Increasingly in the media and online, people use familiar terms in ways that alter their meaning, often drastically. Here are some prominent examples

Language is great. We use it all the time, so much so it’s deeply entrenched in our brains. But our brains are flexible and adaptive organs, changing their structure to reflect how they’re used, so it should be no surprise that language changes and updates all the time, often in questionable ways.

This can happen via the addition of new, original words to the lexicon, which happens regularly. What’s more confusing though, is when the meaning of existing words changes on us, e.g. something very good can be described as “sick”, or “literally” can now mean “not literally”. You can see why grammar pedants find this annoying.

This is all just part of how language evolves. However, it can be baffling for anyone following a news story or venturing into the online world and ends up being confronted by words and phrases that, in this situation, don’t mean what they think they mean.

So, here are some of the more common terms and phrases encountered nowadays, whose meaning has altered somewhat. For added confusion, the traditional meaning is often just as valid and widely used. You’ll have to judge from the context which is intended.

Bias [noun] (also: biased)

Traditional: Inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair.

Modern: A willingness or tendency to publicly do or say anything that is not 100% positive about a specific group or organisation, invariably a political party or ideology. It is an accusation typically levelled at news providers and similar media platforms by the group or organisations themselves, suggestive of a refusal or pathological inability to accept criticism or responsibility for negative consequences of their decisions and actions.

Example: “The [news programme] reported that the government plans to sell poor children to circuses to pay for the latest MP bonus, based on the flimsy premise that it’s true and they can prove it. A clear case of anti-government bias”

Censorship [mass noun] (also: censor, censored, censoring)

Traditional: The suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.

Modern: Any refusal to grant someone a public platform to air views and opinions deemed controversial by others, despite the fact that no obligation to provide said platform exists and other platforms are widely available, such as being banned from a specific forum for constantly posting abusive comments.

More stark examples of the modern usage are often provided by high-profile individuals who use their access to platforms with large audiences to unironically complain about their loss of a (typically much less significant) platform due to “censorship”

Example: The controversial pundit was not asked to give a speech at his niece’s wedding, so used a gigantic laser to scorch “This is Censorship” on the surface of the moon.

Destroy [verb] (also: destroyed)

Traditional: End the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it

Modern: To criticise something in an eloquent, informed or entertaining manner (or some combination of all these) which proves satisfying to those who predisposed to agree with the criticism. The reactions of, or consequences for, the subject of the criticism are largely irrelevant.

Example: That maniacal despot in charge of a huge army and with his finger on the nuclear button? Well [famous comedian] just DESTROYED him in this series of pithy tweets.

[Related: devastated, annihilated, decimated, hyperbole]

Facebook Twitter Pinterest If you’re a prominent but divisive figure, you don’t get “criticised” or “mocked” any more, you get “destroyed”. Photograph: Lee Thomas/Demotix/Corbis

Free speech [mass noun] (also: freedom of speech)

Traditional: The legal right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint (within reason and dependent on the country in which speech is taking place)

Modern: The assumed right to publicly share (without invitation or request) contentious, upsetting, offensive or distressing views and opinions with those who would very likely be negatively affected by them. Often combined with the assumptions that the target of the upsetting views has to listen to them, regardless of their own distress or objections, and that the supposed right to share said upsetting views also shields the speaker from any criticism for doing so.

At present, there is no known law that grants such entitlements. See also “Munroe’s law”, which shows that discussions around free speech will inevitably lead to presentation of the relevant XKCD cartoon.

Example: Can you believe it? I only sent [woman with public profile] 47 death threats and 283 dick pics, and she blocks me on Twitter! Whatever happened to free speech?!

[Related: Censorship (above)]

Legend [noun] (also: Legendary)

Traditional: A traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not authenticated, or, an extremely famous or notorious person, especially in a particular field; e.g. a screen legend.

Modern: Individual about whom the speaker has at least one anecdote, which is usually surprisingly pedestrian and very likely to involve alcoholic intoxication

Example: Did you hear about John? Got so hammered he fell asleep on the train, missed his stop and had to get a taxi home. What a legend!

Facebook Twitter Pinterest King Arthur is a legendary figure, but now so is your drinking companion with poor self-control. Photograph: Francis G. Mayer/Corbis

Social experiment [noun]

Traditional: A research study examining the behaviour of humans under certain conditions while inhabiting a normal social context (i.e. the “real world”) and not a laboratory.

Modern: A label retroactively attached to examples of unpleasant and/or attention seeking behaviour that have resulted in an unanticipated negative reaction upon being made public. Applying the “social experiment” label is typically an attempt to divert blame or avoid criticism by claiming the negative reaction was actually intended all along, as part of some amateur scientific investigation, the hypothesis, variables, results and ethical approval of which are rarely if ever disclosed.

Example: Me posting videos of myself groping unsuspecting women in public places and running away was part of a social experiment, I’m definitely not an attention-seeking deviant or anything.

[Related: backpedalling, cop-out, excuses]

Troll [noun] (also: trolling, trolled)

Traditional: One who posts deliberately provocative messages (e.g. to a news site or message board) or writes knowingly provocative articles (e.g. this one) with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument.

Modern: Someone who publicly disagrees with your views or statements, usually online.

Example: The MP received a torrent of criticism after tweeting her views that all disabled people should be used for dog food, at which point she stated she was being harassed by trolls.





Dean Burnett is probably guilty of using all of these “alternative” meanings on Twitter, @garwboy

The Idiot Brain by Dean Burnett (Guardian Faber, £12.99). To order a copy for £7.99, go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min. p&p of £1.99.



