Tags
editing tips, Self-editing, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words Editing Advice, writers, writing
We’ve talked about words that have cancerous growths on either end. The good news is, dear writers, the growths are operable. What words, you ask? Here are a few.
Irregardless
Orientated
Preventative
Combatative
Argumentative
Exploitative
You get the idea.
But there are some Mr. and Mrs. Webster approved words that don’t need to be . . . well, so wordy.
I challenge you to look at your words that end with –ical, -ity, -ize, and –ive.
Let’s try some on for size.
Robin is a wiz at doing mathematical problems in her head.
Not the last time we split our lunch bill.
Robin can’t do math, even with a calculator, abacus, or on all her finger and toes.
~~~~~
Is there any potentiality Robin will be Freshly Pressed again?
Nope.
Is there any potential Robin will be banned from Word Press?
~~~~~
Robin utilizes her blog as a place to educate, enlighten, and amuse.
Oh, please.
Robin uses her blog to blather on about inane subjects.
~~~~~
Robin gave me a definitive answer when I asked her to be a guest on my blog. She said, “NO.”
She is funny that way.
I gave Robin a definite answer when she asked me to read her book. I said, “No way, Jose.”
As we’ve heard before, don’t use a big word when a diminutive word will do. Make that, don’t use a big word when a small word will do.
Robin Coyle 
Irregardless, I love the word “irregardless.” I think it’s been one of my favorite non-words ever since my 12th grade English teacher, Mrs. Edith Head (but not THAT Edith Head!) chastised me daily for my hourly use of the word.
How cool would it have been to be taught by the other Edith Head?
I’d love to write an adhocracy answer but don’t want to anonymize or proceduralize your wonderful post 😉
Ha! Brilliant. I would like to operationalize your ideology but I don’t wish to minimalizitize your rumination.
So you’re not just a pretty face, Robin?
You possess literary talent, as well?
Good work!
Yes, Brains AND brawn.
Indeed!
Irregardless of how I am orientated towards the use of words, I apply preventative measures to avoid becoming over-wordy. And if WordPress ever dares to ban you, I will personally become combative, argumentative and maybe a little exploitative in my protests.
Glad to hear you are on my side! Go get ’em Eagle-Eyed!
This is one I do! Yippee!
It’s taken until part 41, but I’m not complaining. I hate it when writers use over-complicationings when writing. Just Say No!
I don’t like to over-complicationate any thing I do! Gosh, we are making up great words here, aren’t we?
The trick is to get one of your words accepted into the dictionary. Needs work 🙂
This is great, Robin! So, when is that book coming out? I want to utilize it to its full potentiality.
If I utilized my time with more effectiveness, the potentiality of me pulling the series together in a book is excellentialable.
“As we’ve heard before, don’t use a big word when a diminutive word will do. Make that, don’t use a big word when a small word will do.”
Phew. I don’t KNOW any big words. Does that mean I’m safe? My pet peeve is the use of the word: irregardless. Ich.
Love these post, Robin. You are doing an outstanding job and I am LEARNING something. A hard sell, but you’re doing it. Ha ha.
Oh, pshaw. You know lots of big words.
So glad to know you enjoy this series. I must get on with putting it in book form!
“Utilize” is one of my least favorite words, and everyone busts that one out, assuming that it’s a fancy way of saying “use,” when in fact, it has a somewhat different meaning. It annoys the bejeezus outta me.
The way you utilize the comment section is excellent.
Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.
I had that coming, didn’t I.
I utilized your comment as an opportunity to razz you. Tra la!
I see what you did there. Clever, Coyle. Very clever.
I generally applaud your sentiment, especially when it comes to words like “irregardless” that have been unnecessarily lengthened by ignorant people and are not actually words. However, you can’t always assume that a longer word that sounds similar to a shorter one has the same meaning. For example, “definite” and “definitive” are both perfectly good words that do not mean the same thing. “Definite” is simply the opposite of “indefinite”. It means clear and unambiguous. “Definitive” means something that defines the thing. (Not just a clear answer, but one that will stand for all time.) A less “wordy” alternative might be “defining,” but that doesn’t always have the right “feel” in every situation. (Sorry. Editor of scientific texts speaking here.)
