I do not want a single European currency until various other factors affecting the question have been dealt with. The factors are these . . .
A former US President, George Bush, was famous for his bemusing circumlocution, as in this speech defending his accomplishments:
I see no media mention of it, but we entered in – you asked what time it is and I’m telling you how to build a watch here – but we had Boris Yeltsin in here the other day, and I think of my times campaigning in Iowa, years ago, and how there was a – I single out Iowa, it’s kind of an international state in a sense and has a great interest in all these things – and we had Yeltsin standing here in the Rose Garden, and we entered into a deal to eliminate the biggest and most threatening ballistic missiles . . . and it was almost, ‘Ho-hum, what have you done for me recently?’
Circumlocution (also called periphrasis) typically employs long words, often incorrectly or inappropriately, and probably derives from a need to sound learned (a policeman referring to a bomb as an explosive device) or a desire not to offend (asking, for example, ‘I wonder if you would mind awfully moving to one side’ instead of the more direct ‘Get out of my way!’. Some forms of circumlocution may be excusable, but most are due to unthinking use of jargon and clichés in place of more precise (and usually briefer) expressions. Typical is the use of with the exception of for except; with reference to/regard to/respect to for about; for the very good reason that for because, and so on.
To avoid being accused of circumlocution, stick to the point! If you intend to drive from London to Manchester in the most direct way possible you’d hardly wander off every motoway exit and then dither about along country lanes. The same principle applies to effective communication.
It also pays to be aware of persistent offenders – circumlocutory phrases many of us are inclined to utter when the exact, simple word we want fails to turn up. Here’s a short list.
The Circumlocutionist’s Lexicon
apart from the fact that – but, except
as a consequence of – because of
as yet – yet
at the time of writing – now/at present
at this moment/point in time – now/at present
avail ourselves of the privilege – accept
be of the opinion that – think, believe
because of the fact that – because
beg to differ – disagree
by means of – by
by virtue of the fact that – because
consequent upon – because of
consonant with – agreeing/matching
could hardly be less propitious – is bad/unfortunate/unpromising
due to the fact that – because
during such time as – while
during the course of – during
except for the fact that – except/but
few in number – few
for the reason that/for the very good reason that – because
give up on (it) – give up
go in to bat for – defend/help/represent
in accordance with – under
in addition to which – besides
in a majority of cases – usually
in all probability – probably
in anticipation of – expecting
inasmuch as – since
in association with – with
in close proximity to – near
in connection with – about
in consequence of – because of
in contradistinction to – compared to/compared with
in excess of – over/more than
in isolation – alone
in less than no time – soon/quickly
in many cases/instances – often
in more than one instance – more than once
in order to – to
in respect of – about/concerning
in spite of the fact that – although/even though
in the absence of – without
in the amount of – for
in the event that – if
in the light of the fact that – because
in the near future – soon
in the neighbourhood of/in the vicinity of – near/about
in the recent past – recently
in view of/in view of the fact that – because
irrespective of the fact that – although
large in size/stature – large/big
make a recommendation that – recommend that
nothing if not – very
notwithstanding the fact that – even if
of a delicate nature/character – delicate
of a high order – high/great/considerable
of the opinion that – think/believe
on account of the fact that – because
on a temporary basis – temporary/temporarily
on
