"By No Means My First or Foremost Aim" — A Clarifying Turn of Phrase

it is by no means my first or foremost aim

Language: English

Definition:
A statement used to clarify that the speaker's main intention or priority lies elsewhere; that a particular goal, while possibly relevant, is neither the primary nor most important objective.

Image from I'm the Queen in This Life, written by Lefaljinf.

Usage Notes:
Often used to preface or distance oneself from a potential interpretation of motive, especially in academic, argumentative, or diplomatic contexts.

Example Sentence:

"I may criticize the policy, but it is by no means my first or foremost aim to undermine the administration."

Etymology:
Combines the emphatic negation “by no means” (meaning "not at all") with “first or foremost aim”, a formal phrase referring to primary intent or goal.

Synonyms:
not my main goal, not chiefly intended, not primarily concerned with, far from my purpose

Register:
Formal to literary

Claims of Mere Expediency: When Convenience Masquerades as Principle

Claims of Mere Expediency

Language: English
Part of Speech: Noun phrase

Definition:
Justifications based solely on practical advantage or convenience, often without regard to ethical principles or long-term values. The phrase is typically used critically, suggesting that such reasoning is superficial, opportunistic, or unprincipled.

Example Usage:

“After all,” such critics might say, “if social bonds are really based on self-interest, then ultimately you are endorsing people’s selfish actions. You’re not giving them any higher reason to treat others with respect and dignity, except claims of mere expediency.”
— Choice: Cooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action by Robert P. Murphy

The administration’s shifting stance on the issue was justified through claims of mere expediency, not any consistent moral position.

Etymology:
Derived from claim (a stated position or justification) and mere expediency, where expediency refers to something done for short-term benefit or convenience. The word mere underscores the lack of deeper ethical or philosophical grounding.

Spate of Stories: When News Pours In Like a Flood

Spate of Stories

Part of Speech: Noun phrase
Pronunciation: /speɪt əv ˈstɔːriz/
Japanese (Katakana): スペイト・オブ・ストーリーズ

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Definition:
A sudden or considerable outpouring of news articles, reports, or narratives—often on a related topic—released within a short period. The phrase emphasizes volume and intensity, sometimes with an implication of urgency, repetition, or media frenzy.

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Usage:

Following the scandal, a spate of stories appeared across major news outlets, each attempting to frame the issue from a different angle.

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Etymology:
Derived from:

• Spate – Middle English spat, originally meaning a sudden flood or outburst (particularly of water), later extended to refer to any sudden surge or rush.

• Stories – Narrative reports, especially in journalism or media.

The phrase metaphorically likens a sudden burst of media content to a flood, suggesting a rapid and overwhelming spread.

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Stylistic Notes:
Often used in journalistic or analytical writing to critique or describe the fast-paced nature of modern news cycles. It can carry a neutral tone, but frequently hints at redundancy, sensationalism, or reactive coverage.

Unscientific Doctrinaire: A Misread Label for A Priori Thinkers

Unscientific Doctrinaire

Language: English
Part of Speech: Noun phrase

Definition 1:
A pejorative term for someone perceived as ideologically rigid and dismissive of empirical inquiry or scientific method; typically used to criticize thinkers whose theories are seen as overly abstract or detached from real-world data.

Definition 2:
More specifically, a label sometimes applied—often unfairly—to proponents of a priori reasoning in disciplines like economics or philosophy, who argue that certain truths about human behavior can be deduced logically rather than derived from empirical observation.

Contextual Usage:

Sometimes those unfamiliar with Mises's body of work, take him to be rejecting empirical studies altogether. They castigate him as an antiquated, unscientific doctrinaire, unwilling to let “the real world” interfere with his writings.
— Murphy, Robert P., Choice: Cooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action

Clarification:
Although critics may use this phrase to dismiss a priori approaches as dogmatic, its application often overlooks the philosophical foundations and internal logic of such methods—particularly within the Austrian School of economics.

Etymology:

• Unscientific — un- (not) + scientific, from Latin scientia (“knowledge”)

• Doctrinaire — from French doctrinaire, “dogmatic theorist,” from Latin doctrina (“teaching, doctrine”)

Bifurcated Approach: A Dual Framework in Economic Price Theory

bifurcated approach

Part of Speech: noun phrase
Pronunciation (Katakana): バイファーケイティッド・アプローチ

Definition:
A method or framework that divides a problem or analysis into two distinct parts, typically applying different principles or theories to each segment.

Usage Note:
Often used in academic, economic, and strategic contexts where two different explanatory models or treatments are applied to different aspects of the same issue.

Example:

“Earlier theorists had adopted a bifurcated approach, using the new marginal utility theory to explain the relative prices between goods, but using aggregate concepts such as ‘the total quantity of money’ to explain absolute prices. For example, the earlier theorists could use marginal utility theory to explain why, in equilibrium, one apple would trade for two bananas. But to explain why one apple would have a price of $1, while a banana would have a price of 50 cents, the theorists would invoke the total quantity of dollars compared to the total quantity of fruit and the ‘velocity of circulation’ of money. Mises's approach treated dollar bills no differently from apples or bananas; it showed how the same principles of marginal utility could explain all market exchange ratios, even those involving the good serving as money.”
— Robert P. Murphy & Donald J. Boudreaux, Choice: Cooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action

Etymology:
From bifurcate, meaning "to divide into two branches or parts" (Latin bifurcus, "two-pronged") + approach, meaning method or strategy.

When Bad Gets Worse: The Meaning of 'Doubly Bad

doubly bad

(phrase)

Pronunciation: /ˈdʌb.li bæd/
Katakana: ダブリィ・バッド
Part of Speech: Adverbial phrase

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Definition:

Exceptionally or additionally bad; worse than merely bad in either degree, consequence, or in having two distinct negative aspects.

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Usage:

Used to emphasize the extent of something's badness, especially when it involves two layers of harm, failure, or disadvantage.

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Examples:

• “Not only was the meal cold, but it was also undercooked — doubly bad.”

• “Losing the game and injuring their star player made the night doubly bad for the team.”

• “It’s doubly bad when someone lies and then blames you for their dishonesty.”

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Notes:

This phrase intensifies negativity by stacking two bad elements, whether literal or metaphorical. It can apply to outcomes, actions, or judgments that have compound downsides.