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Words we never need

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by inthesuburbs, Mar 17, 2018.

  1. 3_Octave_Fart

    3_Octave_Fart Well-Known Member

    Adverbs get shitcanned first.
    They are lazy and state the obvious.
    A good writer will pound the verbs, like Shakespearean performers do, so the assumingly decorative -ly words are of no value.
     
  2. Central-KY-Kid

    Central-KY-Kid Well-Known Member

    Dating BACK to

    Set a NEW record

    Must replace four GRADUATING seniors (it would be news worthy if the seniors were not graduating or if juniors are graduating)

    FOREIGN exchange student (are there any other exchanges I should know about?)

    Struck out seven BATTERS in six innings OF WORK

    TOP OF THE second inning (when the writer established which team was batting first)

    On the MOUND (If I see this in one more softball story)

    Assisted THE GOAL (can't assist anything but goals in soccer)

    Scored THE BALL (can't score anything else)

    TWO-POINT conversion (Joe Bob ran for the conversion is fine)

    FORTY THREE yard line (doesn't physically exist)

    SINCE (can be deleted in may cases if context if context is not given, like in Olympics or World Cups or postseason championships)

    ESPECIALLY (this is a tic I haven't been able to shake
     
    MileHigh, Bronco77 and HandsomeHarley like this.
  3. jlee

    jlee Well-Known Member

    Wait, what?
     
  4. Oggiedoggie

    Oggiedoggie Well-Known Member

    Utilize

    I’m pretty sure that there’s a shorter word that we can use.
     
  5. Slacker

    Slacker Well-Known Member

    Harness?
     
  6. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    A pet peeve: "Aging" applied to an athlete or, well, anything really. Find somebody who isn't aging, then you've got a story.
     
    SnarkShark and SpeedTchr like this.
  7. Guy_Incognito

    Guy_Incognito Well-Known Member

    Not a writer, but these seem fine to me.
     
  8. Slacker

    Slacker Well-Known Member

    "Dating back" is redundant. You can't trace future events.
     
  9. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Agree with this list. A lot of is overwriting.
     
  10. Guy_Incognito

    Guy_Incognito Well-Known Member

    I meant to delete that one.
     
  11. Slacker

    Slacker Well-Known Member

    DELETE it OUT.
     
  12. da man

    da man Well-Known Member

    I'm the editor of a trade magazine and I tell my contributors if they ever see the word "utilize" in my magazine they'll know for certain they've found a mistake, because I will NEVER intentionally use that word.
     
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