Words we never need

[3_Octave_Fart]

Adverbs get ****canned 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.

 

[Central-KY-Kid]

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

 

[jlee]

FORTY THREE yard line (doesn't physically exist)

Wait, what?

 

[Oggiedoggie]

Utilize

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

 

[Slacker]

Utilize

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

Harness?

 

[Michael_ Gee]

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

 

[Guy_Incognito]

Dating BACK to

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

Struck out seven BATTERS in six innings

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

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

Not a writer, but these seem fine to me.

 

[Slacker]

Not a writer, but these seem fine to me.

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

 

[MileHigh]

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

Agree with this list. A lot of is overwriting.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

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

I meant to delete that one.

 

[Slacker]

I meant to delete that one.

DELETE it OUT.

 

[da man]

Utilize

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

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.

 

[da man]

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.

Well, except in the context of that example.

 

[Slacker]

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.

How could you ever unintentionally use a word as clunky as "utilize"?

 

[Slacker]

Well, except in the context of that example.

And that doesn't count.

 

[da man]

How could you ever unintentionally use a word as clunky as "utilize"?

It would mean I did a really bad job of editing a story.

 

[Slacker]

It would mean I did a really bad job of editing a story.

"Facility" is a word I hate. Once got a story that said "hospital" in the first sentence and then the writer said "facility" the rest of the way ... 28 times. Damn right I counted 'em. It was that bad.

 

[albert777]

Here's one we haven't covered: the use of exploded in sports terms, as in, "the Whistlers exploded for six runs..." Unless there are multiple body parts strewn about as a result, don't use it.

And I agree with the lady who called in to complain about using, "gunned down at the plate." The casual use of gun-violence verbs in sports needs to stop.

 

[Slacker]

"Jordan's on fire tonight! ... ¡El Fuego! ... ¡En Fuego!"

 

[HandsomeHarley]

Probably not in the right context for this thread, but I saw something tonight that is really becoming a pet peeve.

"Podunk baseball sweeps Hickville."

"Jonestown loses to Jackson softball."

Treating sports as if they are human is poor writing at best and idiotic at worst. I know it helps keep headlines short, but for crying out loud, we don't write something wrong just because writing it correctly takes too long.

Or do we? Without copy editors, one would never know sometimes.