Doublespeak
Published on 7. March 2016
999 pages
978-1-63246-018-9 (ISBN)
Description
Doublespeak is the language of non-responsibility, carefully constructed to appear to communicate when it fact it doesn't. In this lively and eye-opening expose, originally published in 1989, linguist William Lutz identifies the four most common types of doublespeak?euphemism, jargon, gobbledygook or "bureaucratese," and inflated language?showing how each is used in business, advertising, medicine, government, and the military. In this seminal book, Lutz articulates that the goal of doublespeak is "to distort reality and corrupt thought."
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Content
- Intro
- CONTENTS
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- PREFACE TO 2015 EDITION
- CHAPTER I: Involuntary Conversions, PreemptiveCounterattacks, and Incomplete Successes:The World of Doublespeak
- CHAPTER II: Therapeutic Misadventures, the Economically Nonaffluent, and Deep-Chilled Chickens:The Doublespeak of Everyday Living
- CHAPTER III: Virgin Vinyl, Real CounterfeitDiamonds, and Genuine Imitation Leather:With These Words I Can Sell You Anything
- CHAPTER IV: Negative Deficits and the Elimination of Redundancies in the Human Resources Area: Business Communication, Sort Of
- CHAPTER V: Protein Spills, Vehicle Appearance Specialists, and Earth Engaging Equipment:Doublespeak Around the World
- CHAPTER VI: Predawn Vertical Insertions and Hexiform Rotatable Surface Compression Units:The Pentagon Word Machine Grinds On
- CHAPTER VII: Nothing in Life Is Certain Except NegativePatient Care Outcome and Revenue Enhancement:Your Government at Work
- CHAPTER VIII: Winnable Nuclear Wars and Energetic Disassemblies:Nuclear Doublespeak
- APPENDIX A: Quarterly Review of Doublespeak
- APPENDIX B: Recipients of the Doublespeak Award
- APPENDIX C: Recipients of the George Orwell Award for DistinguishedContribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language
- INDEX
