Doublespeaking

Telling it like it isn 't

Out of the mouths of bureaucrats, language is too often used to obfuscate rather than communicate. But not with impunity. For the past six years, the National Council of Teachers of English Committee on Public Doublespeak has presented a "dishonorable mention" to a particularly offensive official utterance. Last week the committee singled out the Pentagon for terming the neutron bomb, which kills every living creature within its reach but leaves physical structures unharmed, "a radiation enhancement weapon." The Defense Department did not send a representative to accept the award, but it did designate Army Colonel Jack Munsey as "doublespeak person" to respond to numerous inquiries. Said he: "The particular term accurately describes that weapon. What can I say except I'm sorry they don't like it? And I'm not sure I'm even that sorry."

Runners-up in the council's doublespeak competition:

> White House Press Secretary Jody Powell, for stonewalling on questions about the CIA's covert payments to Jordan's King Hussein with the statement, "By definition, any comment would be a contradiction in terms since the operation in question would no longer be secret."

> The CIA itself, for conducting experiments in brainwashing and behavior control under the cover of an organization titled "the Society for Investigation of Human Ecology."

> Health, Education and Welfare Secretary Joseph Califano, who advertised for "an extremely confidential personal assistant ... responsible for managing, performing and supervising work related to the operation of the Secretary's kitchen and eating area " As it happens, he was looking for a chef.

Teachers are capable of doublespeak too. During last week's award ceremony, a spokesman for the award committee was asked to define doublespeak. "It's an umbrella term," he replied after an awkward silence, "a high-level abstraction to describe pernicious use of language." At least he winced as he said it.

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