Monday, November 4, 2019

Give 'walk back' a rest. Actually, just delete it.

Can the language gods please walk back the useless and often obfuscatory 'walk back' as far as the nearest bad language incinerator?

* Take this recent use of "walk back" attributed senior Trump enabler and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney - - 
Mick Mulvaney official photo.jpg

- - when 'Mick 'Mulvaney caught lying' would have been better and crisper.
Mick Mulvaney tries to walk back quid pro quo after admitting it
* There there is this item leading Monday's Daily on Energy newsletter from the Washington Examiner:
EPA WALKING BACK TWO OBAMA RULES ON COAL PLANT TOXIC WASTE
Actually, rules don't walk. Officials approve, amend, or in this case, obliterate them. 'EPA weakening coal plant toxic waste rules.' or 'EPA to approve more poisons in your water' would have been shorter and cliché-free.

* Here's an example when the perhaps outdated-but-still serviceable 'wears the dunce cap' might have fit the context.
Johnson walks back claims on FBI 'secret society'
Though credit one national TV talker for his precise, on-point punctiliousness:
The toughest was MSNBC co-host Joe Scarborough, who said Johnson's remarks represented "a reckless slur against the FBI from a pathetic lackey of Trump." 
And then there's this classic which pretty much makes the case for 'walk-back' to head on out:
Trump walked back his walk-back...

1 comment:

  1. At the end of the day, it is what it is, going forward.

    ReplyDelete