Every once in a while, a word that’s been around for ages (but seldom used) becomes popular or “in.” One of those recently is “paradigm.” It seems like people will do handsprings to squeeze it into their conversations or articles. Another is “vetting.”
Then came the word of the Centennial Olympic Games–“venue.” My previous exposure to the word occurred during trials when a defense attorney would attempt to get a change of one.
After the Olympic bombing, we were told that the venues were secure. Centennial Park, on the other hand, was neither a venue nor secure. What exactly was (or is) a “venue” in their minds?
I shuddered when I read the first definition of “venue” in the Random House Dictionary of the English Language: “the place of a crime. . . .” Prophetic? I doubt it. But I wish people would stop using the word.
