Tags
Indefinite Numbers, Overused Words, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words, writers, writing
Words indicating indefinite numbers are sneaky and vague.
Sure, we need to use these words when we say something like, “Some pizza-lovers like anchovies.” In this case, we don’t know exactly how many crazy people there are in the world.
However, if you can be specific, it adds pop to the sentence.
I had some ice cream last night.
Yum. What flavor?
I ate a gallon of anchovy ice cream in one sitting.
~~~~~
Many people follow my wildly popular blog.
That’s cool. How many?
Three fellow-bloggers follow my wildly popular blog.
~~~~~
A few people hit “like” on my blog about anchovies.
Anchovies are fascinating, aren’t they?
My blog about anchovies received zero “likes.”
~~~~~
I had a couple of drinks to numb the pain.
Did you lace the drinks with anchovies?
After six shots of vodka I decided to change the theme of my blog from anchovies to the fine art of distilling vodka.
Other indefinite numbers are (can you think of more?):
A lot, a ton, a boatload, a truckload, a bunch, a bit, a tad
Gobs, heaps, oodles, scads, smidgeon
Gazillion, kabillion,
Several
Most
Any
However, I do like the word umpteen.
Happy three-day weekend everyone. I’ll be back next week.
For advice on other words that sneak into your writing, clink on the links below:
- I Have a Problem with “That”
- Sneaky Little Words for the word GOT
- Strong vs Weak Words for the word WENT
- Strong vs Weak Words – Part 2 for the word PEOPLE
- Strong vs Weak Words – Part 3 for the words THING and STUFF
- Strong vs Weak Words – Part 4 for the words GO and GOING
- Strong vs Weak Words – Part 5 for the words ALWAYS and NEVER
- Strong vs Weak Words – Part 6 for the words PRETTY, SURE, and CERTAIN
- Strong vs Weak Words – Part 7 for the word HAD and HAVE
- Strong vs Weak Words – Part 8 for the word JUST
- Strong vs Weak Words – Part 9 for the word ALL
- Moldy Verbs, Adverbs, and Intensifiers
Robin Coyle 
I hope you don’t mind that I’m am borrowing this image? Gave you credit and a link.
Don’t mind at all. I can’t remember where I found it.
I like what you have going on here, so I’m happy to be linked up to it.
Well, thank you very much! I’ll swing by your place again for a visit.
Tread carefully 🙂
We don’t have insurance.
I’ll watch my step, but will still sue you at the least provocation.
A fine opportunity to make a little spending money. I couldn’t blame you.
Pingback: Strong vs Weak Words – Part 13 « Robin Coyle
Pingback: Strong vs Weak Words – Part 12 « Robin Coyle
Aaaack! Now I’m going to have anchovies and vodka all mixed up for the rest of the day. lol
Nasty.
Pingback: Strong vs Weak Words – Part 11 « Robin Coyle
Can see you had lots of fun with that one, dear!
Indeed. It was painfully fun.
What, you mean the next morning after the vodka and anchovies experiments?
Yes, Ouch. Hangover and upset tummy city.
OOOOH:)
Pingback: Strong vs. Weak Words – Part 7 Revisited « Robin Coyle
My old English teacher will be spinning in his grave – he HATED the word ‘like’. Just as well he didn’t get to witness the internet. 🙂
I agree with your old English teacher. I’m not a fan of “you know” either! As in, “She was like, you know, flunking English.”
I love the word umpteen, it feels good to say, almost onomatopoeiaic. Like you can imagine it to have a sort of clunking sound to it… 🙂
A very fun post, as always, Robin! 🙂 How are you getting on? Are you still Spam?! I hope not!
When she was around 10-years-old, our daughter named her goldfish Onomatopoeia because she liked saying the word.
My spam problem was resolved with the help of Mark at Askimet tech support. What a relief! It was a very frustrating time. Thanks for asking! How are you getting on? Did you make your move yet?
