Vocabulary, expressions: “That’s a lot to unpack”

Self-tutoring about sayings in English: the tutor mentions a new one.

I still remember the 70s, and the fact that the saying “That’s a lot to unpack” was never used then. In fact, I can’t recall it being used until recently (meaning perhaps the past five to ten years).

While new, its meaning is obvious. Yet, “That’s a lot to unpack” interests me because it represents a trend in the English language I’ve been noticing since perhaps the 90s: New, clever sayings are invented to explain complicated situations that, before, were much harder to communicate. When they fit, they make explanation much easier.

As I’ve mentioned, these new sayings, such as “That’s a lot to unpack,” typically need no, or else almost-no, explanation. “Safety buzz” is another one, and even “frenemy.” We all understand these concepts, and that they’ve always existed – yet, back in the 70s, they were much more difficult to articulate.

I think your typical 14-year-old, today, is much more articulate about psychological and “people” issues than back in the 70s. This doesn’t mean they understand more; nonetheless, they seem to, partly because of their access to these ready-made constructs that didn’t exist then. In other words, people may not be more clever, but the English language is a superior toolkit now.

Source:

grammarist.com