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Post by Verbivore on Oct 17, 2022 9:42:27 GMT
I just found this chap a couple of weeks ago and have enjoyed many of his videos. Well worth a peruse of his other stuff. Indeed so, Trevor. I discovered him about a month ago and subscribed.
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Post by Verbivore on Oct 20, 2022 4:16:23 GMT
FYI everyone: If I seem to disappear for the next week it's because I'll be away from my Mac while I organise and supervise the removalists: it's a 2,000+ km round trip and I don't like typing on a small, virtual keyboard.
I'm sure the sky won't fall owing to my absence.
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Post by Twoddle on Nov 1, 2022 8:35:09 GMT
A recent, soon-to-be-banal metaphor that mentally challenged UK journalists and TV presenters have copied from each other is, "in lockstep", which seems to mean "in complete agreement". Oh, that I could bang their collective heads together several times, but I fear that would destroy their few remaining brain cells.
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Post by Verbivore on Nov 1, 2022 9:00:58 GMT
Twod: I first encountered "in lockstep" when subediting my newspaper about a year ago. When I asked the author what he meant, he couldn't explain other than to say he'd heard the term in a different context and thought it appropriate.
I sorted him out on that, and he no longer uses the term (or at least refrains from its use when he knows I'll be proofing his work).
The house move went smoothly, but the truck wasn't large enough, so I'll have to do another trip in my ute, with a large trailer, some time to fetch the rest of my stuff – including my computer desk!
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Post by Little Jack Horner on Nov 2, 2022 0:41:48 GMT
What is wrong with the phrase “in lockstep”? Surely it is just a metaphor? Maybe a little clichéd now? It is only a military term, particularly in North America, I think, referring to soldiers walking in a close formation. In journalistic terms it only means in agreement.
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Post by Verbivore on Nov 2, 2022 3:03:28 GMT
What is wrong with the phrase “in lockstep”? Surely it is just a metaphor? Maybe a little clichéd now? It is only a military term, particularly in North America, I think, referring to soldiers walking in a close formation. In journalistic terms it only means in agreement. In lockstep is a cliché. Although far from perfect myself, I do try to avoid or eliminate clichés in writing. We have such a marvellously rich lexicon that we can use and clichés diminish that richness when overused.
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Post by Little Jack Horner on Nov 2, 2022 10:19:53 GMT
I think “far from perfect myself” is a cliché.
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Post by Twoddle on Nov 2, 2022 11:50:51 GMT
The problem with metaphors, when used by the media, is that they quickly change from metaphors to standard usage, whereupon the correct definitions become subordinate to the metaphorical meanings or, even worse, the original definitions are forgotten. "Enormity", "decimate", "impact" and "epicentre" are examples we've discussed here from time to time. "In lockstep" has a precise meaning; as a metaphor for "in agreement" it may have been novel when used once or twice, but because the phrase has been copied repeatedly by lazy and ignorant journalists it's in danger of becoming the norm.
In my hobby of genealogy I make use of monumental inscriptions, i.e. inscriptions on monuments such as the headstones of graves, but if I mention the term to other people their standard reaction is often a puzzled look while they ponder just how huge the inscriptions might be. The metaphor has replaced the correct definition of "monumental".
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