11 September 2021 - impact

The word “impact”, chosen for its impact, was borrowed from bureaucratese into English, replacing “affect” which was formerly chosen for its affective ineffectiveness. As that happened, we became increasingly worried about asteroid impacts. It is a matter of time before language change prompts somebody to launch a billion-dollar mission to reduce the risk of flying glass when “hide in your basement for a few minutes” would do. So watch your words!