# Weasel words in advertising/packaging **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 6, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564 "2017-03-06T18:52:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564/101 "2017-03-15T14:51:18Z")
Either Prilosec or Nexium uses this one. They say their brand ‘can start working in as little as thirty minutes’ and the other brand ‘can take as long as twenty four hours to work’. I gather from the way they phrase it that both brands take effect some time between thirty minutes and twenty four hours. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564/102 "2017-03-15T15:16:54Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > (slight) hijack: > > youre all having good fun pointing out the weasel words and bickering about the difference between organic and gmo; and i recognize many of the usernames as those who often tout the benefits of the free market. but answer me this: how can you have a “free” market when manufacturers, packagers, retailers, and advertisers are **actively** trying to deceive, obfuscate, and coerce consumers? Easy. The word “free” is short for “free-for-all”… ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564/103 "2017-03-15T15:29:44Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Easy. The word “free” is short for “free-for-all”… amen! ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564/104 "2017-03-15T19:44:13Z")
Just saw a deceptive package right now. Bought some beef jerky and on the bag it said ~ Natural Smoke Flavor ~ but then underneath it out of bounds of the ~ decorative marks it said Added. Because you naturally assume the other ~ is where statement ends you don’t really immediately put together the entirely separate Added is part of that original statement. Pretty sneaky. ---
**Author:** ![Dana\_Scully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5daacb/32.png) [@Dana\_Scully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dana_Scully)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564/105 "2017-03-15T20:06:18Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Basically as the title - what are some common weasel words used in ads and packaging, which sound good but tell you sweet fa about the product or its quality? > > I’ve heard that ‘fight’ is one that means jack shit, especially in healthcare products like ‘fights plaque’ or somesuch, since I could ‘fight’ Tyson in his prime, but I ain’t gonna win. > > Likewise ‘helps’, since I could’ve turned up to Hiroshima with a dustpan and brush, technically that would be helping but to minuscule effect. > > Any other obvious ones? I can’t think of many off the stop of my head, but I like your question. Some of the “tricks” used by advertisers made me see red. ---
**Author:** ![Dana\_Scully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5daacb/32.png) [@Dana\_Scully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dana_Scully)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564/106 "2017-03-15T20:27:20Z")
ALL of our modern foods called “GMO” **ARE** GMO, which means “genetically modified organism”. Well, _ **all** _ our food has been tinkered with from time immemorial; remember the kind of teeny little ears of corn our ancestors grew? Through genetic manipulation, we now have the big ears we eat now. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564/107 "2017-03-15T20:38:14Z")
[The ear at the top of this picture is non-GMO corn, also known as teosinte](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Maize-teosinte.jpg/220px-Maize-teosinte.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Dana\_Scully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5daacb/32.png) [@Dana\_Scully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dana_Scully)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564/108 "2017-03-15T20:39:46Z")
I erred in my previous post; I should have said “all Non-GMO food”…etc. on the first line. I’d edit the post but I’ve evidently corrected it so many times (I’m not a good typist :D) that I can’t edit any more, so made a new post to correct myself.:smack: doh! ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564/109 "2017-03-15T20:40:44Z")
> [@jjakucyk](#): > > The whole point of organic farming is that it “features practices that strive to cycle resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Organizations regulating organic products may restrict the use of certain pesticides and fertilizers in farming. In general, organic foods are also usually not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents or synthetic food additives.” How can that not be construed as more responsible? Because there is no good evidence that irradiation, for example, is less responsible than anything else. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564/110 "2017-03-15T20:45:47Z")
It started with one of the soup companies a few years ago, but now I’m hearing more and more products described as being made with “farm-grown vegetables”. Really, you don’t get your vegetables cloned in the lab? My favorite for a long time was from Coors Light - “The coldest tasting beer in the world”. Please tell me, what does cold taste like? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564/111 "2017-03-15T21:05:34Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > They claim that GMOs are bad. Who? The people who profit from selling Non-GMO foods. Never mind that we know GMOs are not bad. They say they are, and that’s what matters. It’s lying. “Bad” is an opinion word. There are arguments about how much unknown risk we should tolerate; about the economic effects of GMOs; about how GMO crops intersect with IP laws; and other issues. People have a variety of opinions on these issues, based on a wide level of knowledge. If you’re suggesting that everyone who’s learned about all these issues has concluded that GMOs have no harmful effects on any of them, you’re mistaken. For you to claim that folks who say GMOs have bad effects are “lying” is similarly incorrect. > [@](#): > > They claim that “Organic” produce is better. Who? The people who sell “Organic” product. Never mind that it isn’t better. They say it is, and that’s what matters. It’s lying. Once more, you’re incorrect. Sure, if someone claims that growing produce without pesticides leads to measurable nutrition benefits, that’s not a defensible claim. But if someone is worried about the [effects of pesticides on honeybee populations](https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/pollinator-health-concerns#factors), or [the effects of cages on chicken welfare](http://articles.extension.org/pages/69041/requirements-for-organic-poultry-production), or [the effects of preventative antibiotic use on bacterial evolution](https://www.cdc.gov/narms/faq.html), they may have a case for claiming certified organic food better allays their concerns than other foods. Yes, I’m using weasel words here, because a full-on defense of each of these points is beyond the scope of the thread. But the non-weasel-word statements I quote above are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564/112 "2017-03-15T21:10:20Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > last time I was in the Everything 99 Cents store (it’s at the opposite side of town from Family Dollar Store) I noticed toiletries were packaged differently than you would find at walmart _for the same brands_. > > I suspect this is deliberate - so you can’t easily compare if you are getting a deal or not.:dubious: I’ve noticed this too. I used to buy toilet paper online but it became impossible to tell how many sheets were in each package on both Amazon and Walmart’s site. Sometimes they would go by total yardage and sometimes they would go by sheet count. but never both and sometimes neither. Plus both websites never had the exact same toilet paper even by the same brands, packages would contain either more rolls or bigger rolls compared to the other site. I imagine they do that so people simply just don’t pick the one with the most actual sheets per roll every time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weasel-words-in-advertising-packaging/781564.md?page=5)