, they wear out from misuse.”
It’s definitely a challenge to find new ways to express what you want to express in precisely the way you want to express it: Isn’t that what writers do?
Words aren’t the only things being worn out. The ideas themselves have also become tired. Not because they’ve lost significance – simply because we’ve heard them so many times.
I often find myself taking some of these concepts and principles for granted. But the key is not to throw these ideas away and look for new ones. It’s to rediscover their meaning and breathe new life into them whenever possible.
Great ideas will never die. It’s often just our passion for them that needs a wake-up call.
I was smiling and nodding as I read this post. I’m in the middle of working on a writing project and hit a wall because I don’t want to say something the same way it’s being said ad nauseam, and it’s hard to wipe my brain clean to reach for something new.
What I find is that “misuse,” like both Ann and John W. say, is the real culprit.
Here’s an example: Everyone talks about things being “actionable” – information, leads, etc. But I heard someone say – can’t remember who – that the only thing “actionable” relates to is a legal suit. Dictionary.com defines actionable as “furnishing ground for a lawsuit.” That forever colored the use of “actionable” for me and flipped it from being a good thing to something that may not resonate as it should. So, even though it also means “ready for action,” I now look for other ways to get at the meaning.
Besides that, if we all sound the same, why would anyone pay attention to our words over someone else’s?
So many possibilities…
As I read the comments, I wonder if misuse = overuse? Granted, it is annoying when someone uses a word wrong.
But let’s look at the word transparency. I think the collective “we” are using the word correctly — but dang, are we using the word.
Does treading on the same word over and over reduce its potency?
Drew
Well, when a word has currency, it gets used in ways that distort the meaning. I think that’s the case with “transparency.”
To pick another one from the marketing world: “permission.” It was introduced with a very strict definition, but now it seems to mean “You once were in a room where our web site was on a monitor so we’ll email you.”
David,
I’m right there with you. Do you think we are accelerating the wear down with all the content being produced at break-neck speed?
I think of the BFF type words as the current version of the CB trucker language we suffered through in the 70’s.
10-4, good buddy!
Drew
Lewis,
Sure….in theory that makes sense. But we know what happens is that a word gets sort of a buzz factor or is pivotal to a popular/frequent topic of discussion and voila, we have word fatigue.
Have you not used words like transparency more in the past couple years that you did 10 years ago?
I’m not saying it isn’t the right word. Or that we shouldn’t use it. But are we using it up?
Drew
Jeanne,
First — sorry about your friend. Maybe an intervention? But you make your point — she still has a job.
Your insight is right on the money, I think. Corporate speak is like wearing a uniform — we are part of the same team. I also think it is a shield they can hide behind.
String together a bunch of over-used buzz words and you’ve got a sentence that doesn’t really take any risks or say anything. But it looks like they made the effort.
Drew
Steve,
Watered down…that’s a great way of describing it. Do you find you have to define the words because they’ve taken on a new/different meaning or because they’ve been used to the extent that they lack meaning?
Drew
Beth,
Way to burst my bubble! Of course, the fact that my stick people don’t really look like stick people might also have been a barrier.
You might be right….maybe we’re just on the tail end of the recycling process. Sort of like the phoenix — the words will rise from the ashes!
Drew
I think it is also about being lazy. The words that we overuse become jargonistic. That is why we have to be vigilant and make sure that we constantly re-energise the language that we use.
John,
No need to for the sorry — that’s why I started the discussion. So for you, it’s a situation like the word bad suddenly meaning good?
Or Lewis’ example for the word engaged?
But all of us using the same words over and over (and over) doesn’t phase you?
Drew
John,
No need to for the sorry — that’s why I started the discussion. So for you, it’s a situation like the word bad suddenly meaning good?
Or Lewis’ example for the word engaged?
But all of us using the same words over and over (and over) doesn’t faze you?
Drew
Drew,
Thanks for starting a great discussion. Two relevant quotes:
“What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.”
–Samuel Johnson
And one of my favorites:
“That isn’t writing at all, it’s typing.”
–Truman Capote
John,
P.S. — opened a magazine and the first ad I saw for for women’s make-up. The headline. Perfect Storm!
Drew
Ann,
Sure…many writers agonize over finding the exact word they’re looking for. I suppose that will never change — or at least I hope not.
I’m just wondering if we’re reducing their choices.
Drew
Ryan,
So how do you re-fuel your passion for a word or an idea?
Drew
Ardath,
“Besides that, if we all sound the same, why would anyone pay attention to our words over someone else’s?”
Unless of course Jeanne is right and it’s a sign of belonging to the club.
Did you find your way to that fresh language for your project?
Drew
Gavin,
Hmm, lazy. You’re probably right, it’s easier and faster to grab the current “hot” word rather than find a new way.
You’re known as a blogging poet. How do you discipline yourself to avoid that trap?
Drew
Gwyneth,
“That isn’t writing at all, it’s typing.”
–Truman Capote
Love it!
Drew
I’m not sure we’re wearing out our words. But we’re exposed to far more words than we used to see in a lifetime. If we’re seeing phrases like “perfect storm” or “return on investment” more than before, it’s because we’re seeing more words. Period.
It’s a symptom of the explosion of ideas brought about by the Internet. We see thousands of ideas, and some of them are bound to be expressed in the same way. There’s nothing new under the sun, after all.
David,
Interesting point. So wouldn’t you think that if we have more words at our disposal, we’d repeat words less often?
Drew
Social media is like a constant conversation going on in my office. Except that I can turn down the volume (not read) or turn up the volume and learn (when I choose to). When I’m in the mood, those well-worn words strike me as familiar context. When I’m not receptive, they’re junky. Writing is a tough job, made tougher by the whims of the reader.
Social media is like a constant conversation going on in my office. Except that I can turn down the volume (not read) or turn up the volume and learn (when I choose to). When I’m in the mood, those well-worn words strike me as familiar context. When I’m not receptive, they’re junky. Writing is a tough job, made tougher by the whims of the reader.
Social media is like a constant conversation going on in my office. Except that I can turn down the volume (not read) or turn up the volume and learn (when I choose to). When I’m in the mood, those well-worn words strike me as familiar context. When I’m not receptive, they’re junky. Writing is a tough job, made tougher by the whims of the reader.
“P.S. — opened a magazine and the first ad I saw for for women’s make-up. The headline. Perfect Storm!”
Good grief. I can’t imagine any good connotations of that relating to makeup!
My biggest objection to these phrases is that they make writing dull. I can’t say that I don’t wind up using them (well, not perfect storm) in my own writing – especially things like quick blog posts – but it’s always interesting to go back and edit something and try to get rid of them.
Usually, there’s a way to express the same idea more clearly – and as a bonus, in a way that’s more aesthetically pleasing! But then I’m one of those curmudgeons who loves the art of writing, along with its powers as a medium for expressing ideas. For all the hubbub about video online, i think it pales next to good writing in its ability to express most concepts clearly.
EID,
Valid point — readers are getting more and more fickle and prone to a sound bite mentality. They’re less likely to wallow in someone’s words.
But I do think there are exceptions to that. Our our Ann Handley here at Marketing Profs has a way of luring you into her writing and wrapping yourself up in it. If you haven’t caught her act, head to: http://www.annhandley.com/
Well, worth the read every time.
Drew
John,
I believe it was in reference to the blending of colors that normally you wouldn’t put together or something. Honestly, the ad itself only caught my eye because of our conversation about “perfect storm.” But, it made your point for you in spades!
In terms of writing blog posts — do you find yourself less concerned with language there because of the casualness of the medium? Or were you just referencing that on occasion we all have to whip out a quick post so we let ourselves off the hook now and then?
Drew
I am a bit less careful with blog posts than I am with, say, documents for clients, white papers, and so on. I’m also rather terrible at proofreading my own stuff, so typos do creep in – it’s not unusual for me to go back and fix them shortly after posting to my blog (or when a colleague points them out).
And yes, sometimes those quickie posts are more casual.
I do think the point the a very conversational medium like blogging has different standards has merit, and I see that in my own writing; however, it’s worth doing a tired cliche check on everything.
I make no claims of perfection on this, though!
If I was a maker of graphs, I might create one which described the history of a buzz word from conception to comic parody. It would begin with the coining of a phrase, follow through the struggle over its meaning, bear witness to its repetition (growing ever louder while diminishing in meaning) and report on its eventual appearance in a Saturday Night Live sketch or clever IBM ad.
