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Last Call
The Usual Suspects
BY USING STALE METAPHORS, SIMILES, and idioms,” George Orwell wrote in 1946, “you save much mental effort, at the cost of leaving your meaning vague, not only for your reader but for yourself.”
He thought political writing suffered particularly from this problem and went on to recommend that writers should “never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.” That advice proves easier to give than to follow, as Orwell himself admitted.
But in that spirit, and with a New Year approaching, I’ll offer a few figures of speech or expressions that are best sent to the retirement home. Every presidential campaign furnishes a crop. At the top of this year’s list would have to be “game changer.” This phrase must never be uttered again in any context (not even a real game). During the longest campaign in history, it came off the lips of commentators at the end of every debate, or in the course of talking-head smash-ups on cable television. Orwell wrote that the word “fascism” had so deteriorated from overuse that it now meant “something not desirable”; by the time “game changer” had run its course, it meant “something not definable.”
Some of that may have had to do with its containing the most worn-out single word of the season: “change.” While Orwell did not recommend shotgunning perfectly good single words, “change” did find its way into hackneyed phrases that were exhausted within a few repetitions. Barack Obama’s campaign slogan, “Change You Can Believe In,” quickly became an object of derision for critics, who ended what seemed like countless commentaries by stating some variation of “that’s not change we can believe in.”
But while the word “change” is too fundamental to be sent packing, “maverick” does not enjoy this essential status, and should probably be mothballed for the duration. And one devoutly hopes never to hear “hockey mom” spoken in company, respectable or otherwise. In fact, all adjectival-mom phrases should be pensioned as well: hockey mom, soccer mom, army mom, arugula mom, or what have you. Without these phrases, we’d have to confront what we’re really trying to say about these moms—or whether we in fact mean to discuss them as moms. Maybe there is something else we’re trying to say about them. How would we know? Start with cutting out the dead phrases, perhaps.
Though not unique to this political year, a number of other expressions have also run their course. “It’s the economy, stupid,” the big catchphrase from 1992, has lurked for 16 years like a member of the undead—usually with the concern of the moment standing in for “economy,” or, when the economy again becomes the focus, “It’s still the economy, stupid.” Its earth box needs to be sought out and a stake driven through its heart.
On the conservative side, a few venerable titles have been adapted several hundred times too many. Top of that list would be “My [fill in the blank] Problem, and Ours,” an adaptation of the famous Norman Podhoretz essay title from 1963, where the operative word was “Negro.” A quick Google search found “My Jewish Problem, and Ours,” “His Toughness Problem, and Ours,” “My Marty Peretz Problem, and Ours,” and “My Huckabee Problem, and Ours.” As a member of my family often intones during political developments he dislikes: Make it stop. (He’s my problem, not yours.)
Of course, one shouldn’t be shocked, shocked, to learn that writers use clichés (or that Casablanca provides so many to lean on, including my used-up title). It can be difficult to avoid them, especially when writing about politics. Orwell believed that was because the role of language in politics is to obscure reality instead of reveal it. True enough. He didn’t live to see today’s instant media culture, when content is more time-driven than ever, and the temptation to reach for the familiar is that much greater. Orwell also didn’t account for how clichés can reinvigorate themselves in an irony-steeped culture.
As I wrote this, the University of Toledo defeated Michigan in a major college football upset. A friend wrote me that the event was momentous enough to merit an exception for a certain well-used phrase. Sometimes only the familiar will do, so let’s not stand on ceremony. Holy Toledo!
Paul Beston is associate editor of City Journal.
Comments
Leave a Comment
Allen Ross Warmington| 12.29.08 @ 11:51AM
George Orwell [Eric Blair] would be totally bored with "The conventional wisdom of the mainstream press and the slippery slope" blah blah blah. Those TV talking heads ought not be paid for belching their cliches. I'm a native born American who ignores the electronic "news, weather and sports" jaded genre. C-SPAN is the only exception.
Cordially,
ARW
Spartuchis| 12.29.08 @ 12:41PM
The absolute most loathsome political cliche of your time is "Moms and Dads", as in "There are are Moms'n'Dads" sitting around "the kitchen table." The only person who calls--or who has the right to call--their mother and father "Mom" and 'Dad" are the actual children of the Mom and Dad in question. Otherwise, the proper, adult, respectful term is "parents." I wanted to shoot myself in the head and barf each time I heard that during the campaign.
Marc Jeric| 12.29.08 @ 1:39PM
"The change we can believe in" - yes, Sir, and Abu Hussein will give it to you soon enough! Socialism as our future is coming - and with it court-enforced political correctness, multiculturalism, affirmative action, total unionization for everybody, "fairness doctrine", confiscatory taxes, high tariffs, commies on the courts, cleansing of all "reactionary" Republicans from government employment, nationalization of private corporations, etc. Well, we are already well under way - banks, insurance companies, Freddie and Fannie, car companies are already under government ownership. Health care industry is to follow shortly. Change indeed!
Bob Koski| 12.29.08 @ 3:16PM
After this weekend I think we can all agree that the most overused Sports cliche for 2008 is "Tony Romo", in any context...
