GLOSSARY
Alliteration
The repetition of the initial sounds of words.
Antithesis
Rhetorical strategy that uses contrasting statements in order to make a rhetorical point.
Clichés
Phrases or expressions that, because of overuse, have lost their rhetorical power.
Colloquialisms
Words or phrases used in informal speech but not typically used in formal speech.
Communication
Attempts to reproduce what is in our minds in the minds of our audience.
Generic “he” or “man”
Language that uses words such as “he” or “mankind” to refer to the male and female population.
Hedges
Powerless phrases such as “I thought we should,” “I sort of think,” or “Maybe we should” that communicate uncertainty.
Heterosexist Language
Language that assumes the heterosexual orientation of a person or group of people.
Hyperbole
The use of moderate exaggeration for effect.
Jargon
The specialized language of a group or profession.
Language
The means by which we communicate—a system of symbols we use to form messages.
Man-linked Terms
Terms such as “fireman” or “policemen” that incorrectly identify a job as linked only to a male.
Metaphors
Comparisons made by speaking of one thing in terms of another.
Qualifiers
Powerless words such as “around” or “about” that make your sentences less definitive.
Regionalisms
Customary words or phrases used in different geographic regions.
Sexist Language
Language that unnecessarily identifies sex or linguistically erases females through the use of man- linked terms and/or the use of “he” or “man” as generics.
Similes
Comparisons made by speaking of one thing in terms of another using the word “like” or “as” to make the comparison.
Slang
Type of language that most people understand but that is not considered acceptable in formal or polite conversation.
Spotlighting
Language such as “male nurse” that suggests a person is deviating from the “normal” person who would do a particular job and implies that someone’s sex is relevant to a particular job.
Tag Questions
Powerless language exemplified by ending statements with questions such as “Don’t you think?” or “Don’t you agree?”