Building vocabulary, one 10-cent word at a time
William Safire, On Language in the New York Times Magazine yesterday:
Question: Should writers show off their erudition by deliberately using unfamiliar words on occasion? My view: Most of the time, plain words communicate best, but every now and then — when dealing with an inquisitive audience -- it doesn't hurt to stretch the readership's vocabulary.
My view: No, they shouldn't. Do we care about a writer's erudition? Not me. I care about their knowledge and authority on the topic, but not their dictionary-like vocabulary. And while I keep a dictionary close by when I write to make sure I choose the correct word, I don't really want to consult a dictionary when I read the paper.
Not to cause another eruption of the "dumbing down" discussion, but there is at least one paper trying to write on a third-grade level. I think we have an inquisitive audience, but inquisitive about information, not vocabulary building.
Comments (2)
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I thought for sure that you were going to point to the Rhino... :)
I agree with you that writing should be simple and informative.
Posted on October 8, 2007 9:50 AM
If you ever have the occasion to meet George Will you might want to share your opinion with him.
Posted on October 9, 2007 9:51 AM