Do I Make Myself Clear?
Why Writing Well Matters
Harold Evans
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8 quotes
Chapter 5
- The zombie is a noun that’s devoured a verb: implementation, assessment, authorization, documentation, participation, transmittal, realization… all zombiesAug 19 2023 1:35PM
- The proliferation of nominalizations in a discursive formation may be an indication of a tendency toward pomposity and abstraction. Seven zombies inhabit that sentence, the offspring of five verbs and two adjectives. Ms. Sword eliminates or reanimates most of the zombie nouns, adds a human subject, and the sentence springs to life: Writers who overload their sentences with nominalizations tend to sound pompous and abstractAug 19 2023 1:34PM
- When he wrote that essay, container shipping, leading to containerize and the zombie containerization, had not arrived, but Ms. Sword brings us grimly up to date with what happens when zombies “gather in jargon-generating packs and infect every noun, verb and adjective in sight.” We began with globe (1551) which became global (1676), then globalize (1953), and since 1961 we’ve enjoyed globalization. The most scary combination is a sentence in the passive voice infiltrated by a zombie; the sentence can become two or three times as long.Aug 19 2023 1:36PM
- Flesh-Eater: A man/woman by the name of Preferred: Named Flesh-Eater: At the present time Preferred: When Flesh-Eater: At this point in time Preferred: Now Flesh-Eater: At an early date Preferred: Soon Flesh-Eater: A number of Preferred: Several, many Flesh-Eater: An adequate number of Preferred: Enough Flesh-Eater: A sufficient number of Preferred: Enough Flesh-Eater: Absence of Preferred: No Flesh-Eater: Along the lines of Preferred: Like Flesh-Eater: Accede to Preferred: Grant/allow Flesh-Eater: Accordingly Preferred: So Flesh-Eater: Acquaint Preferred: Tell Flesh-Eater: Adjacent to Preferred: Near Flesh-Eater: Ahead of schedule Preferred: Early Flesh-Eater: Arrangements are in the hands of Preferred: Arranged by Flesh-Eater: As far as… is concerned Preferred: As for Flesh-Eater: A percentage of Preferred: Some Flesh-Eater: Ascertain Preferred: Learn Flesh-Eater: Attired in Preferred: Wore Flesh-Eater: By means of Preferred: With/by Flesh-Eater: Best of health Preferred: Well/healthy Flesh-Eater: Called a halt Preferred: Stopped Flesh-Eater: Carry out the work Preferred: Do the work Flesh-Eater: Caused injuries to Preferred: Injured Flesh-Eater: Concerning the matter of Preferred: About Flesh-Eater: Continue to remain Preferred: Stay Flesh-Eater: Currently Preferred: Now Flesh-Eater: Customary Preferred: Usual Flesh-Eater: Despite the fact that Preferred: Although Flesh-Eater: Due to the fact that Preferred: Because Flesh-Eater: Draw the attention of Preferred: Show/remind/point out Flesh-Eater: Described as Preferred: Called Flesh-Eater: During the time that Preferred: During Flesh-Eater: Exceeding the speed limit Preferred: Speeding Flesh-Eater: Enclosed herewith Preferred: Enclosed Flesh-Eater: Equivalent Preferred: Equal Flesh-Eater: From the point of view of Preferred: For Flesh-Eater: For the purpose of Preferred: To, for Flesh-Eater: For the reason of Preferred: Because Flesh-Eater: Facilitate the effort Preferred: Ease/help Flesh-Eater: From out of the Preferred: Out of/from Flesh-Eater: Filled to capacity Preferred: Full Flesh-Eater: Fundamental Preferred: Basic Flesh-Eater: Gained entrance to Preferred: Got in Flesh-Eater: Gathered together Preferred: Met Flesh-Eater: Give consideration to Preferred: Consider Flesh-Eater: Goes under the name of Preferred: Is called/known as Flesh-Eater: Give rise to Preferred: Cause Flesh-Eater: Hence why Preferred: Why Flesh-Eater: Implement Preferred: Carry out/fulfill/do Flesh-Eater: I am hopeful that Preferred: I hope Flesh-Eater: Impossible to discover Preferred: Cannot be found Flesh-Eater: In addition Preferred: Also Flesh-Eater: In the possession of Preferred: Has/have Flesh-Eater: In advance of our meeting Preferred: Before we meet Flesh-Eater: Inasmuch as Preferred: Given Flesh-Eater: In a satisfactory manner Preferred: Satisfactorily Flesh-Eater: In attendance Preferred: Present/there Flesh-Eater: In conjunction with Preferred: Together with Flesh-Eater: In accordance with Preferred: By/under Flesh-Eater: In consequence of Preferred: Because of Flesh-Eater: In isolation Preferred: By itself/alone Flesh-Eater: Initiate, institute Preferred: Start Flesh-Eater: In large measure Preferred: Largely Flesh-Eater: In the case of/ in terms of Preferred: Of Flesh-Eater: In many cases Preferred: Often Flesh-Eater: In order to Preferred: To Flesh-Eater: In recognition of the fact that Preferred: Recognizing that Flesh-Eater: In spite of the fact that Preferred: Despite/although Flesh-Eater: In succession Preferred: Running Flesh-Eater: In the course of Preferred: During/while Flesh-Eater: In the direction of Preferred: Toward Flesh-Eater: In the event of Preferred: In/if Flesh-Eater: In the field of Preferred: In/with Flesh-Eater: In the majority of instances Preferred: Mostly Flesh-Eater: In the vicinity/region/neighborhood of Preferred: About/near/around Flesh-Eater: In view of the fact that Preferred: Since/because Flesh-Eater: Is of the opinion Preferred: Believes Flesh-Eater: It cannot be denied that Preferred: Undeniably Flesh-Eater: It is often the case that Preferred: Often Flesh-Eater: Large volume of Preferred: Many Flesh-Eater: Leaving much to be desired Preferred: Unsatisfactory/bad Flesh-Eater: Less expensive Preferred: Cheaper Flesh-Eater: Low degree of interest Preferred: Little interest Flesh-Eater: Made an approach to Preferred: Approached Flesh-Eater: Made good their escape Preferred: Escaped Flesh-Eater: Measure up to Preferred: Fit/reach/match Flesh-Eater: Meet up with Preferred: Meet Flesh-Eater: Notwithstanding the fact that Preferred: Although Flesh-Eater: Occasioned by Preferred: Caused by Flesh-Eater: Of the order of Preferred: About Flesh-Eater: Off of Preferred: Off Flesh-Eater: One of the purposes Preferred: One purpose Flesh-Eater: One of the reasons Preferred: One reason Flesh-Eater: On account of the fact that Preferred: Because Flesh-Eater: On the grounds that Preferred: Since/because Flesh-Eater: Owing to the fact that Preferred: Because Flesh-Eater: On the part of Preferred: By Flesh-Eater: On a regular basis Preferred: Regularly Flesh-Eater: On a daily basis Preferred: Daily Flesh-Eater: Pay tribute to Preferred: Thank/praise/honor Flesh-Eater: Per annum Preferred: A year Flesh-Eater: Per capita Preferred: Per person Flesh-Eater: Performs the function of Preferred: Functions as Flesh-Eater: Placed under arrest Preferred: Arrested Flesh-Eater: Prove beneficial Preferred: Benefit Flesh-Eater: Put in an appearance Preferred: Appear Flesh-Eater: Prior/preparatory/previous to Preferred: Before Flesh-Eater: Provided that Preferred: If Flesh-Eater: Relative to the issue of Preferred: About Flesh-Eater: Retired for the night Preferred: Went to bed Flesh-Eater: Rendered assistance to Preferred: Helped Flesh-Eater: Request the appropriation of Preferred: Ask for (more) money Flesh-Eater: Retain her position as Preferred: Remain as Flesh-Eater: Serves the function of Preferred: Serves as Flesh-Eater: Substantiate Preferred: Prove Flesh-Eater: Submitted his resignation Preferred: Resigned Flesh-Eater: Succeeded in defeating Preferred: Defeated Flesh-Eater: Succumbed to his injuries Preferred: Died Flesh-Eater: Sufficient consideration Preferred: Enough thought Flesh-Eater: Shortfall in supplies Preferred: Shortage Flesh-Eater: So far as x is concerned Preferred: As for x Flesh-Eater: Special ceremonies marking the event were held Preferred: Ceremonies marked the event Flesh-Eater: Subsequent to Preferred: After Flesh-Eater: Sustained injuries Preferred: Was hurt Flesh-Eater: Take action on the issue Preferred: Act Flesh-Eater: This day and age Preferred: Today/nowadays Flesh-Eater: Took into consideration Preferred: Considered Flesh-Eater: The tools they employed Preferred: Their tools Flesh-Eater: The results so far achieved Preferred: The results Flesh-Eater: Under active consideration Preferred: Being considered Flesh-Eater: Until such time as Preferred: Until Flesh-Eater: Under preparation Preferred: Being prepared Flesh-Eater: Under the circumstances Preferred: In this/that case Flesh-Eater: Voiced approval Preferred: Approved Flesh-Eater: Was a witness of Preferred: Saw Flesh-Eater: Was suffering from Preferred: Had Flesh-Eater: We are of the opinion Preferred: We think Flesh-Eater: We are in receipt of Preferred: We received Flesh-Eater: Wend one’s way Preferred: Go Flesh-Eater: Will be the speaker at Preferred: Will speak Flesh-Eater: With the minimum of delay Preferred: As soon as possible/ASAP Flesh-Eater: With the result that Preferred: So Flesh-Eater: Worked their way Preferred: Went Flesh-Eater: With the exception of Preferred: Except Flesh-Eater: With a view to Preferred: To Flesh-Eater: With reference to Preferred: About Flesh-Eater: With regard to Preferred: About Flesh-Eater: With the result that Preferred: So that Flesh-Eater: When and if Preferred: WhenAug 19 2023 1:40PM
5. Please Don’t Feed the Zombies, Flesh-Eaters, and Pleonasms
- Helen Sword, a professor at the University of Auckland, is the creator of the more vivid term, a scary noun we will want to treat with circumspection (sic). “I call them ‘zombie nouns,’” she writes, “because they cannibalize active verbs, suck the lifeblood from adjectives and substitute abstract entities for human beings.”Sep 7 2022 3:02AM
Chapter 6
- If you cannot understand my argument, and declare “It’s Greek to me,” you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger; if your wish is father to the thought; if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremony, danced attendance (on your lord and master), laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool’s paradise—why, be that as it may, the more fool you, for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare; if you think it is early days and clear out bag and baggage, if you think it is high time and that that is the long and short of it, if you believe that the game is up and that truth will out even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you lie low till the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have your teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason, then—to give the devil his due—if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare; even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I was dead as a doornail, if you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, the devil incarnate, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then—by Jove! O Lord! Tut tut! For goodness’ sake! What the dickens! But me no buts!—it is all one to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare. —Bernard LevinAug 19 2023 1:43PM
Chapter 8
- Inveigle: To beguile or persuade by deceit and trickery. Think Iago.Sep 21 2023 2:17PM
- Literally: Ridiculous arguments about this from people who defend umpteen nonsense statements. “We were literally flooded with books.” “He literally went up in smoke.” “He literally exploded in anger.” Literally means “exactly, to the letter.” To say “He literally went up in smoke” means he was burned, exploded, et cetera.Sep 21 2023 2:18PM