You’re certainly not the only one puzzled by what exactly Ryanair means by ‘priority’, particularly when you find yourself queuing for long stretches even after opting for priority boarding. Many would argue that their definition of the term certainly differs greatly from the common interpretation.
The airline insists that the ‘priority’ claim primarily refers to the additional baggage allowance. This grants you guaranteed space in the overhead compartment which is why they limit priority options to a mere 100 per flight, as the airline explains on its site.
However, this isn’t the only instance where wordplay has been a point of contention. In fact, in an effort to propagate greater social and cultural sensitivity in the workplace, several terms are being blacklisted for potentially causing offense even when it isn’t visibly apparent.
The term ‘brainstorming’, a common phrase which refers to collective problem-solving, has come under fire for potentially being insensitive towards individuals suffering from cerebral disorders such as epilepsy or those with brain injuries. Employees at an Irish company were presented with this idea during a recent webinar on anti-bullying. The suggested substitute for ‘brainstorming’ is ‘thought-showers’.
The term ‘brainstorming’ has a rich history attached to it that may now be lost. It originated in 19th-century psychiatry, being used to refer to sudden, severe bouts of mental illness. Around the mid-20th century, the term evolved to mean ‘a sudden burst of inspiration’. It is often attributed to US advertising executive Alex Osborn, who coined the term due to his frustration with the absence of creative ideas within his team.
Not to be confused with ‘barnstorming’ – a term signifying energy and success – ‘brainstorming’ is a unique term with its own place in history.
“Thought-showers”, the 21st-century’s alternative for brainstorming, hasn’t quite garnered popularity yet. It remains seldom heard in discussions, leading language innovators to consider generating a better substitute.
Next, the spotlight is on “nitty-gritty”. Believed to have roots in the gruesome details of the slave trade by anti-racism advocates, the phrase was seemingly used in reference to the debris left at the bottom of slave ships, though this claim is contested. Another proposed origin is the corruption of the French term “nigritique”, used by French colonists when referring to African slaves. Utilising “nitty-gritty” implied socialising with all races. The proposed alternative is “basic facts”.
However, in 2021, the BBC dismissed a complaint about its former political editor Laura Kuenssberg’s use of the term in a Brexit podcast.
As we progress further into a culturally-sensitive world, the catalogue of words and phrases being scrutinised is expanding. For instance, “pow wow”, a colloquialism for a meeting, actually hails from Native American gatherings and is hence criticised as culturally insensitive.
Another phrase under review is “tipping point”, officially defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as “the point of critical mass where small changes trigger a substantial, impactful change.” Some perceive it as offensive due to its possible historical links to racial population shifts that led to white families moving out.
With the recent surge in linguistic policing, Tony Maher from the Plain English Campaign describes this process as a “minefield”. He believes that some people deliberately look for reasons to take offence at certain phrases, citing a dispute involving the use of the word “straight” which a complainant deemed as subtly labelling non-heterosexuals as ‘bent’. Maher argues that the meanings of these scrutinised words and phrases are widely understood, and the push to adopt new language is perplexing.
Maher has observed a decrease in objections his team receives about using titles or expressions that might upset people, suggesting that people have grown tired of the extreme political correctness.
He expresses that individuals are coming around to the idea that there is no need to avoid certain terminologies as no one is truly feeling offended.
On looking back, the equivocating employment of the word ‘priority’ by Ryanair, though irritating, might not be the most egregious linguistic transgression.