CHAPTER 14

Words and Expressions to Avoid

You should read this chapter if you need to review or learn about

Use Nonbiased Language

Language is a powerful tool: We use it deliberately to shape our thoughts and experiences, yet our language can shape us. You wouldn’t discriminate against people based on their race, disability, or age—so neither should your words. Therefore, always use bias-free language.

This type of language uses words and phrases that don’t discriminate on the basis of gender, physical condition, age, race, gender, or any other quality. That way, your readers will be able to concentrate on what you say rather than on how you say it.

1. Refer to a group by the term it prefers.

   Language changes, so stay on the cutting edge. For example, a hundred years ago, black people were called colored. Fifty years later, the term Negro was used. Today, the preferred terms are African American and black. Here are some other changes to know:

   • Asian is preferred over Oriental>.
   • Inuit is preferred over Eskimo.
   • Latino is the preferred designation for males with Central and Latin American backgrounds.
   • Latina is the preferred designation for females with Central and Latin American backgrounds.
   • Only give someone’s race if it is relevant to your narrative. Further, if you do mention one person’s race, be sure to mention everyone else’s.

2. Focus on people, not their conditions.

   Actor Lou Ferrigno (“The Incredible Hulk”) is 60 percent deaf. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was paralyzed from the waist down as a result of polio. Singer Neil Young and actor Danny Glover have epilepsy. Singer Ray Charles is blind. Actor Tom Cruise and actor-singer Cher have dyslexia, a processing disorder that impedes reading. People with disabilities can be defined broadly as those with limitations in human actions or activities due to physical, emotional, or mental impairments. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 49 million Americans have a disability; the number with a severe disability is 24.1 million. Expect the number to increase as the population ages. Therefore, it is important to know the accepted ways of referring to people with illnesses.

   Biased:	the deaf
   Nonbiased:	people with hearing impairments
   Biased:	AIDS patients
   Nonbiased:	people being treated for AIDS
   Biased:	the mentally retarded
   Nonbiased:	people with mental retardation
   Biased:	abnormal, afflicted, struck down
   Nonbiased:	atypical

3. Avoid language that discriminates against older people.

   Biased:	old people, geezers, aged
   Nonbiased:	Senior citizen, mature person

4. Avoid sexist language.
   “Hey, babe, you are one foxy chick.” “He has such a male ego!”
   

   We all know that such blatant sexist language and attitudes aren’t acceptable in today’s world. But sexist language can be much less obvious—and every bit as offensive.

   Sexist language assigns qualities to people on the basis of their gender. It reflects prejudiced attitudes and stereotypical thinking about the sex roles and traits of both men and women and so discriminates against people by limiting what they can do.

   Further, the law is increasingly intolerant of biased documents and hostile work environments. Since federal law forbids discrimination on the basis of gender, people writing anything—but especially policy statements, grant proposals, or any other official documents—must be very careful not to use any language that could be considered discriminatory. Otherwise, they’re just looking for a lawsuit.

   Nonsexist language treats both sexes neutrally. It does not make assumptions about the proper gender for a job, nor does it assume that men take precedence over women. Here are some guidelines to help you use nonsexist language when you write and speak.

   • Avoid using man, he, or him to refer to both men and women.

     Sexist:	A person could lose his way in this huge store.
     Nonbiased:	A person could get lost in this huge store.

     or You could lose your way in this huge store.

• Avoid expressions that exclude one sex. Here are some of the most offensive examples and acceptable alternatives:

  Sexist	Nonbiased
  chairman	chair, moderator
  common man	average person
  congressman	senator, representative
  female intuition	intuition
  female lawyer	lawyer
  fireman	firefighter
  foreman	supervisor
  male ego	ego
  male nurse	nurse
  mankind	humanity, people
  old wives’ tale	superstition
  policeman	police officer
  postman	postal carrier, letter carrier
  stewardess	flight attendant
  waitress	server
  workman	worker, employee, or the specific job title

  Quick Tip

  Watch for phrases that suggest women and men behave in stereotypical ways, such as “cries like a woman,” “thinks like a man,” “man’s work,” “rowdy boys.”

  Expunge such phrases from your writing and speech.

  • Use the correct courtesy title.

    Use Mr. for men and Ms. for women, with these two exceptions: In a business setting, professional titles take precedence over Mr. and Ms. For example, on the job, I am referred to as Dr. Rozakis rather than Ms. Rozakis.

  • Always use the title the person prefers.

