A Clearing for Communication

Headed to my dictionary today to look up “obdurate” used in a direct quote from Liz Diller, the poor architect who had to defend demolishing the American Folk Art Museum building before a crowd of 650 people, many of them architects. See Architect Defends Plan To Demolish Museum According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, obdurate is an adjective that means 1. not easily moved to pity or sympathy; hardhearted; 2. hardened and unrepenting; impenitent; 3. not giving in readily; stubborn; obstinate; inflexible. To me, I don’t think she used it correctly. Here’s the sentence: “It’s a damn shame that the building is obdurate.” Hmmm. Can a building be stubborn, inflexible, not easily moved to pity or sympathy? I don’t think so. Perhaps, the word has its own meaning among architects, but I am not clear what she means here. With any luck, this word can now become part of my vocabulary, so thank you Ms. Diller. What do you think?

I couldn’t agree more with this Huffington Post piece.

This David Brooks column in the New York Times tells of a fascinating study about the words we use and what that says about our culture and society. Across the page is a column noting that 50 million Americans live with food insecurity yet Congress continues to sequester and want to cut funds for the food stamp program. How can this be? I just don’t understand it. Are Americans really that callous? At any rate, I suggest we start using more words — “decency,” for example — that support the common good and more concern for each other. What words would you like to see used more frequently?

What to say? It’s unimaginable that anyone would be put in this situation, but Francine Wheeler, whose six-year-old son, Ben, was murdered alongside 19 other children and six educators in Newtown, Conn., four months ago, offered a clear and powerful message delivered with an authentic and appropriate tenor. The question is: What effect will this have? Thoughts, anyone?

Language is something to celebrate, and March 4 is the perfect day to do it, say the folks who are sponsoring National Grammar Day. It’s not only a date, it’s an imperative: March forth on March 4 to speak well, write well, and help others do the same!

Or, better yet, send a National Grammar Day E-Card to the Language Lover or Worst Language Offender in Your Life

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Thank you Ragan’s PR Daily for this reminder of some pesky “words” that continue to be in use. This piece offers a good reminder. Any of us can get sloppy. I had forgotten the correct word is “minuscule,” not “miniscule.”