Banished Words: The Language of the Pandemic
All right, at the risk of fraying the already threadbare nerves of our fellow LitNetters, yours fooly would like to take a moment to offer the following preface.
Yes, as everyone else, I applaud the nearly-supernatural courage of health care providers in the process of treating the onslaught of patients during this pandemic. Additionally, we must acknowledge the grocery store workers, food delivery people, postal workers and all of those who are continuing to provide essential services.
Hardly a time to quibble about language, am I right? But — one could argue that misunderstandings and mistakes have infested public statements and private interpretations, which, one could argue, may have been factors leading to the frightening place in which we now find ourselves .
As posited by this article, “words matter.”
Perhaps we’d like to retire some of the words and phrases flying around in recent weeks, such as:
“Flattening the curve” (Though we aspire to the ideal.)
“Social distancing” (Keep the practice; lose the term. After one hears it over and over, it loses its initial urgency.)
“How are you holding up?” Holding up what? The line? A wall? A simple “How are you?” will suffice.
Some pleonasms could go include:
“self-isolate”
“drink fluids.”
Finally, it’s bad enough we have to assume that our family, friends, and neighbors may be carrying the virus as if they were unwitting Typhoid Marys, without having officials talk down to us.
We’re adults. We can take it. If we can survive a pandemic, we certainly can survive “big” words such as “transmit” and “pathogen.”
All right?
Say safe, everybody!
https://apnews.com/d7b3035038a786d4aaed35e9b672a9d2