SharperIron: In Defense of Big Words
Mike Osborne at ShaperIron is defending the use of big words:
There is in some quarters a resistance to big words. Perhaps there is a fear of sounding pretentious. Using big words for big words’ sake is pretentious, like installing an elevator in a tree house. But we’re aiming for taller buildings. Perhaps there is a fear that the audience will resist putting in the effort to learn the new terms. And maybe they will resist, and maybe it will require a substantial effort to coax them to learn. But years later, after they’ve learned it, you’ll have saved substantial effort in communicating. We are destined to be like Christ, the wisdom of God. The least we can do is get started.
How many bible readers out there know exactly what propitiation means, and understand the implication of it? And before you say, “oh, that’s just a technical term for theologians,” keep in mind that it is used four times in the scripture…
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Thanks for bringing this up!
In one of my recent posts, I had to link “Propitiation” to Wikipedia (which had an explaination I was impressed by) just to know that anyone reading my post would accurately understand my meaning.
Remember Orwell’s 1984? He correctly stated that the effective tactic for changing public opinion was to redefine language.
Note: Love = fuzzy emotional feelings
Freedom = ability to act w/o consequence.
Fetus = Mass of tissue located in the womb of a woman.
“Gay” no longer means ‘happy and carefree.’
The church seems unaware that our adversaries are attempting to deliberately reshape society in a way which is “double-plus un-good.”
Careful with your comments, there, Theophilus, or you’ll be getting a visit from Minitol (The Ministry of Tolerance)…
The article on big words was fortuitous timing for me. I was just thinking last night how limited our vocabulary has become, even in worship. Specifically, for some reason I was thinking about the word “beseech.” How often do we use that in prayer today, as in, “Father, we beseech Thee”? And is there really another word that really captures the meaning, flavor, connotation of “beseech”? I don’t think so. “Ask” doesn’t. “Beg” doesn’t.
And no, I’m not 100% sure why I was thinking of “beseech” in particular. Maybe it was listening to S. Lewis Johnson sermons while mowing the lawn…
*LOL*
“Minitol” I just might have to use that!