Avoid Using “Very” Because It Makes Your Writing Very Weak

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“So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys – to woo women – and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do. It also won’t do in your essays.”
― N.H. Kleinbaum, Dead Poets Society

I’ve always thought that lazy writers are worse than “bad” writers – writers who just need to hone their craft. If we were to live by the quote above, I suppose I just revealed how I think of myself as a writer – at times, at least.

There is no point in denying it – I use “very” more than I should.

How about you? Are you aware of how often you use the word? [Read more…]

13 Grammar Mistakes Beautiful People Don’t Make

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I have a feeling I’m going to get in trouble with this post’s title, but I have to admit that I didn’t come up with it. It’s the exact title of a post featuring an infographic created by the guys at The Expert Editor (who sent me this tip). A title that will catch attention for sure – whether positive or not, I’m sure I’ll find out soon.

On that note, I want to bring up an alternative title: 13 Grammar Mistakes Sexy People Don’t Make.

After all, they say that proper use of grammar is sexy.

grammar memes

Source

Should I just stop now, and go straight to the common grammar mistakes we don’t make (or shouldn’t be making)?

Yes. I think I’ll do that. [Read more…]

Common Crutch Words. What’s Yours?

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Crutch

Crutch

This morning, I just read – again – an old article published by The Atlantic Wire. Titled “A Literal Epidemic of Crutch Words“, the article highlights words and phrases that we tend to use loosely, both in formal and informal conversation. Going through the list, I couldn’t help but think that writers are not exempt from leaning on crutch words and phrases.

Here are some of the phrases/words that I see often – and might have a beef with.

Exponentially. “How could you leave out exponentially, a crutch word that might be used accurately once in a thousand times? Something grows exponentially when it grows by the same factor repeatedly over many periods of time, as in compound interest or the population of rabbits in the absence of predators. The exponent can be negative as well, but when used as a crutch the speaker never is referring to that aspect!”

Going forward. Better to give an actual implementation/start date to which one will go forward, because save a time machine, we are not going backward. A commenter says of this one, simply, “Ugh.”

If you will. One commenter marks it as the sure sign of a whopper, making an example of Dick Cheney: “They’re in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.”

In fairness/to be fair. The thing about life is, nothing is, though your sense of justice in in the right place. But also, why be fair? Just be sure of what you want to say.

There’s more where those phrases came from, but be prepared to feel a sting or two if (when?) you see your crutch word/phrase made fun of. The truth hurts, but the chances are you have you own set of phrases and words that you automatically use for certain scenarios. I think I have dwelled on this topic before, and I am the first to cringe whenever I see myself overusing words such as “actually”, “truth be told”, “at the end of the day”, and “awesome”.

What does it mean if you use crutch words?

I don’t think it means you’re a bad writer. It probably just means you need to read more, shake up your writing a bit, and stop working on autopilot. That’s what I have been telling myself all day!

What are your crutch words?

Image via Darrelhoff

The Worst Words of 2012 – What to Avoid in 2013

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banI was planning to work on this entry earlier this month, but as you know, the Universe and I weren’t exactly on the same page. Still, all’s well that ends well, and I hope I am not incorrect in thinking that it’s not too late to take a look at some of the worst words of 2012. Not only can it be fun, it might also come in handy as we continue churning out our pieces this year.

Usually, at the end/beginning of each year, I like taking a look at Lake Superior State University’s list of banished words. What they do is compile a list of words that have been overused in the past year and ban them from use in the new year.

While there is no enforcement involved whatsoever (at least that’s how I see it), looking at those words is an interesting activity. In 2012, words that were banished (overused in 2011) included “amazing”, “occupy”, and “baby bump”. I sure failed at NOT using the first one! You?

Lake Superior State University’s list of banished words

This year, the worst words/phrases of 2012 (banished for 2013) are:

  • fiscal cliff
  • kick the can down the road
  • double down
  • job creators/creation
  • passion/passionate
  • YOLO
  • spoiler alert
  • bucket list
  • trending
  • superfood
  • boneless wings
  • guru

I found myself chuckling at several words, as I wholeheartedly agree with banishing them: YOLO, passion/passionate, trending, and guru. Or am I being too harsh?

