--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm interested in language. We used to…" description: "\"I'm interested in language. We used to call it the War Office. Then it became the Ministry of Defence. We used to talk about the hydrogen bomb, now we ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1a/tony-benn-2543_giving_i-m-interested-in-language-we-used-to-ca_876876.jpg" --- # I'm interested in language. We used to call it the War… ![“I'm interested in language. We used to call it the War Office. Then it became the Ministry of Defence. We used to talk about the hydrogen bomb, now we talk about a deterrent. And the language is very cleverly constructed to give the impression that it's not what it is.” quote by Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1a/tony-benn-2543_giving_i-m-interested-in-language-we-used-to-ca_876876.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1a/tony-benn-2543_giving_i-m-interested-in-language-we-used-to-ca_876876.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1a/tony-benn-2543_giving_i-m-interested-in-language-we-used-to-ca_876876.jpg) > “I'm interested in language. We used to call it the War Office. Then it became the Ministry of Defence. We used to talk about the hydrogen bomb, now we talk about a deterrent. And the language is very cleverly constructed to give the impression that it's not what it is.” [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques how official terminology disguises the true nature of military power, making it seem less threatening. **In simple terms:** Euphemisms hide the reality of weapons. Key Takeaway Question language used by authorities. Themes politics military communication euphemism Mood critical reflective Type analytical political When to use this quote - policy debates - media analysis - public education - peace activism Key Concepts power dynamics framing public perception Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape our perception of security? - What are the consequences of masking military intent? A Different Perspective Euphemisms can obscure accountability and public scrutiny. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [We used to have a War Office, but now we have a Ministry of Defence, nuclear bombs are now described as deterrents, innocent civilians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/we-used-to-have-a-war-office-but-now-we-have-a-ministry-of-defence/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Its subject is the slow and erratic process by which the peoples of the British Isles learnt - and then for long periods forgot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-rodger/its-subject-is-the-slow-and-erratic-process-by-which-the-peoples-of/) [Nicholas Rodger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-rodger/) > [I understand all the problems for the Ministry of Defence, of course I do; working within a budget and trying to do so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-jackson/i-understand-all-the-problems-for-the-ministry-of-defence-of-course-i/) [Mike Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-jackson/) > [I went to work for the Civil Service. I'd wanted to work for the Ministry of Defence because I had some far-fetched idea that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-went-to-work-for-the-civil-service-i-d-wanted-to-work-for-the/) [Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/) > [The British soldier can stand up to anything except the British War Office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-british-soldier-can-stand-up-to-anything-except-the-british-war/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [A friend in the War Office warned me that I was in Kitchener's black books, and that orders had been given for my arrest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-gibbs/a-friend-in-the-war-office-warned-me-that-i-was-in-kitchener-s-black/) [Philip Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gibbs/) > [As the War Office of the United States was established in a time of peace, it is equally reasonable that a Peace Office should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/as-the-war-office-of-the-united-states-was-established-in-a-time-of/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [The War office kept three sets of figures - one to mislead the public, another to mislead the cabinet and the third to mislead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-h-asquith/the-war-office-kept-three-sets-of-figures-one-to-mislead-the-public/) [H. 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You’ll like her.” “I’m sure,” said Molly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/you-and-teacher-said-molly-yes-said-peter-she-s-very-clever-you-ll/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Man is a rational animal—so at least I have been told. … Aristotle, so far as I know, was the first man to proclaim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/man-is-a-rational-animal-so-at-least-i-have-been-told-aristotle-so/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [But since the Modernists (as they are commonly and rightly called) employ a very clever artifice, namely, to present their doctrines without order and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-x/but-since-the-modernists-as-they-are-commonly-and-rightly-called/) [Pope Pius X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-x/) > [Audiences are very sophisticated and they know the nuts and bolts of the genre - certainly with horror more than others I think. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-shearsmith/audiences-are-very-sophisticated-and-they-know-the-nuts-and-bolts-of/) [Reece Shearsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-shearsmith/) > [When you hear a word, think about it, no matter how dull it sounds! Because on the second thought, it may sound very clever!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-you-hear-a-word-think-about-it-no-matter-how-dull-it-sounds/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [People may say that what I do is very clever, but it's not really at all. It's not Swift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-bremner/people-may-say-that-what-i-do-is-very-clever-but-it-s-not-really-at/) [Rory Bremner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-bremner/) ## More by Tony Benn > [Experience is the only real teacher and if you keep a diary you get three bites at educating yourself - when it happens, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/experience-is-the-only-real-teacher-and-if-you-keep-a-diary-you-get/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Someone comes every morning at nine o'clock to see if I am still alive. I do get lonely, yes, but I have the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/someone-comes-every-morning-at-nine-o-clock-to-see-if-i-am-still/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Middle class Labour leaders are recaptured by the establishment when they die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/middle-class-labour-leaders-are-recaptured-by-the-establishment-when/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Change from below, the formulation of demands from the populace to end unacceptable injustice, supported by direct action, has played a far larger part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/change-from-below-the-formulation-of-demands-from-the-populace-to-end/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [People would do well to ask themselves how many of their ambitions and aspirations derive from the type of economic system they inhabit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/people-would-do-well-to-ask-themselves-how-many-of-their-ambitions/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Most things in life are moments of pleasure and a lifetime of embarrassment; photography is a moment of embarrassment and a lifetime of pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/most-things-in-life-are-moments-of-pleasure-and-a-lifetime-of/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [You have to try to build support around causes. It is uniting to campaign on a single issue, and it is never just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/you-have-to-try-to-build-support-around-causes-it-is-uniting-to/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Normally, people give up parliament because they want to do more business or spend more time with family. My wife said 'why don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/normally-people-give-up-parliament-because-they-want-to-do-more/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Food movement organic food stores supplies health food products and facilitate with instrumental support in organic agriculture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/food-movement-organic-food-stores-supplies-health-food-products-and/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [We are not just here to manage capitalism but to change society and to define its finer values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/we-are-not-just-here-to-manage-capitalism-but-to-change-society-and/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [I think there are two ways in which people are controlled - first of all frighten people and secondly demoralize them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/i-think-there-are-two-ways-in-which-people-are-controlled-first-of/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [People in debt become hopeless and hopeless people don’t vote. They always say that that everyone should vote but I think that if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/people-in-debt-become-hopeless-and-hopeless-people-don-t-vote-they/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Workers are not going to be fobbed off with a few shares...or by a carbon copy of the German system of co-determination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/workers-are-not-going-to-be-fobbed-off-with-a-few-shares-or-by-a/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [No medieval monarch in the whole of British history ever had such power as every modern British Prime Minister has in his or her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/no-medieval-monarch-in-the-whole-of-british-history-ever-had-such/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Having served in eleven Parliaments, it would be difficult to describe this as a maiden speech. It would be like Elizabeth Taylor appearing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/having-served-in-eleven-parliaments-it-would-be-difficult-to-describe/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Explore all 162 Tony Benn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) ## More Giving quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. 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You've touched people and never may know it. Either way, you have something to give. It is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/you-ve-touched-people-and-known-it-you-ve-touched-people-and-never/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [Grandma, please. It’s okay. Dad’s doing a great job. 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