I really feel out of the loop here,people. What are weasel words?

As a teacher of English as a Second Language, I would guess that the person writing that bogus website was not a native English speaker. Some of the mistakes made were typical of English learners from Asia. This doesn't excuse the mistakes or any duplicity intended by the website owner, but it does explain why some of the word choices grated so badly.

How many have noticed the current fad to answer direct verbal questions with a Yes then followed immediately by a No?

Margaret

Many thanks for a very thoughtful and timely article. I enjoyed it very much indeed.

Coyote - grammar mate!

Keith - you have hit on one of my pet hates. What the hell does it mean? Like I mean? (ugh!).

Just a few pet hates:

Cut to the chase.
Using "buddy" to refer to an Australian.
Using "guys" to refer to people of both sexes.
Take to go.
24/7
Like I mean. Like I mean.
And so on, and on (recently repeated in an article on OLO).
I mean to say ...
You know what I mean ...
b4
bcos
g8

My list could be endless.
Cheers
Kay

PS: I was an external marker for a university nursing program in 2004. My services were discontinued because I insisted on correct grammar and spelling. The students complained that I gave them too much feedback. The co-ordinator complained that I was too thorough

Kalweb,
You should have given them their feed back if they can't eat the right gramma.

Fran asked what are weasel words. They are essentially words intended to suck the meaning out of other words that people might ordinarily use and undersand, so that they are basically hollow. Politicians and public servants are great exponents of weasel words. Public relations people also love weasel words.

Don Watson has recently published "Watson's Dictionary of Weasel Words, Contemporary Cliches, Cant and Management Jargon" if you want more on weasel words.