From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A weasel word, or anonymous authority, is an informal term for words and phrases aimed at creating an impression that something specific and meaningful has been said, when in fact only a vague or ambiguous claim has been communicated. Examples include the phrases «some people say», «it is thought», and «researchers believe». Using weasel words may allow one to later deny any specific meaning if the statement is challenged, because the statement was never specific in the first place. Weasel words can be a form of tergiversation and may be used in advertising, (popular) science, opinion pieces and political statements to mislead or disguise a biased view or unsubstantiated claim.
Weasel words can harshen or over-state a controversial statement. An example of this is using terms like «somewhat» or «in most respects», which make a sentence more ambiguous than it would be without them.[1]
Origin[edit]
The expression weasel word may have derived from the egg-eating habits of weasels.[2] An article published by the Buffalo News attributes the origin of the term to William Shakespeare’s plays Henry V and As You Like It, in which the author includes similes of weasels sucking eggs.[3] The article said that this was a misnomer, because weasels do not have a mandible suitable for sucking eggs.[4]
Ovid’s Metamorphoses provides an earlier source for the same etymology. Ovid describes how Juno orders the goddess of childbirth, Lucina, to prevent Alcmene from giving birth to Hercules. Alcmene’s servant Galanthis, realizing that Lucina is outside the room using magic to prevent the birth, emerges to announce that the birth has been a success. Lucina, in her amazement, drops the spells of binding and Hercules is born. Galanthis then mocks Lucina, who responds by transforming her into a weasel. Ovid writes (in A.S. Kline’s translation) «And because her lying mouth helped in childbirth, she [as a weasel] gives birth through her mouth.»[5]
Definitions of the word ‘weasel’ that imply deception and irresponsibility include: the noun form, referring to a sneaky, untrustworthy, or insincere person; the verb form, meaning to manipulate shiftily;[6] and the phrase «to weasel out«, meaning «to squeeze one’s way out of something» or «to evade responsibility».[7]
Theodore Roosevelt attributed the term to his friend William Sewall’s older brother, Dave, claiming that he had used the term in a private conversation in 1879.[8]
The expression first appeared in print in Stewart Chaplin’s short story «Stained Glass Political Platform» (published in 1900 in The Century Magazine),[9] in which weasel words were described as «words that suck the life out of the words next to them, just as a weasel sucks the egg and leaves the shell». Roosevelt apparently later put the term into public use after using it in a speech in St. Louis May 31, 1916. According to Mario Pei, Roosevelt said, «When a weasel sucks an egg, the meat is sucked out of the egg; and if you use a weasel word after another, there is nothing left of the other.»[10]
Forms[edit]
A 2009 study of Wikipedia found that most weasel words in it could be divided into three main categories:[11]
- Numerically vague expressions (for example, «some people», «experts», «many», «evidence suggests»)
- Use of the passive voice to avoid specifying an authority (for example, «it is said»)
- Adverbs that weaken (for example, «often», «probably»)
Other forms of weasel words may include these:[12][13]
- Illogical or irrelevant statements
- Use of vague or ambiguous euphemisms[14]
- Use of grammatical devices such as qualifiers, negation and the subjunctive mood
- In most languages with one, use of the first person plural pronoun
- Glittering or vague generalizations
Generalizing by means of quantifiers, such as many, when quantifiable measures could be provided, obfuscates the point being made, and if done deliberately is an example of «weaseling».
Illogical or irrelevant statements are often used in advertising, where the statement describes a beneficial feature of a product or service being advertised. An example is the endorsement of products by celebrities, regardless of whether they have any expertise relating to the product. In non-sequitur fashion, it does not follow that the endorsement provides any guarantee of quality or suitability.
False authority is defined as the use of the passive voice without specifying an actor or agent. For example, saying «it has been decided» without stating by whom, and citation of unidentified «authorities» or «experts», provide further scope for weaseling. It can be used in combination with the reverse approach of discrediting a contrary viewpoint by glossing it as «claimed» or «alleged». This embraces what is termed a «semantic cop-out», represented by the term allegedly.[15] This implies an absence of ownership of opinion, which casts a limited doubt on the opinion being articulated. The construction «mistakes were made» enables the speaker to acknowledge error without identifying those responsible.
However, the passive voice is legitimately used when the identity of the actor or agent is irrelevant. For example, in the sentence «one hundred votes are required to pass the bill», there is no ambiguity, and the actors including the members of the voting community cannot practicably be named even if it were useful to do so.[16][17]
The scientific journal article is another example of the legitimate use of the passive voice. For an experimental result to be useful, anyone who runs the experiment should get the same result. That is, the identity of the experimenter should be of low importance. Use of the passive voice focuses attention upon the actions, and not upon the actor—the author of the article. To achieve conciseness and clarity, however, most scientific journals encourage authors to use the active voice where appropriate, identifying themselves as «we» or even «I».[18]
The middle voice can be used to create a misleading impression. For example:
- «It stands to reason that most people will be better off after the changes.»
- «There are great fears that most people will be worse off after the changes.»
- «Experience insists that most people will not be better off after the changes.»
The first of these also demonstrates false authority, in that anyone who disagrees incurs the suspicion of being unreasonable merely by dissenting. Another example from international politics is use of the phrase «the international community» to imply a false unanimity.
