Words we never need

[inthesuburbs]

Words we never need: latter, former, respectively. Others?

A sentence on ESPN's site is dizzying: "Sale and Groome were fast friends, the latter admiring the former's work ethic, the former impressed by the latter's desire to learn."

How the reader reads that: Sale and Groome were fast friends, the latter -- let's see, that's Groome -- admiring the former's -- Sale's -- work ethic, the former -- uh, that's Sale, I guess -- impressed by the latter's -- Groome's -- desire to learn."
'I thought one of my buddies was playing a prank on me': How Chris Sale is grooming Jason Groome

 

[cjericho]

Needed former and latter in Latin class in freshman year of high school.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

"Exciting changes."

 

[wireguy]

innings of work when describing a pitcher's line.
or in the process when saying in the process a team won their 10th straight.

 

[Flip Wilson]

past history

future plans

 

[HandsomeHarley]

OMG, your bad for getting me started ...

My college writer is the king of redundacy:

"Smith struck out five in seven innings pitched." As opposed to what, seven innings caught?
"Smith won the 200-meter dash in a time of 10:29."
"Podunk swept a doubleheader played Tuesday."
"The Bears' Jill Brown led Podunk with 24 points."
"Smith won the pole vault. In addition to Smith winning the pole vault, Brown won the javelin."
"Brown was 4 for 5 at the plate."
"Smith started on the mound for Podunk. Brown relieved Smith on the mound ..."

 

[inthesuburbs]

"on the bump"

 

[Batman]

OMG, your bad for getting me started ...

My college writer is the king of redundacy:

"Smith struck out five in seven innings pitched." As opposed to what, seven innings caught?
"Smith won the 200-meter dash in a time of 10:29."
"Podunk swept a doubleheader played Tuesday."
"The Bears' Jill Brown led Podunk with 24 points."
"Smith won the pole vault. In addition to Smith winning the pole vault, Brown won the javelin."
"Brown was 4 for 5 at the plate."
"Smith started on the mound for Podunk. Brown relieved Smith on the mound ..."

I always call that "Mojo Jojo Disease" and have had to call out every young writer I've worked with about it at one time or another.

 

[MNgremlin]

"The Bears' Jill Brown led Podunk with 24 points."

Side note, but I hate seeing a sentence start with The Bears'. Had a coworker who would write in that style multiple times per story.

Simple solutions: "Bears guard Jill Brown" or "Bears senior Jill Brown"
Or would it be Bear? I never get that one right.

 

[MNgremlin]

Sale and Groome said that they were fast friends.
Sale and Groome said they were fast friends.

 

[HanSenSE]

I've always had a thing about "Brady completed 34-of-45 passes to seven different receivers for 398 yards." Do you really need the different?

 

[Spartan Squad]

"Smith won the 200-meter dash in a time of 10:29."

I used to write this all the time, but it was also in the context of me trying to fill space. Of course I would usually say "Smith won the 200-meter dash with a time of ..." When I was pressed for space, I would have the person's places in each event with times in parentheses.

 

[Bronco77]

One that's not only wordy and redundant but also a cliche is "going forward." It's all over the place in all types of copy, sports included. As in, "Wade will be the Heat's backup shooting guard going forward," which was a line I encountered in my final days at my former shop. It's like saying, "Smith has started the past seven games going backward."

And here's one I came across in news copy the other day: "Admission to the St. Patrick's Day festival is free of charge."

 

[SnarkShark]

“First ever”

It’s come up 8,753 times since UMBC won.

First is first. Just say first.

 

[Vombatus]

*****cat

 

[Azrael]

Dude.

Get help.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

That.

 

[HandsomeHarley]

Side note, but I hate seeing a sentence start with The Bears'. Had a coworker who would write in that style multiple times per story.

Simple solutions: "Bears guard Jill Brown" or "Bears senior Jill Brown"
Or would it be Bear? I never get that one right.

Absolutely. I always try to interchange team name and nickname, and avoid possessive nicknames at all costs.

Hate referring to a team as "it," so I change it to the nickname so I can say "them."

 

[Old Crank]

One that's not only wordy and redundant but also a cliche is "going forward." It's all over the place in all types of copy, sports included. As in, "Wade will be the Heat's backup shooting guard going forward," which was a line I encountered in my final days at my former shop. It's like saying, "Smith has started the past seven games going backward."

Anyone who uses going forward should be forced to immediately turn in their writer's card.

 

[MNgremlin]

Anyone who uses going forward should be forced to immediately turn in their writer's card.

I will remember this advice going forward.