#problematic Words

It’s time for another semi-regular scolding for the incorrect use of words. This is just my opinion but I hear the following words and phrases used and it just feels incorrect to me.

“Problematic” is the go-to phrase for anything in our culture that we deem offensive. It’s useful to have a shorthand for something like this but sometimes I feel like people call something problematic so they don’t have to explain why there is a problem with something. Tell me the TV show is sexist or racist and maybe explain why. I wonder if people stamp “problematic” along with that hashtag because they really can’t explain why something is offensive. And don’t tell me, “It’s so obvious I shouldn’t have to explain it.” If it’s that obvious, it will be a snap for you to explain. The word just opens the door to laziness.

“Witch hunt” is a phrase people seem to use in the incorrect context. For something to be a witch hunt, I think it should consist of looking at a broad category of people and picking out the traitors. The Salem witch hunt was a witch hunt because the Puritans were picking out witches from the general populace and McCarthyism was a witch hunt because Congress was picking out Communists from people in the government. In contrast is Christine O’Donnell. She’s under investigation for falsely reporting her campaign headquarters as her residence and labeled it a witch hunt. It’s not a witch hunt if it’s just one person under investigation. Don’t try to graft some false nobility onto your mistakes; you are not Joseph Nye Welch telling Joe McCarthy “Have you no sense of decency?” (It’s especially amusing because O’Donnell campaigned by telling people she wasn’t a witch.)

“Healthful” may not trigger spell check but it really doesn’t seem like a legitimate word and sounds stupid. Just say “healthy.” Also, never say “more healthful.” Just say “healthier.” It’s always grammatically wrong to add “more” onto an adjective when that adjective has an “er” suffix.

“Actively” can be clarifying but sometimes we don’t need it. If I leave a book out on the table, it’s helpful to say that I’m passively reading it off and on but I’m not actively reading it right now. But to say “It’s actively raining” is ridiculous. It’s either raining or it’s not. It doesn’t rain passively. If you mean “It’s raining heavily,” then say that.