Hello, Bob;

05 Sep 04 09:16, Bob Lawrence wrote to Robert Bull:

 BL>  Fair enough... it's not the verb I object to but the context and
 BL> connotations that spin doctors are expoiting. If I grow a potato, it
 BL> inplies a certain amount of tender care, green shoots, and something
 BL> nice at the end. If I promise to "grow" a business, the dickhead
 BL> handign his hard-earned to the conman has all those things in his
 BL> mind, but the bank or the money-manager does none of those things.

A way of gaining credit for someone else's labour?  I suspect some of it is 
to aggrandise deeply mundane chores and make the world of business sound 
more exciting and important than it is.

New Scientist has a reminder of engineering euphemisms in the current 
issue:

     unplanned rapid disassembly  =  explosion
     uncontrolled thermal event   =  fire

 BL>  Aargh! That's another one! They link the connotation of "progress"
 BL> which is generally thought of as something nice, to the mundane
 BL> process of chasing pissant details, and at the same time disguising
 BL> their lack of actually going anywhere.

And making the manager feel more important...

 BL> the reality. It's the use of language to spinmeister *disguise* that
 BL> upsets me.

A mealy-mouthed form of dishonesty  :-(

 RB>> In many cases the patent would be ruled invalid - but I think
 RB>> your point is that the threat of having to engage in expensive
 RB>> legal battles in itself is a deterrent to third parties.

 BL>  That's exactly right. Do you know the correct lagal name for that...
 BL> using the process of Law as the deterrent, rather than the penalty
 BL> which is probably doubtful? There is a name for it (like barratry is

Sorry, not off hand...  There are probably inverse dictionaries for that 
kind of thing.  Shouldn't an author have such things?  ;-)

 RB>> ;-) I'm sure Strine has its own special usefulness.

 BL> spetic tank is full of shit. In Australia (and England),
"bastard" can
 BL> be a term of endearment. "Pommie" itself, is neutral.

"Bastard" certainly seems to have largely lost its insult value, and 
"wanker" rarely has anything to do with sex as such.

 BL>  I've just finished Pterry's WEE FREE MEN and gee, he gets the
 BL> Scottish dialogue right! You can almost hear Billy Connoly whenever
 BL> the Nac Mac Feegle speak. I *love* the names he gives his female
 BL> characters. Perspicacia Tick! Every time I read something like that,
 BL> I get the image of Pterry giggling as he types.

I wish I had some of his talent...

     Regards,

              Robert.

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