Safire: On Language

Summary: On Language by Safire . (Stub — expand from highlights.)

Sources: quotes_batch_21.md

Last updated: 2026-05-07

Quotes

Concept

“The concept of ‘correctness’ in language is a moving target, defined more by usage and power than by logic or grammar.” (p. 14)

Behavior

“Vogue words are linguistic behaviors that signal a person’s desire to be seen as contemporary and ‘in the know’.” (p. 88)

Game Theory

“Political euphemism is a game of strategic ambiguity, designed to let the listener hear exactly what they want to hear.” (p. 156)

Cognition

“The metaphors we use to talk about the economy—‘cooling off,’ ‘heating up’—constrain how we think about fiscal policy.” (p. 210)

Memory

“A catchphrase is a memory shortcut; it packages a complex political event into a single, unshakeable linguistic unit.” (p. 42)