Doublespeak Assignment Essay

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Doublespeak Assignment 1. Contusion; : A region of injured tissue or skin in which blood capillaries have been ruptured; a bruise. The type of doublespeak of this term is inflated language. Inflated language: puffed-up, important-sounding words used to give commonplace things and events an elevated, glowing appearance This word is often used in the world of sports when a player is hit and recieves a bruise. The reason that the term is considered inflated language is because it has the exact same meaning as bruise. The only difference is that using the term "contusion", makes the speaker sound more professional and impresive. Example: After further x-rays, his right hand is in fact not broken or fractured. It has been diagnosed as a hand contusion. 2. Scratch; Used in hockey, implies that a player is taken off the roster for a game usually due to injury. (scratching a player off the roster list); a healthy scratch means that the player (usually a struggling player) is taken off the roster due to the coach's decision, not because of an injury The type of doublespeak of this term is jargon. Jargon: Specialized language used by a particular professional, trade, or hobby group; this specialized language used in discourse with lay audiences; overly-complex terms used to impress others. This word is often used by coaches speaking to the media regarding a struggling player. The reason it is classified as a jargon is because it is a word used by a particular profession, often hockey, and would not make sense in everyday language. Therefore it is a specialized language used by a particular group. If the term were used outside the sport world, it would not have the same definition. Example: He had 5 goals and 17 points last season, and was a healthy scratch a few times in January. 3. Unforced error; A missed shot or lost point (as in tennis) that is
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