For in class work Wed. 9/15/10 Page 1 of 6 Jargon and Jargonitis 1. Scintillate, scintillate asteroid minific. 2. Nothing is of absolute certitude but cessation of life and revenue enhancement. 3. Members of an avian species of identical plumage congregate. 4. It is fruitless to become lachrymose over precipitously departed lacteal fluid 5. In the presence of gravity, that whose Y coordinate increases in a positive sense will, after the vanishing of its time derivative, have its Y coordinate decrease. 6. Flora of the class Musci within the division Bryophyta are incapable of adhering to extrusive igneous spheroids. 7. The temperature of the aqueous content of an unremittingly ogled saucepan does not reach 212 degrees Fahrenheit 8. It is fruitless to attempt to indoctrinate a superannuated canine with innovative maneuvers. 9. In order to eschew the diurnal visitation of a physician, it is imperative to ingest the fruit of the tree Pyrus malus. 10. All articles that coruscate with resplendence are not truly auriferous. 11. A stipulated event has the probability of occurrence similar to that of the maintenance of a spheroid of frozen H20 in the nether regions of the condemned. Introduction to Jargon Generally speaking, jargon, in its most positive light, can be seen as professional, efficient shorthand. The word "jargon" can be traced to 14th century Old French, but the actual origin is unknown. “Jargon” is derived from the fourteenth century term for “twittering or warbling of birds,” which in turn has the root ‘garg’ from which also stem such words as “gargle,” and “gurgle.” The original meaning was “to make a twittering noise or sound,” but by modern standards, it has three derivations. One current or modern definition of jargon is “an outlandish, technical language of a particular profession, group, or trade.” Another meaning is “unintelligible writing or talk.” Yet another definition is “specific dialects resulting from a mixture of several languages.” Since the reoccurring problem with jargon is that only a few people may understand the actual terminology used by different groups, this may explain its origin from “twittering” which, of course, would be misunderstood by most people. However, a jargonaut, one who studies jargon, may claim that jargon was invented simply as a professional shorthand, developed out of convenience rather than intentional trickiness.For in class work Wed. 9/15/10 Page 2 of 6 Jargon and Jargonitis Uses of jargon Jargon is used in sports, where technical sports terms but also sport-related metaphors for other events in life are used by sports fans for the aforementioned purposes. Jargon is used in technical professions. The rise of information technology and the Internet created many overlapping jargons used by nerds, geeks and hackers to communicate, the very proper usage of these words being a major prerequisite for inclusion in these groups. Indeed, these meta-attitudes and this more sophisticated use of the concept of jargon is today possibly more frequent than guild-like insider jargon. As it happens, today's professional organizations have legal structures of access which enable their members to override differences in "jargon" in such a manner that doctors, and to an extent lawyers, can understand each other across national and cultural boundaries. In technical efforts across those borders, terms of art and jargon are readily resolved as part of daily life in informative conversation. Jargon--(n): 1) The specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group; 2) A vocabulary common to a particular field of work or group of people; for example, the language used by doctors to discuss their work is different from the language used by lawyers to discuss their work; 3) A selection of obscure and often pretentious language, indicated by the use of a large number of unnecessary words to express an idea needing fewer and, perhaps, simpler words. When we call writing "jargony" we often mean that it is wordy, imprecise, messy, and irritating. Here are some quick examples: Vague Words: • Thing • Some • Area • Manner • Matter • Factor • Situation • Way • Field • Aspect • Nature Imprecise Modifiers: • Very • Pretty • Much • A lot • HighlyFor in class work Wed. 9/15/10 Page 3 of 6 Jargon and Jargonitis Imprecise Modifiers (con’t) • Strong • Really • Certainly • Definitely • Truly These add no meaning or substance to a phrase. Is there any difference between being "eager to apply" and "really very eager to apply"? Are you "ready to take on additional responsibility" or are you "definitely ready to take on more responsibility"? Do you "value attention to detail" or do you "highly value attention to detail"? Get rid of these meaningless words that not only add nothing, but research shows they actually detract from and weaken your message. Wordy Phrases: • due to the fact that • despite the fact that • regardless of the fact that • at this point in time • at the present time • until such time as • in the event that • there is no doubt that • by means of • the reason is (just get rid of this entirely) Redundant Phrases • It was dark and difficult to see. • This is a particular step that is crucial to getting the job done. • It is imperative and necessary for us to realize that we need this budget cut. • I learned to discern products that were cheaper in cost. With only 1 page to convince the reader of your skill, cut out all unnecessary words or phrases. Phrases That Say Nothing At All: • I was involved in • I have acquired knowledge in • I received training in • I learned valuable skills • I have a strong working knowledge of • I interacted with customers • I can get the job done • I have a lot to offer • I have a deep understanding ofFor in class work Wed. 9/15/10 Page 4 of 6 Jargon and Jargonitis These are particularly dangerous. They're words that take up space and sound like good things, but in reality, they are empty and meaningless. Use the limited space you have to show your qualities, not tell them. Demonstrate with vivid examples Give details abut your successes - a job you did, a project you completed, a group you led, etc. Just for fun: Here's what can happen to you if you litter your writing with jargon. The Poetry of D.H. Rumsfeld Recent