…or almost any piece of writing, really: “In the age of…” [Oh, THAT age.] “We live in an age when…” [Of course we do.] “It’s hard to know what to make of [Title] by [Author]…” [It’s your job to make *something* of it.] (Filed under “Reminders to Self, or Things to Leave on the Editing-Room… Continue reading »
Archives for Word Choice/Choice Words
Does Crisis Talk Hurt Libraries More Than It Helps Them?
This is a week to be grateful. I’m grateful for many things, including libraries. I like to visit them. I like taking my kids to them. I like writing about them. It makes me sad whenever I hear that a library has to cut staff or services or that it can’t buy the materials it… Continue reading »
Stylish Prose
You wouldn’t guess it from my wardrobe, but I subscribe to Lucky magazine. Is it worth the $12 bucks a year? You bet! Forget the fashions–I read Lucky for the prose stylings. For instance, the October issue has me asking: Are mustard-colored trousers really “huge for fall”? (Is this good news for plus-size women?) Can… Continue reading »
Synonymania
One of the occupational hazards of journalism is that you become dependent on certain words and phrases. There’s “says,” unavoidably. At least it’s short and unobtrusive enough to be glossed over by a reader, even if it turns up dozens of times in a story. Shorthand and economy are useful things when you have a… Continue reading »
Everything Old Is New Again
It occurred to me the other day that it’s become refreshing to hear someone drop a good old-fashioned cliche. Put the cart before the horse. Make a mountain out of a molehill, please. Let the wheels come off the wagon. (Just don’t throw me under the bus.) Why? I think it has to do with… Continue reading »
