Around the *Word*

We believe transparency should be less lofty premise and more steadily attainable goal, which is why we're happy to share the secrets that make us memorable writers and falcon-eyed editors. Also, modest marketers.

Today we're discussing the pet peeve du jour of editors and appreciators of honest, meaningful expression everywhere. In choosing the most heinous offender, we decided to forgo obvious targets like gather together, free gift or fiction novel, which are gleefully wrong, in a grade-school sort of way.

We dismissed to gift or the ask, which are suspect stylistically and redolent of the laziness that leads to the current king of slothful, imprecise expression: the appropriately non-specific around, as in: the issues around falling admissions rates, say, or innovating around COVID-19. Instead of saying the issues concerning falling admissions or innovating to beat COVID-19, lazy scribes slap around on a sentence and move on. The circuitous practice must've started with the physically impossible center around – instead of the only logical possibility: center on – around a quarter-century ago. These days, around is misapplied around the world and around the clock. What gives?

Good writing is always rooted in organized thinking. By using an all-purpose preposition when a half-dozen sharper alternatives are available, the writer short-circuits the thinking behind – can't you just hear someone saying around instead of behind? – what's actually being said. Once a critical mass of seeing around used out of place is reached, it becomes, pardon the topicality, a pandemic.

Anyone fortunate enough to be invited to a third or fourth job interview might be asked about their expectations around compensation. A shrewd player would reply in appropriately vague fashion, e.g. mid-low six figures, which, of course, could mean anywhere from $150,000 to $350,000 a year. A hiring manager who wants a meaningful answer should start by asking a meaningful question. The same logic would apply to conversations between HR and a less-than-stellar employee around termination, a COO’s pep talk with the sales team around revenue generation, et cetera.

If you're a fan of precise thinking, meaningful expression and substantive communication, don't monkey around with around. Instead, put a little thought into what you're saying. Buttress it with facts, support it by getting to the nitty-gritty, explore how its various components play against each other, understand how it changes over time. Go above and beyond your own expectations of how cogent and succinct a text can be – via repeated editing, if need be.

We think it’s time to get hip to clear lingo, and invite you to come along.