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What I want to describe (concisely) is when a person speaks, but they use words that don't work with what they are talking about. It's not that they're ignorant, glib, prolix, ostentatious, or pretentious in their speech. Often the word choice is a common, simple word. It's just not right.

The nearest concept to the one I'm looking for is in Frankfurt's "On Bullshit" where he defines bullshit as talking without regard to the truth (not trying to lie or tell the truth), but in my case, it's not truth that I'm concerned with, but accuracy.

Possibly important: the people in question are not ignorant to the meaning of the words that are used wrongly. They are often terms of art in their given field and they can use them properly.

As an example, consider a primatologist referring to baboons (who e.g. have tail) as "those hominids over there" (hominids do not have tails).

Plown Over
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  • What you just described is one sense of glib, an answer I was about to give until I noted that it was in your list of words you don't want. So, explain why glib does not match your example sentence with the sense "b : showing little forethought or preparation : offhand • glib answer." – Jason Bassford Aug 01 '18 at 18:02
  • When I've encountered "glib", insincerity always seemed to be the centerpiece, perhaps connotatively. Because I believe the speaker is sincere but is using a poor concept-wording mapping, in a sense, I don't think glib is a correct description of the situation. – Plown Over Aug 01 '18 at 18:20
  • Now I'm actually more confused than before. In a comment you say "rejecting the need for care." That sounds a lot like saying that meaning is irrelevant. So, a word for people who talk just to hear themselves talk without any consideration of content? – Jason Bassford Aug 01 '18 at 18:30
  • Maybe another way to think about it is that the person is offloading the accuracy to their listeners. It's not speaking to hear themselves, because they do want to convey some content. To extend the example, when someone points out that the baboons are not hominids, the speaker responds, "of course not, but you know what I meant." A more generalized example would be using words that are close enough that your listeners could eventually get to what you meant, though you're capable of using the right words. – Plown Over Aug 01 '18 at 18:43
  • So, "I mean something, but it's up to you to figure out what I mean"? That's simply poor communication. In other words, verbal illiteracy. – Jason Bassford Aug 01 '18 at 18:48
  • I guess, the word Inconsiderate can serve your purpose. – Ubi.B Aug 01 '18 at 18:48
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    So you are talking about someone who is slipshod or haphazard but only with respect to word meanings? A single word for someone who is cavalier regarding semantics. Hmm. Tricky. – Hugh Meyers Aug 01 '18 at 18:55
  • Yes! That's a great explanation. – Plown Over Aug 01 '18 at 19:26
  • Can you not rephrase and say his terminology is slipshod or haphazard (to quote last commenter's word choices) rather than it having to be an attribute of his whole personality? – S Conroy Aug 01 '18 at 19:55
  • I'd prefer to comment on the action, either the speaking or the choosing. – Plown Over Aug 01 '18 at 19:57
  • He speaks haphazardly? Although put like that it's probably broader than just inaccurate word-choices. But are you looking for an adverb that would fit into 'he speaks ...."? Or maybe 'he chooses words...'? – S Conroy Aug 01 '18 at 19:59
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    I'm probably asking too much from a single word. Something that completes either of those would work. I've added the tag for phrase requests. – Plown Over Aug 01 '18 at 20:36
  • Maybe the meaning is accurate to them, but just doesn't make sense to you? – Bread Aug 01 '18 at 20:50
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    My last attempt. -- He chooses words unmindfully; it's similar to carelessly but perhaps less judgemental. – S Conroy Aug 01 '18 at 21:29
  • As one of the answers below indicates that the people you're trying to describe are intentionally using words incorrectly, can you please verify if this is correct or not? My understanding was that they are rather 'speaking faster than they can think', and thus end up using the wrong words, but they don't worry about it as they (generally) get the words close enough that you (as listener) can figure out what they mean. I too know people who would fit this description and am also interested in finding a good word/concise phrase to describe it. – 3D1T0R Aug 01 '18 at 22:22
  • I think the term you used -- "bullshit" -- is as good as any. – Hot Licks Aug 01 '18 at 22:57
  • And, of course, there's "babble". – Hot Licks Aug 02 '18 at 00:29
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    @3D1T0R It's not an intentional word choice. In fact, the absence of the intentionality is key. After sleeping on it, cavalier (from Hugh Meyers and PV22) is rather close to it. As Hugh Meyers put it, "semantically cavalier" may be as concise and accurate as this may get. – Plown Over Aug 02 '18 at 16:56
  • @PlownOver: That's pretty much what I figured. Is my 'speaking faster than they can think [of the right words]' concept close to what you mean? Still hoping someone will show up with a better suggestion... – 3D1T0R Aug 02 '18 at 17:00
  • It's related, but not quite what I mean. – Plown Over Aug 02 '18 at 20:05

7 Answers7

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What about careless

From dictionary.com:

  1. not exact, accurate, or thorough

or simply inaccurate?

S Conroy
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  • Inaccurate isn't quite the thing I want to refer to. The words are inaccurate, but it's the choice of words I want to describe instead. Careless is quite close, but I was thinking of something more like rejecting the need for care rather than lacking care, which careless seems to more strongly suggest. – Plown Over Aug 01 '18 at 18:28
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If the word sounds close to the right one, then it could be a malapropism or eggcorn. The latter is a newer coinage and so may not be as widely known.

Malapropism:

1 : the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase; especially : the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context

Eggcorn:

a word or phrase that sounds like and is mistakenly used in a seemingly logical or plausible way for another word or phrase either on its own or as part of a set expression

But you suggest it is done deliberately (for humorous effect?) so the only thing I can suggest is to add "deliberate" before the word of choice (e.g. "deliberate malapropism").

Just discovered the word catachresis and thought of this thread:

1 : use of the wrong word for the context

This could be combined with other answers as careless (or cavalier) catachresis.

  • I see nothing in the question or comments to suggest that it's done deliberately, whether for humorous effect or not. In my experience, deliberate malapropism done for humorous effect is usually referred to as a pun, or some other type of joke. I've posted a comment on the question to ask for clarification of this point. – 3D1T0R Aug 01 '18 at 22:24
  • @3D1T0R Having seen the comment from Hugh Myers (and the reply), I think I misinterpreted what was said. –  Aug 01 '18 at 22:31
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inchoate TFD and Oxford

  1. Imperfectly formed or developed; disordered, incoherent, chaotic, disordered, confused; rambling.

As in:

"A prophet must be a good public speaker, someone who can transform inchoate rage into eloquent diatribe" (David Leavitt).

lbf
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Cavalier [kav-uh-leer] adjective

1 haughty, disdainful, or supercilious: an arrogant and cavalier attitude toward others.

2 offhand or unceremonious:

Source: Dictionary.com

As suggested by: Hugh Meyers

Usage: The primatologist is cavalier with his use of terms. He refers to baboons as primates.

Eliot G York
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Blather [blath -er] noun

1 foolish, voluble talk:

Source: Dictionary.com

synonyms: prattle, drivel

Usage: I can’t listen to this primatologist blather on. He doesn’t even get the family correct, calling baboons primates.

Eliot G York
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To answer, I would consider 'histrionics' but that could also be construe in the positives, and so to settle the word is dick like she's a dick or she's being a petulant dick, as in dicky a curiously inquisitive detective in prime heat.

Mike
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Gibberish [jib-er-ish, gib-] noun

1 meaningless or unintelligible talk or writing.

Source: Dictionary.com

Eliot G York
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