Words Matter

Good morning and welcome to all new followers.  Four now officially, and I am informed by email and comments that there are several other folks "lurking" out there.  Kind of an unfortunate label, lurker, but very expressive.  I understand the term in this context comes from the infancy of chat rooms, where some participants (usually men) would sign on, but not post. Rather, they just read the interactions of the other members with a prurient interest (related to unwholesome or sexual desires).  Please note that I do not believe that my non-registered followers have any prurient interest in this blog (its way too wonky for that), but rather that the term have grown to include a less involved participation in some social media. 

As the title of this post suggests, I am a fan of language and believe strongly that words do, indeed, matter.  Improper usage is a pet peeve and tends to get me a little spun up.  One of my staff used to say that I have a deep seated need to "comma fuck" everything.  OK, he still says it, but I'm just not his boss anymore.  Of course, he is right.  But why?  Why does it matter?  It matters my dear Watson, because language is a system we use to communicate.  Without some discipline, that system breaks down and communication is less effective.  As Inigo says to Vizzini in The Princess Bride, "You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means." 

The meaning of words change over time and the study of that change and its context is called etymology.  For example, "proximate" means near, so "close proximity" is close-close.  If that is your meaning, then by all means, use it.  But be a smart consumer. 

That is not to say that language must be a rigid system, but rather one with rules and flexibility.  We, English speakers, tend to be more open to change than say the French.  Although they have backed off a lot from the heyday of L'Academie francaise.  The word "since" is actually a time reference.  However, the common usage has changed (ironically, over time) and now it is synonymous with "because."  Unlike the French, I don't believe we should fight this change, not do I think we should just string three words together to address any new meaning as the Germans tend to do.  

We lost a great student and standard bearer for the study of common usage last year with the passing of Bill Safire.  Reading his "On Language" column in the New York Times was a weekly ritual for many of us of this persuasion.  For me, it was kind of like going to church.  To borrow from Vizzini (or William Goldman who created him), the loss of Bill and his weekly sermon on words, was to many of us, inconceivable. 

So I dedicate this post to the memory of Bill and his team of Lexicographic Irregulars.  While I often differed with him on political issues, my respect for his love of language knew no bounds.  So, my advice and counsel is to choose your words carefully, but do not be afraid to make mistakes, rather learn from those mistakes and embrace our wonderful and rich system of words and phrases as part of our human body of art. 

Yours truly,

Larry