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Opinion: Want Another Dog, Kids? Let's 'Have That Conversation'

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

I want to thank politicians for promoting a new cliche¹ I now deploy² to avoid giving direct answers to my daughters. When they ask, can we get a second dog, learn how to drive or go camping, I now tell them, well, I think we should have that conversation. It's not a yes. It's not a no. It's not even maybe. I don't know. I haven't thought about it or we'll see.

We should have that conversation is a strategic non-answer. It buys time. It can mean anything. It can mean nothing. It implies understanding. It avoids actual agreement. It really is kind of brilliant. A current candidate for president replied with several iterations of, we should have that conversation in a recent appearance. The phrase enabled the candidate to avoid answering yes or no to direct questions on if she supported convicted felons³ being able to vote from prison, paying reparations to the descendants of enslaved people, lowering the voting age to 16 and forgiving college debt.

Direct answers might have provoked pointed⁴ follow-up questions about fine points and details. Details can sow disagreements. But just saying we need to have that conversation signals sympathy without making any actual commitment.

I know a journalist should abhor⁵ such an equivocal noncommittal phrase, but as a parent, I love it. If our children ask, can we stay up until midnight, have an extra 15 minutes on our video game, binge watch "Stranger Things," I've learned to hold them off with I think we should have that conversation. Debate sounds so disagreeable. Talk seems somehow inconsequential, but conversation sounds responsive. Consider it mutual⁶.

Of course, it's also seeped⁷ into reporting. When journalists want to say that certain issues spark attention and controversy⁸, we'll often say there's a national conversation going on even if we only mean people are sending up a flurry of tweets. And to spare a lot of Internet searches, yes, I'm sure I've said it myself, possibly even a few minutes ago. But I write in praise of this cliche, not to bury it. When our family gets our next tax bill, I think I might circle the amount the IRS says we owe and send it back with a warm note - what an interesting idea. I think we should have that conversation.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE CONVERSATION")

SACRED PAWS: (Singing) You're all wrong. You're walking away. Why would we even try to have this conversation? It can take a while, but we're walking the same way. Reach above the river below. When will I learn?

1 cliche   

n./a.陈词滥调(的)；老生常谈(的)；陈腐的

参考例句：

• You should always try to avoid the use of cliche. 你应该尽量避免使用陈词滥调。
• The old cliche is certainly true:the bigger car do mean bigger profits.有句老话倒的确说得不假:车大利大。

2 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

3 felons   

n.重罪犯( felon的名词复数 )；瘭疽；甲沟炎；指头脓炎

参考例句：

• Aren't those the seats they use for transporting convicted felons? 这些坐位不是他们用来押运重犯的吗？ 来自电影对白
• House Republicans talk of making felons out of the undocumented and those who help them. 众议院共和党议员正商议对未登记的非法移民以及包庇他们的人课以重罪。 来自互联网

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

5 abhor   

v.憎恶；痛恨

参考例句：

• They abhor all forms of racial discrimination.他们憎恶任何形式的种族歧视。
• They abhor all the nations who have different ideology and regime.他们仇视所有意识形态和制度与他们不同的国家。

6 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

7 seeped   

v.（液体）渗( seep的过去式和过去分词 )；渗透；渗出；漏出

参考例句：

• The rain seeped through the roof. 雨水透过房顶渗透。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Icy air seeped in through the paper and the room became cold. 寒气透过了糊窗纸。屋里骤然冷起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

8 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。