Watching a trailer for 'Ironman' last night, I noticed the warning
"Contains strong violence and one use of moderate language".
Forgive me for being pedantic, but isn't moderate language the sort you
use to talk to priests, judges, grandmothers and maiden aunties? (as in
"Moderate your language, young man. You're not in the public bar of the
Rose and Crown now".) This being so it follows that the vast majority of
the 'Ironman' script is full of expletives and blasphemy; or is this not
what is meant?

Is it possible that English has changed so much that moderate now means
moderately bad or have copywriters become so lazy that the insertion of
two syllables (-ly bad) is likely to overtax their delicate fingers and
wear out their sota designer keyboards? The other possibility is that
language now means bad language which leaves me with a problem; how the
*!&% do I communicate the old meaning of the word?

There is some evidence that the second possibility is the case as I have
heard such usage as "He used language in front of my kids so I hit him".
Leaving aside the dubious use of violence to educate or correct I have
to wonder how we are supposed to communicate meaning without using
language. Telepathy perhaps? I am pretty sure that I will not be able to
use words since I have also heard "He used words so I ..." and there is
the older "We had words" meaning "We had an (unresolved) argument".

I am left in a quandary. I can no longer write scripts or programs as to
do either requires me to use both language and words. I can't
communicate this to my clients because yet again I would have to use
language and how do I explain to my bank manager that my income has
dried up because I can't afford to offend my clients without offending
him by doing so?

omg I've just realised that I'm going to be kicked off p.o-t for
persistent use of language. :-(

John (listening to Chwhynny - I Am)
-- 
I will be brief but not nearly so brief as Salvador Dali, who gave the
world's shortest speech. He said, "I will be so brief I am already
finished," then he sat down.

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