The article addresses a recent discussion about exorbitant salaries in the Brazilian judiciary, sparked by a judge's objection to the term "penduricalho" (extra benefit). The judge emphasized that the situation should not be trivialized by such a label, indicating a need for more precise language in public discussions surrounding legal and political issues. This objection reflects broader concerns regarding how language can shape public perception and discourse.

In the historical context, the article references the concept of "desnominação" from cultural critic Roland Barthes, where terminology is intentionally altered to soften the impact of certain realities. For instance, political parties have historically chosen euphemisms to mask their true intentions or affiliations, such as the use of "democratic union" to describe a coalition of landowners and conservatives. This reticence to call something by its true name extends to various societal issues, where terms like "cancer" or "prostitute" have been substituted with softer descriptions to avoid confronting harsh realities.

The author argues that this linguistic manipulation diminishes the seriousness of issues like crime and corruption in Brazil. For example, the term "quadrilha" (gang) has been replaced with "clã" (clan) to evade the connotations associated with organized crime. By obscuring the language surrounding judicial salaries and political crime, such practices can contribute to a public misunderstanding of these critical issues, thereby hindering the accountability and transparency necessary for addressing them in Brazilian society.