I believe transparency should be less lofty premise and more steadily attainable goal, which is why I’m happy to share the secrets of memorable writers and falcon-eyed editors. Also, modest marketers.
Today we’re discussing the pet peeve du jour of editors and appreciators of honest, meaningful expression everywhere. In choosing the most heinous offender, I decided to forgo obvious targets like ‘free gift’ or ‘fiction novel’, which are gleefully wrong, in a grade-school sort of way.
I dismissed ‘to gift’ or ‘the ask’, which are suspect stylistically and redolent of the laziness that leads to the current king of slothful, imprecise expression: the appropriately non-specific ‘around’, as in: “the issues around falling admissions rates”, say, or “innovating around COVID-19”. Instead of saying “the issues concerning falling admissions” or “innovating to beat COVID-19”, lazy scribes slap ‘around’ on a sentence and move on.
The circuitous practice must’ve started with the physically impossible ‘to center around’—instead of the only logical possibility: ‘to center on’—around a quarter-century ago. These days, ‘around’ is misapplied around the world and around the clock.
What gives?
Good writing is always rooted in organized thinking. By using an all-purpose preposition when a half-dozen sharper alternatives are available, the writer short-circuits the thinking—can’t you just hear someone saying ‘around’ instead of ‘behind’?—what’s actually being said. Once a critical mass of seeing ‘around’ used out of place is reached, it becomes, pardon the topicality, a pandemic.
Anyone fortunate enough to be invited to a third or fourth job interview might be asked about their expectations ‘around’ compensation. A shrewd player would reply in appropriately vague fashion, e.g. ‘mid-low six figures’, which, of course, could mean anywhere from $150,000 to $350,000 a year.
A hiring manager who wants a meaningful answer should start by asking a meaningful question. The same logic would apply to conversations between HR and a less-than-stellar employee ‘around termination’, a COO’s pep talk with the sales team ‘around revenue generation’, et cetera.
If you’re a fan of precise thinking, meaningful expression, and substantive communication, don’t monkey around with around. Instead, put a little thought ‘into’ what you’re saying. Buttress it ‘with’ facts, support it ‘by’ getting to the nitty-gritty, explore how its various components play ‘against’ each other, understand how it changes ‘over’ time. Go ‘above’ and ‘beyond’ your own expectations of how cogent and succinct a text can be—’via’ repeated editing, if need be.
I think it’s time to get hip to clear lingo, and invite you to come along.
The Contrarian Agrarian concurs.
