Thoo.

I really should've written this even before the "awesome" post. Simply put, I've come to the inescapable conclusion that the language rut that chronically plagues The Establishment isn't just restricted to an overuse of tired adjectives where an adjective is necessary, it even extends to placeholders in certain set language typologies used in a way so as to render the placeholder entirely (no pun intended; used in the proper sense) irrelevant.

The ways in which this devalues our language are numerous but I'll restrict myself to the most common types. Exhibit P1, ladies and gentlemen, is "whole". Exhibit P2, if you can detect the aroma of my culinary efforts, is "entire". The typology I'm referring to, of course, is the general assertion: "the idea", "the thing" and, perhaps most irritatingly, "the point". (It always annoys me when people say "the point is that". As if you know what "the" point is. In fact, I'm pretty sure you don't know what "the" point is and I refuse to submit to any form of thought that tends to imply that you know what the point is. I'm old and bitter. Say it.)

Marry the two sets and you arrive upon such eloquent speech patterns as "the whole idea", "the entire idea", "the whole thing", "the whole point", "the entire point" and so on and so forth until you puke (I resist cracking an ad nauseam joke). And it's everywhere. Students do it, teachers do it, people trying to sound intelligent do it, legitimately intelligent people do it, absolutely everyone.

P.S. "Sir, can't you just admit that the whole purpose of China's economy is to exploit its labour?"
"Whole purpose, huh?"
"Yeah, well, part of the purpose, at least?"
"That's more like it. But no. I disagree."