Jargon

About this book

Spoken English can be delightfully ambiguous. Karaoke singers happily mangle songs like There’s a Bathroom on the Right (There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise) and Baking Carrot Biscuits (Taking Care of Business). New York City tourists ask for directions to the Entire State Building (Empire State Building) and the Static Island Ferry (Staten Island Ferry). One disappointed contest winner recently sued over her Toyota (Toy Yoda) prize. But modern civilization has pressed language into service where the difference between "we're now at takeoff" and "we're now, uh, taking off" can be catastrophic – in this example actually contributing to the Tenerife airport disaster where 583 people died. When the stakes are high, language evolves and a Jargon develops. In situations ranging from a trader yelling out a multimillion dollar order on the noisy stock exchange floor to a surgeon politely requesting a saline soaked gauze pad in a hushed operating room, this book examines how specialized language prevents misunderstandings and mistakes.