As I’ve said many times, I will not indulge in political comment. This column’s purpose is to talk about language.
This approach allows us to take a step back from the furore that has consumed the nation this past week and ask: what has been revealed by the language used?
When you are acutely aware that whatever you say will be scrutinised in forensic detail, and possibly thrown back at you in the future, you choose your words with care. But you also make sure that certain words are included.
With that in mind, you may have noticed that when Boris Johnson apologised in the Commons on Wednesday he added a get-out clause. I suspect he was hoping few would notice, that it would be overshadowed by his opening remarks, the words designed to grab headlines: “Mr Speaker, I want to apologise”.
He added a little phrase about his garden gathering. He said, quite quietly, that it might “technically fall within the guidance”. Those words were, it may come to pass, the most significant in his entire speech. But in many quarters, amid the outrage and hyperbole, they have been overlooked.
I raise this merely as a possibility, but his thought process may have been that his phrase – “technically within the guidance” – opens a door for the Sue Gray inquiry to reach largely the same conclusion: that mistakes were made at No. 10, but nothing happened that didn’t “technically fall within the guidance”.
The inquiry will be another set of words subjected to close scrutiny. When it is published, we will look at it very closely. Perhaps interpretation of what exactly the words “the guidance” mean will become the words concentrated upon.
I must repeat, I make this observation with no comment attached. I may be wide of the mark. I merely point out the importance of examining words, and unravelling exact meanings, because they can have far-reaching consequences.
We saw another example later on Wednesday. An American judge looked at a document in the Prince Andrew case and decided it meant the process could carry on. Whereas the prince’s lawyers had argued their interpretation of the same document showed the case must surely be halted.
Again an example of the importance of a close examination of wording.
It is vitally important that all of us have a good command of language so we can make up our own minds about what is right and wrong. Words, and their meanings, are vitally important.
I enjoy arguing about apostrophe usage and always will. But there is a very serious side to minding your Ps and Qs.
Word of the week
Cozen (verb)
Trick or deceive. EG: “The use of clever words and sly misdirection to cozen your audience”.
Read the latest Oh my word! every Saturday in The Courier. Contact me at sfinan@dctmedia.co.uk
