positive but helpfully vague words

English translation: sounds positive but doesn't mean anything specific

14:10 Oct 13, 2004

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Social Sciences - Advertising / Public Relations

English term or phrase: positive but helpfully vague words

In the murky world of expensively packaged promises, "firming" is one of those positive but helpfully vague words adored by the beauty industry.
Is it a kind of irony?

ema333 KudoZ activity Questions: 410 (1 open) (11 without valid answers) (12 closed without grading) Answers: 13 United Kingdom
Local time: 23:56

Selected answer:sounds positive but doesn't mean anything specific

Explanation:
Yes, it's ironic - it refers to words which sound positive but don't mean anything specific

Selected response from:

IanW (X)
Local time: 00:56

Grading comment

Graded automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +6

sounds positive but doesn't mean anything specific

IanW (X)

5 +3

it has positive connotations but....

nlingua

means something good but not very easy to define

Orsolya Mance

Answers

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +6

sounds positive but doesn't mean anything specific

Explanation:
Yes, it's ironic - it refers to words which sound positive but don't mean anything specific

IanW (X)
Local time: 00:56
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 16

Grading comment

Graded automatically based on peer agreement.

5 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

it has positive connotations but....

Explanation:
the promises implied by the word are neither precisely defined or quantified... that is to say : what exactly is "firming" and how firm is "firm".

i.e. "helpful" for the marketer aking the promise .. not necessarily for the customer

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2004-10-13 14:17:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

uh typo: \"helpful\" for the marketer making the promise .. not necessarily for the customer

nlingua
Local time: 04:26
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Urdu,

Hindi
PRO pts in category: 4

7 mins confidence:

means something good but not very easy to define

Explanation:
In the cosmetics industry they use the word "firming" very often, and everyone knows it is something good but it is hard to define exactly what it means - and this fact actually comes in handy for the industry.
>> So the sentence you quoted is quite sarcastic.

Orsolya Mance
Hungary
Local time: 00:56
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Hungarian

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations