Best Political Language
"Politics and the English Language" is a critical essay written by George Orwell and published in 1946. In the text, Orwell argues that the contemporary use of the English language is declining due to vague and convoluted prose, which he asserts is often used to obscure the truth and facilitate poli...
Why this score?
Canonical essay acclaimed for clarity, memorable principles, and enduring influence on prose; some rules are routinely judged overly prescriptive.
Scoring methodology
Johann Gottfried Herder was an 18th-century German philosopher, theologian, literary critic, and theorist of language and history. He argued that human thought and expression develop within historically particular languages and cultures, and he treated folk poetry and oral tradition as serious evide...
Why this score?
Highly influential historicist and cultural thinker; respected for originality, though diffuse style and nationalism legacy complicate consensus.
Scoring methodology
"Translations" is a 1980 play by Irish dramatist Brian Friel, set in a Donegal hedge school in 1833 during the British Ordnance Survey of Ireland. A pivotal moment occurs when the character Owen defends or minimizes the process of standardizing and anglicizing traditional Gaelic place names for the...
William Safire (1929-2009) was an American journalist, columnist, and author who wrote The New York Times Magazine's "On Language" column from 1979 until his death. The column discussed usage, word histories, political rhetoric, and changes in American English for a general readership. Safire also w...
Why this score?
Widely read language columnist and political lexicographer, admired for wit and reach but criticized for prescriptivism and amateur judgments.
Scoring methodology
