Some words are sooo tired. Yawn. ‘Icon’ is one of them. Positively comatose with fatigue lying flat on the page. ‘Exclusive’ is another… worked to the limit and now lacking in energy. No verve, no dynamism being all puff, no substance. Snooze-ville. How about ‘innovative’, ‘luxury’ and ‘unique’? All equally applied with gusto in many a press release, product description or review, yet rarely do they stir up a sense of excitement. Devalued they have become unremarkable.
The problem is a seemingly general malaise with writers shirking their responsibility to seek out words that actually fit entirely the intended meaning. Lazily they reach for the nearest superlative, however knackered it’s become. Instead of trying words out to check if they suit, savouring nuances and carefully selecting the one most apt, we’ve become too commercial, too quick to pick up on the most sensational, most eye-catching. To attract attention, we emulate the style of advertising campaigns and news headlines and insert the nearest adjective of excellence. We confuse most popular with most appropriate. It’s a herd mentality. Baaaa…
Enough now. Move along… must try harder.
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