Last month, Roger Kornberg of Stanford University won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his efforts to unravel the molecular basis of eukaryotic transcription, in which enzymes give “voice” to DNA by copying it into the RNA molecules that serve as templates for protein in organisms from yeast to humans. Now, Kornberg and his colleagues report in the December 1, 2006 issue of the journal Cell, published by Cell Press, new structures that reveal another critical piece of the puzzle: how the so-called polymerase II enzyme [my emphasis] discriminates among potential RNA building blocks to ensure the characteristic accuracy of the process.It's an interesting paper. That's not what I want to talk about.
I'm curious about Cell's use of the phrase "so-called polymerase II." This seems very strange to me. When I use the term "so-called" I intend to call into question the meaning of the words that follow. For example, if I refer to Bill Dembski as a "so-called" intellectual, it means I don't think he's an intellectual.
Are Americans in the process of changing the meaning of "so-called" in the same way that they're changing the meaning of "begs the question?" If so, it indicates an interesting trend toward strict literalism and away from more subtle meanings.
Should I avoid using "so-called" because Americans won't get the sarcasm?
4 comments :
"Should I avoid using 'so-called' because Americans won't get the sarcasm?"
No. It is used with the exact sarcastic meaning you think it has by all Americans, except for the so-called "science journalist" who wrote the press release.
Agreed. The meaning remains, the writing on the release is just sloppy.
Please don't dumb down your writing because people aren't good writers (or readers). If you were writing sentences like James', I might be concerned, but precision and nuance should not be avoided merely because others might not identify them.
I've seen it in other places. There seem to be a group of writers who use "so-called" in the sense of "this is the technical name."
It's important to know how your readers interpret your writing. I can't use "begs the question" in the original sense any more because many people don't understand it.
Your usage of "so-called" is perfectly clear and appropriate. The "so-called" science writer is the one who needs to correct his erroneous usage.
The case of "begs the question" is a little different. I'm afraid that one is truly a lost cause, and incorrect usage heavily dominates correct usage.
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