Interesting journal #11

Learning new words and creating a new one.

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Weasel word: a part of a sentence that creates a sense of false authority or importance. Once you know about weasel words, you will see them everywhere. Knowing how to spot them helps to debunk misinformation and write better.

Examples:

Clearly…

…it’s commonsense…

Award-winning…

Up to eighty per cent…

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Shibboleth: an arcane word, phrase or custom that can help distinguish one group of people from another. Similar to a password, it signals that you are part of a club.

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The word folktale describes a story passed down from one generation to another.

I propose the creation of the word: folkfact.

A folkfact is a fact that is passed down from one generation to another. The truth of a folkfact is not discussed, and the origin is not clearly known.

Examples:

Rusty objects cause tetanus

Mongol warriors called Tartars invented the steak tartare. They used to place a steak under their saddle to tenderize it before eating it raw.

Folkfacts are similar to common misconceptions, of which Wikipedia provides an extensive list.