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Obnoxious Vocabulary

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by McNuggetsMan, Mar 7, 2011.

  1. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    Eh ... the Mike Sager "Esquire" piece I posted that no one cared about didn't use any capital "V" Vocabulary, and it was golden.
     
  2. BrianGriffin

    BrianGriffin Active Member

    I would agree with this. I'll add that if you send me to the dictionary, that word better be particularly "right" for the context in which it was used. It better prove to be more applicable in the particular case than similar, better-known words, otherwise I'll be annoyed that the writer was simply showing off.
     
  3. Some Guy

    Some Guy Active Member

    I'm down with that. Obviously, you want to use words correctly or not at all.
     
  4. McNuggetsMan

    McNuggetsMan Active Member

    This is what I have been failing to articulate in my previous posts.

    Wow me with your insights, your analysis, your ability to understand the game and its players in a way that I can't get from the TV or the stands. Don't try to impress me because you know a few bigger words than me.
     
  5. BrianGriffin

    BrianGriffin Active Member

    The really good editor is the one who is able to tell Jimmy Hendrix he is wrong when he is wrong. Just because you can pull it off doesn't mean you did pull it off.

    That's not to say that Jimmy's Woodstock anthem was in any way wrong. I'm just saying that to be really good at editing you can't be afraid to question your best talent, otherwise that talent doesn't grow to its potential.
     
  6. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    I was editing a story once and changed "triple" to "3-pointer."

    The writer said, "I was just trying to make it more interesting."

    That's not how you do it.
     
  7. Some Guy

    Some Guy Active Member

    I agree with you here. I am firmly against jargon. I find that to be infinitely more obnoxious than a four-syllable word.
     
  8. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    I agree that the example wasn't precisely on-point. But it reminds me of the post someone made earlier about adding "spice to the stew."
     
  9. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    sure 'nuf. the best and most effective writing doesn't require a dictionary to be handy or feel like literary masturbation by the author. but the best, most effective writing is at once literary and easily understood, imho.

    this is an issue we agree about, dw. please don't ruin this touching moment...
     
  10. Some Guy

    Some Guy Active Member

    I agree with that, too.

    I guess my overarching point is, when it comes to writing, I'm against hard-and-fast rules. Knowing when and how it's appropriate to break them, I think, separates the great writers from the good writers from the mediocre ones.

    And I think the best editors recognize this, too.
     
  11. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    We might disagree from time to time, but I always appreciate the civility. I think we both prefer to force people to clarify and sharpen their stance rather than just going for the kill.
     
  12. BrianGriffin

    BrianGriffin Active Member

    I used to use jargon a bit when I was young and grew away from it as I was coached by some decent editors. There is still some room for some "alternative references" in cases where you would otherwise have redundancies. I don't want to see the term "3-pointer" three times in a sentence, for example.

    Now, you might argue that if "3-pointer" is in a sentence three times maybe the sentence should be better constructed. I'll grant you that. But let's say it's unavoidable.
     
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