Windmills & Giants

As a quick review of today's discussion, here are the main points we covered:

• T-DIDLS sounds funny
• Diction is the author’s choice of words; an author can make a short piece more meaningful than a long one just by choosing cool/more specific words.
• Denotation is the dictionary definition of a word; it is the word’s literal meaning.
• Connotation is what the context says about the word; it is what the word implies.
• Slang, colloquial language, and jargon are used in a persuasive setting to connect with an audience.  Using them can be risky, though; an author will secure a bond with his or her audience as often as he or she severs it.
• Slang words are words used in everyday conversation, never in academic or formal writing. They add flava to our speech, but send the wrong message when used improperly. (Did I get away with “flava”? I can use that, right?  Proper/improper?)
• Colloquialisms are tied to a geographical location. It is often easy to tell where someone lives (even if they don’t have a noticeable accent) by the phrases and words they use.  They make up the grey areas between different dialects of the same language.
• Jargon makes sense only if you are part of the group to which the piece is written. Unless you bone up on the topic. Then you’re kind of part of the group. So, it only makes sense if you are part of the group to which the piece is written.

While it turns out that Richard Nixon's "surfer" flub was not actually recorded, I thought I'd share the other video I mentioned.  Here, Jay-Z is asked about an obscure song he wrote in 2006.  Mayor Bloomberg steps in, quoting the title.  While this has little to do with "diction," it does run parallel to the fact that if you seem to have little in common with your audience, a nod to their culture goes a long way.  This is precisely how jargon or colloquialisms (sometimes slang) can be a bridge between you and your audience.  This falls under the ETHOS category, but we'll talk more about that soon.

Remember to bring an article to class tomorrow for discussion.