I use “weasel words” as a catch-all phrase for any argument that is an attempt to hide a complete lack of knowledge on a subject or to hide or finesse around the facts.
- Everyone knows
- The classic weasel word is “everyone knows”, after all, if “everyone knows” that the moon is made of green cheese, there isn’t any need to provide proof. Variations on this are “common knowledge”, and “common sense”. Don’t make the mistake of taking these phrases in lieu of actual proof or sources. The world’s a pretty big place. Everyone does not know.
- Apples and oranges
- It seems to me that many statistics are blatant attempts to make one thing look important by comparing it to something nearly unrelated.
- Telephone Tag
- Also, be on the lookout for words that sound specific but actually aren’t. Imagine reporting to be a game of “telephone tag”. The actual facts may involve something completely different than what the final person heard.
