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| Pic courtesy prowritingaid |
You've encountered them, gentle reader.
Lazy cliches are everywhere. Once upon a time they were used in everyday conversation by everyday people.
Frankly, I have no problem with that, but when they crop up in what is seen as professional journalism, I draw a line.
Let's list a few -
"Icon" or "iconic" (overused, and as a consequence, meaningless).
"Incredible" (favoured by young and breathless on-line reporters).
"Literally" (usually means exactly the opposite)
"Ironic" (as ubiquitous as "iconic" and just as meaningless)
"A cautionary tale" (tales are boring if they're cautious)
"Cautiously optimistic" (I'd prefer recklessly optimistic)
"Needless to say" (then don’t say it)
"Anything" gate (Why?)
"Part and parcel" (again, meaningless)
These things sneak into the language and propagate like a virus. Unfortunately, there's no vaccination. The cure is copy editors, but with their demise, and the growth of digital content, it's not going to happen.
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12 comments:
Were you an arithmetic teacher before assuming the role of headmaster, Bob?
I never taught arithmetic, but I did teach mathematics.
I was never a headmaster, but I was a principal.
A rose, by any other name, is still a rose. 🙄😁😂🤣
Here is some interesting reading, though.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-education-difference-between-headmaster-and-principal-pt-1.html
Were you the subordinate Principal, or the head Honcho?
Davis is a born again pastor, and would know as much about educational leadership as I would about Christian pastoral care.
https://wikidiff.com/headmaster/principal
https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/headmaster
You prefer principal as it give the suggestion of a position of note and removes you from comparison with the figure depicted by Jimmy Edwards...come on tell the truth.
It has nothing to do with preference. The position has been called "principal" in Queensland since about 1960. Prior to that, it was "head teacher". The term "headmaster" is a complete anachronism, as it derived from the British public school tradition, which is completely alien to this country, even if some private schools have resurrected it for the purposes of marketing based on nostalgia.
Headmaster in Victoria in the 60s and 70s, Bob.
And Henry Bolte (who nearly killed a couple when driving drunk on 24th March 1984), was Victorian premier in the 60s and 70s. Enough said......
Ducking and weaving and irrelevance is becoming your forte, Bob/Jimmy.
My totally relevant comment referred to the culture that derived terms like "headmaster" and the cliched character that Jimmy Edwards portrayed. If you can't see the connection - not my problem.
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