“A physicist friend of mine once said that in facing death, he drew some consolation from the reflection that he would never again have to look up the word ‘hermeneutic’ in the dictionary.”–Steven Weinberg
Once on a bus I overheard a couple of teenagers having a conversation that sounded something like this: “So, I’m like… and she’s like…So, I go…” “You didn’t! So, she’s like….. and you’re like…” “Yeah, no kidding!” “Get out!” No one could accuse these kids of being wordy. The staccato phrases were accompanied by facial … More Say What You Mean
“If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them.”–George Orwell
George Orwell’s Rules of Good Writing Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. Never use a long word where a short one will do. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Never use the passive where you can … More Orwell Again
“If you do not have the possibility of abandoning your religion, you do not enjoy the possibility of freely embracing it, either.” ― Paul Berman
“The dominant theories of elite art and criticism in the 20th century grew out of a militant denial of human nature. One legacy is ugly, baffling, and insulting art. The other is pretentious and unintelligible scholarship. And they’re surprised that people are staying away in droves?” ― Steven Pinker, The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial … More Quote of the Day
Using too many words per thought is actually a bigger problem than bad grammar in writing these days. In many cases, bad grammar—i.e., usage that violates the rules of Standard English—doesn’t affect meaning at all. Look at these two sentences: Jadwiga don’t got no cigarettes. Jadwiga doesn’t have any cigarettes. Both … More Wordiness Again
Well, actually two quotes: “We can clearly see that there is no bi-univocal correspondence between linear signifying links or archi-writing, depending on the author, and this multireferential, multi-dimensional machinic catalysis. The symmetry of scale, the transversality, the pathic non-discursive character of their expansion: all these dimensions remove us from the logic of the excluded middle … More Quote of the Day
There are some good reasons for writing wordy, incomprehensible prose. Suppose you need to write about some topic, but what you have to say is mostly simple and obvious. You’re afraid you will look like a fool. But it is possible to take the simple and obvious and make it really complicated and obscure. Here’s the … More Obscurity Can Seem Profound
Of the following sentences, only three are correct. Can you spot the errors? Elmo’s mother who is from Nevada loves to play poker. Everybody, including the players and the fans, were surprised by the easy victory. As a teenager, politics never interested Stephen. Colbart has a bad habit of barging in rooms without knocking. Walking … More Spotting Errors
No Harm Spilt 