Euphemism may be used to soften and potentially mislead the audience. For example, the dismissal of employees may be referred to as «rightsizing», «headcount reduction», and «downsizing».[19] Jargon of this kind is used to describe things euphemistically.[20]
Restricting information available to the audience is a technique sometimes used in advertisements. For example, stating that a product «… is now 20% cheaper!» raises the question, «Cheaper than what?». It might be said that «Four out of five people prefer …» something, but this raises the questions of the size and selection of the sample, and the size of the majority. «Four out of five» could actually mean that there had been 8% for, 2% against, and 90% indifferent.
See also[edit]
- Concept creep
- Corporate jargon
- Essentially contested concept
- Filler (linguistics)
- Fnord
- If-by-whiskey
- Linguistic relativity
- Newspeak
- Non-apology apology
- Non-denial denial
- Political correctness
- Spin (propaganda)
- Wooden language
- Hedge (linguistics)
References[edit]
- ^ Jason, Gary (1988) «Hedging as a Fallacy of Language», Informal Logic X.3, Fall 1988
- ^ Theodore Roosevelt Association, Theodore Roosevelt Cyclopedia(subscription required) Archived 14 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ E. Cobham Brewer, Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
- ^ Rising, Gerry (15 March 1999). «Weasels». Buffalo News. Retrieved 24 December 2013, Buffalo.edu.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ Ovid, Metamorphoses (tr. Anthony S. Kline), Book IX, 273–323
- ^ Merriam-Webster online dictionary def’n: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weasel
- ^ «Online Free Dictionary». Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- ^ New York Times, 2 September 1916, «Origin of ‘Weasel Words'»
- ^ The Macmillan Dictionary of Contemporary Phrase and Fable
- ^ Pei, Mario (1978). Weasel Words: The Art of Saying What You Don’t Mean (1st ed.). New York: Harper & Row. p. 1. ISBN 9780060133429. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ Ganter, Viola; Strube, Michael (4 August 2009). «Finding Hedges by Chasing Weasels: Hedge Detection Using Wikipedia Tags and Shallow Linguistic Features». Proceedings of the ACL-IJCNLP 2009 Conference Short Pape: 175. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ Spacey, John. «7 Types of Weasel Words». Simplicable.com. Simplicable. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ Crilly, Donal. «Weasel words». London Business School. London Business School. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ Long, Rob (11 April 2011). «In war or business, weasel words come back to bite you». The National. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ Garber, Marjorie B. (7 September 2003). Academic Instincts. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-11571-9. p. 140 «it is alleged»
- ^ «Passive Voice». The Writing Center. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
- ^ «The Passive Voice» (PDF). English and Theatre – Grammar Pages. Acadia University.
- ^ Every, Barbara (5 July 2013). «Clear Science Writing: Active Voice or Passive Voice?». Retrieved 25 June 2014.
- ^ «Has Downsizing Gone too Far?». University of North Florida. Jacksonville, Florida, USA. December 1995. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
- ^ Pop, Anamaria-Mirabela (July 2011). «Business Buzzwords: Rightsizing, Downsizing, Re-Engineering, De-Layering». Retrieved 4 March 2022.
Further reading[edit]
In Report on Unidentified Flying Objects (1956), US Air Force Captain Edward J. Ruppelt described astronomer Dr. J. Allen Hynek’s report on the death of pilot Thomas Mantell in pursuit of a UFO as «a masterpiece in the art of ‘weasel wording'».
Carl Wrighter discussed weasel words in his best-selling book I Can Sell You Anything (1972).
Australian author Don Watson devoted two volumes (Death Sentence and Watson’s Dictionary of Weasel Words) to documenting the increasing use of weasel words in government and corporate language. He maintains a website encouraging people to identify and nominate examples of weasel words.
Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, talks much about ‘weasels’ as being conniving businesspeople in one of his books, named accordingly: Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel (2002).
External links[edit]
- Pei, Mario (1978) Weasel Words: The Art of Saying What You Don’t Mean. New York: Harper & Row. Classic work by the well-known Columbia University linguist.
- Jason, Gary (1988) «Hedging as a Fallacy of Language», Informal Logic X.3, Fall 1988
- Weasel Words by Australian author Don Watson
Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms
Updated on November 04, 2019
A weasel word is a modifying word that undermines or contradicts the meaning of the word, phrase, or clause it accompanies, such as «genuine replica.» Also known as a weaselism.
More broadly, weasel word may refer to any word that’s used with the intention to mislead or misinform.
The term was coined by author Stewart Chaplin in 1900 and popularized by Theodore Roosevelt in a speech in 1916.
An Early Example of the Term
In June, 1900, the Century Magazine published a story entitled ‘The Stained Glass Political Platform,’ by Stewart Chaplin, . . . and on page 235 these words occur:
Why, weasel words are words that suck all the life out of the words next to them, just as a weasel sucks an egg and leaves the shell. If you heft the egg afterward it’s as light as a feather, and not very filling when you’re hungry, but a basketful of them would make quite a show, and would bamboozle the unwary.
This is the origin of the term Colonel [Theodore] Roosevelt has made famous.
