People often use language without thinking about the literal meaning of what they are saying and without considering what the person on the receiving end is thinking.

BBC: Is it acceptable to call someone 'babe'?

The scheme succeeds largely because the counsellors are often former addicts who use the same language as the offenders and who provide continuing support.

ECONOMIST: Crime

When we blog about politics, we often talk about how politicians use and misuse language to their own ends, as in Bagehot here, or Charlemagne here.

ECONOMIST: Language