Getting some good responses which I will post throughout the day. Let’s start with Terry Robb’s pet peeve:
I liked your article on phraseology in the online American Spectator. “Don’t take this personally” drives me crazy. I exist, I am a person, and when you direct criticism at me, it is at my person–not to my soul or some clump of rogue neurons acting independently to govern my behavior. When this trite phrase is trotted out, maybe I should just reply with “the devil made me do it”. That would certainly relieve me of any “personal” responsibility.
