47Fotos: IlyaShapovalov, Lise Gagne/iStock.com; privat
JUST JUDI 13/2019 SpotlightNo, it’s not what you think. I’m not going to talk
about me. I’m going to talk about you. Well, not if you
aren’t guilty, but about those of you out there who are
guilty of the linguistic narcissism of our times.
I’m talking about self-centered phrases like, “I’ve
got this!” or “I own this!” or — my personal favorite
on the cringe scale — “I need you to do this for me!”
Can you see my hair standing on end? Whatever hap-
pened to polite and modest language?
“I’ve got this!” No, you haven’t! Instead, try us-
ing, “Oh, that’s fine. Let me handle that. I can do it if
that’s okay with you.” Is there really not enough time
in your day to express yourself politely? I imagine
“I’ve got this!” evolved — or devolved is perhaps a
more accurate description — from “I’ve got this un-
der control.” But that interpretation would be very
generous. I think it has more to do with showing off,
proving one’s own command of all things. Which
brings me to:
“I own this!” This also means to conquer or master
something. Seriously, if you use this phrase, it means
the one thing you don’t “own” and haven’t mastered
is modesty. Unless you’re Donald Trump, who never
misses an opportunity to remind people of how won-
derful he is, I suggest you avoid this phrase. Actually,
you might even try avoiding people who use it, too.
“I need you to do this for me!” Run for the hills
if someone says this to you. But before you do, ask
them where their manners went. If the situation
arises in which you need someone to do some-
thing for you, please don’t say it like that, even if anJUST JUDI
Let’s talk
about me!
Unsere Kolumnistin hält linguistischen Narzissmus
für höchst bedenklich – und plädiert für etwas weniger
Ich-Bezogenheit in der Sprache.MEDIUM USbandwagon: jump on
the ~ [(bÄnd)wÄgEn]
, Tr i t t b r e t t f a h r e n
conquer [(kA:Nk&r]
, bezwingen
cringe scale
[(krIndZ skeI&l]
, Peinlichkeitsskala
device [di(vaIs]
, Gerät
devolve [di(vA:lv]
, sich (negativ) ent-
wickeln
end: stand on ~ [end]
, hier: zu Berge stehen
evolve [i(vA:lv]
, sich (positiv) entwickeln
generous [(dZen&rEs]
, wohlwollend
grateful [(greItf&l]
, dankbar
master [(mÄst&r]
, meistern
modest [(mA:dEst]
, bescheiden, schlicht
self-centered
[)self (sent&rd]
, ich-bezogen
show off [SoU (O:f] ifml.
, angeben
unless [En(les]
, außer, es sei dennalarming number of native speakers do these days.
Instead, try: “Please, would it be possible for you to...?”
or “Excuse me, but would you mind doing...?” or “I’d
be very grateful if you could...”
The self-centeredness of modern language re-
flects the self-centeredness of modern culture. The
postwar generation was raised on the civil rights,
women’s, and peace movements. These movements
brought people together. Today, there’s not so much
of that. We live in the “I” generation. Our own, per-
sonal electronic devices even have “i” in their names
— and their use has led to everyone being the star of
their own social media platforms. “Look at me! I’ve
got this!”
Certainly, those platforms do wonders like never
before in bringing people together. But please, if you
speak to people, don’t jump on the bandwagon of
abrupt, narcissistic jargon so often used on these plat-
forms, on television, in advertising, and elsewhere.
Sorry! I really don’t like waving my finger at peo-
ple. Everyone should do what they want. But please,
be polite. I really do need you to do this for me. ;-)THE LANGUAGE PAGES
Welcome to the language pages
Over the next dozen or more pages, we give you the opportunity to learn
about grammar and vocabulary in an up-to-date context. We start off here
with a column that takes a very personal look at the English language.JUDITH GILBERT
Writer, editor, translator, and photographer
Judith Gilbert divides her time between New York
City and a small town in Bavaria.