Monthly Archives: November 2015

More on Clichés …

From professor Jonathan Mayhew: One of Orwell’s sillier pieces of writing advice is “Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.” Orwell advises “scrapping of every word or idiom which … Continue reading

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Clichés Used in Journalism

The Washington Post compiles a helpful list; it’s up to 200. I am guilty of using the following in speaking (and the first one listed here in writing, too – alas): Any “not-un” formulation (as in “not unsurprising that you’d … Continue reading

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Writing and editing for the computer screen

Lawyer and language genius Bryan Garner over at LawProse.org spells out, in typically lucid fashion, how to compose documents when you know they will be read on a computer screen rather than on paper. 1.Summarize. It’s important to learn the … Continue reading

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No Word

A friend in the media emailed me this morning: “Everyone keeps talking about hostages having been taken in Paris. Doesn’t the word ‘hostage’ imply a demand on the part of the terrorists? They made no demands; they intended all along … Continue reading

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Ricotta / Ree-goat

In Fairport, New York, where I grew up, there were lots of Italian American families, and I had many Italian American friends (still do). I married an Italian American from Liverpool, New York, and have a son from this marriage … Continue reading

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“Sedulous aping”

 “Memory” – or memoria – is one of the five canons of classical rhetoric. Write Brett and Kate McKay in their excellent blog “The Art of Manliness”: Anciently, almost all rhetorical communication was done orally in the public forum. Ancient … Continue reading

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“Epic translation success”

Read more at the always alert, amusing, and erudite Language Log.

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