As I have listened and read about the horrific events in a small school in Connecticut - about which, more tomorrow - my thoughts have turned to one of the wordsmiths of our age, George Carlin, now gone to his own reward.

He comes to mind when I encounter words like this:

The odds are extremely high that the killer was either afflicted with an antisocial personality disorder – meaning a person without conscience or empathy – or suffering from some other personality disorder.

What's wrong with the single word "psychopath"?

Why is the generic "personality disorder" to be preferred?

An inordinately shy boy or girl - or a loudmouthed bully, for that matter - may have a "personality disorder".

No harm (or not much; nothing lethal), no foul.

Or, as Carlin asked . . .

Why is post-traumatic stress disorder syndrome better than "shell-shocked"?

Why are we so determined to sit idly by and suffer the dumbing down our language?

When and why did a spade stop being a spade?

No politically-incorrect, or insensitive, offense intended.

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