Poor Noah

If I stop what I'm doing for a few minutes and blog every time I observe someone misusing the English language, I doubt I'd ever get any other work, reading, writing, eating, peeing or much else of anything done. But here I go.

You're Making Noah Webster Cry, day 1.

I work in a newspaper office, where there is much bandying about of style terms, neologisms and shorthand. Often, people I work with use terms (I guess in the interest of saving time by using shorter and less-precise words), and this one of them.

The words "fix" and "revise" to mean the noun "correction."

As defined by Merriam-Webster, the first set of definitions for "fix" is for the verb. The set second, for the noun, includes the following: "1: a position of difficulty or embarrassment : predicament 2 a: the position (as of a ship) determined by bearings, observations, or radio; also : a determination of one's position b: an accurate determination or understanding especially by observation or analysis 3: an act or instance of improper or illegal fixing 4: a supply or dose of something strongly desired or craved 5: fixation."

Only as the very last option (and the least common) is the one that means "something that fixes or restores : solution ." And I suspect this entry was added as nominalization has become an increasingly widespread and horrifying trend.

Yes, nominalization. The act of turning an unsuspecting, useful word (usually a verb) into a noun, creating what are often unnecessarily long, convoluted sentences. "My specialization is in phonetics" instead of "I specialize in phonetics." "I tend to engage in rationalization of the issue" instead of "I rationalize." And so forth. Like passive voice, nominalization takes away action and displaces the emphasis of a sentence. Nominalization is bad. But case in point: Blogger's spellcheck doesn't even recognize the word, and wants to replace it with "criminalize." Well, I can see the relationship.

Anyway, "fix." As in, "I made the fixes to that page" instead of the more precise, eloquent "I made corrections" or even better, "I corrected that page." So many fewer, better words! "I made the revises" is even more ignorant, and it makes my brain hurt just thinking about it.

So remember, no nominalization. One thing I can get behind, however, is om-nominalization.

Guillemots - "Clarion"

Artist: Guillemots
Song: "Clarion"
CD title: Red
Label: Polydor UK
Release date: April 8, 2008
Genre: Pop-rock

Fans of the loungey, symphonic themes in Guillemots' previous releases might be a little taken aback by the reckless abandon with which the group's new record plunges into a new, dark work full of synthesizers and retro, Michael Jackson-esque electro-pop. But the glamorous Red is full of surprises, not the least of which is "Clarion."
The song opens lazily enough, with stock ambient sounds giving way to a twangy Eastern theme punctuated by finger snaps. But when the drums kick in, laid down under Fyfe Dangerfield's soaring, gleeful vocals, it's suddenly a dance tune. Even though the retro beats would be at home in any 21st-century club, there are still enough strings and meaningful lyrics on top of the synthetic glitter to keep the tune grounded in its orchestral roots. But at times it seems to ask for more: "Give me a beat and real sound / Maybe some feet will reach cold ground to find you."