The Atlantic Wire’s guide to the worst words of 2012

Lake Superior State University is not alone in being touchy about word usage. The Atlantic Wire threw made their opinion known in this regard as well, pinpointing words labeled as the worst. I do like their disclaimer:

We mean no offense to these words, even when we call them despicable. One woman’s worst word might be another’s best. Bad words are a matter of opinion, and each is entitled to his own. And sometimes by hating a word, you—strangely—grow to love it.

It’s a pretty long list, but I particularly like – or dislike, you know what I mean – the following:

  • artisanal (I have to admit my pantry has seen more than its fair share of artisanal food items, though.)
  • disrupt (This is overused in the startup scene.)
  • epic (I think this was already highlighted in 2011, but it just won’t go away!)
  • hipster (I still think of my mum’s preference for underwear. Sorry if that’s TMI!)
  • legitimate rape (Where do I begin?)
  • organically (Pretentious is the word.)

Overused words in PR

If you’re a PR writer, you’ll find this infographic by Shift Communications useful. It details the most overused words in press releases for 2012.

overused2012

Are you guilty of overusing these words?

What’s on your list?

As the guys at Atlantic Wire said, disliked words can be subjective. That being said, what do you consider the worst words of 2012? Are you consciously avoiding any words in your writing this year? Let us know in the comments!

What Do You Call Someone Who Protests?

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Protestors
Last year could very well be called the year of protests. We’re only halfway through this year, but I guess we can say that protests are still the “in” thing.

Now please remember that this is a grammar column and not a political one, so let’s forget about the latter aspect of the word. Instead, why don’t we take a look at a noun derived from the word “protest”? What do you call a person who protests?

Is he a protester, or is he a protestor?

A quick look at online dictionaries will not give you a single answer. It seems that it goes both ways. It could be one of those things that depend on style and preference.

In fact, if you are well-versed in the AP style, you probably immediately thought “protester”, and there’s nothing wrong with that! What I found interesting, though, is the statement of John Simpson, the chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary.

From what I read in an article published by The Atlantic Wire, Simpson says “the variation [in using -er or -or] tends to indicate a level of expertise”. ((The Atlantic Wire)) He expounds:

“The suffix -er is the regular one used in English for agent nouns (nouns for people who do things, like protest). If we leave aside (a) words formed on verbs in -ate, where -or is normal, and (b) words in which the stem isn’t a verb at all, like doctor, then I think that the general feeling is that -or implies a rather specialized, technical, or professional role (as with advisor in contrast to adviser). But I should stress that this is only a tendency–one finds instances of both spellings.”

That’s something I learned today. I hope it will be of some use to you as well.

So which form do you use? Does this post change anything?

Image via jsgraphicdesign

The Art of Dishing Out Insults

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Why would anyone want to dish out insults? I am a firm believer in courtesy and respecting other people. As much as I can, I keep insults to the minimum. However, I have to admit that there are times when you just can’t help but think insulting things. You might even be justified on certain occasions.

If you are a writer, you’ll probably have more reason to make an insulting remark or two. I think that this is especially true if you write fiction, and your characters have a rough edge to them. So is there an art to dishing out insults? Probably.

I will not claim to be an expert in this matter, but I have found some interesting words that can be used to insult others. The fun part is that the recipient just might not get the fact that he is being looked down on. Here are some of my picks.

DISCLAIMER: In spite of the examples that I will be using below, I am not suggesting you go insulting others with this post. Let’s just look at it as an exercise in expanding your vocabulary.

Superbious

The next time someone behaves like a condescending [insert insult here], be a little more creative and say “You’re superbious!” He might even think that you are giving him a compliment instead of the other way around! Of course, that all depends on how much sarcasm you put into your tone.

Buncombe

How many times have you called BS on a statement? While it is a commonly used term, especially in informal situations, there are many situations when you might not want to use it. How about buncombe instead? It basically means the same thing, and it does not sound as crass.

Cockalorum

I like this word, if only for the reason that it reminds me of a rooster. It is used to refer to a person who is full of himself – a boastful, self-important person. I am sure you know a cockalorum or two!

Mumpsimus

Doesn’t this sound just as silly as the previous insult? If someone tells you you’re a mumpsimus, you better do a self-evaluation. This word refers to someone who is so stubborn that he continues making a mistake even after it has been pointed out.

Merriam-Webster has funny list of top 10 rare and amusing insults, if you want more.

Now remember what your mom always taught you about being polite!

