May I have a word about… carnage, carnage everywhere
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Version 0 of 1. There’s a lot of it about - but why can’t newspapers use it in the sense that it was intended? I do think at times like these that a sense of proportion is of the essence, but is not always found. Consider the following recent headlines: “Landlords expect rent collection carnage”; “News Corp carnage: fine print reveals even greater hit to local journalism”; “Buyers report downturn easing after April Covid carnage”; “Park litterers to be hit by hefty fines after Billericay carnage”. Carnage is what happened on the first day of the Somme, not some landlords worried about tenants withholding rents or litter louts doing what comes naturally. Equally annoying are politicians (I know – where does one start?). The ones I have in mind are those who say “Let me be clear”, “Let me be perfectly clear” or “Let me be absolutely clear”. Well, you know what’s coming, don’t you? Blether, obfuscation and evasion – anything but clarity. I have no statistical evidence that Grant “Shaggy” Shapps is the main offender, but he does seem to favour the construct rather more than any other honourable member. Though I’m also pretty certain that I’ve heard Matt Hancock at it too, so chaps, enough is enough. Another phrase that seems to be establishing a toehold is “arriving into”, especially with the fragile re-establishment of air travel (and could we please have a moratorium on Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary running off at the mouth?). It smacks of a nasty US import and should be quarantined for eternity. I can’t see what’s wrong with “arriving at”. However, one word that I’m delighted to have been reacquainted with recently is kakistocracy – a system of government that is run by the worst, least qualified and/or most unscrupulous citizens. Not, and let me be perfectly clear on this matter, that I’m pointing a finger at any ruling party in particular. •Jonathan Bouquet is an Observer columnist |