There’s no getting around it: We need to talk about this irksome word

OpinionAugust 13, 2026 — 11:30amEven in an ICAC hearing room, there’s no escape. “I don’t have a recollection around it,” says a witness.There could be many reasons why someone giving evidence at the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s sensational Operation Rosny inquiry is watching their language. But let’s assume that eloquence isn’t one of them.On the roundabout of language, “about” is giving way to “around”.Getty ImagesEven if the ICAC doesn’t care, eloquence is the hill that writers die on. The growing attachment to one word – on the airwaves, in print, in daily conversations – is equally worthy of investigation, and so early each morning, I’m ready with tablet, dedicated listening app, and radio on, determined not to miss the latest transgressions. The first one doesn’t take