Words

Words are funny things aren't they?

For instance I have had people in the last month read a lot into my words. For instance I described a political group as having an "agenda". This person went on to explain how my use of that word indicated I had deep-seated mistrust of a certain political group (makes no difference which one). Of course it is also the technical term for a list of points a group/meeting/whatever wants to cover. When I talk about an agenda at my workplace, it is usually not in the context of the illuminati scheming quietly to sell our children sugary snacks on the front end so they can make a money peddling dental products on the back end. Although I do work for the government so maybe it does... Mwah hah hah! And you thought the flourine was for your teeth. :)

Sometimes the words people choose to include make me laugh though. Why is it fast food chains are compelled to include words like "delicious" and "mouth watering" in their advertisements? Buy our delicious McWhopper with a new mouth-watering starch rings... If these products are so delicious and mouth watering should we be able to tell for ourselves? I mean they have those nice doctored pictures...

In the political arena, the left has taken to calling itself the "reality-based community". Again, if this is true then why do you need to publicize it? If your community is so reality-based, then why are you insisting you represent the American majority when the other side got 51% of the vote in a presidential election? Let alone that this is the first time someone has in 16 years.

This same tactic is used by countless made for tv products. Everything on info-mercials is handi-something. Handi-wrench, handi-spaghetti-pot, handi-capable scooter, handi-ice-melting-tray. One, why should I trust you oh fast talking salesman? Two, why would I buy something from someone that can't spell "handy"?

Oh and yes this is all from the guy that bills himself as an "evangelical christian" but dropped the f-bomb in the title of a post two days ago. So take it with a big ole grain of salt.

UPDATE: Eugene Volokh has some similar thoughts about "-based".