- By Jim Evans
- Entertainment
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SMART TALK by Dr. Shirley Glibb
DOWNFALL: The William Safire Center at the Institute for the Linguistically Impaired treats patients whose downfall is an affliction that Dr. Weiss N. Heimer likes to call Down Syndrome. Of course, such a label is neither politically correct in this context nor scientifically accurate in any context. He uses it only as a quiet joke with fellow therapists. He doesn't want an uprising.
After treatment, our patients realize how silly they sounded saying fall down (as opposed to fall up?), kneel down, dwindle down, cool down, die down, and descend down. See why Dr. Heimer borrows that label?
All those verbs should stand alone. Simple language is better language.
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