-When Communications break down.

Opinion: English is the coolest language in the world. Why?

Just is. Even if the “Academie Francais” (French language police) see it as their personal nemesis.
They run around France fining people if they speak or write English.

For that matter, they’re not fond of dialects developing. These learnéd chaps (Chappés?) protested when the government tried to protect localisms by law.

If English is the official arch nemesis of  “Les Immortels,” (their little nickname) who redden avec l’steaming ears and le flaréd nostrilés at words like “discombobulate,”  “dude,” and “awesome,” then English is a frippin’ cool language!

But that’s not why I’m here.
Languages have their strengths and ambiguities: here’s a nice one from English for you to play around with:

“Break down.”

The phone pic was for a client who noted customers have no way to communicate needs to large corporate entities, that even WITHIN the corporate structure not everyone could be on the same page.
Communication is missing: The client wanted a solution.

I haven’t got one, but BOY ain’t “communication breakdown” a dandy  phrase!

If you were to “Break it down” it could mean any manner of things:

If you were to “Break it down”
it could mean
any manner of things:

A break down is a mechanical failure.
It’s when you call on AA for a tow truck (if your subscription is current).

A break down could also be a complete emotional collapse, when your mind and spirit fail so badly even your body starts to shut down. Known in the business as “going loopy.”

However,
Plastics are problematic because they DON’T break down, they never need a tow truck nor a psychiatrist, and yet we know this is a bad thing. Psychiatrists and tow trucks are therefore known as “Eco-friendly.”

Let’s look a little further…

When a tent is too big to keep inside we break it down so it can sit in a small container. That’s known as “economy.” If we transport it we prefer it to be broken down too. Wind becomes a real pig on the road if an awning is assembled on the roof rack.

Lastly, when we need a solution to something big what do we do?
We break it down.
In this case it means to look at the parts of the problem and see if it is easier to understand.
The answer may be found in dealing with the components of a thing rather than ramming the windmill as a whole.
This breaking down is also known as “management:” sorting things a layer at a time.

Breaking something down can be easy, eco-friendly, economic and expose answers.
And yet a “communication breakdown” means…?