Mind of Jacka: Overutilized

What is it with internal auditors? (Actually, what is it with all professionals? But, this being an internal audit blog, I will stick with our profession. Feel free to send this to your friends in other professions, changing the word “internal auditor” to their specific job title — attorney, doctor, executive, manager, etc. It will all apply.)

Again, what is it with internal auditors? We complain that people aren’t interested in what we have to say, that they don’t read our reports, that readers’ eyes roll into the backs of their heads with their first glance at the beautiful verbiage we place before them. And yet a quick review of most reports will show how readily we replace simple words with 10-dollar alternatives. (There is even a word for this use of long words: Sesquipedalian. File that one away for when you really want to impress people… like I just did to you. Impressed, weren’t you?)

And never is this better exemplified than the use of the word “utilize.” Let’s examine this thing. What does this three-syllable word do that the more succinct “use” doesn’t? Make the user sound more business-like, smarter, and generally just a really swell person who should be promoted immediately? I put forward that it does none of those things. It does nothing but add letters and syllables to a sentence. And I defy you to explain in the comments why “utilize” is better than “use.”

As you become aware of this abomination to the English language, you will soon be unable to turn your head. You will hear it from coworkers, bosses, executives, politicians, newsreaders, Uber drivers, grocery clerks, people from every walk of life. And, as you become more aware, you will find that it grates on your nerves as assuredly as it does mine.

But, with this increased awareness of the possibilities in speech economy, “utilize” being a mere scratch on the surface, you will become more aware of the prevalence of excess verbiage with which you are bombarded daily.

As an example, the following lines were all uttered by speakers at a conference I attended.

• “Gives us that optionality…” (What, the word “option” was on vacation that day?)
• “Did you take stakeholder assessments and mobilize their responses?” (Yes, we threw them all in a truck and drove them to the next step in the process.)
• “I want to be intentional in asking this.” (As opposed to all the questions you asked for which you had no intention?)
• “We had to go there and de-duplicate.” (I’ve got nothing.)

As a pot calling out the kettle, I realize that my writing is riddled with Sesquipedialianisms. (I may have made that one up.) But, let’s face it, I’m trying to do something different with these posts than you are with your audit reports. I am trying to entertain as I put forward my theses, theories, and ramblings, and my style includes such rhapsodic meanderings. (Wasn’t that last sentence entertaining? Please, don’t answer that one in the comments.) However, you should be trying to get information across to the reader as succinctly as possible.

As they always say, the first step is recognizing you have a problem. So, listen for when you and others use “utilize” rather than utilizing “use.” And then begin flensing such verbosities (yeah, I know) from your speech and your writing.

And, as a bit of lagniappe, I give you the following piece from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency.

I’m the Word “Utilize” and I’m Loving Every Moment of Your Overblown Rhetoric - McSweeney’s Internet Tendency (mcsweeneys.net)