[Misc] Abundance of Caution

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Probably some clever legal or political phrase that implies something but doesn't actually state anything.

And if you **** up you can always claim you missspoke.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I've always been aware of the phrase. However this Government seems intent on using catchphrases and repetition to make their point.

Like the NSC one:

Read,
Think about it,
Post thoughtful reply.

As exemplified by [MENTION=144]goldstone[/MENTION]

 

[Wellesley]

I guess it’s lucky this attitude didn’t prevail in times gone by when pioneers were pushing the boundaries of what was possible.

“It’s one small step for man...but just to be on the safe side I’ve decided to give the moon walk a swerve.”

Very true. If Michael Jackson had that attitude we all still be doing 'The Twist'.

 

[Gilliver's Travels]

All these Yank-endangered English words...
Impacted has replaced affected. 'This will impact their travel plans'
Likely has displaced probably - even on the BBC news. 'He will likely go to Spurs.'
No more criticising - miscreants are now to be'called out'.
The verb to meet has been made intransitive, so Johnson meets with Biden.
People no longer make contact . Instead everyone's 'reaching out' (for the sickbag, possibly)

This seemingly unstoppable Linguistic Guff Stream now has impressionable young English women speaking in a weird strangled squawk, each sentence ending with that ghastly All-American death-rattle (the dreaded speech fry). Why?

And so on. Language changes, for sure. But this phenomenon is an entirely one-way valve (although some reportedly did start saying 'fab' in the 1960s).

You don't hear those darned Yankees (inventors of BS and MF, of course) using good old British swearwords, like bloody, bugger and wanker. But why on earth not?

 

[clapham_gull]

All these Yank-endangered English words...
Impacted has replaced affected. 'This will impact their travel plans'
Likely has displaced probably - even on the BBC news. 'He will likely go to Spurs.'
No more criticising - miscreants are now to be'called out'.
The verb to meet has been made intransitive, so Johnson meets with Biden.
People no longer make contact . Instead everyone's 'reaching out' (for the sickbag, possibly)

This seemingly unstoppable Linguistic Guff Stream now has impressionable young English women speaking in a weird strangled squawk, each sentence ending with that ghastly All-American death-rattle (the dreaded speech fry). Why?

And so on. Language changes, for sure. But this phenomenon is an entirely one-way valve (although some reportedly did start saying 'fab' in the 1960s).

You don't hear those darned Yankees (inventors of BS and MF, of course) using good old British swearwords, like bloody, bugger and wanker. But why on earth not?

To be fair, I've spent a number of months training some American colleagues online. I'm thrown in a WNK, a BLKS and they all understand. One even said they fancied a pint.

We got lost on "brackets" though as in (). I can't make it stick. I've to had to learn to call them parentheses which makes me feel ill, alongside "share" and "reach out".