Forum Topic

Word Rant

What's happened this week to the word "crime"?  It's been replaced by "criminality".  It really bugs me.What's wrong with "crime".  Why do all the police (and a lot of posters on chiswick website!) insist on using this ridiculous word.The Manchester police chief's statement yesterday on the news was appalling.  There was no crime at all, just pure criminality! While I'm ranting, the sentence "there are a lot of issues associated with ....." what's an issue?  A good thing, a bad thing, a funny thing, a sad thing?  It's a really lazy catch all.  Of course I hear myself using it and scream inwardly, although it still annoys me. Sorry, I'll stop ranting ...

Sarah Harris ● 5518d8 Comments

I agree!  It's an American influence I think,  was watching CSI NY a while back and they were referring to the "directionality" of the bullet surely direction is the easier and most obvious choice of word.

Jen Morty ● 5518d

I fear a pedant's revolt coming on, it could lead to some local criminality.

Colin Carroll ● 5517d

Also was used on BBC news at 6 P.M.This word is getting on my nerves(for want of other usage.)

Nicola Howard ● 5517d

Why do politicians keep saying that the perpetrators will be dealt with 'swiftly, speedily and quickly'? If there's a difference between those three words, then it's too subtle for my poor brain.

Susan Kelly ● 5517d

Seems it's only at election time, politicians pledge to be "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime" 

Fred Bray ● 5517d

I thought the best one was "Recreational Rioting"

John Pollastrini ● 5517d

The one word I do not recall being used too much (but admit I have found most of the coverage dreadful in quality and very repetitive and found Boris the Clown just irritating) was "accountability" the concept being applied to both offenders and appointed guardians of society.This has all the makings of the other two proposed shake ups in the legal system recently mooted by PM, Clarke and May (squatting and justifiable defence) i.e. sweet nothing will happen but the sound bites were good at the time!

Joe Conneely ● 5515d

I don't think "criminality" is just a longer word for "crime"I think it has a slightly different application.Crime is the act one commits.My impression is that "criminality" refers to the personal prediposition to criminal acts.You could say that the recent lootings were purely acts of criminality. That is to say, they were commiting crimes for crimes sake.I think "criminality" is quite a useful word, but in danger of being over used.

Clare Mulvany ● 5515d