Malign English II

Some linguists "accept" that as English changes all change must be merely accepted without much question as to whether the words and terms entering the language can do much to distort the very process of thinking that underlies the very coining of the words themselves.

This will not do. Numerous words have entered the language as though they are merely substitutes for older words that somehow no longer do justice to reality. In which case, it might be well to try to understand what reality it is that the words are somehow seeking to represent or even re-present

One stupid word is "bling" . As opposed to stating what the word represents in actual words that make it clear what it means-the ostentatious and vulgar showing off of supposed "wealth"-the word tends to be used instead of "flashy" to mean something vaguely acceptable as such, even ironically. 

This is clearly desirable to a silly person with numerous gold chains around his neck or a "pimped up car" to mean that he or she is not merely a poncing fool, an insecure posturing person of little interest  but somehow a worthy, if slightly showy, individual of "the community".

"No-brainer" is another idiotic term. Apart from those aspiring to be complete morons, nothing in life should entail not having a brain, wanting to use it or using it to make a quick decision. There is absolutely no use at all in using this hideous word instead of something akin to "a snap decision".

"Snap decision" is a far better way to express an actual decision as opposed to using a word that would mean the presumed decider is some form of zombie. The only possible use of "no-brainer" is a person who has has had his brains exploded out of his brain by being shot at close range with a pistol.

The worst recent word coining is  "chillaxed" . It should be axed forthwith from the lexicon. I fail to see how such a term ( And I refuse to accept it as a word ) differs or has any meaning other than existing expressions that mean what is meant, without the implication of being 'so stressed out'. 

This term is used by ultra 'stressed out' corporate clone bores who cannot just 'relax' or 'put their feet up' but have to insinuate that their relaxation amounts to a combination of relaxing and "chilling out big time". Presumably as all machines that are overheating must chill down. 

As a term used to imply a person needs 'time out' to ponder upon a decision, the term is not at all helpful either. 

One reason why it is a term used by the PR man David Cameron, the Prime Minister of Britain. Maybe in the coming future dystopia, carping critics will be subject to compulsory "chillaxation" programmes in huge freezing warehouses and "rendered" like hung meat carcases encased in ice.

Malign English

Abuses of English often abound without question. One appalling term is "human resources", the implication of which is often not questioned or else reduced, perhaps understandably by those who do not care to think about this, as "HR". There are other examples of this common in everyday speech.

One is the misuse of the word "impact" as in "It will impact on performance" etc. This suggests that impacts are always totally direct, rather like high impact explosives, things that impact on directly by being set in motion as if the chain of causation was as simple as a billiard ball hitting another.

The more nuanced use of the older English ( I still use ) "to have an impact on" is being made obsolete by corporate go getting power jargon. So these days cuts in services, for example, will "impact on the economy" . Or else "impact on the job market".

It sounds positive in a vaguely menacing way. In the same way a smart bomb impacts on delivery. The fact it might indiscriminately shred people to pieces and damage them is less relevant. If something "has an impact", then its exact nature needs to be clarified by reference to facts. To "impact on" is Orwellian.

Another ghastly use of English is manifest in the term "to access services", using a noun as a verb. This is simply ugly, appropriating computer data entry language to everyday occurrences in life. The correct English is "to gain access to" or "to have access to" something.

Now that implies an element of difficulty, something many might find an alarming prospect. To state you would like to "have access" to something implies negotiation, consent and recognises the existence of something other than one's own immediate needs and wants. Something annoying to the greedy consumer.

For example, it is possible a person might want to "have access" to the thoughts of his or her beloved. If he or she wanted to "access them", the individual could be thought to be a pyschopath ready to use torture to achieve that or some form of sadistic peddler of brainwashing techniques or a deranged hypnotist
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