I've noted a strange new affectation in speech over the past year. A conversation might go like this:
"So have you got that data yet?"
"Correct"
And did it show the relationship we predicted?"
"Correct"
What the heck happened to that most basic English affirmation 'YES'? When did it disappear? Did someone suddenly decide that bigger words are better than smaller words? Is someone out there waging an anti 'yes' campaign? I'd have thought that in these days of text language, and the resultant simplification (or dumbing down, or 'bastardisation') of our language, a shorter word like 'yes' would find favour over that much longer word 'correct'.
What's wrong with 'yes'?
Study in Contrasts
-
Last week I read two news stories in such stark contrast to each other that
flummoxed me so much I almost blew a gasket thinking about the repercussions.
...
16 years ago
A couple of months ago I sent a rather lengthy email to the lawyers of a pension scheme for which I am an actuarial advisor. Pension scheme rules can be pretty woolly and Trustees often need legal advice before acting. The email quoted several extracts from the scheme Trust Deed and Rules, gave two examples of past practice and then closed with a question along the lines of, "Can you confirm that in the event of X then the benefits to be paid to the member are Y?"
ReplyDeleteThe response was rare, especially for a lawyer. Some may have considered it curt, but I found it refreshing. It read:
"Yes.
Kind regards,
Isabel"
Data is a plural. THOSE data... ;-)
ReplyDelete