There is something about precision that makes this world spin a little better.
Mechanics can tell when the whirl of a motor needs a little tweak, machinists can sense an imperfection in a part or assembly, musicians know when something is off key, and trained artists can tell when something is missing in their presentation.
Everyone has skills of some sort that when deployed make their surroundings better. Experts, in a sense, know what is right and when something is wrong. Then there are those of us who earn a living writing, whether those skills are applied as a writer for hire, a reporter or someone engaged in a profession like a lawyer or public servant who is intent on delivering a flawless, well-executed document.
Admittedly, it’s a tough time to be in the language business. It seems like every facet of English is under fire, whether it be writing styles, oral presentations or simple everyday talk amongst friends and customers.
The disintegration of language and grammar continues at a steady clip. Those of us in the business of words may fight the good fight, but it is getting harder. Poor habits are being adopted by communicators everywhere.
Cursive writing, that beautiful hand-written script practiced by previous generations, has all but vanished.
When asked, some young people don’t know what hand writing is and they certainly can’t do it, preferring instead to print or head to a keyboard and type. We aren’t convinced they actually type for that matter – instead using thumbs and digits to poke away at letters on the screen. They wouldn’t last in business class on an old IBM typewriter, but alas those days are long gone.
Similarly, the majesty of English is becoming a lost art. “Hey” has replaced “good-day.” And “good morning” or “good evening” has been displaced by an all-encompassing phrase like “have a good one.”
The first time we heard that one we thought it was just a nervous kid unsure what time of day it was. But, the dozens of times we have heard it since suggest the new lexicon cares little about specifics and more about barely meeting the standards of customer courtesy expected by patrons.
Rather than “you’re welcome” many of us hear “no problem” and “there you go” when we say thanks in our old-fashioned Canadian way for everything from a coffee to a new outfit. Sticklers for manners have it tough these days.
While youth have ravaged the language in their own way, adults and leaders aren’t off the hook.
Recently, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau dropped an “F-bomb” during a charity event to help make a point in a speech to those assembled. Elsewhere, profanity has seeped into industries and professions otherwise insistent on decorum and good cheer previously.
There was a time people who swore were considered unrefined or lacking in education. Now of course, relaxed notions about what it is to be cultured, mean pretty much anything goes as long as you feel good about it.
On the heels of informality, new languages develop. While our own skills in English are not without fault, we see the increasing adoption of verbs as nouns as particularly troubling.
Last week a local politician summed up a line of thinking with, “The ask for $9 million is not in our budget … ”. The point is not who said that, but rather to show even clever people have adopted coined terms, when it would be more appropriate to say “the request for $9 million is not in our budget …”
English has flexed and twisted since the days of Shakespeare – and that’s not all bad.
But for those of us with some set ways of communicating, the internet and online lingo have become so prevalent that it’s tough to wage battle against their obvious affront to the English language.
Now more than ever, those who know better should be steadfast proponents of proper English.
