A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language against misuse and abuse
Phony Sophistication
It’s always been with us, but I’m convinced phony sophistication is increasing. I’m referring to the use of words that sound classy or even elegant, but are wrong. As more and more media folk train their cameras and microphones on public and not-so-public figures, we are bombarded with these misguided attempts at sophistication. Here, in no particular order, are those that seem to be most prevalent:
• Choosing “between you and I” instead of the correct “between you and me.”
• Pronouncing the t in often. Yes, it is silent.
• Using “infer” to mean “imply.” They are not synonymous.
• Using “amongst” (ugh!) instead of “among.”
• Using “begs the question” for “raises the question.” Never use this phrase. That’s not what it means.
• Using “literally” for emphasis. It will almost always be wrong. (See Literally of the Month.)
• Using “whom” or “whomever” in such phrases as “Police are looking for whomever is responsible.” In this case whomever is not the object of for, as it may appear at first glance; it’s the subject of the second verb (is). When placed as a subject, always use who or whoever.
• Using “bemused” to mean “amused.” Bemused means confused, puzzled.
Errant Prepositions
Prepositions continue to present problems for many in the media. We’ve seen some strange uses for them lately. For instance:
From a Wilmington News Journal story: “The group packed a federal courtroom in Wilmington on Thursday to impart on the judge the serious danger the public and girls would face if a life sentence was not handed down.” The phrase is “impart to.” Perhaps the reporter meant “impress upon.”
Also from the NJ, another example of the odd language that dominates the paper’s captions: “Bill Cosby arrives to the Montgomery County Court House Feb. 2, 2016, in Norristown, Pa.” Never mind the weird insertion of the date and year, one arrives at a destination.
And we saw a TV commercial for flowers in which the voice-over informed us: “Order now and save 20 percent off.” This is clearly a case for the Department of Redundancies Dept.
Media Watch
Both from old reliable, The Wilmington News Journal. Corrections in parentheses:
Headline on the sports page: “Durant gets passed (past) injury.”
From a report on schools: “Beyond placing undo (undue) pressure on high school kids and their families, the tests spawned a multi-million dollar test prep industry . . .”
Literally of the Month
“They literally bend over backwards to accommodate (military personnel).” – Gen. Frank Vavala, head of the Delaware National Guard, endorsing DelTech in the school’s 50th anniversary video.
From the Campaign Trail
Presidential candidates and those who cover them continue to provide “War” material.
• A reader spotted an online story that reported Hillary Clinton had eeked out a win in Iowa. That would be eked.
• In one Republican shouting match—er—debate—Marco Rubio kept repeating, “Let’s dispel with this fiction that Barack Obama doesn’t know what he’s doing.” There is no need for “with” after dispel. Methinks he meant “dispense with.”
Mea Culpa
Reader Ken Matlusky spotted what he accurately called “an ironic error” in our February column. In the section about the most common redundancies, he noticed that I mentioned “our personal favorites,” and asked, “Isn’t using ‘personal’ immediately before ‘favorites’ a redundancy?” Right you are, Ken. Good catch.
Also, in the March column, the sentence “his condition was aggravated by the drugs prescribed” was said to be incorrect. It is correct, as several readers noted. The object of the aggravation —his “condition”—could be aggravated ( made worse) by the drugs.
Word of the Month:
gaucherie
Pronounced goh-shuh-REE, it’s a noun meaning a lack of tact or grace; also an instance of this. (From the French “gauche,” which means left-handed or awkward.)
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