Monday, 14 September 2009

Bad language

Journalists (most of them) employ a vast array of rhetorical tricks and dodgy vocabulary to justify or sanitise the criminally negligent operation of dangerous machinery on Britain's roads. The default term is “accident”. And here’s an example of the other sort. 'Misreads' for 'jumps' and 'clipping' for 'hitting'.

The driver to my right misreads the lights and lurches out into the traffic, clipping a cyclist as he does so.

Or how about this:


Surely the reckless car driver collided with the child cyclist, then drove off because they were (i) drunk, or (ii) uninsured, or (iii) knew they were guilty of reckless driving.