Style question for the old-timers

Ah, he combined 'em.

Thin-clad: track
Harrier: cross country

So this must be some kinda hybrid deal.

And except in rare circumstances, where describing sound levels, perhaps, "said" is always the way to go, 50 years ago, now, 50 years from now. This isn't old-guy speak. Nothing is gained from the other words.

I will risk trouble that even though I still change it from old lessons, I never particularly objected to, "I'll bet," he laughed.

 

The only exception to said that I'll allow in my writing or others is joked when it's necessary to imply the coach/player was joking or being sarcastic.

For instance, after a local team neededn 11-point rally in the final minutes to win the game, I asked the coach about the comeback. The quote read, :"That's a pretty good gameplan, huh," Coach joked. Perhaps the sarcasm is implied, I don't know. but I always felt adding "joked" helps. Like someone said earlier, it's not so bad to do it in extreme moderation.

 

Another word for said?

Said.

 

In certain feature settings, some discretion is OK. Otherwise, said works fine. A former colleague had a list of about 30 synonyms that he tossed in (argued, offered, allowed ... the usual nonsense), and they were replaced in the five days I worked.

 

I think I know that guy.

 

Now what if you're doing a story with Boris Said quotes?

 

Ya know, I pass this site on to a lot of young writers that I encounter. Sure, I tell them it's often full of shit, but I mention threads like this.
I have a stringer now who I may have to require his reading of SportsJournalists.com, cause I'm sick of editing out the million and one ways he finds to avoid using 'said.'

 

I've always taken thin-clad harrier to mean a good cross-country runner
I like Cager in place of basketball player.
A crafty cager, Tom Petty also excels as a thin-clad harrier for Bishop Gorman High.

 

But Petty's most memorable athletic achievement was the two-bagger he hit off an Uncle Charlie from City High's portside twirler that should have been a can of corn but he swatted that pill so high that it was misplayed by Johnson in the sun field and allowed Matthews to cross the dish with the equalizer and Williams to plate the winner.

 

Your favorite ex-Beatles song?



"Say say say," said Said.

 

Who let Hawk Harrelson onto this thread?

 

I am an old timer, and said was then, and remains today, the way to go. You don't "bristle" a comment. It's he said, bristling. you don't "laugh" a comment. It's she said, laughing.