Reducing Confusion With Verbal Messages Abstraction Increases uncertainty. Skillful communicators use descriptive language that is concrete and rich in detail. Euphemisms Color language. Euphemisms are soft words used when people might be offended by harsh words. Bad words are not so obvious when abbreviated.
Indirection is less upsetting than direction.
Euphemisms can be unclear. Idioms Are Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts. Idioms are phrases that cannot be understood by the literal meanings of their separate words. The more familiar a person is with a language, the more difficult it is to explain an idiom to someone not brought up in that language. Jargon limits Access to Messages.