Crusading against the homogenization of language

Please note this blog post has very little to do with the library, but is more a rant about the use of language.

The homogenization of language in our culture drives me absolutely nuts.  English is a fluid, dynamic language that has a multitude of terms to describe variants of the same idea.  So why is it that many of these terms are falling by the wayside?

My favourite example of this relates to hockey.  Years ago it had its own jargon to describe specifics, but these terms have gradually given way to terms borrowed from other sports or other things altogether


Yesteryear --> Today
hockey sweaters --> hockey jerseys
team crest --> team logo (from something descriptive to a generic marketing term)
center ice --> neutral zone (a Star Trek reference of all things!)

So why do we do it?  Why do we replace colourful, descriptive terms with boring, less descriptive ones that can apply to anything?  Is it because we can't appreciate anything on its own merits, but have to always look at it in the context of something else?

I can't believe that.  I refuse to.

Even a hockey neophyte should realize what the term "hockey sweater" refers to.

I find it disturbing that we're moving closer and closer to the Big Brother ideal where words that express certain ideas simply do not exist.  So I implore you:  use specialized, traditional, cultural language!  Use colourful (though not obscene) language to describe things!  If it causes a little confusion, that's okay!  Your listeners will survive!

Now, I'll give you an example to prove that I practice what I preach.  In a town the size of Tumbler Ridge, it seems sort of silly to refer to "downtown".  If you've got long legs, you can walk downtown from any part of Tumbler Ridge in less than fifteen minutes.  As a result, I've started calling it the shopping district, and I encourage you to do likewise!  It's colourful, it's descriptive, and it differentiates Tumbler Ridge from other towns of a similar size.

We've got a neat language to work with folks.  Use it or lose it.