>>>>>>>>>>Just like they have "subpoenaed" a witness... what, "underpunished"? Because "sub poena" means literally that, "under punishment".
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Ah, but I guess the implication is; "Come and be a witness - under punishment of imprisonment if you fail"
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>That surely is the implication, but they made "under punishment" a transitive verb :).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I dig that in English though. Like "This process will take too long so I'll over-night it", or "Just for once I'd like to eat lunch in a restaurant; I'm sick of brown-bagging"
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Don't you mean you'd like to 'do' lunch in a restaurant?
>>>>>
>>>>>isn't that an expression only for american business people or "ladies who lunch"? I hate that expression. I'm not too keen on people describing places they've been like "Yeah, we did Turkey last year", like it's a chore that needs to be got out the way.
>>>>
>>>>Oh, never been there, but that's what we say about Thanksgiving. Similarly, "We did steaks on the weekend."
>>>>
>>>>Or how about 'task' as a verb, or, and here's one of my all time favourites, 'Wellness'. Wellness? I have to go to the wellness clinic on Friday. Jeez!!!
>>>
>>>Wellness, YES! I agree! What's wrong with "health"?
>>
>>Ah, well, you see "health" is too noncommittal. Does it mean good or bad? Nonono, "wellness" means "good health", and when you have an overwhelming and urgent need for a noun, then "well" is certainly quite inadequate. Just as the word "fat" is worthless when you can make up a perfectly adequate new word like "cellulite".
>
>A Health Clinic to me, means somewhere to go to ensure your [good] health, and doesn't need "wellness". I'm sure there aren't any establishments where you'd go to become poorly! :-)
>
>I don't think fat and cellulite are the same thing. I think cellulite is a kind of connective tissue that doesn't expand with the increase of fat. Hence it causes the skin to pucker, like pulling a stitch too tight through fabric will rouche or "gather" it.

To the best of my knowledge, the word "cellulite" didn't exist until a couple of decades ago. It refers to subcutaneous fat within the connective tissue, but it's still 'fat'. When you don't want to tell your clients they're fat, you tell them they have a problem with cellulite.

>
>>
>>Another good one is "anti-aging", when what they really mean is "hiding wrinkles". I always have to wonder about people who visit "anti-aging" clinics. Do they think they will stop aging? Do they think they will start living backward in time like Merlin?
>
>Well, that's euphemism, isn't it. It's like you can't get a second-hand car nowadays; it's "pre-owned"
>
>>
>>>
>>>"I've been tasked with this" Yuck!
>>>
>>>How about "Leverage your software"?
>>>
>>>If we're talking corporate-speak now, my all-time worst was when I was on a training day, way back. Some guy kept asking questions of the lecturer, during his spiel, that delayed everyone. After a while the lecturer said "Can we take that offline and discuss it later?". I nearly swallowed my tongue!
>>
>>Yeah, that's a good one. I hear that a lot. I also love to "take" a meeting because I've always felt that "have" is such an ugly and despicable word.
>
>Well you could always "attend" a meeting. If you're in charge you could "direct" it.