empty semantics
An insult derived from an irrelevant but pithy-sounding technical term. Combining the perjorative and jargon terms feigns a deep, smart reason for refusing to shed ignorance.
James felt fearful and unaccustomed to using his own mind and habitually ceased his thinking at the perimeter of his peer group's established belief system. When someone posted an article with ideas threatening its gossamer bonds, his instinct for conservation drove him to cry, "Empty semantics!"