(Herbert M. Lloyd, letter to The New York Times, June 3, 1916)
«Help» as a Weasel Word
«Consider the weasel word help. Help means ‘aid’ or ‘assist’ and nothing else. Yet as one author has observed, ‘help’ is the one single word which, in all the annals of advertising, has done the most to say something that couldn’t be said. Because the word help is used to qualify, almost anything can be said after it. Thus we’re exposed to ads for products that ‘help keep us young,’ ‘help prevent cavities,’ ‘help keep our houses germ-free.’ Consider for a moment how many times a day you hear or read phrases like these: helps stop, helps prevent, helps fight, helps overcome, helps you feel, helps you look.» (William H. Shaw, Business Ethics: A Textbook with Cases, 7th ed. Wadsworth, Cengage, 2011)
Faux Words
«I love the word ‘faux.’ I first really learned to appreciate this word watching the home-shopping channels, which addicted me for many months. In their glamorous parlance, vinyl became faux leather and cut glass became faux diamonds. The word itself is deceptive; it doesn’t look the way it sounds. And when you insert it before a noun, that noun ends up taking on the exact opposite meaning.» (Jeanne Cavelos, quoted by Lewis Burke Frumkes in Favorite Words of Famous People. Marion Street Press, 2011)
«First, faux research yields a faux answer to a clinical question. Then faux education assures that doctors everywhere hear about it, so they can write millions of prescriptions based on the faux information. Bribes and kickbacks sometimes grease the skids.» (Marcia Angell, The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It. Random House, 2005)
Here Are Some Weasel Words
«So. This piece is about how public figures and now members of the general public have started prefacing something they are about to say with the word ‘so’ when it is a packaged exercise in self-presentation. ‘So’ is the new ‘look.’ . . .
«There have always been words swilling around the cultural lexicon signalling artifice and there are others around at the moment. Prefacing a package with ‘I would like to say’ or ‘To be honest’ are hardy perennials. But ‘so’ is the weasel word of the moment, spreading into general usage.
«Last Monday evening, a member of the public was interviewed on Radio 5 Live outside Buckingham Palace. Asked why she and her friend had come there, she began: ‘So. We went out to dinner together and both received texts from our husbands at the same time saying that the royal baby was born.’ ‘So’ has become a way for a person to begin delivery of a packaged account of themselves.» (Oliver James, “So, Here’s a Carefully Packaged Sentence That Shows Me in My Best Light.” The Guardian [UK], July 26, 2013)
«Reportedly» as a Weasel Word
«As an old Time writer, I immediately spotted, in two consecutive sentences, the weasel-word ‘reportedly,’ the Time-honored hedge against the possibility that the facts in a given sentence might not hold up to reasonable scrutiny.» (John Gregory Dunne, «Your Time Is My Time.» The New York Review of Books, April 23, 1992)
«Arguably» as a Weasel Word
«Weasel words also occur in arguments. Consider the following:
Since paying a worker the current minimum wage is arguably the same as having a slave, and since slavery is illegal under the Constitution, the current minimum wage ought to be outlawed.
All this seems fairly straightforward until we look closer at the little weasel word ‘arguably.’ To give an argument is not necessarily to give a good argument.» (Malcolm Murray and Nebojsa Kujundzic, Critical Reflection: A Textbook for Critical Thinking. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2005)
«To conservative rhetors in Congress, whatever is not blandly or angrily populist is elitist. In their resort to this weasel word, the patriotically correct on the right are as bad as the politically correct on the residual left.» (Robert Hughes, «Pulling the Fuse on Culture.» Time, Aug. 7, 1995)
«There are . . . understatements to avoid the truth, such as ‘economic adjustment’ for recession. There are broad abstractions for an unacceptable term or idea: ‘downsizing’ for slashing employment, masking words such as ‘preowned’ for used, and PC euphemisms such as ‘economic deprivation’ for being poor.» (Paul Wasserman and Don Hausrath, Weasel Words: The Dictionary of American Doublespeak. Capital Books, 2006)
1
weasel words
амер.
ни к чему не обязывающие, уклончивые слова; неопределённые или намеренно двусмысленные заявления, «туманные выражения»
When the thief was being questioned by the police, he tried to fool them with weasel words. (DAI) — Во время допроса вор пытался запутать полицейских противоречивыми показаниями.
Large English-Russian phrasebook > weasel words
2
weasel words
The new dictionary of modern spoken language > weasel words
3
weasel words
Универсальный англо-русский словарь > weasel words
4
weasel words
«Ласкины слова», т. е. слова, употреблённые для того, чтобы обмануть читателя или слушателя. Теодор Рузвельт ввёл в обиход это выражение в 1916 г., употребив его в своей речи, где критиковал Вудро Вильсона, тогдашнего президента США: «Можно сказать универсальная подготовка и можно сказать добровольная подготовка. Но когда он употребляет комбинацию добровольно-универсальная, он употребляет «слова ласки». Рузвельт имел в виду привычку ласки высасывать содержимое яиц, оставляя только скорлупу.
The public would find these facts unpalatable. We must introduce a few weasel words into the press release. — Публика сочтёт эти факты малопривлекательными. Мы должны включить в отчёт для прессы несколько слов, которые отвлекут внимание.