Carl F. Horowitz| 12.29.08 @ 3:29PM
Tony Rezko is a real-life Tony Soprano! His 15 minutes of fame are up. Rezko, Blago and federal prosecutors: It's the perfect storm!
Appleby| 12.29.08 @ 4:29PM
I'd like to see an end to the word "Evangelicals" used as a generic catch-all for "Christians whom we dislike." No one in the MSM uses the word "Evangelicals" (which is another stupid conversion of an adjective into a noun, in the first place) in a laudatory way. It has become a way to sneer at Christians who mention Christianity where the sneerer can hear them.
Everly Waverly| 12.29.08 @ 4:30PM
Here's mine and it reveals a liar quicker than Obama got to the White House, "The fact of the matter is". That's all I need to hear from a politician and know that he's bull shi--'n.
Jeremiah| 12.29.08 @ 5:25PM
Marc Jeric --
I hardly think it's wise for you to contribute to this thread, since you cannot utter a syllable that is not shallow, over-used, or witless. Your "Abu Hussein" name for Obama is stupid and gutless, and you clearly are a fool.
Jeremiah| 12.29.08 @ 5:30PM
1. "Chicago machine" and "machine politics" would be first on my list of chiches that must go.
2. "Joe Sixpack" is entirely off limits for any person of sense or taste.
3. I strongly agree with the above poster: "kitchen table" must go, as well as "change" et al.
4. "Maverick" -- completely unacceptable.
5. "Moral hazard" is getting ridiculous, coming from politicians who cannot give hundreds of billions of dollars to wealthy bankers fast enough, but who have the gall to blame Detroit's problems on union workers.
Everly Waverly| 12.29.08 @ 7:13PM
Jeremiah-----
You're a bull frog----
Just face the facts....Marc Jeric speaks the truth!!!!
J.C.Eaton| 12.29.08 @ 10:19PM
Jeremiah, With all due respect, you are a superbly smug, supecillious, bombastic blowhard. You have no standing to call Mr. Jeric's courage into question any more than I have to call yours into question. I wish I could be as certain about ANY one thing as you are about every gd thing. Grow the hell up, sir. Best, Judge E
Jeremiah| 12.30.08 @ 1:03PM
Judge --
I'm quite certain that Jeric's "Abu Hussein" is a malignant and divisive and not very witty epithet to apply to Obama. Who needs to grow up?
I am quite certain about a number of things. If I am not certain, I use conditional language.
Marc Jeric| 12.31.08 @ 11:37AM
No problem, Jeremiah, I didn't pay any attention to the meaningless signs you were uttering, anyway. Are you a muslim? What bugs you with the nickname "Abu Hussein"? For the last 8 years, you were unable not to call our sitting President "Dubya",right? So give us a break, dumb liberal who doesn't belong to this forum.
And spare me your silly apologies, twerp!
MP| 1.2.09 @ 1:38AM
I, for one, am fed up with the use of the -gate suffix being used to describe any scandal that comes down the pike. C'mon media, it's been 35 YEARS since Watergate!
JohnnyB| 1.3.09 @ 7:33PM
What about a moratorium on the suffix 'gate' which is used by the British press to blow up any tiny hint of right-wing scandal or impropriety to suitable proprotions. e.g. Troopergate.
JohnnyB| 1.3.09 @ 7:35PM
Oops. How did I miss the previous comment? Stupidgate.
Shooter| 1.3.09 @ 8:33PM
Hey Jeremiah, don't get your socks in a knot. His name is Hussein isn't it? Not sure about he Abu but what's wrong with calling a spade a spade?
Alan Brooks| 1.6.09 @ 10:29PM
what do i deep down believe?:
"what good is there in any new thing?"-- Churchill to his doctor during the war.
i only hold onto a 'belief' in change because of having spent 20 years as a radiclib and then 30 years as a 'futurist'.
"change"?
we'll see, we'll see.
Alan Brooks| 1.10.09 @ 1:16PM
but let's make a DIFFERENCE, CHANGE the world.
and HEELLPP people!
ame| 1.16.09 @ 6:48AM
Eliminate all political correctness, enforced by "progressives," fire Matthews/ Olbermann, tape the mouths of Walters/Letterman/Brokaw/Rather/Pelosi/Reid/Dowd/Noonan and put meaning back into language!
Eliminate -
It is what it is. (Really, Sherlock!)
That (athlete) showed courage on the field.
Basketball with The One! (and keep pics of that skinny Chicago thug dude out of the media)
War is not the answer.
My child is an honor student at ....
I was unaware (Rangel, Dodd, Frank, Obama on taxes, Mortgage cheating, Fannie/Freddie, Ayers and Emmanuel, and zerO's own cardboard persona.
Big bad business.
Actually -(we actually said/held/thought/put...??)
Mean-spirited (as in Michelle Obama her royal spoiled self and, of course, those horrible banks that "took advantage of the poor."
GOOD teachers HAVE students with high grades.
Change and Hope?? With zerO and Biden, it's
Nope and Dope.
The only change I want is voting the socialists out in 2010/2012.