    Some women prefer Miss to Ms. If you are not sure what courtesy title to use, check in a company directory or on previous correspondence to see how the person prefers to be addressed. Also pay attention to the way people introduce themselves.

  • Use plural pronouns and nouns whenever possible.

    Sexist:	A good reporter needs to verify her sources.
    Nonbiased:	Good reporters need to verify their sources.

Replace Clichés with Fresh Expressions

As you read this section, be sure to roll out the red carpet, keep your eyes peeled, your fingers crossed, and your head above water and you may be able to keep up with the Joneses.

But that’s only if you’re on the ball, beam, go, level, and up-and-up, rather than on the fly, fence, ropes, rocks, or lam. Or you can just go fry an egg.

The previous paragraph was chock-full of clichés, descriptive phrases that have lost their effectiveness through overuse. If you have heard the same words and phrases over and over, so has your reader. Replace clichés with fresh, new descriptions. If you can’t think of a way to rewrite the phrase to make it new, delete it completely

Remember, if you have a tough row to hoe, be a tough nut to crack and tough it out. Truth will win out and you can turn over a new leaf, turn the tables, other cheek, or the corner. Under a cloud? Not up to par, scratch, or snuff? Use your head; it’s all water over the dam.

After all: the world is your oyster; you can bet your bottom dollar!

Avoid Empty Language

When’s the last time someone tried to sell you an “underground condominium”? It’s the newest term for a grave. See any “personal manual data bases” being hawked on the home shopping network? They’re what we used to call calendars.

These phrases are artificial, evasive language. Each one pretends to communicate but really doesn’t. It is language that makes the bad seem good, the negative appear positive, the unpleasant become pleasant. It shifts responsibility and deliberately aims to distort and deceive.

Here are some additional examples of evasive language:

When writers use this kind of language, they hide the truth. Always use language truthfully.

1. Avoid inflated language.

   Inflated language makes the ordinary seem extraordinary.

   “automotive internists” for car mechanics

   “vertical transportation corps” for elevator operators

   Now, I’m all for giving someone praise (and even a fancy job title), but inflated language is fundamentally dishonest because it manipulates the truth. Therefore, write and speak clearly and directly.

2. Use euphemisms with care.

   What do all the following expressions have in common?

   • She’s between jobs.
   • He has to see a man about a horse.
   • He cashed in his chips.
   • She’s pushing up daisies.
   • She’s a woman of a certain age.

   These sentences are all euphemisms, inoffensive or positive words or phrases used to avoid a harsh reality. Euphemisms are a type of evasive language because they cloud the truth. You find them in all potentially embarrassing situations, such as losing a job, bathroom activities, dying, nudity, body parts, sex, and aging.

   • Avoid euphemisms if they obscure your meaning. Most of the time, euphemisms drain meaning from truthful writing. As a result, they can make it difficult for your readers and listeners to understand your meaning.
   • Use euphemisms to spare someone’s feelings, especially in delicate situations. You should use euphemisms when you are trying to spare someone’s feelings or out of concern for a recognized social custom, as when you say, “I am sorry your sister passed away” rather than “I am sorry your sister died.


3. Avoid bureaucratic language.

   Bureaucratic language is wordy and unnecessarily complex. As a result, it becomes meaningless because it is evasive and wordy.

   Original: The internal memorandum previously circulated should be ignored and disregarded and instead replaced by the internal memorandum sent before the previous one was sent. The memorandum presently at the current time being held by the appropriate personnel should be combined with the previous one to call attention to the fact that the previous one should be ignored by the reader.

   
   

   Revision: Replace the first memorandum you received with the one that followed it. Please attach this notice to the canceled version.

   Use the following checklist to identify empty language in all its forms. As you reread your own writing to eliminate empty language, ask yourself these questions:

   • What do my words mean?
   • To whom is the remark addressed?
   • Under what conditions is the remark being made?
   • What is my intent?
   • What is the result of the remarks?
   • Which words will help me express my ideas most clearly and directly?

George Orwell on Style

But Orwell didn’t just complain. Fortunately, he suggested a number of remedies. His guidelines have become the classic yardstick for a strong and effective writing style.

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
   (This is covered in this chapter in the section Replace Clichés with Fresh Expressions.)
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
   (This is covered in this chapter in the section Avoid Empty Language.)
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
   (This is covered in Chapter 13 in the sections Less is More: Be Concise and Three Ways to Write Concise Sentences.)
4. Never use the passive voice when you can use the active.
   (This is covered in Chapter 3 in the section Active and Passive Voice.)
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
   (This is covered in this chapter in the section Avoid Empty Language.)
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.