politics @lemmy.world jeffw @lemmy.world 3 wk. ago

Supreme Court won’t hear InfoWars host’s First Amendment challenge to Jan. 6 conviction

www.politico.com Just a moment...

22 comments

Can we please use simple language, I don't know what the fuck exhort means, I mean I do now (strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something) but I didn't. Why are you trying to make me learn!?!

Edit: TIL everyone on lemmy are fucking English majors.
- The typical news publication is written at a sixth grade reading level. Do with this information what you will.
  
  The average adult American reads at or below the sixth grade level.
- If only there was some kind of book, created decades ago, with a list of words, in alphabetical order, and what each word means in different contexts.
  
  If only such a book was added to a worldwide database that anyone can access from any kind of computer, so that anyone can use it at any time.
  
  What would we even call something like that? A book that helps with diction. I got it, a Dictionpedia.
  
  Ohh, ohh. How about another similar book, with, you know, similar words that can be used in a certain words place, that would be the bees knees
- This is one of those things where you think you're making a justified complaint about a publication using unnecessarily esoteric language that you feel alienates the reader. This is something that has the possibility of being a legitimate complaint. There is a good argument for not talking over your audience's heads.
  
  But everyone who read the article just sees a guy who can't read...
  
  My partner is English as second language and I never dumb down anything I say to her. She asks me the words she doesn't know and I explain them as best I can or we look them up on my phone when I'm not certain I can articulate the meaning accurately enough to provide a good example. I think reducing the vocab that I use with her vs english-native friends and family would be insulting to her. Same as how I wouldn't dumb it down speaking to a 10yo (it's different for toddlers and those not much older, obviously).
  
  I'm educated well enough, I was mostly being sarcastic but the fact is that no one uses that word. I figured what it meant based on context but still had to go look it up and was annoyed. Sometimes it seems like a writer feels like being vague and beats you over the head with a thesaurus.
- Edit: TIL everyone on lemmy are fucking English majors.
  
  Nah, everyone's shitting on you cause you're just the only one that doesn't know how to take ten seconds for a Google search.
  
  Followed instructions. Found Exhorder death metal videos. No going back.
  
  https://youtu.be/RBtHRHDfSUg
- But the English language had deteriorated into a hybrid of hillbilly, valley girl, inner city slang, and various grunts.
- God damn journalists and their word conspiracy! They're clearly being propped up by the powerful dictionary lobby and forcing readers through to their products. Fuck you Big Dictionary!
  
  Big Pharma is short for Big Pharmaceutical, is Big Dict short for Big Dictionary?

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