That’s the word the guy being interviewed on NPR used. Commonize. I know he meant standardize. But given the English language’s continued slide from standardized to bastardized, I suppose you gotta forgive the guy. I don’t gotta, but you may if you want.
He was talking about the lack of noise emitted by electric/hybrid cars. Seems this silence, which might be music to overburdened city ears, could play potential havoc upon unsuspecting pedestrians accustomed to using their eyes, and ears, before crossing the street. If a car comes tearing around a corner and no one hears it, can it still hit you? Yesiree. Ergo the quest for a car sound.
So where does commonize enter the picture? Stay with me, I’m getting there. The technology exists to create something similar to ring tones for these hybrid autos that get around on little cat feet. Think individualized car-tunes. But since safety is the goal, the challenge is to create a uniform sound that the public will quickly come to associate with “car approaching.” Enter “commonize” as in, “I imagine that we’re going to have to commonize a sound.” Eeek! Re-Volt-ing. Leaf me alone with these non-word words. What’s wrong with “Vrooom-Vrooom!”?
I vote for vroom-vroom, even when it’s not a Mazda. Oh wait– that’s ‘zoom-zoom’, so we’re safe with the vroom-vroom plan. But don’t let’s commonize it. Oy!
I’ve noticed a decline in grammar (and language) everywhere — ever since the Internet changed the way we communicate. There are a lot of great books on this topic now, and hints of a movement toward getting back to writing real letters and (gasp) reviving the art of face-to-face conversation and good manners. Meanwhile, expect more non-words 🙂
I am right there with you on the lack of respect for the “English” language. It seems that the world does not care about words anymore. Just make them up as you go….and we wonder why some people are insulted by others words when neither of them know what they are saying in the first place!
Indeed, Debra! Love it.
marcia
Cindy, Ray, Leah and Marcia,
Thank you all for your comments! I love it, the idea that some are going back to writing real letters. It’s all a pendulum.