Monday, February 09, 2026

Anthropomorphism In Advertising

Have you noticed that some advertisers use words without apparently knowing the meaning of the words?

"A beast lurks..." they say. Then, they show the "one ton rowdy ribeye" smashing drywall, scattering paperwork, bucking and kicking, and altogether acting like the proverbial bull in a china shop.

"Lurking" means lying in wait, in ambush, barely discernible.

"Noggins" rhymes with Goggins, but it should not mean both the head and the mind in the same paragraph. The etymological origin of "noggin" is a small cup, so it is more likely to refer to the brain pan (the container of the brain) than to the grey matter. 

Where "noggin" might refer to brains, it would be synecdoche, where a part represents the whole, such as, if one were to say that a person is "fond of the bottle", one actually means the person is fond of the alcoholic contents of the bottle; or, if one wants "all hands on deck", one does not want an Addams Family  "Thing" (the disembodied hand), one wants all crew members with all their parts and faculties.

Can a weed be "relentless"? If plants can relent, or not relent, that would imply that plants are sentient, having free will and rationality. In which case, is it moral to kill or vilify weeds?

The "Like A Relentless Weed.." advert was probably written by someone in a hurry. In my humble opinion, pharmaceutical companies are particularly prone to employ literary saboteurs to pen their adverts.

Another purveyor of pills warns patients to tell their doctors if they find themselves suicidal before undergoing surgery with anesthesia. Possibly, a patient should advise their doctor if they feel suicidal, regardless of whether or not surgery is imminent.

There is a bit difference between "insuring" something and "ensuring" something. With the latter, one makes sure something happens. With insuring something, you provide for financial restitution if something bad happens.

Some newsrooms are not much better educated.

You cannot "perpetuate" a murder.... unless it is a symbolic one, celebrated every Sunday. On the other hand, you can perpetrate a murder, or a fraud, or any other abomination.

"Your dog deserves healthy food like you." This is my favorite. The addition of "do", as in "like you do" would have transformed the sentence. 

All the best,


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