Thursday 6 September 2012

Commenters' Essential List

Anyone who reads the comments that accompany blogs, online news articles, etc, can not help noticing the recurring language that is the stock-in-trade of commenters.  I've decided to compile a list of the top 10 examples of expressions that the commenters use without having a clue what they mean but somehow the use bolsters the otherwise meagre argument.

* ironically
* elephant in the room (as in "That poor little elephant, Nuclear, is still standing around in the room going "Pick me, pick me".)
* emperor has no clothes  (do they know the Aesop's fable and its moral?)
* strawman
* ad hominem
* rusted-on (as in supporters of political parties)
* no brainer
* troll
* disingenuous (usually spelt wrong, but a current buzz word)
* luvvies (I think it means left-wing, as in latte etc)
* tribalism (new buzz word)

As is now iconically traditional with my top 10s, there are eleven.  Feel free to make contributions to the list, in the comments below!  Be a commenter!

5 comments:

  1. honourable mentions to:-

    *hubris (buzz word)
    *like-minded

    - Rob

    ReplyDelete
  2. A couple more:-

    * rent-seekers
    * sovereign (as in sovereign nation - which nations aren't?)

    - Rob

    ReplyDelete
  3. kettle-pot-black

    ReplyDelete
  4. read today (what does it even mean?!)

    'Pot calling kettle beige'

    ReplyDelete
  5. Another one fast gaining universal use as we speak (with little or no meaning attached) is the "no true Scotsman fallacy". It sounds very erudite!

    ReplyDelete