Clear as Mud
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Clear as Mud
In the print and broadcast media, new catchwords appear out of nowhere—and suddenly they’re everywhere. Often these are familiar words that have taken on different meanings which no one ever bothers to explain. Today, let’s discuss a couple of these ubiquitous buzzwords.
Optics This overblown word has become commonplace in news reports. Some random examples:
• “[He] should resign from the commission given the problems associated with the optics of a conflict of interest.”
• “How important are the optics of this war, and who’s managing them better?”
• “Early in the interview, King demanded: ‘Are you disappointed in the optics of this?’ ”
• “Well, I think, you know, on the optics, optics are politics.”
Used this way, optics is no more than a contrived term for “appearance” or “public perception.” But it sounds oh so scholarly and analytical. At least it did at first.
Pivot We have the tech world to thank for this one. In the language of that exclusive club, pivot means “to adopt a new strategy when your startup is floundering.”
Nothing is trendier than Silicon Valley, so it is no surprise that we hear a lot of its jargon in the media, where journalists have further modified pivot for their own purposes. Examples:
• “Presumptive candidates pivot to general election.”
• “Parties pivot to capture pre-poll votes.”
• “Trump pivoted to the gun issue.”
• “Did Hillary Clinton’s pivot to Asia work?”
Why not use familiar words like shift or refocus or concentrate on? When journalists opt for re-engineered words like optics and pivot, too often it’s a triumph of affectation over good reporting. We should use words to be clear, not to sound as if we know a secret language.
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An announcement of a public piano recital included this information: “Sunday, July 17, 2016 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM (PDT)”
• The rules of punctuation require a comma after 2016. But more to the point, why include the year? Does anyone think this event may be happening in 2017?
• There is no need for :00 after the 4 and the 6. What’s wrong with 4 PM or 6 PM?
• The phrase “from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM” is ungainly and rambling; make it “4-6 PM.”
• And what could be less necessary than including PDT.* An event taking place on the West Coast would not list a starting time in a different time zone.
So here is our version: Sunday, July 17, 4-6 PM. That says everything the original says, in less than half the space. Why overcomplicate the simple question: When?
*Pacific Daylight Time
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
I enjoy your newsletters, but have a question: who the heck is going to a piano recital at 4 AM? I’d drop the PM, too.
Ha! Point well taken!
Optics is important or optics are important?
The word optics can be a singular noun referring to a branch of physics. It is also used informally with a plural verb to describe the way a situation or action appears to the general public. Therefore, either can be acceptable depending on how the word is being used.