Phrasemongers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term for individuals who excessively create or use phrases, often in a superficial or cliché manner
2. Describing people specializing in the composition or overuse of phrases, typically lacking originality
3. Referring to those who engage in the practice of crafting or recycling expressions, frequently to the point of banality

Etymology: "Phrasemongers" is the plural of "phrasemonger," a compound of "phrase" and "monger." The first part comes from the Old French "frase," ultimately from the Latin "phrasis" and the Greek "phrasis," meaning a way of speaking or expression. The second part, "monger," is an Old English word for a trader, from "mangere," a dealer or seller, and it survives in compounds like "fishmonger" and "warmonger," where it names someone who deals in a particular commodity. Put together, the compound pictures a person who trades in phrases, dealing them out as if they were goods. That image explains the modern sense: the word describes someone who produces or circulates expressions for their own sake, with more concern for polished wording than for substance. Because "monger" carries a slightly disapproving tone in compounds like "scaremonger" and "rumourmonger," the term inherits that edge, casting the speaker as a peddler rather than a genuine thinker.

Synonyms: wordsmiths, writers, poets, linguists, crafters