We will not be incentivized!
Published by Becky S January 30th, 2005 in style & grammar, philadelphiaThe City Paper’s most recent cover story discusses Philadelphia’s ailing public transportation system and ways to revamp it*. I was innocently reading along, agreeing with some of the ideas, until I saw this monstrosity:
SEPTA [Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority] could incentivize riders in creative ways…
Ouch. I thought we’d seen the last of incentivize when Donald Rumsfeld was going to incentivize the Afghans back in 2001.
*Don’t worry, the article did not mention the SEPTA token investment plan. Good Grief! readers can still get in on the ground floor of this scheme.
city paper Philadelphia rumsfeld septa style & grammar
That really complexifies the issue for us. Or does it issuefy it? Let’s all make up pseudowords. Wordify the journalizing (like ebonics for journalists). Whee.
I’m just…I’m stunned into speechlessness. I think I’ll go home and speed read “Eats Shoots & Leaves” now. And if that doesn’t work, possibly the entire compact OED.
Ebonicize journalism? Surely that comment was not meant in seriousness.