Humbletalk: it's just another way to say "smug"
Columnist Meghan Daum again expresses her disgust for current language mistakes. As a linguist, journalist, one who comes in contact with words every day, language is her expertise. And she feels concerned about the redefining and abuse of the word “humble.” Her eloquent diction assures how passionate she is about the topics she discusses. Daum seems like a close examiner of human nature. She created terms “humblebrag” and “humbletalk,” and although it seems like a matter of language, her concern rests in people’s actions. Daum believes people take the meaning of humility lightly. She provides examples of how people discover vaccines and receive title as The Sexiest Man Alive and still consider their mood as humble. She appears bothered for those who actually ARE humble and considers it offensive and inappropriate. Daum persuades her audience by rallying them around the topic and she usually uses evidence from the media. I noticed that Daum usually writes in a casual tone regardless of the subject, allowing people to read her column more smoothly. She usually covers social issues like body image and language changes and even new celebrities moving to her city. She remains a critic of American ideals and rants about the conversational irritants. As an idealist, she is easily bothered by our flawed society and feels the need to express her ideals.