IX: Writeth As Thous Speaketh, Else Pomposity Resulteth

Scot Witt, Monday, September 3, 2007 @ 11:50 am

OK, I'm going to start this one with a question:

What is a lyric?

Wrong.

Dictionary.com defines it as: Of or relating to a category of poetry that expresses subjective thoughts and feelings.

Don't feel bad, I got it wrong, too. And I took four literature courses in college.

The point here, is what you think you're saying ain't necessarily what your reader  picks up.

Are you a David Letterman fan? Me, too. But every album -- sorry- showing my age-- CD, book or movie he's plugging for someone is 'entitled' xxxxxxxx. Sorry, Dave. That's why you were a C student at Ball State and endowed a scholarship for average students. The CD, book or movie is titled, it's not entitled to a dang thing.

And, Dave, it makes you sound pompous- but a delightfully ignorant pompous.

That's why I used to read my stuff out loud. I learned if I wrote the way I spoke (talking is pretty much writing without the thought, organization and presentation tips), I'd be pretty close in terms of vocabulary, active voice (it's pretty hard to speak in passive voice unless you're talking to a cop or a lawyer) and audience understanding.

Leave the three-plus syllable words to the academics, Scrabble (tm) and your crossword puzzles. Real people have to read and understand your stuff.

• Orient is a three syllable word. Orientate means the same thing. Guess which one is pompous?
• Initiate is a really cool word. Start is simpler.
• Yes, Inflammable means the same thing as Flammable. But is your 87-year old neighbor going to understand that in a crisis? Use Flammable.
• Utilize. I still don't understand why this dollar word is useful. Use 'use.'
• Integrate makes you sound extraordinarily superior. But unless you're a software BA, add or include are simpler and mean the same thing, depending on the context.

There are four or five gazillion more examples. Edwin Newman's book, Strictly Speaking, got me looking at word use back in high school. Most of the time I smile to myself when I see and read them. Others are like finger nails on a chalkboard.

So I'll end this one with a question:

Why would you want to be considered an under-educated writer or a pompous you-know-what?

The Last Commandment: Chunkin' to the oldies.

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