English-Russian dictionary of expressions > weasel words
5
weasel words
Большой англо-русский и русско-английский словарь > weasel words
6
weasel words
Англо-русский большой универсальный переводческий словарь > weasel words
7
weasel words
Англо-русский дипломатический словарь > weasel words
8
Weasel words
Пустые слова
Difficulties of the English language (lexical reference) English-Russian dictionary > Weasel words
9
weasel words
разг.
обтекаемые выражения, ни к чему не обязывающие слова; намеренная двусмысленность
Англо-русский современный словарь > weasel words
10
weasel words
двусмысленная речь; умышленно неясно выраженные мысли
English-russian dctionary of diplomacy > weasel words
11
weasel words
ни к чему́ не обя́зывающие слова́, наме́ренная двусмы́сленность
The Americanisms. English-Russian dictionary. > weasel words
12
weasel
Англо-русский словарь Мюллера > weasel
13
weasel
1. [ʹwi:z(ə)l]
1. 1)
горностай, ласка и др. животные семейства куньих ()
2) мех шкура этих животных
2. 1) проныра, пролаза, скользкий тип
weasel words — ни к чему не обязывающие слова; преднамеренная двусмысленность неясность в выражениях
to catch a weasel asleep — провести недоверчивого человека; усыпить чью-л. (чрезмерную) бдительность
2. [ʹwi:z(ə)l]
1.
разг. вилять, юлить; уклоняться (); устраняться (); отмежёвываться, ускользать (
weasel out)
2. говорить уклончиво, двусмысленно
3.
доносить; быть осведомителем
НБАРС > weasel
14
weasel
[‘wiːz(ə)l]
сущ.
1)
а)
зоол.
ласка, горностай
б) мех ласки, горностая
3) снегоход; вездеход
••
weasel words — разг. обтекаемые выражения, ни к чему не обязывающие слова; намеренная двусмысленность
Англо-русский современный словарь > weasel
15
weasel
1.
n
1)
зоол
горноста́й
м
, ла́ска
ж
2) проны́ра м и ж
2.
v
виля́ть, юли́ть
The Americanisms. English-Russian dictionary. > weasel
16
weasel
ˈwi:zl сущ.;
зоол.
1) ласка;
мех ласки
2) проныра ∙ to catch a weasel asleep ≈ застать врасплох человека, обычно настороженного
(зоология) горностай, ласка и др. животные семейства куньих (Mustela gen.) мех или шкура этих животных проныра, пролаза, скользкий тип (сленг) доносчик;
соглядатай > * words (американизм) ни к чему не обязывающие слова;
преднамеренная двусмысленность или неясность в выражениях > to catch a * asleep провести недоверчивого человека;
усыпить чью-л. (чрезмерную) бдительность( американизм) (разговорное) вилять, юлить;
уклоняться( от обязательства, обещания) ;
устраняться( от участия в невыгодном деле) ;
отмежевываться, ускользать (тж. * out) говорить уклончиво, двусмысленно (жаргон) доносить;
быть осведомителем
weasel зоол. ласка;
to catch a weasel asleep застать врасплох человека, обычно настороженного
weasel зоол. ласка;
to catch a weasel asleep застать врасплох человека, обычно настороженного
Большой англо-русский и русско-английский словарь > weasel
17
weasel I
n
1) горностай, ласка и др. животные из семейства куньих;
2) а) проныра, пролаза, скользкий тип;
б) жарг. доносчик, соглядатай, подхалим, угодник;
~ words амер. ни к чему не обязывающие слова, формулировки, дающие возможность уклониться от обязательства, преднамеренная двусмыслица или неясность в выражениях;
to catch a ~ asleep провести недоверчивого человека, усыпить чью-л. (чрезмерную) бдительность
Большой англо-русский и русско-английский словарь > weasel I
18
sincere words
искренние (лицемерные/неискренние, устаревшие, заимствованные, диалектные) слова
English-Russian combinatory dictionary > sincere words
19
word
wə:d
1. сущ.
1) слово to write a word ≈ сделать запись to coin a word ≈ создать/придумать новое слово to mispronounce слово ≈ неправильно произнести слово to distort smb.’s words ≈ переиначить чьи-л. слова, исказить смысл чьих-л. слов to hang on (to) smb. ‘s words ≈ придираться к чьим-л. словам of few words ≈ немногословно She took the words right out of my mouth. ≈ Она читает мои мысли (говорит то, о чем я хотел сказать) to get a word in edgewise ≈ ввернуть словечко, сделать дельное замечание to have the last word ≈ сказать послпеднее слово (положить конец спору, распре) to take smb. at her/his word ≈ поймать на слове кого-л. Don’t breathe a word about it to anyone. ≈ Об этом никому ни слова. There was no word of the incident in the newspapers. ≈ В газетах нет ни слова о происшествии. She would like to say a few words about the incident. ≈ Она хотела бы сказать несколько слов о происшествии. not to mince any words ≈ рассказать все без утайки angry words cross words sharp words choice word harsh word hasty words high-sounding words hollow words hypocritical words sincere words weasel words archaic words obsolete words borrowed words compound word dialectal words regional words foreign words four-letter words obscene words monosyllabic words nonce words portmanteau word simple words taboo word guide word household word in a word in one word put in a word say a word word in one’s ear it is not the word take at his word on the word with the word
2) часто мн. разговор, речь to put in a good word for smb. ≈ произнести оправдательную речь в адрес кого-л. to have words ≈ крупно поговорить, поссориться с кем-л. (with smb.) warm words, hot words ≈ брань, крупный разговор fair words ≈ комплименты
3) замечание
4) обещание, слово to break one’s word ≈ не сдержать обещание, нарушить клятву one’s solemn word ≈ торжественное обещание one’s word of honor ≈ слово чести She gave me her word that she would deliver the message. ≈ Она пообещала мне, что отправит сообщение. She’s a woman of her word. ≈ Она человек слова. man of his word ≈ человек слова upon my word ≈ Честное слово!
