Catch-all
Today’s expression is “catch-all.” Earlier in today’s lesson, I said that “neurodiversity” is a catch-all term for people who have Asperger’s syndrome, autism, dyslexia, and other similar conditions. Neurodiversity is a “catch-all” term, meaning that this one word is intended to mean, or catch, all those other smaller terms. Of course, a person suffering from extreme anxiety will have different needs from someone on the autism spectrum. And even two people with Asperger’s syndrome won’t have the same needs or preferences. However, it is useful to use the word “neurodiverse” instead of listing every possible type of condition every single time. A catch-all term helps us speak in general terms.
Speaking of diversity, “Hispanic” is a catch-all term. I’m not sure how common this word is outside the United States, but it’s a term used in our official government statistics. It refers to any person with a national origin in Spain or a Spanish-speaking country in Latin America. It’s a totally arbitrary term, but the US Census asks about it on demographic surveys, so the term endures. But it’s a catch-all term for Spain, Mexico, Cuba, and Central and South American countries.
Don’t ask me why, but an old law in the United States requires that the Census gather information on who is of Spanish descent, or who has a national origin in a Spanish-speaking country. It would be cumbersome, it would be difficult, to list every possible country on the Census forms. It would even be difficult to say “Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America or the Caribbean or Mexico” every single time. So what do they do? They use a catch-all term: Hispanic. It’s a catch-all term because it describes many factors.
Precipitation is a catch-all term for any type of water that falls from the sky. Rain would be the most common type of precipitation. People in Jerusalem experienced another type this year: snow . But if you live in a northern country, you know there’s sleet, freezing rain, and hail. All of those are water in different forms. If you don’t want to say specifically, or if you don’t know specifically, what kind of weather it was—but if you know it was some type of water falling from the sky, you can use “precipitation” because it’s a catch-all term. “We’ve had more precipitation this week than any week all winter long.” You can say that if you mean to talk about a combination of snow, rain, and sleet.
Artificial intelligence is a catch-all term. People use the term all the time, but it’s a very generalized term used to describe a wide range of specific technologies. Some AI technologies are about making decisions; others are about parsing language; others are about machine learning to spot patterns, and so on. If you say “artificial intelligence,” you’re using a catch-all term. That’s usually okay if you’re speaking in general terms. But you should recognize that catch-all terms aren’t specific. You could propose implementing artificial intelligence at work. You might be thinking a machine learning tool to help summarize legal documents, but your boss might think you want to replace the whole office with robots. That’s the danger when using a catch-all term like artificial intelligence!
“Wellness” is another catch-all term. Have you heard this one? It’s hard to give a precise definition because it’s such a catch-all term. At work, “employee wellness” generally means a variety of benefits and privileges that let you be healthy. In a hotel, it might be about the spa or the fitness center. But it might also refer, these days, to cleaning protocols. At your doctor’s office, “wellness” could mean getting regular, proactive checkups instead of coming only when you’re sick.
Does your country have a Green party? Germany does; Australia does; Brazil does; Ireland does, as do many Scandinavian countries. There’s a Green political party in 90 countries in the world. Wow! That must be a popular movement. A single political party name is in 90 different countries? Well…it’s not what you think. You see, a “Green party” is a catch-all term. In the United States, the Green party is a very minor political force, made up of people committed to environmental and consumer activism. In Germany, the Green party was committed to retiring nuclear power; they are more mainstream than the Greens in the US. In Brazil, the Green party focuses more on social equity and sustainable development. A “Green party” is generally going to be left-wing, focused on the environment and equality. But it’s such a catch-all term. What the Greens stand for in Belgium won’t necessarily be a factor for the Greens in, say, Turkey.
Quote of the Week
We were speaking about neurodiversity in today’s lesson, so I found this quote. It’s by the scientist Terrence Grandin. She says, “The most interesting people you’ll find are ones that don’t fit into your average cardboard box. They’ll make what they need, they’ll make their own boxes.”
Indeed they do—where would we be without people who make their own boxes in life?
See you next time!
And that’s all for today’s lesson. Congratulations on making to the end, and some of you have made it to the end of all 350 lessons. If that’s you…then double congratulations. If that’s not you, then that’s okay. If you ever need some extra English practice over and above the new lessons, you can always explore at PlainEnglish.com. Our full library of lessons is available there—and it’s even easier to explore as a free member.
Remember we’re here every Monday and Thursday. And coming up this Thursday, we talk about the tantalizing idea of vaccine passports. But while they hold some promise, they’re not the magic bullet you might think they are. Remember to join us on Thursday; see you then!
Use realistic expressions like a native speaker
