(Or, Modern Writing Habits that Really Need to Go)
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I get really ticked by some of the things I read and hear nowadays. Know what I mean; like the increased substitution of nouns for verbs as I just did in the title? Englishify? Frost? It happens all the time. Let’s “task” Joe with something; Did Tom “deconflict” the issue? The suspect “lawyered” up. He “texted” Louie. He “gamed” the system while “guesting” at the casino that “comped” him.
Maybe that specific usage is just the natural evolution of our language. After all, we have accepted many nouns acting as verbs in the past; mop the floor, for example. I fear, though, that we may soon be hearing things such as; Did you “broom” the floor?
Is my fear rational, or am I just resistant to the inevitable? Is the word “mop” diminished since it has no counterpart to “sweep?” But what about the good old Navy term to “swab” the floor (deck)? See how complicated this can be? My definitive answer is: Who knows?
There are a number of burrs under my saddle, though, that just have to do with laziness, sloppiness or ignorance. Here are a few…