Image via the|G|

10 Unusual Collective Nouns

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Do you find yourself checking the thesaurus often lately? I don’t know about you, but I do love checking for new words to use regularly. This is especially true for when I find myself using the same words too much. Sometimes, I am not even aware of that fact, but the thesaurus does help! Of course, I still believe that nothing beats reading voraciously when it comes to vocabulary expansion.

I found this infographic that presents 10 supposedly unusual collective nouns, which some of you might find interesting. To be honest, I don’t really think that the collective nouns in the infographic are all that unusual. However, information of this kind is always welcome – if not for its novel nature, it can always serve as a refresher.

So what are these 10 collection nouns?

  1. Stand
  2. Clump
  3. Brood
  4. Bevy
  5. Host
  6. Swarm
  7. Pride
  8. Bed
  9. School
  10. Band

The definitions and examples are seen in the infographic.
Collective Nouns Infographic

So tell me, do you find these collective nouns unusual at all? Do you use them in your work regularly?

On another note, I have a more fun and alternative way for you to discover new words. If you have an iPhone (or iPod Touch or iPad), and you like playing games in your free time, I suggest that you check out W.E.L.D.E.R. – if you are not playing it already. This word game is reminiscent of other puzzle/word games out there, but it can be rather difficult. More than the enjoyably challenging experience, what I like about this game is that you get to discover a whole lot of new words. Why don’t you give it a try?

Eschewing the Exotic for the Quotidian

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I like experiencing strange, new things. Not too new and too strange, mind you. I am not that adventurous, but I have found that new experiences almost always brings positive results.

When it comes to words, I also like learning new words and using them whenever possible, as naturally as possible. I do not know what you think about using new and uncommon words as often as you can, but I honestly would not be surprised if we share the same sentiment. I have to admit, that sometimes, I do have the propensity to choose words that may not be commonly used – if only because I like how the word sounds or looks.

Then I read an old blog post over at The New York Times. ((Words We Love Too Much)) The topic focused on the use of the “somewhat out-of-the-ordinary word” and how the practice can be perfect at times but how it can also make it appear as if the writer were trying too hard.

That made me think about how I choose my words. Some questions that came to mind:

  • Do I follow a mental process when deciding on a particular word to use?
  • Do I consciously pick the word that is less ordinary?
  • Do I often check the dictionary or thesaurus to find a synonym if I can’t immediately think of the “perfect” word for the situation?

I have to admit that I have been chewing on these questions for the past hour or so, and except for the last question, I have no clear answer! I do know that I will not hesitate to look up a word when I am uncertain.

Going back to the NYT blog post, two words were put under the spotlight: eschew and quotidian.

Since I do not read the NYT all that much, I am in no position to judge whether they overuse those words or not. However, I think that I do understand why they would have leaned towards using those words often. Do you?

Then again, the author’s parting words on the topic got me thinking:

Now comes my standard “fancy word” disclaimer: I’m not suggesting a ban on “eschew,” “quotidian” or any other word. But let’s be judicious. And be aware that your striking word choice might seem less so if all your colleagues are using “quotidian” every day, too.

So what do you think? Should we eschew the exotic for the quotidian, or should we stick to how we do things at the moment? I have come to the conclusion that I will continue to choose words that I feel comfortable with (and that includes out-of-the-ordinary words that I like) and that will suit the particular audience I am writing for.

Oh, in case you’re wondering about the photo at the beginning of the post…Do you mind describing it using one sentence? Pay attention to how you choose your adjectives. 😉

Photo via calafellvalo

Are You Disinterested or Uninterested?

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Confused Art
The English language is such a beautiful thing, isn’t it? That is not to say that it is always simple. In fact, even native speakers make mistakes now and then. Even professional writers have their Waterloo.

The good thing is that as long as we are open to correction and learning, we can only become better. Today’s grammar post is all about words that are often used interchangeably, often incorrectly. We already took a look at some word pairs that give people problems some time last year. Remember ingenuous and ingenious?

This time around, let us take a look at other word pairs. You might discover a thing or two!

Disinterested and Uninterested

These two words are often considered to be synonyms, but they are not. Here are their definitions, courtesy of Merriam-Webster.

DISINTERESTED: free from selfish motive or interest : unbiased (a disinterested decision)
UNINTERESTED: not interested : not having the mind or feelings engaged (the teacher decided to make a career change after having to teach yet another class of uninterested teens)

See the difference? The first one is all about being impartial, while the second refers to not caring about something.

