othersoften

Othersoften is a coinage used in discussions of discourse analysis to describe a recurring rhetorical pattern in which speakers attribute statements or norms to a broad, unnamed audience of "others," thereby generalizing and distancing the speaker from the claim. The term is not widely formalized in academic linguistics but has appeared in commentary on online rhetoric and media analysis.

Etymology and origin: The term blends "others" and "often," signaling frequent reliance on a hypothetical collective other audience. It first circulated in informal circles and blog discussions in the 2010s and 2020s, without formal attribution to a single author or field. It remains a descriptively used label rather than a prescriptive theory.

Usage and function: Othersoften typically surfaces in opinion pieces, comment threads, and persuasive writing. It surfaces as statements like "othersoften say that X," or "Most people would agree that Y," which can imply consensus or deflect critique. The device can create the sense of objectivity or broad agreement while masking the author’s actual position.

Examples and limitations: In practice, othersoften can oversimplify complex issues or suppress minority perspectives by presenting claims as widely held. Critics argue it undercuts accountability and erodes specificity. Proponents may view it as a shorthand for appeal to common experience or shared norms.

Related concepts: It overlaps with weasel words, generic language, and distancing strategies in rhetoric. In linguistic analysis, it aligns with impersonal constructions and broad-generalization patterns. The term remains mainly descriptive, without formal standards for measurement or coding.