Most interesting, and perhaps the focus of an auxiliary graph, would be the struggle over meaning. As a neophyte in this business world, I have had the problem/good fortune of needing to track certain terms back through their evolution in an effort to discover what they really mean. This has allowed me to review the various efforts that went toward the ownership of the right to define, a process sped by the near instantaneous nature of the online conversation. I have been privileged, by my ignorance, to see words used and reused with subtle changes in meaning as the cultural powers struggle to define a term’s significance. It is a wonderful dance and an important one for it is the period during which lasting ideas arise from the fray.
Of course, this isn’t a new occurrence. Academia has suffered the erosion of language for ages and argued its causes for nearly as long. I remember, during my college life, discovering that I could use the term “hegemony” virtually anywhere and those around me would nod knowingly. It was years before I really understood what it meant.
Language is somewhat fragile. The weight of meaning we pile upon words can and will cause them to collapse beneath it. Buzz words are often a substitute for specificity, an easier way to present a larger, more difficult concept. However, when meaning outweighs a word’s carrying capacity the concept becomes irrational . . . meaningless. The word points in too many directions and the reader/listener is lost. As Harry Nilsson said, “A point in every direction is the same as no point at all.”
Wow, now I remember why my college papers sounded like they did. I always wrote with a beer in hand then as well. My apologies if this comment strayed into the absurd.
Drew,
Great post! (Can I keep “transparent” if I’ll give up the rest? Actually, I’m gonna need ROI once in a while, too.)
I want to see the blogosphere (speaking of overused words) just TRY to overuse “linguaocide.” That is a doozy.
Every generation coins or remakes its own words and phrases, then uses them up until they’re unusable by the next folks to come along. (How about “dynamite”?) It just happens that this is not a generation, but a field of professionals crossing generations, with a very loud megaphone which crosses fields (the Internet), so all sorts of people are hearing about engagement and no longer thinking about two months’ salary.
(What’s the ROI on that two months’ salary thing, anyway?)
We’re going to have to come up with some more creative ways of expressing ourselves, in a hurry.
Regards,
Kelly
Nic,
Two ah ha moments for me in your comment.
First…As Harry Nilsson said, “A point in every direction is the same as no point at all.”
Brilliant.
Second…I always wrote with a beer in hand then as well.
A wise man once said, if Nic is having a beer, shouldn’t you be sociable and have one too? Oh wait…that was me who said that.
Drew
Kelly,
Thank you for appreciating “linguaocide.” I have to say, I enjoyed creating that one. I suspect it will not be overused any time soon!
My kid sister had a t-shirt with dynomite on it. One vacation we stayed in a cabin/resort sort of place for a week. One the first day, she wore that shirt and everyone at the resort called her Dynomite all week! Pretty sure that didn’t get worn again.
So how do you stay mindful of choosing juicy words rather than the squeezed dry ones?
Drew
I’m in the middle of reading Susan Jacoby’s “The Age of American Unreason.” It’s a book about politics, but with a healthy dose of American political and cultural history, and she has quite a lot to say about speech and writing. It’s interesting, and has me wondering if trying to be “juicy” is part of the problem – there are some great examples of the days when politicians were much more formal when they spoke to the public, and what’s really striking about it is how powerful those statements were – one example was FDR in 1940 trying to prepare the country for the coming war.
It’s not juicy, but it’s impressive (and effective) rhetoric.
Is it possible that there’s something else at work here, something more natural and evolutionary? In fact, let’s just call it the evolution of language, the development of the modern lexicon, or however else you choose to represent it.
Throughout our own history, words of an age have faded into the collective history as they are replaced by other, more contemporary words that essentially mean the same thing. When was the last time someone you know was referred to as deboshed? Much more likely, they’ve been called drunken…they both mean the same thing, the difference is that deboshed is a Victorian term used in Shakespeare, while drunken is far more contemporary.
My point is only this – as times change, so to does the popular lexicon. A term like ‘google-ing’ or ‘googling’ may have been unheard of 10 years ago, but is likely understood today by everyone reading this post. In 10 more years, the term may fade from use, only to be replaced by other, more contemporary words.