I say, use the word that most precisely conveys what you are trying to say, regardless of its length.
I agree. Pick the word that says what you mean to say. These posts are meant to help folks think about the words they utilize (Ha! I mean, use.) and are not a definitive answer to all things writing. Thanks for weighing in, Carol.
Irregardless your opinion, you have tons of re-Freshly-Pressed potentiality.
I think your potentiality of being Freshly Pressed again too is excellent. Remember, we are FPBBFs!
Indeed we are.
Perhaps we should tell the Pressers, “You cant press me again unless you also press my FPBFF! And put us right next to each other next time; our blogs like to pass notes.”
But we might have to do detention for passing notes and holding hands under our desks. The Freshly Pressed folks know how to throw cold water on blogging friendships. Just kidding Freshly Pressers! I know you love us!
Yes, like Robin said.
You guys are super cool!
Like they are listening, or anything.
Hey, can I send you a blog post I’m thinking of doing? It is in regards to snarky comments and I might mention your Freshly Pressed experience. I won’t do it without you taking a look first.
Of course! I look forward to it!
I’m stewing about it. I’ll sent it to you before I do anything with it . . . Thanks, FPBBFF.
Brilliant, as usual, Robin. I cringe at the sound of “orientated.” I would have sworn it’s not a real word. As always, simple is better…
Thanks, Cathy! When someone says “orientated” or “preventative,” I roll my eyes in an unbecoming manner. However, if I’m not mistaken, the word “orientated” is acceptable in England. I think Vanessa told me that.
I believe you, Robin, but orientated just grates on my nerves!
Ha! Mine too!
in honor of sacramento beer week, which begins today, i plan to be disorientated all weekend.
Thanks for the warning, honey.
Ha! I like Dennis’s comment. ; ) Utilize is my least favorite of the ones you listed. FYI–there is a popular local restaurant named Irregardless… they named it that precisely because of its non-word status. It really works as a restaurant name… not so much as a word in our novels.
“Irregardless” is a great name for a restaurant. What kind of food do they serve? Word Wellington, Grammar Granola, and Punctuation Pot Pie?
You have succeeded where those before have failed. You have single-handedly shut up every executive in corporate America. Congratulations!
Oh, I’m sure they will continue orientating employees irregardless of what I write here.
Unfortunately, you are probably correct.
Good advice for life in general.
Keep it simple is my policy.
I work in a university, and long words and phrases run amok there. Amok I tell you! Some of the phrases are quite beautifully crafted though, for example, when the money is pulled on a project, we find ourselves ‘Operating in a funding-free environment’. And how much really does the ‘ology’ bit add to the word ‘method’ in ‘methodology’? And do we need to be given ‘notification’ rather than just ‘notice’?
Hahahaha! Those academics! “Funding-free environment”? Hilarious.
Here are some more of the “more is less” words . . . preplan, forewarn, pre-alert, etc. Don’t you just plan, warn, or alert?
Good ones, Robin!
Orientated is the one that gets me. It just sounds so wrong but for some reason I keep hearing it. I wasn’t even sure it was a real word.
And so many people say “preventative,” too. I heard it used on the radio in an ad for “preventative” healthcare options offered by a medical clinic. Sheesh.
Hurray, so many of my pet hates here – and then there’s ‘adjacent to’ instead of ‘next to’..
And of course in English we say things like took ‘ the lift to the flat,’ instead of took the ‘elevator to the apartment’…
And you also use the loo, which for some reason makes me giggle.
I’m so glad you mentioned irregardless … a dumb word – we all know Robin is going to do whatever she wants regardless. If she does it IRregardless is that like a double negative or something? And orientated is one that reealllly gets under my skin! Yay Robin.
Thanks, Lynne! Irregardless, preventative, and orientated are utilized by people who want to make my skin crawl. Ouch. It hurt just typing that sentence.
