Making up words
March 3rd, 2008
Some politicians never fail to amaze when they insist on trying to appear smarter than they are. One of the biggest tricks in the politician’s book – apart from taking a long time to say nothing – is to use lots of big words. Sometimes they even know what they mean! But one of their funniest (and most infuriating) habits is when they make up words.
Bush is famous for it (take “newkewlar” for example), but that’s not quite what this post is about. His are just bouts of idiocy and ignorance.
My favourite is the “incentivise” family of made-up words. When politicians were looking for a way to say “this policy will really motivate people into action”, some smart little darling came up with “this policy will incentivise people”. Okay, let’s make this clear, gumdrop – there is no such word as “incentivise”. The word you want is “motivate”.
It soon got to the point of the ridiculous when they needed a noun for their policy. And if the word they made up is “incentivise”, then the logical extension is “incentivisation”. Yes, I’m serious, politicians began speaking of generating the necessary “incentivisation”. People, if the first word is “motivate”, then the noun is “motivation”.
I know it all began because “motive” can be a spurious word in political circles, and “incentive” can sound much better. But really guys, you’re just compounding the error here.
Try using english instead.
[Update: From an english television show I was watching tonight I was presented with the “intensitivity”!! This from an english broadcaster??? The word is “intensive” guys – and you should know that!]