--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Jargon is the verbal sleight of hand that…" description: "\"Jargon is the verbal sleight of hand that makes the old hat seem newly fashionable; it gives an air of novelty and specious profundity to ideas that, i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95b/david-lehman-35400_air_jargon-is-the-verbal-sleight-of-hand-tha_1142353.png" --- # Jargon is the verbal sleight of hand that makes the old… ![“Jargon is the verbal sleight of hand that makes the old hat seem newly fashionable; it gives an air of novelty and specious profundity to ideas that, if stated directly, would seem superficial, stale, frivolous, or false. The line between serious and spurious scholarship is an easy one to blur…” quote by David Lehman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95b/david-lehman-35400_air_jargon-is-the-verbal-sleight-of-hand-tha_1142353.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95b/david-lehman-35400_air_jargon-is-the-verbal-sleight-of-hand-tha_1142353.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95b/david-lehman-35400_air_jargon-is-the-verbal-sleight-of-hand-tha_1142353.png) > “Jargon is the verbal sleight of hand that makes the old hat seem newly fashionable; it gives an air of novelty and specious profundity to ideas that, if stated directly, would seem superficial, stale, frivolous, or false. The line between serious and spurious scholarship is an easy one to blur, with jargon on your side.” [David Lehman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lehman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jargon disguises shallow ideas as sophisticated, making them seem novel and profound while actually being trivial or misleading. **In simple terms:** Jargon makes simple ideas look fancy but can hide their emptiness. Key Takeaway Beware of flashy language that masks lack of substance. Themes language deception intellectual honesty communication critical thinking Mood critical analytical Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - academic papers - marketing copy - political speeches - media analysis Key Concepts rhetoric semantic inflation knowledge distortion Questions to Reflect On - When does jargon become a barrier? - How can you clarify complex ideas without jargon? A Different Perspective Overreliance on jargon can alienate audiences and obscure truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Air](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air/) [Blur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blur/) [Blur Jargon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blur-jargon-3190603/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Fashionable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashionable/) [Frivolous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frivolous/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hats/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Jargon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jargon/) [Jargon Verbal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jargon-verbal-3190602/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Novelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelty/) [Profundity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profundity/) [Scholarship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholarship/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Sleight of hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleight-of-hand/) [Spurious Scholarship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spurious-scholarship-3190605/) [Stale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stale/) [Superficial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superficial/) [Verbal Sleight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verbal-sleight-3190604/) [Your side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-side/) ## Related quotes > [“All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself. 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