DREWspective

One disturbing phrase I’ve overheard time and time again is "get xxx to do yyy".

Before you start complaining that I’m making something out of nothing, let’s break it down to see why it’s bad.

• The first part of the sentence is "get xxx". Does that sound familiar? Almost as if a hitman’s contract has been made on you, doesn’t it seem?
  Although the implication sounds morbid, that’s exactly what it sounds like; the intention is to "get" someone. Someone has been specifically targeted for the task at hand.
• The second part is "to do yyy" - something they can’t (or in many cases, simply won’t) do. Basically it’s intended to load someone with a burden, or in most cases to pass the resonsibility on to someone else.
  Sometimes the task may be trivial, but you can bet there’ll be several more like it if you accept it.
• The whole term "get xxx to do yyy" implies controlling another person, or at least coercing them into doing what you or someone else wants, with little to no regard of how difficult it might be for them.

Let me know what you reckon.