Here is a partial list of words that, after two months in Critic School, I would be pretty happy never to hear again:
dialectical
Brechtian
authentic
moral
ethical
marxist
stalinist
clearly
sort of
like
mimetic
There are plenty of others, most of which end in -ic, -ist, -ism, -al, -ian or -ization. They make me visualize hatcheting the skulls of those who utter them (except for Susie, who can say anything she likes). Another possibility is that I am just an intolerant hag and need to lighten up. But I prefer to blame the language of academia, for now.
More globbing soon! Back to the books....
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Postmodern(ist/ism) didn't make the list?
ReplyDeleteApparently visualization is still an acceptable word? How about the phrase "irregardlessly of that"?
ReplyDeleteAs a lawyer, I'd be happy with the elimination of three of your words: Ethical, moral, and, of course, clearly (used by the legal profession only when the answer is far from clear).
GB
I use Dialectical Behaviour skills in my meth group on a wednesday evening on Beaverton Hillsdale highway actualy. I would like to see the word skag, works and "where is my stuff beach" to be removed from the lexicon of life thank you very much. Keep on bloggin Becky...Les
ReplyDeleteSure, there's a whole dictionary's worth of annoying critical jargon. It's what makes theoretical essays all-too-easily dismissable - even if you agree with the overall frame of the argument, the picture itself is colored with paint-by-numbers gradspeak.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, at least people who use (and abuse) those terms are revealing that they did learn a thing or two during their time at college. It's hipsters with diplomas who act like 8-year-olds that really irk me. So here's my list of bullshit hipster words (used for band names, t-shirt logos, club/event names, etc.) that are forever banished to the steppes of Russia:
unicorn
magic
castle
crystal
wizard
pink
rainbow
lazer
pony
wolf
panda
sword
etc.
Any combination of the two (e.g., lazer sword, unicorn rainbow, panda wizard) deserves an instant bitch slap.
JG