Well, silly me!
All through the presidential campaign, all through debate after debate, and more recently in the news, I’ve been hearing the term “nuanced”. It gets thrown around like an insult: “He’s not nuanced” “I’m more nuanced” A recent commentor on the Machete of Truth:
“*sigh* I guess Republicans really don’t do nuance.”
Being, apparently, naive as shit, I was under the misguided impression it meant this:
nuance
noun [C]
a very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound, etc:
The painter has managed to capture every nuance of the woman’s expression.
Linguists explore the nuances of language.
(from Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary)
Now, greatly to my surprise, I find it means this:
nuance
noun [C]
a lie employed to promote a pet theory or degrade an opponent.
Damn. I guess republicans don’t “do” nuance.
Many people use words and really don’t grok what they mean. “Nuance” is another code word that gets passed around until it becomes fighting words.
It only pours more gasoline on the firefight that purports to be discourse these days, and it’s a goddamn shame.
Here’s another comment on language you might appreciate, this one from, of all people, Burt Reynolds.
“Nowadays, instead of saying, ‘He’s a prick,’ I’ll say, ‘He’s complicated.'”
I think I’m gonna steal that.
Jenny
your humble TubaDiva
Thus my sarcastic handle. You may admire it; no touching please.
Jenny, you could also say “He’s nuanced.”