The fact that more people are writing today doesn’t signal an end to language, but perhaps an acceleration of the evolution of language.
Drew,
Oops, I forgot the correct ca-1978 (?) spelling of dynOmite.
To choose juicy words, first, I steal “linguaocide.”
Beyond that, I try to remember all the teachers who used to get nuts if we used a term more than once in a paper, encouraging us to discover that there are more than 20,000 words in the dictionary.
They also reminded us that jargon makes you sound like a dork to anyone but another jargon-head. I don’t preach to the choir at my blog, so after I introduce a bit of lingo so my readers know of it, then it’s time to stop. Right before the dork-meter points to me.
A lot–a LOT–of people are writing at their blogs that they are tired of blogs and semi-recycled thought. (Sadly, this means I am tired of reading that, though it is a good point.) I think what they are tired of is exactly what you’re writing about here. Everybody uses the same words, so even a fresh angle sounds like the same thing we read yesterday at so-n-so’s blog. I’m not sure the thoughts are being recycled (mainly), but a tiny group of words is being trampled into the ground.
I agree with Jason about evolution. If we don’t want the dork-meter to point to each of us, we’ll have to evolve faster and faster–so many cycles are speeding up in the electronic age–or we’ll have to get creative, with words that aren’t on the endangered list.
Until later,
Kelly
Jason’s point is a good one; language does evolve. New words enter, others fall into disuse, and some change meaning. (I always think of “lunatic” in this case; its meaning has changed in English; on the other hand, a friend of mine has a little sign that reads “Chat Lunatique” by his door in honor of his cat, and it doesn’t mean what most non-French speakers would assume!)
But that is a bit different that use of cliche, which often hides sloppy thinking. Consider “perfect storm;” it initially was coined to describe an highly unlikely set of circumstances that produce an effect far greater than any of the individual circumstances would have on their own. It describes something very rare that had enormous consequences.
Now it just means any combination of events; judging by the frequency with which we hear it, we’d have to assume that the laws of probability have changed, or we are being wracked by an endless series of dramatic events. I just did a Google News search on the phrase, and high up the list was someone at a food bank describing that increased demand for their services, brought on by high food prices and a sluggish economy, as a “perfect storm.”
That’s not evolution of language, it’s devolution of thinking.
On a more practical note: cliche-ridden prose is dull and unclear. If you want to write effectively, precision and tone do matter; clearing your writing of cliches will make it more effective. That doesn’t mean never use them – sometimes, after all, the storm really is perfect. Using these phrases sparingly and correctly will make you a better communicator.
This discussion has led to a resolution to revisit my blog posts before publishing them as often as I can. After all, I don’t want a perfect storm of cliches and typos to drive readers away!
[ducking]
Hi, Drew. I agree with Jason and John. Language is an ever-evolving thing. Popular culture can introduce us to an expression or idiom and it gets adopted in breakneck speed only to be shelved into obscurity after its 15 minutes of fame.
Like almost everything in western society today, we chew things up, spit them out and then try the newest and latest. When was the last time you heard, “Far out!”
I can’t conceptualize how deeply your loquacity has impacted me.
Thank you for honoring us sharing your story here.
Oh … right … I guessed I just help support your point, eh?
Drew,
I agree with your comment that “misuse = overuse.” You chose the word transparency as an example, and in fact, the industry agrees with you. In PRWeek’s 2007 Book of Lists, they named “5 terms we hope not to hear again” and the word Transparent was number one.
The fact that the leading publication for the PR industry even has a category like this clearly shows that we are wearing out our words. So, I guess the question now is, how do we stop?
You are not being an alarmist, but we marketers have much to blame ourselves for. It is not overuse alone that is responsible, but the liberal latitude in meaning or usage context that has diluted the power of the written word as used by marketers. I have just started a blog on marketing in India (literally two posts young), and I struggled to find words that are uncorrupted. I nearly threw up when I realized I had used ‘value’ some 16 times. (I did manage to cut it down, but it is still tooo many:)).
However, in a developing country like India, the very act of writing helps us improve how we express our ideas and the reciprocal cause-effect relationship ensures that our ideas are clearer and more precise as well.
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