Ha, that’s fantastic! 🙂 Shame she didn’t have a full tank and she could have called them ‘Simile’ and ‘Metaphor’ and that grumpy one in the corner could be ‘Pathetic Fallacy’. Ha. I’m too easily pleased! 🙂
I have handed in my resignation! (EEK!) I’m not actually leaving my job until the last day of August but we have the summer holidays coming soon… just need to get myself a part time job for when I’m back home now! (Fingers crossed!)
Glad you’re all sorted out, that’s a relief. It really sucks when technology isn’t playing ball!
HAHAHAHAHAH. That made me laugh out loud! Love the grumpy one in the corner’s name. I may dash out to buy some goldfish because I now have a delightful collection of literary names.
Well good luck to you with your job search and move. What an exciting time for you, but I will keep my fingers crossed for you too.
Good, I’m glad I’m spending the joy with my zany, madcap imagination! 🙂
Yes, I’m still at the ‘I’m scared’ section of the adventure, but it’s good. I need this new challenge and new direction and I’m really grateful for the support and the good vibes! Thank you! 🙂
What a great topic. When I took creative writing in college, we had to do an excercise where we wrote a story based on a prompt, and we could not use any adjectives. I still think about that when I write. Adjectives are so easily overused and can be a crutch for lazy writing.
Following this blog!
Wow. Writing with NO adjectives? That would be tricky. I rarely use adverbs and keep adjectives interesting, but NO adjectives? How did you do? Thanks for the follow!
I am very happy to be in such good company.
We rock, don’t we?
BTW the box to uncheck is gone! what does that mean?
I took it off my blog. But thanks for the reminder. I need to change the verbiage where I say “Leave a comment and . . . ”
ah…
i still like gazillion though!
Me too. Gazillion has its place.
I am overwhelmed! How did I pickup so many bad habits. Thanks Robin. You have a nice way of pointing out better uses of the English language and I LIKE this. LOL.
Hey Tess – don’t despair. Judging by the comments here, we are in good company!
I’ve reached the stage of needing a second page in my notebook to list these words.
Thank you 🙂
Ha ha! Me too.
I’m noticing these weaknesses throughout my writing. Thanks for sharing these!
My pleasure. I am glad you are finding this helpful, not annoying!
I’ve added these to my list, plus “bit” which may be Aussie, “I’ll have a bit of toast” but the Scottish “wee” as in “I’ll have a wee dram” surely must be ok….
But “wee” and “bit” sound so charming! I use “tad” which I think is charming too.
I don’t know much, but I do know I have a motherload of past blog posts to read. Do you ever wonder about mass nouns: like water and bread. I want to bend them somehow.
I’m sorry – I don’t follow what you mean.
My bad, it’s like saying I ate four breads and three waters and now I’m going to explode! We’d never think of “three waters” as expectable before the day of ordering bottled water. And if I say I ate four breads, we all conclude that I ate four different kinds of bread or I might have just said I ate “a lot” of bread and drank a “ton” of water and now my belly’s going to pop!
Oh now I see. I hadn’t considered, as you put it, mass nouns.
another great post. Have a great weekend!
You too! And, thank you.
I’ll just have to see of some of these things are in my WIPs…. 😉
Have a great weekend!
Isn’t it funny how we are all talking it this strange code. You JUST have a great weekend too!
Hi,
I had a good laugh about the vodka, that was so well written. 🙂
Enjoy your long weekend.
Ha ha! Happy to amuse!
Enjoy your long weekend too.
Unfortunately no long weekend for us here in Oz, but we had a long weekend not that long ago, Labour Day on the 7th May
Oh of course. Duh. I knew that. Our Labor Day is in September.
Oooh. I like kabillion. Must use that in a sentence during the three-day weekend. Maybe it won’t count against me if I use it during a holiday. ; )
It won’t count against you because the true reason we have this upcoming three-day weekend is to celebrate the word kabillion AND to honor those who fought for us. Little known fact.
I like the word umpteen almost as much as gazillion
I’m a fan of gazillion too.