Huh? What's a cohort? Greenwashing?
....old and new words are going viral
A few weeks ago I was listening to a New York Times Daily podcast and a reporter was describing her demographic group as a ‘cohort.’
The others on the call knew what she was talking about, and repeated the word as if it made perfect sense to them that she would use the term ‘cohort’ as opposed to Gen X (which also takes a bit of sleuthing to define).
Last week, I discovered
, a Substack consultant who gathers writers and puts them into what she calls ‘cohorts’ in ongoing learning teams.This weekend, I was taking part in an erudite, bipartisan, gathering of Iowa leaders, who meet once a year to learn from various speakers, and each other. One of the younger speakers used the term ‘cohort.’
I sent a memo to members of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative using the term ‘cohort’ and received some good-natured guffawing about the word.
“ I'm sort of a dummy about all these things like "cohorts" and whatnot, “ responded
“I read them and recognize they have meaning in English, but I think they mean different things than what I understand them to mean.”So, as a service to you readers, let me explain this old word turned new again because I suspect it is going to continue to creep into everyday usage.
In today’s world, ‘cohort’ means a group with a shared experience.
My cool, wise husband,
knows it’s origin was from ancient Rome days, when the word ‘cohors’ referred to a military unit, typically consisting of around 500 soldiers. Over time, it came to mean any organized group or unit.Why not just use the word ‘group’ instead of ‘cohort’?
I do not know.
What Does a Times Man Have to Say?
I turned to my pal, Lad Paul, a retired executive editor of the New York Times News Service who whispers to friends that he’s really “ just a jumped-up copy editor at heart.”
He deemed the current usage of ‘cohort’ correct, adding:
“I recall ‘cohort’ mainly from my survey research days, and I expect that’s where the commentariat is picking it up. Polling people use it a lot.
“It’s a bit like “redact.” Where the hell did that come from? And what’s wrong with censor or delete or edit? Or even just blacked out? It’s sad but true that reporters tend to pick up the language of the people they cover, and the next thing you know, the insiders’ jargon has become the acceptable usage.”
It is quite entertaining to be in a room with Lad when he is reading a contemporary newspaper (where there are no copy editors).
More Words
Be on the lookout for the term ‘greenwashing.’ More and more consumers are demanding goods and services be environmentally friendly. The term ‘greenwashing’ is used to describe companies saying one thing, but not doing so in reality. In fact, their practices are the opposite of eco-friendly.
Neurodiversity is another word you might not be familiar with. This is used to describe individuals who process information differently than the mainstream. It is considered more respectful than words used to describe these individuals as having a ‘disorder.’
Microaggression is a term used to describe subtle, some times unintentional, forms of discrimination. Here’s an example: Intentionally mispronouncing ‘Kamala’ Harris. (correct pronunciation is Kuh-muh-luh).
Of course, one might recall the Harris campaign used the term ‘hive’ to describe her cohort of supporters.
Oh, never mind.
Can you play this word game? What other examples can you come up with of old words being dusted off and used today, or new words coming into our vocabulary?
Yes
Yes, there are still spots available for the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat! Grab one while you can. It’s magical. Forwarding. Empowering. Fun. Illuminating. Transformational.
Oh, yeah, and participants make up a cohort!!
https://okobojiwritersretreat.com
Did you see Sunday’s Roundup of columns by members of the
?Great stuff. Catch
and his take on Israel/Hamas. And has a response from Governor Kim Reynolds to a question about Coach Lisa Bluder’s salary, and perspective on student loan forgiveness. And, oh so much more.Plus, I add an explainer of why the collaborative is set up the way it is.
Here’s our roster:
Cohort has been used by demographers for decades. It is more specific than group in that there is an underlying common characteristic(s). If someone said a group of women, you might imagine women with a variety of ages, marital status, religions, etc. However, if someone says a cohort of women, you should inquire about those characteristics. For instance, a cohort of women might be white, married, and over 65. I haven’t noticed that cohort is used any more or less than I’ve seen it over the years, so I can’t comment if it is being used correctly where you are seeing it. I do find that there are fads to language use. For instance, one that drives me crazy is when educators use “learners”. What’s wrong with students?
This isn't exactly the same as this thread, but it does illustrate how terms get picked up. Years ago I started calling Box elder bugs "Hermans." I don't know why, it just seemed to fit. I had to laugh one day when I saw my niece point to a bug and say "Herman." (No offense to anyone named Herman)