Positively-ical enjoyable read
“Positively-ical” is a great word! Thanks for inventing it.
I love your humor in the examples; if English as a subject had been this light and funny in school, perhaps my writing would be better!
This made me think of a warning I’ve given my nearly 8-year old son before: don’t use a big word or a fact to sound smart unless you are positive of its meaning! Case in point: this morning he told me, “Did you know Arizona doesn’t “absorb” Daylight Savings Time?”…”absorb? You mean observe, right?”. He just didn’t know that he was using the wrong word. Better to face correction at age seven from one’s mother than at school, right?
I think Arizona is always on daylight time, so in fact they do indeed absorb it, but they just do it year ’round, don’t fall back… 🙂
I hit on this method of talking about word choice when I realized that most books on writing and editing say, “don’t do this, don’t do that,” but don’t offer examples of what to do instead. I thought, might as well make it funny rather than preaching!
I like the idea of Arizona absorbing Daylight Savings Time. Your son is adorable.
I herewith note the stipulation in the above entitled matter… Legalese is the highest form of wordiness… and it surrounds me in the workplace. I struggle to escape as like earworms it is hard to dislodge… but I think, hope I’m gettig better at slowing down and thinking about what I’m trying to convey 😉
Legalese makes my eyes cross. I want to shout, “Just say it!” I take it you work for a law firm?
I do… in a legal support role… so I’m not contibuting to the legalese just co-existing 🙂
I cringe every time my bosses say ‘irregardless.’ In the back of my mind, I’m rewriting the ‘script’ and finding yet a new way to rebel.
With so many of us know “irregardless” isn’t a word, why do so many people use it? Even educated folks. My sister says it and I want to bonk her on the head.
I hate coming across the pseudo-word “orientate.” When I see a word like that –a fake word masquerading as a real word — in a piece of writing, it seems to signal to me that someone’s not taking their writing seriously. Great post!
Well, thank you very much, Christi! I didn’t talk about it in this post but I feel strongly about adverbs too. Sure, they have their time and place, but when I writer falls back on adverbs too much, I discount what they have to say. It goes to that whole “show, don’t tell” mantra.
In archaeology, we write about tool utilization all the time and utilize a host of other long words. Sometimes I utilize them purposely when the archaeologists in my novels are speaking. But I have to edit carefully to make sure I don’t overutilize them elsewhere. 😉
Oh, you wacky archaeologists! Utilizing tools and long words!
“Preventative” is one of my pet peeves. Preventive is the better way to say it. I guess that’s my medical background talking, but just thought I’d share my two cents. Whether you want them or not…
I’ll take your two cents any day, Dr. Rubin.
Good. Because that’s about all I get from a book sale…
Then you must be worth millions.
Haha. Again, I like your delusions.
I conjecture like you are proselytizing in the denomination of uncompromising lexicography.
But, it’s probably for the best.
Ha! Brillant. Excuse me while I look up lexicography.
Haha, you keep reminding me on the corporatese I’ve had to endure all these years! I’m so glad I don’t deal with it as much, it’s been liberating. Or wait, is that one on your list?
One of my “favorites” from my working days was “measurable results.”
I always enjoy your Strong words vs. Weak Words. There are words extended in the English language that do not need to be, which you are right on the subject!
Thanks, Rebecca! I’m so glad you enjoy this series. I can visualize you smiling. I mean, I have a vision of you smiling.
I was smiling. I’ve told you before when you put all of these notes of wisdom into a book, I’ll be one of the first people to buy it.
I really must do that. When I do, you will be the first to know! I wonder how the series will translate into a book.
I would have no blog posts if I got rid of all those words!
Ha! I don’t believe that for one minute.
thank you young lady – I take that as a comliment
me either. LOL!
🙂
I blame it on the business folk and their rapid fire assault on the English language daily. It doesn’t take long for misuse to ooze into the body politic. Thank you for cauterizing a handful of the bleeders.
So true. Executives like to say, “We conceptualized and operationalized our plans for the computerization of their offices.” It is a mouthful!