I once read that one should avoid slang because it dates the user. Slang is a particular problem for me, as it is, to some degree, for most people. In an effort to be more articulate and less colloquial, I am attempting to wean myself off certain words and phrases. Perhaps by chronicling my efforts, I can better stick to this grammatical workout regimen.
Word/Phrase #1: Issues, as in "I have my own issues to deal with" or "This article I just read has so many issues, I can't even deal." (Stay tuned for Phrase #2.) I'm not sure when everyone started having "issues," but I first heard it in a psychiatric or counselling context. It was a less judgmental way to refer to a person's problems. A client isn't troubled; he has issues. The term caught on outside of this context to mean any general problem a person might have with anything. ("I have issues with David E. Kelley's twisted take on the law.") It has now enjoyed such overuse, in all manner of contexts, that it has lost virtually all meaning.
To highlight this point, let's examine the first paragraph as it more or less originally composed itself in my head:
I post a lot on Facebook. A lot. It's an issue for me. Particularly about grammar and issues with using language, in general. Today, however, I seem to have discussed usage a lot more than normal, and I really started examining how I write and speak. To be honest, this issue didn't suddenly occur to me today. I've been thinking about this issue for quite some time now and have been trying to solve my writing and speaking issues.
This is no longer simply about slang use; it's a matter of overall clarity. "Issue" is, for all intents and purposes, a non-word. And I've got issues with that.
Possible alternatives:
"I have issues with this point." = "I disagree with this point."
"I have so many issues with my mother." = "My mother and I have never gotten along."
"That guy has issues." = "He is an unsavory character."
1 comment:
Problem is a perfectly good word, and the use of "issue" to replace it is an example of how that sort of thing never works. "He has mental issues," is now just as offensive to someone as, "he has mental problems."
"She has issues with honesty," is no different from, "she has problems with fidelity." "I have a problem with your work," is no worse than, "I have issues with your performance." In fact, many are now more likely to be offended by "issue," as it sounds as if one is trying to weasel out of putting a firm statement on the record.
The same thing happens with all attempts to replace words. "Retard, means slow. Mental retardation meant slowness of mental development. Perfectly plain, non-judgemental language, but people started using, "retarded" as a pejorative. To get rid of this "issue" we replaced Mentally retarded with, "special needs." Now people say, he's special," as the same insult, "he's retarded," used to be. Net result of this huge social and linguistic shift? ZERO One could find a hundred other such examples.
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