Name William Lutz | ||
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Books The New Doublespeak, Firestorm at Peshtigo, Doublespeak defined, The Cambridge thesaurus, Doublespeak | ||
1989 C-SPAN Interview: William Lutz – "Doublespeak"
William D. Lutz (; born 12 December 1940) is an American linguist who specializes in the use of plain language and the avoidance of doublespeak (deceptive language). He wrote a famous essay The World of Doublespeak on this subject as well as the book Doublespeak His original essay and the book described the four different types of doublespeak (euphemism, jargon, gobbledygook, and inflated language) and the social dangers of doublespeak.
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Biography
In 1962, Lutz received his bachelor's degree from the Dominican College of Racine (which closed its doors in 1974). He received his masters degree in English from Marquette University in 1963 and his doctorate in 1971 from the University of Nevada, Reno. Lutz began teaching English at Rutgers University-Camden in 1971, and was made a full professor in 1991. He retired from teaching in 2006.
From 1980 to 1994 Lutz edited the, now defunct, Quarterly Review of Doublespeak. He worked as a consultant with a number of corporations and the United States government to promote the use of 'plain language'. For example, he was a significant contributor to the SEC's Plain English Handbook.