5) вести;
известие, сообщение
6) приказание to give word ≈ отдать распоряжение word of command ≈ команда
7) пароль
девиз;
лозунг ∙ hard words break no bones посл. ≈ брань на вороту не виснет a word spoken is past recalling посл. ≈ слово не воробей, вылетит — не поймаешь a word to the wise ≈ умный с полуслова понимает big words last word sharp’s the word! in so many words code word
2. гл. выражать словами;
подбирать выражения
слово — primary * корневое слово — half a * полслова — to be not the * for it быть недостаточным для выражения или определения чего-л. — tactlessness is not the * for it! «бестактность» — это не то слово /это слишком слабо сказано/! — I am repeating his very /actual/ *s я повторяю его собственные слова, я дословно передаю сказанное им часто pl речь, разговор, слова — concluding *s заключительное слово — to have a * with smb. поговорить с кем-л. — to take (up) the * заговорить;
перебить( кого-л.) — to put smth. into *s, to give *s to smth. выразить что-л. словами — to put one’s thoughts into *s высказать /сформулировать/ свои мысли — to get /to put/ in a * вставить слово, вмешаться в разговор — *s fail me у меня не хватает слов — I have no *s to express my gratitude мне не хватает слов, чтобы выразить благодарность — a truer * was never spoken совершенно верно!;
лучше не скажешь — bold in * only смелый только на словах — «A * to the Reader» «К читателю» (введение к книге) pl размолвка, ссора — high /hard/ *s разговор на повышенных тонах, крупный разговор — they had *s, *s passed between them они поссорились, между ними произошла ссора замечание, совет — a * in season своевременный совет — a * in smb.’s ear намек (тк. в ед. ч.) вести;
известие, сообщение — to receive * of smb.’s coming получить известие о чьем-л. приезде — please send me * as soon as possible пожалуйста, известите меня как можно скорее — please leave * for me at the office пожалуйста, оставьте мне записку в канцелярии (тк. в ед. ч.) обещание, заверение — to give one’s * дать слово;
обещать — to keep one’s * сдержать слово — a man of his * человек слова — to be as good as one’s * сдержать слово — to be better than one’s * сделать больше обещанного — to take smb. at his * поверить кому-л. на слово;
принять чьи-л. слова всерьез — his * is as good as his bond на его слово можно положиться;
его слово — лучшая гарантия — take my * for it (разговорное) уверяю вас, поверьте мне рекомендация, совет — to say /to put in/ a good * for smb. хвалить или отстаивать кого-л.;
замолвить за кого-л. словечко — to give smb. one’s good * рекомендовать кого-л. (на должность и т. п.) (тк. в ед. ч.) приказ, приказание — * of command( военное) команда — to give the *, to say the * отдать приказание /распоряжение, команду/ — * to be passed! (военное) (морское) слушайте все! — his * is law его слово — закон — sharp’s the *! поторапливайся, живей! — mum’s the *! тихо!, ни слова об этом! пароль, пропуск пословица, поговорка слух, молва( the W.) (религия) Слово господне (о священном писании, особ. о Евангелии;
тж. W. of God, God’s W.) — to preach the W. проповедывать евангелие /христианство/ Слово, Бог-слово, Христос (тж. Eternal W.) — ministers of the W. (христианское) духовенство pl (музыкальное) (театроведение) текст, слова ( песни) ;
либретто( оперы) ;
текст (роли) (полиграфия) слово (условная единица объема, равная 5 печатным знакам) — 8000 *s = 1 печатный лист — a book of 160000 *s книга в 20 печатных листов (компьютерное) слово;
код;
кодовая группа;
группа символов (биология) кодовое слово (в генетическом коде) > for *, to a * дословно, буквально, слово в слово > a man of few *s немногословный человек > a man of many *s велеречивый человек;
болтун > by * of mouth на словах, устно > in a /one/ * одним словом, короче говоря > in other *s другими словами, иначе говоря > in a few *s в нескольких словах, вкратце > without many *s без лишних слов > not a *! (разговорное) ни слова!, ни гу-гу!, молчок! > in * and deed на словах и на деле > a play on /upon/ *s игра слов, каламбур > big *s хвастовство > upon /on/ my * (даю) честное слово > my *! подумать только! > in the *s of… говоря словами /по выражению, по словам/ такого-то… > in so many *s определенно, ясно, недвусмысленно;
прямо, откровенно > on /with/ the * как только было сказано;
без промедления;
тут же, сейчас же > to hang on smb.’s *s ловить чьи-л. слова;
внимательно прислушиваться к кому-л. > beyond *s неописуемый, невыразимый > conduct beyond *s поведение, не поддающееся описанию > a * and a blow необдуманный поступок, скоропалительное действие > to eat /to swallow/ one’s *s брать свои слова обратно;
извиняться за сказанное > fair /good/ *s комплименты > fine *s красивые слова > fine /fair, soft/ *s butter no parsnips, *s are but wind (красивые) слова ничего не стоят > he has a kind /a good/ * for everyone у него для каждого человека найдется доброе слово > last *s последние /предсмертные/ слова > the last * (in smth.) последнее слово, новейшее достижение > the last * has not yet been said on this matter последнее слово по этому поводу еще не сказано, вопрос еще окончательно не решен > to have the last * сказать последнее слово (в споре) > not to know the first * about smth. ничего не понимать в чем-л., не знать азов чего-л. > he hasn’t a * to throw at a dog от него слова не добьешься > to suit the action to the * смотреть, чтобы слово не расходилось с делом;
сказано — сделано > a * spoken is past recalling слово — не воробей, вылетит — не поймаешь > *s are the wise man’s counters and the fool’s money только дурак верит на слово > a * to the wise умный с полуслова понимает > hard *s break no bones брань на вороту не виснет выражать словами;
подбирать слова, выражения;
формулировать — I should rather * it differently я бы сказал /сформулировал/ это иначе — how should it be *ed? как бы это выразить?
address ~ вчт. адресное слово
alphabetic ~ вчт. буквенное слово
associatively located ~ вчт. слово найденное ассоциативным поиском
banner ~ вчт. начальное слово
I should ~ it rather differently я сказал бы это, пожалуй, иначе;
a beautifully worded address прекрасно составленная речь
~ девиз;
лозунг;
big words хвастовство
binary ~ вчт. двоичное слово
block descriptor ~ вчт. дескриптор блока
buzz ~ вчт. основное слово
call ~ вчт. вызывающее слово
~ (часто pl) речь, разговор;
can I have a word with you? мне надо поговорить с вами
check ~ вчт. контрольное слово
code ~ кодированное слово
command ~ вчт. имя команды
comparand ~ вчт. характеристический признак
computer ~ вчт. машинное слово
constant ~ вчт. константное слово
control ~ вчт. управляющее слово
data ~ вчт. слово данных
descriptor ~ вчт. дескриптор
digital ~ вчт. цифровое слово
double ~ вчт. двойное слово
edit ~ вчт. редактирующее слово
empty ~ вчт. пустое слово
entry ~ док. порядковое слово описания
warm (или hot) ~s брань, крупный разговор;
fair words комплименты
full ~ вчт. слово
function ~ вчт. функциональная команда
~ пароль;
to give the word сказать пароль
~ приказание;
word of command воен. команда;
to give (или to send) word отдать распоряжение
half ~ вчт. полуслово
in so many ~s ясно, недвусмысленно;
hard words break no bones посл. = брань на вороту не виснет
to have words (with smb.) крупно поговорить, поссориться (с кем-л.)
he hasn’t a ~ to throw at a dog он и разговаривать не желает;
a word spoken is past recalling посл. = слово не воробей, вылетит — не поймаешь he hasn’t a ~ to throw at a dog от него слова не добьешься
I should ~ it rather differently я сказал бы это, пожалуй, иначе;
a beautifully worded address прекрасно составленная речь
identifier ~ вчт. идентификатор
in a ~, in one ~ одним словом;
короче говоря;
to put in (или to say) a word (for smb.) замолвить (за кого-л.) словечко
in a ~, in one ~ одним словом;
короче говоря;
to put in (или to say) a word (for smb.) замолвить (за кого-л.) словечко
in so many ~s ясно, недвусмысленно;
hard words break no bones посл. = брань на вороту не виснет
index ~ вчт. модификатор
information ~ вчт. информационное слово
isolated ~ вчт. выбранное слово
a ~ in one’s ear на ухо, по секрету;
it is not the word не то слово, это еще слабо сказано
key ~ вчт. ключевое слово
the last ~ (in (или on) smth.) последнее слово (в какой-л. области) the last ~ (in (или on) smth.) = последний крик моды
the last ~ has not yet been said on this subject вопрос еще не решен;
sharp’s the word! поторапливайся!, живей!
lock ~ вчт. блокировочное слово
long ~ вчт. двойное слово
matching ~ вчт. слово с совпавшим признаком
nonreserved ~ вчт. незарезервированное слово
numeric ~ вчт. цифровое слово
offensive ~ оскорбительное слово
to take (smb.) at his ~ поймать (кого-л.) на слове;
on (или with) the word вслед за словами
optional ~ вчт. дополнительное слово
packed ~ вчт. упакованное слово
parameter ~ вчт. параметр
partial ~ вчт. часть слова
primary ~ вчт. встроенная операция
processor status ~ вчт. слово состояния процессора
program status ~ вчт. слово состояния программы
in a ~, in one ~ одним словом;
короче говоря;
to put in (или to say) a word (for smb.) замолвить (за кого-л.) словечко
word вести;
известие, сообщение;
to receive word of (smb.’s) coming получить известие о (чьем-л.) приезде
request ~ вчт. слово запроса
reserved ~ вчт. зарезервированное слово
~ замечание;
to say a few words высказать несколько замечаний (по поводу чего-л. — на собрании и т. п.)
