Dan Jurafsky, a professor of linguistics at Stanford, revealed in a recent interview some interesting ways that Taco Bell uses language in their menus:
"Fluffy." "Seasoned." That's one thing that's common on cheaper restaurant menus—as if the restaurant feels the need to try and convince its diners of the quality of the food.
"Notice the word 'flavorful,'" says Jurafsky. "The cheapest restaurants use these vague, positive adjectives. Delicious. Tasty. Scrumptious.
"The description specifies 'real cheddar cheese.' Just like all the other adjectives, 'real' tells you that they think customers are assuming that the cheese is not real, so they have to tell you that it is."
The words "double portion" and "lots" are also typical on the menus of cheap restaurants," says Jurafsky. "They want you to know you're getting enough food for your money."
For a few ideas, see this post: "How not to speak Christianese."
Possible Preaching Angle:
Language can communicate. It can also manipulate. Are we using these same kinds of meaningless words and word tricks when we talk about Christianity? We dumb down Christianity and veer toward manipulation when we use empty clichés that might not have meaning to those outside the church— "God being in control," "Everything happens for a reason," "Hate the sin love the sinner," "Just ask Jesus into your heart," "Walk with the Lord," etc. Let's speak about Christianity with honesty and sympathy for others—not like a fast-food menu.