“Unlock the Secret to Crystal-Clear Writing: Say Goodbye to Jargon Forever!”
Do you ever feel like you need a translator just to understand your colleagues at work? It’s as if we’ve collectively decided that clarity is overrated and corporate jargon is the way to go. In this perplexing realm of “legalese” and corporate-speak, even the simplest ideas can end up shrouded in a fog of fancy words and convoluted phrases. I’ll admit, I used to prostrate myself before the altar of this intricate lingo, only to realize that it did little more than bloat my writing and strangle my prose. If you’ve caught yourself slipping into the clutches of pompous phrases like “it is respectfully submitted” or referring to your peers as “learned friends,” you’re not alone! Many of us, including lawyers and corporate workers, find ourselves lost in a labyrinth of language that alienates rather than communicates. So how do we claw our way back to genuine expression? Let’s dive into the issue of how corporate-speak and legalese aren’t just annoying—they can actually harm our effectiveness as writers. By shedding some of that weighty jargon, we can revive our clarity and create content that actually resonates. LEARN MORE.
Corporate-speak and legalese are strangling your prose
“Good morning Your Honor,
Toews, first initial S. appearing for Her Majesty today.
My learned friend and I are here to address the matter found at number 37 on Your Honor’s docket, John Smith. This matter is on for sentencing. We anticipate that Mr. Smith will enter guilty pleas at counts 3, 4, and 6, at which point stays of proceedings will be entered on the remainder of the counts…”
I really did used to talk like that. I had to (or I thought I did). That’s how Canadian lawyers talk in court. It’s all “learned friend” this and “it is respectfully submitted” that. It’s just a word salad of jargon, legalese, pompous English BS, and barely coherent slang that you need several university degrees to decipher.
The sad thing is, even after I left the practice of law, I continued to talk and write like that for quite a while. Even now, about 6 years later, I still find myself doing it. Stilted, overly formal, and self-important. My wife calls it “lawyer voice.” And it is most definitely not a compliment.
Lawyers and former lawyers aren’t the only ones afflicted with lawyer voice, though. Anyone who’s had the misfortune of getting lost in the corporate or academic…
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