Language mavens (experts) relish (enjoy) uncommon, obscure, obsolete and obsolescent words.
They seek to obfuscate (confuse), to impress, to frustrate communication with the masses.
An educator is especially prone (likely) to such effete (elitist) behavior. For example, he or she invariably includes rubrics (categories) in a vitae (resume).
Don’t confuse rubric with Rubik, creator of the puzzle cube. There was a logical purpose in his madness.
Neocons (latter-day conservatives) in Dubya’s pocket also have contributed to bureaucratese (government argot) by describing civil warfare as sectarian violence and civilian casualties as collateral damage.
On the other hand, nattering nabobs of negativism (a phrase coined by disgraced U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew to describe journalists) seek only to communicate precisely.
Get rid of the ese (insider jargon) and call a spade a hand shovel. (17 DECEMBER 2006)
