We’re currently looking for a house in Meade County, Kentucky. I have been reading hundreds of little blurbs touting the fine properties of each. It’s really amusing, I think, how each descriptive paragraph is peppered with utterly meaningless phrases. What does it really mean when a house is “must see”?
It seems to me that if I was trying to sell something, and I had limited space in which to describe its finer properties to entice the reader, I would want to make the best possible use of the space I’ve been given.
Instead, I read about how a particular piece of land “lays well.” Or,I even read one today that said, “This home is ideal for the professional who wants to make a statement that quality matters.” This raises questions, I think. Are there rumors currently flying around that quality may not matter? Are there then professionals who seek to dispel such notions with elaborate gestures such as real estate purchases?
“Generous sized rooms” is another one I saw. It’s enough to make one think, “thank heavens the builder had a sense of altruism.”
Or subtle suggestions embedded such as “great place to retire,” as if such a thought wouldn’t have even entered my head if I was of that age group. “Oh, hey, that’s right! I can retire now! And what better place to do it than at the place with the ad that reminded me of this fact!” Or would “great for horses” make someone remember that yes, they do have horses and that they should therefore stop searching the downtown apartment ads and instead be looking for someplace the horses would consider “great.”
More and more, we see words being used that really have no meaning.
