Doublespeak and Story in a Fashion and Design Event That Happened in Paris - Assignment Example

The paper "Doublespeak and Story in a Fashion and Design Event That Happened in Paris" is a perfect example of a social science assignment. “The bitter end,” means experiencing an awful situation until the end. It is a nautical British expression, from the metaphor of the ship’s anchor rope being dropped out wholly until it is fixed for the ship to be secure.

• “Get out of the wrong side of the bed,” means to be in a bad mood or having an unlucky day. According to Brewer (1900), the cliché or phrase originated from the ancient superstition, which posited that touching the floor with the left leg when getting out of the bed translates to bad luck.
• “Go to hell in a hand-basket,” means to worsen or deteriorate rapidly. This cliché originated from America, which literary meant that something in the hand-basket would go wherever it is led without resistance.
• “In the nick of time” means at the critical moment or the precise moment. This cliché is approximately three centuries old. The original expression was “in the nick.” It was believed that a well-formed notch best expresses precision perfectly, more so when time is added.
• “Scot free” means to go without being punished or incurring any cost. It originally came from the phrase ‘skot free’, which literally meant “free of taxes.” The British phrase was used to refer to someone who escaped from paying taxes particularly because of his her worth.

Question 2.4.2

Though it is usually used for the wrong reasons, doublespeak can be utilized in a positive way. This is because human beings are naturally attached to emotions and feelings and the language and way of communication often play a significant role in their lives. As such, using light language helps to improve one’s self-concept during criticism. For instance, a manager should not castigate an employee by telling him or her, “You are a liability to the company.” Instead, the manager can use the words, “you are doing well, however, if you double your efforts it would be great.” Additionally, the doctor can tell a bereaved individual, “I am sorry your son succumbed to his injuries.” Such polite and light language helps an individual to be positive and to have hope.