|
There's no question about it is a prolific cliche and deserves a special category all its own. This cliche runs rampant in the sports world and has begun to make inroads into political jargon. It’s only a matter of time before it infects the entire English language. Here are some examples of how one usually hears it: "He's the best quarterback of all time, there's no question about it." This comment might occur during an extended sports talk show devoted to this highly subjective and almost impossible to quantify topic. If there's no question about it, why are we even having this discussion? "No question about it" is just a cliche way of saying "That's my opinion" and sounding authoritative about it. Another way to get the same effect is with the word arguably. If you state: "He's arguably the best quarterback of all time", you must really know what you're talking about. It seems you're even willing to get into an argument. "The Cowboys will dominate the Cardinals today, there's no question about it." Really? No question? If the matter is not in question, why are we bothering to play the silly game? Often it's heard in response to interview queries such as: "Did the free-throw shooting hurt the team tonight, coach?" Glancing at the stat-sheet and seeing his team was a miserable 13-for-27, the coach's first reaction will be to answer "Yes", but he'll collect himself and respond: "Well, there's no question about it." Meaning, of course, that the interviewer should not have asked a question about it. |
Home
- Mission Statement
-