What is a 'word salad'? - Learn useful English phrases with Misterduncan @EnglishAddict

Do you ever find yourself listening to someone talking

without actually saying anything?

That person is coming out with meaningless sentences

that make no sense and appear to be hiding something.

We often think of people in power

talking without using any words of substance.

We can describe this type of speech as a ‘word salad’.

Yes, there are sentences being used,

but there is nothing contained

within anything they are saying.

It is just one giant word salad.

Some people say that politicians,

whilst trying to avoid answering

a direct question,

might respond with a giant word salad.

Of course,

I could not possibly comment on whether or not that is true.

When we use the term word salad,

we are often expressing our frustration at someone

who is not giving an honest or direct

answer to an important question.

A person who goes on and on about a subject

that they clearly know nothing about,

might construct their sentences as a word salad.

They are desperately trying to sound as if they know

what they are talking about, but failing miserably.

So the next time you hear someone trying to answer a difficult question

by trying to change the subject

or by saying anything that comes into their head,

you can describe their response as a word salad.

Sometimes saying very little

is the best form of response.

After all, you don't want to be accused of avoiding the question,

or even worse, talking gibberish.

A long, drawn out sentence that seems to go on and on

with no real context will most likely be described as a word salad.