Bryan Garner's daily usage tips are invaluable, although I do not always agree with him (see here, here, and here). Today's entry, for example, is "operationalize," which Garner really dislikes:
*operationalize. dating from the 1950s, smacks of pure JARGON. Some businesspeople talk about *operationalizing objectives when all they mean is working toward goals or translating objectives into operating procedures. Others use it in equally fuzzy ways, often as a fancy substitute for use—e.g.:
- “Indeed, the merit of this contribution is arguably in illustrating how the previous approach can be more fully operationalized [read used] and empirical results readily interpreted.” Ben Fine & John Simister, “Consumption Durables: Exploring the Order of Acquisition,” 27 Applied Economics 1049 (1995).
- “Though not often operationalized [read used?] in this way, FLC is basically a process theory.” Louis G. Pol & Sukgoo Pak, “Consumer Unit Types and Expenditures on Food Away from Home,” J. Consumer Affairs, 22 Dec. 1995, at 403.
- “Clinton commended Gore for educating the public about global warming, which earned Gore a Nobel Peace Prize. ‘The sale’s been made,’ he said of Gore’s work. ‘But now what we have to do is figure out how to operationalize [read implement] this.’ ” Anna-Louise Jackson, “Clinton Promotes Going Green,” Chicago Defender, 9 Nov. 2007, at 6.
Jargon, in the sense of new or specialized words, sometimes has a purpose. Thus, if all that is meant is "translating objectives into operating procedures," why not use one word instead of five? Garner is usually an advocate of economy (channeling Orwell's "Politics and the English Language"), so I do not understand why he would ever opt for an explanatory phrase instead of a single, well-understood word.
Moreover, "operationalize" has a meaning distinct from "use" or implement," in that it denotes first putting a new plan into action, whereas "use" or "implement" can be continuing or ongoing.
Disagreements aside, I greatly admire Garner's work and strongly recommend his books and usage tips.
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