You see, the world out there is filled with people intent on impressing you. And a seeming facility with language is one of the better ways to do it.

It’s the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes all over again.

Take the phrase "level playing field," for example. As compared to what — a hilly playing field? Do you know of any game that’s played on such a field? I don’t. What possible sense, then, can the phrase "level playing field" make when used analogously?

Then there’s the phrase "a soft landing" which first surfaced as an analogy several years ago in connection with the so-called economy. "We look for a soft landing," I heard an economist say at the time when asked to predict what was going to happen in the coming months. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about.

So you can imagine my surprise to hear a diplomat last week use exactly the same phrase in connection with some upcoming peace talks. I didn’t have the foggiest notion what he was trying to say, either. All I can tell you is that in both cases, the speaker came across to me as a phoney.

You know, there’s a lesson to be learned here. If someone asks you a question that you can’t answer, just say, "I don’t know." You’ll come across to him or her a heck a lot smarter than were you to just wing it.

Unless, of course, you’re trying to create a level playing field. Or make a soft landing.

Think about it.