All Too Susceptible

I’M not an epidemiologist or sociologist, so I don’t have the proper credentials to classify new and unusual syndromes. But during my years working at this magazine, I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon. If I could coin a title for it, I would call it IWORMS — a short and squirmy name for the uncomfortable reality lived by us frum writers who love language, love writing, love to communicate — and sometimes lack the education, information, or exposure to get our words exactly right.

All writers can make mistakes, using wrong or inappropriate words at times (just try googling “stanch vs. staunch” or “averse vs. adverse”). But only a rare subset is uniquely susceptible to IWORMS, which is my handy acronym for “Intentionally Insular Word Replacement or Misplacement Syndrome.”

As the name denotes, this syndrome plagues “intentionally insular” writers. And here at Mishpacha you’ll find many such writers — people who consciously choose to limit their exposure to the wider world of current literature, journalism, and lingo.

You might say that intentionally insular writers are on a diet. We’re always hungry. Constantly seeking that story, that quote, that beautifully crafted feature, or stark account that will sate our inner artist. But we’re careful, too, about what we consume — because we know that some offerings will feed parts of ourselves we prefer not to nourish.