It is good to delve a little deeper, however, and look at popular usage paired with the history of the words. Merriam-Webster gives a clear idea of how these two words may be interchanged, especially if you know what you are doing. I think that is the license that the great writers have!

In any case, if you are simply referring to an unbiased state, go for “disinterested”.

Farther and Further

I cannot count the number of times I have heard or seen these two words used interchangeably. My more outspoken friends have even called out people for doing so. Not that I am saying it’s correct to use one in lieu of the other, but calling out people on Facebook (or some other public venue) can result in a complicated mess. I agree with pointing out mistakes constructively, but I think it should be done tastefully. In any case, I digress.

“Farther” and “further” are very similar. However, the former refers to physical or measurable distance. The latter refers to metaphorical or abstract concepts. Take a look at the two examples below.

My feet are killing me. I cannot walk any farther.
I don’t want to argue. Let’s not discuss this any further.

Simple, isn’t it?

Envy and Jealousy

It’s the month of love, so I suppose that a short discussion of these two words is appropriate. The difference is slight. We use “envy” to refer to the feeling we experience when we long for what others possess or experience. You may have envy of someone else’s success. “Jealousy”, on the other hand, has a little more negative connotation, and is often used in relationships (though not exclusively). It is also used for situations wherein a person fears competition strongly, as in “jealous rivalries in the corporate scene”.

Image via Amanda

2011 Word of the Year

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Word of the Year

Word of the Year

In 2010, we were treated to a interesting new word courtesy of Sarah Palin. “Refudiate“, which did not exist prior to Palin’s usage, made it as the New Oxford American Dictionary’s Word of the Year. It was also included in the dictionary as a real word.

Halfway into the first month of 2012, we have several words to consider as Word of the Year for 2011. A simple search on Google using that phrase yielded several results, three of which we will take a look at in this week’s grammar post.

Merriam-Webster: PRAGMATIC

“Pragmatic” is a commonly used word, isn’t it? Merriam-Webster’s official definition ((Pragmatic)):

Relating to matters of fact or practical affairs often to the exclusion of intellectual or artistic matters : practical as opposed to idealistic [pragmatic men of power have had no time or inclination to deal with … social morality — K. B. Clark]

So why is this Merriam-Webster’s choice? According to the panel, “pragmatic” was looked up so often via the online portal. Hence, it was the pragmatic choice for 2011 Word of the Year. I guess we cannot contest that!

I do find myself thinking about the underlying reasons people looked up “pragmatic” so much in 2011. Obviously, those people were not sure about the meaning of the word, but I can only guess what prompted those searches. Did news anchors and other similar personalities use pragmatic a lot? What do you think?

Oxford Dictionaries: SQUEEZED MIDDLE

If Merriam-Webster chose a common word, Oxford Dictionaries chose something that is relatively uncommon. To be honest, I think that I had never encountered this term prior to doing the research for this post. Have you? Then again, I am more exposed to American English (no judgement here), so my ignorance of this term is understandable.

Funnily enough, Oxford Dictionaries (Online) does not yield results when I search for the term.
Oxford Dictionaries Squeezed Middle

Based on the OD blog post about their chosen Word of the Year, “squeezed middle” refers to “those seen as bearing the brunt of government tax burdens whilst having the least with which to relieve it”. The reason for the choice? The use of the term spread very quickly. Also, with the economic situation presumably not improving drastically in the near future, the use of the term is likely to continue.

Dictionary.com: TERGIVERSATE

Last, but definitely not the least, we have the 2011 Word of the Year as chosen by Dictionary.com. Now I know some people who would rather die than admit that they refer to this site, but I shall not be as picky as they are. Sure, I have Merriam-Webster as my default, but I do visit Dictionary.com now and then.

So who has heard/read/used the word “tergiversate”? Not me. Here’s the definition of the word ((Tergiversate)):

To change repeatedly one’s attitude or opinions with respect to a cause, subject, etc.; equivocate.

I laughed when I read the definition, because it is so simple, as opposed to actually pronouncing “tergiversate”! I will tell you now, though, that I am making it a point to use this word before the month ends – both in writing and (God help me) in speaking.

What do you think of the choices for 2011 Word of the Year? Are they appropriate to what happened in the past year? What would you have voted for if you were asked to nominate a word?

Image via jennibu1
Sources:
Chicago Sun Times
Oxford Dictionaries Blog
Dictionary.com

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