I love the English language. It has some wonderful words to describe events, people, places. Sometimes, though, I think that we are losing out on all it has to offer. Messages are shortened to the minimum: How R U? Does this question prompt me to answer in full or to just write back "Fine"?
When I was going to secondary school - yes, a long time ago now, I'll admit - we had to write three essays in English, Irish (Gaelic) and French every weekend on a subject chosen by the teacher. Not only that, but we had what was sometimes called "comprehension" exercises. We read a passage from a renowned English writer or poet and we had to explain what it said in our own words. A very useful exercise for understanding text. I shall always be grateful that I learned this, learned to articulate and to write primarily in English (my mother language). I also learned to appreciate other languages. And my love of reading, formed at home and deepened in school, has never left me.
I'm not going to start comparing things today as they were when I was growing up. But I do wish that the expression "up for grabs" to describe an open job position, for example, was not used almost exclusively. Jobs are not up for grabs, they are open for applications. "Up for grabs" conjures up carnival with children scrambling for sweets tossed into the crowd from carnival floats.
Another term, now commonly used and no less eye-rolling to me, "so-and-so was slammed for..." Slammed? That sounds like something out of a wrestling match. Isn't the word criticised a better choice? Why don't we use it?
And coffee to go. Yes, grab your coffee in your cardboard container and run with it. Why relax and share a chat over a cup of coffee in a cozy cafe?
Life is to be enjoyed wherever and whenever possible, so we don't need to jump and grab at job opportunities, nor do we need to slam someone when we don't agree with what they say. Let's bring back a bit of elegance to our daily lives.
