I’m taking the rest of the day off.” “Let’s take this offline” So without further ado, here are some of my favorite submissions-phrases that had me saying, “Will coworkers notice if I start using this all the time? or, “That person’s office culture seems … interesting.” and even, “I just can’t. That’s why I took it upon myself as the keeper of Career Contessa’s Instagram to reach out to you, our readers, to hear what you have to say about your favorite or most frustrating office catchphrases. Professor Joseph Kimble (2006), a noted scholar on legal writing, warns that we should avoid words and formalisms that give legal writing its musty smell.“Confused unintelligible language.” “Obscure and often pretentious language marked by circumlocutions and long words.” “A literary device Aliya used to reach essay word counts in high school.” These are just a few ways that Webster’s Dictionary defines “jargon.”īut what exactly is office jargon? Not only are dictionary definitions the “cop out” of writing introductions, they are also inadequate descriptors when trying to fully grasp the beauty and magic of office jargon. Readers can do without archaic jargon such as “hereafter,” “heretofore,” and “therewith.” Legal language is a major source of annoying jargon. For more on definitions, see Dealing with definitions. If you do that, you should naturally use less jargon. Remember to write to communicate, not to impress. However, it’s best to keep definitions to a minimum. When you have no way to express an idea except to use technical language, make sure to define your terms. The exhaust gas eventually damages the coating of most existing ceramics. ![]() Most refractory coatings to date exhibit a lack of reliability when subject to the impingement of entrained particulate matter in the propellant stream under extended firing durations. The patient is being given positive-pressure ventilatory support. The plainer version conveys technical information just as accurately as and more clearly than the jargon-laden version. Try to substitute everyday language for jargon as often as possible. Readers complain about jargon more than any other writing fault, because writers often fail to realize that terms they know well may be difficult or meaningless to their audience. However, going beyond necessary technical terms to write in jargon can cause misunderstanding or alienation, even if your only readers are specialists. ![]() Special terms can be useful shorthand within a particular audience and may be the clearest way to communicate with that group. ![]() For example, there may not be another correct way to refer to a “brinulator valve control ring.” But that doesn’t prevent you from saying “tighten the brinulator valve control ring securely” instead of “Apply sufficient torque to the brinulator valve control ring to ensure that the control ring assembly is securely attached to the terminal such that loosening cannot occur under normal conditions.” The first is a necessary use of a technical term. When we say not to use jargon, we’re not advocating leaving out necessary technical terms, but we are saying to make sure your language is as clear as possible. Jargon is unnecessarily complicated language used to impress, rather than to inform, your audience. > Choose your words carefully Avoid jargon Tips for starting a plain language program.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |