CMN 1148 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Jargon, Body Language, Political Correctness
20 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Bafflegab: using a lot of big words, using language that is wordy, overly ornate and generally incomprehensible in order to impress you. Jargon: sometimes but not always falls into category of bafflegab, but in certain professions while you"re communicating with someone else who understands the jargon, then it is more efficient. But if you use jargon with audiences who do not understand (the general public), then it confuses and alienates. Active voice: joe threw the ball, direct. Passive voice: the ball was thrown, indirect. Equivocality: words can have more than one meaning. Concrete language: you can experience the reference to words with senses, good writers use concrete descriptions. Abstract language: you cannot experience the reference through any senses, rely on listener interpretation so meaning mean different things. Euphemisms: an expression meant to be less disturbing or offensive than the word or phrase it replaces, to make the person feel better, don"t carry risk/ danger.
