Why would I speak to a topic?
This is a thing that's been grating on me for a fair few months. It seems like a new trend among a type of politician that reminds me of the type of language I would hear in a Charismatic/Pentecostal type of church.
I have attached a screenshot of an example that I found on Facebook, proving that it is spreading through society and it bothers me because it is bad grammar (and because of the culture it reminds me of - maybe there is more to it than that).
This is what the lady has said in the screenshot:
"Does anybody have an article that speaks to the cruelty in the wool industry in NZ?"
Now, I know that what she is asking is whether anybody has an article that discusses the topic of cruelty with regards to the wool industry because it is posted on a vegan page and it is obvious that she is in need of information to support her opinions that there is cruelty in the wool industry. The language that bothers me is that she has said she wants an article that speaks to the cruelty in the wool industry whereas she should have said that she wants an article that speaks about the cruelty in the wool industry (or, one that speaks with regards to the cruelty in the wool industry, etc). I don't understand how this vernacular expression of "speaking to" a topic has found its way into popular language in those circles, but it bothers me because it seems to be an invalid form of language - a topic is something to be spoken about, not spoken to.
Anyhow, because I am astute and serious, but I am not an expert on language, I reckon I ought to ask about it among people who have more experience with the right and wrong of language. Can you see why I am being distracted by the language they are using? Is there some rule in the English language that makes it valid to say that you are going to "speak to" the topic when you are really intending to speak to a person about the topic?
Top answer
Anthony of NZ Is there some rule in the English language that makes it valid to say that you are going to "speak to" the topic when you are really intending to speak to a person about the topic? Rules are for wimps. The big dogs shoot from the hip, but they often wind up making mixed metaphors when they do.
- Anthony of NZ Is there some rule in the English language that makes it valid to say that you are going to "speak to" the topic when you are really intending to speak to a person about the topic?
- Rules are for wimps.
- The big dogs shoot from the hip, but they often wind up making mixed metaphors when they do.
- Your question is about the use of a word, and that can only be examined through a winnowing of the corpus, or by looking it up in the Oxford English Dictionary where experts have already done that, leaving out the illiteracies of journalists and politicians for the most part.
- They list our "speak to" under the verb "speak" in "phrasal verbs".
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Anthony of NZIs there some rule in the English language that makes it valid to say that you are going to "speak to" the topic when you are really intending to speak to a person about the topic?
Rules are for wimps. The big dogs shoot from the hip, but they often wind up making mixed metaphors when they do.
Your question is about the use of a word, and
0Anthony of NZThis is a thing that's been grating on me for a fair few months.
I noticed it a few years ago, in the UK.
Anthony of NZIt seems like a new trend among a type of politician
Them and people in broadcast media.
Anthony of NZa topic is something to be spoken about, not spoken to
0Anthony of NZa new trend
Not at all.
As I see it, "to speak to (a topic)" means to address it, for example, as a problem — in other words, in some sense to debate it by taking the side of those in favor of a topic or the side of those against it. Or, in some cases, to explain the topic or to respond to it with some discussion.
The idiom has been
0
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