search ~ вчт. признак
secondary ~ вчт. вторичная команда
selected ~ вчт. выбранное слово
the last ~ has not yet been said on this subject вопрос еще не решен;
sharp’s the word! поторапливайся!, живей!
she had the last ~ ее слово было последним, = она в долгу не осталась
spoken ~ вчт. произносимое слово
status ~ вчт. слово состояния
to take (smb.) at his ~ поймать (кого-л.) на слове;
on (или with) the word вслед за словами
test ~ вчт. тестовое слово
unmarked ~ вчт. непомеченное слово
~ обещание, слово;
to give one’s word обещать;
a man of his word человек слова;
upon my word! честное слово!
upper half of ~ вчт. старшее полуслово
warm (или hot) ~s брань, крупный разговор;
fair words комплименты
wide ~ вчт. длинное слово
word вести;
известие, сообщение;
to receive word of (smb.’s) coming получить известие о (чьем-л.) приезде ~ выражать словами;
подбирать выражения;
to word a telegram составить телеграмму ~ выражать словами ~ девиз;
лозунг;
big words хвастовство ~ заверение ~ замечание;
to say a few words высказать несколько замечаний (по поводу чего-л. — на собрании и т. п.) ~ замечание ~ известие ~ обещание, слово;
to give one’s word обещать;
a man of his word человек слова;
upon my word! честное слово! ~ обещание ~ пароль;
to give the word сказать пароль ~ пароль ~ приказ ~ приказание;
word of command воен. команда;
to give (или to send) word отдать распоряжение ~ приказание ~ пропуск ~ (часто pl) речь, разговор;
can I have a word with you? мне надо поговорить с вами ~ слово;
word for word слово в слово;
буквально;
by word of mouth устно;
на словах ~ слово ~ вчт. слово ~ совет ~ сообщение ~ формулировыать ~ элемент информации
~ выражать словами;
подбирать выражения;
to word a telegram составить телеграмму
~ слово;
word for word слово в слово;
буквально;
by word of mouth устно;
на словах
a ~ in one’s ear на ухо, по секрету;
it is not the word не то слово, это еще слабо сказано
~ приказание;
word of command воен. команда;
to give (или to send) word отдать распоряжение
he hasn’t a ~ to throw at a dog он и разговаривать не желает;
a word spoken is past recalling посл. = слово не воробей, вылетит — не поймаешь
a ~ to the wise = умный с полуслова понимает
written-in ~ вчт. записанное слово
Большой англо-русский и русско-английский словарь > word
20
word
Large English-Russian phrasebook > word
См. также в других словарях:
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weasel words — plural noun (informal) Words that make a statement evasive or misleading, orig (in sing) a word used illegitimately in conjunction with another word rendering it meaningless or sucking its meaning from it as a weasel sucks out the contents of an… … Useful english dictionary
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weasel words — ☆ weasel words n. 〚prob. in allusion to the weasel s habit of sucking out the contents of an egg without destroying the shell〛 words or remarks that are deliberately ambiguous or misleading * * * … Universalium
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weasel words — If somebody uses vaque and unspecific terms to try to avoid being clear about their position or opinion, they are using weasel words … The small dictionary of idiomes
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weasel words — ☆ weasel words n. [prob. in allusion to the weasel s habit of sucking out the contents of an egg without destroying the shell] words or remarks that are deliberately ambiguous or misleading … English World dictionary
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weasel words — Meaning Origin Stewart Chaplin s story Stained glass political platform , 1900, contains Why, weasel words are words that suck the life out of the words next to them, just as a weasel sucks the egg and leaves the shell. Theodore Roosevelt made… … Meaning and origin of phrases
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weasel words — mainly American words that you use to avoid answering a question or to deceive someone. She was too experienced an interviewer to be taken in by the weasel words of crafty politicians … New idioms dictionary
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weasel words — words that have many meanings … English contemporary dictionary
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weasel words — words or statements that are intentionally ambiguous or misleading. → weary of … English new terms dictionary
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weasel words — n insincere, devious or unscrupulous talk. This well established usage probably derives from the weasel s claimed abil ity to suck the contents from an egg without shattering the shell, hence the notion of evasion … Contemporary slang
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Weasel word — Weasel words is an informal term for words that are ambiguous and cannot be substantiated by facts. They are typically used to create an illusion of clear, direct communication. Weasel words are usually expressed with deliberate imprecision with… … Wikipedia
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Words of Estimative Probability — (WEP or WEPs) are terms used by intelligence analysts in the production of analytic reports to convey the likelihood of a future event occurring. They express the extent of their confidence in the finding. A well chosen WEP provides a decision… … Wikipedia
A weasel word is a word, phrase or sentence, or organizational setup that contains ambiguity and which therefore doesn’t reflect the whole truth. People use these words when they want to give the impression what they are saying is important but don’t want to commit to a specific claim or data set. The term comes from the way weasels eat eggs, sucking the matter out and leaving nothing but a shell. Weasel words can occur in any writing or speech, but they are standard in areas such as politics, advertising and corporate business.
Ambiguity is a hallmark of weasel words. A problem with weasel words thus is that their meaning depends on context, which depends on the surrounding culture. Without experience, a person can miss one or more of the interpretations possible.
As an individual word, a weasel word functions as a modifier. Examples are words such as probably, virtually, most, some or often. These words create a sense of how many or when, but they are not specific in number, statistics or dates. The lack of specificity causes trained individuals such as editors to regard the inclusions of weasel words as useless and as evidence of lack of sufficient effort or research.
Weasel words as phrases can be oxymorons or euphemisms. For instance, a person might say «virtually universal.» Universal implies that everyone has or does something, but virtually means nearly or almost, thereby canceling out the meaning of universal. Similarly, a company might soften the blow of layoffs by calling the release of workers «leveraging new opportunities» or «streamlining operations.» Non sequitur or irrelevant statements also are weasel words, such as if a company says they are «the leader in shoes» without giving information that allows for a comparison to the company’s competitors.
A sentence also can be a weasel word. An example of this is «This event is beyond words.» This sentence could mean that the person is pleased or impressed with the event, or it could mean that the person is struck by the event’s lack of fun, quality or professionalism. People also create weasel word sentences by using questions to make implications, such as by saying, «Do we want to continue under the leadership of someone with this record?» This question implies that the leader has done a poor job, but it does not come out and say anything negative outright, and it does not provide specific data about what is within the record that might be offensive or harmful.
The passive voice hides weasel words, as well. If a person says, «It is said…,» for example, the reader or listener has no way of knowing who said what follows. Thus, the writer or speaker avoids specificity about the origin of what he communicates, even though he depends on the authority of that origin.
Organizational setup weasel words occur in documents or tools such as surveys. When a person looks at individual parts of such documents, a problem doesn’t exist. When put together, however, one part may imply how a person should interpret the next section.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “to weasel out of” something. It means to avoid responsibility by being dishonest or wily. Weasels have come to be associated with deception, which is perhaps because, despite their cuddly appearance, they’re actually vicious predators.
Weasel words, therefore, give a false impression without telling an outright lie. Advertisers and politicians regularly use them when they want to emphasize (or leave out!) certain details. But weasel words also turn up in essays and other academic work. When writers aren’t certain about their arguments, they might use weasel words to make their statements suitably ambiguous.
Those sneaky weasel words aren’t always obvious, so it’s easy to use them without realizing it. Here, we’ll identify the most common weasel words so you can weed them out of your writing.
Weasel Word Examples
Typically, weasel words fall into one of three categories: anonymous authorities, vague statistics, and weakening adverbs. We’ll look at examples of each of these.
1. Anonymous authorities
When people state a view that they don’t have any hard evidence for, they might invoke a non-specific authority to make their argument sound more convincing:
It is said that pineapple should never be put on a pizza.
“It is said” is meaningless here because the reader doesn’t know who is doing the saying. These words are supposed to imply that pineapple on pizza is universally disapproved of. However, the phrase would be technically true even if only one person had expressed such an opinion.
Research shows that pepperoni is more popular than anchovies.
The “research” mentioned here could have involved a survey of the writer’s six friends who ordered pizza the evening before!
Experts agree that eating takeout reduces stress.
Who are these experts? And what is their area of expertise?
Other examples of anonymous authority are “studies suggest,” “it is thought,” and “critics claim.”
2. Vague statistics
Beware of inexact numerical expressions. As can be seen from the following examples – and their possible translations – imprecise terms can be interpreted in different ways:
Up to 75% off everything!
(Translation: A total of five products have been discounted by 75%, and our other products either have a much smaller discount or no discount at all.)
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Most respondents said they would buy from us again.
(Translation: We only asked for feedback from the customers whose orders didn’t get lost, and 49% of them said they’d never buy from us again.)
Other sketchy number-related words include “some,” “many,” “numerous,” “few,” “masses,” and “fraction.”
3. Weakening adverbs
A third type of weasel word is weakening adverbs. By adding one of these, writers dilute the meaning of an otherwise bold statement:
Sales will probably double next year.
The campaign was somewhat successful.
The results are rather alarming.
This category of weasel words also includes “fairly,” “quite,” “usually,” and “relatively.”
Summary: How to Wipe Out Weasel Words
The trouble with weasel words is that they have a bad reputation. You might not be trying to mislead your readers, but when you use these terms in your writing, they can give the impression that you’re uncertain about what you’re saying, or worse, they can make you seem insincere.
That doesn’t mean you should never use any of the words we’ve mentioned. But before you do, ask yourself if they’re necessary.
In the case of anonymous authorities, think about where you got the information from and try to use a real source whenever possible. Avoid vague statistics by giving a genuine figure if you can find one. And when it comes to adverbs, nine times out of ten, your writing will be stronger if you simply delete them. (Admittedly, we made that statistic up, but it’s probably accurate!)
A good proofreader will not only correct your typos and grammar mistakes, but they’ll also highlight unclear sentences and offer feedback on word choice. If you’d like us to help you finetune your writing, upload a free trial document today.