One quality, above all, separates writing from speaking. Speakers can see how people respond to their words. Writers can’t, so they tend to repeat themselves and use all kinds of weasel words to emphasize their points—in the hope that the anonymous reader gets the point.
What’s a weasel word? A word that attempts to emphasize a point but ultimately lacks conviction. When so say something is “really big” (emphatic), you are trying to emphasize magnitude–but you don’t really give the reader much information. Or when you say describe something as “for the most part” (hedge), you are giving yourself wiggle room. When you call someone “strong” (adjective) or say someone walked n”briskly” (adverb), you also leave matters vague. And when you use long, fat, clunky phrases like “ascertain” or “enumerate” (bureaucratese), you may think you sound impressive but you’re really showing how indirect you are. (Kind of like when a politician says “frankly,” you know he’s about to speak less than frankly.)
Let’s look at these weasel words. In this post, we’ll focus on emphatics and hedges. Other posts will explore adjectives and adverbs and bureaucratese.
Emphatics and hedges
Writers use emphatics to say they really, really think something but cannot offer much evidence. Hedges serve the opposite purpose—to argue a point, but hold back in case the proposition proves wrong. Beware of these weasel words:
- a preponderance
- almost always
- as everyone knows
- for the most part
- interestingly
- maybe
- most often
- mostly
- naturally
- obviously
- of course
- often
- overwhelmingly
- perhaps
- predominantly
- someplace
- sometimes
- somewhat
- surprisingly
- understandably
- usually
- virtually
Adjectives and adverbs
Mark Twain once quipped: “If you catch an adjective, kill it.” Adjectives improve some writing, but too often they force an interpretation on the reader or show that the writer has not gathered enough evidence for his observations or argument.
Suppose, for example, I called my sister Claire “compassionate.” What in the world does that mean? Does it mean she loved her children? Feeds homeless people? Donates to charities? Votes for government assistance programs? Unless you say, no one can ever know.
Such is the case with adjectives. In general, adjectives work only to set up a detailed explanation. But how often do you need the setup? Not often. If you find adjectives like these, kill ’em:
- awesome
- fat
- beautiful
- fine
- best
- gentle
- better
- good
- big
- great
- complex
- huge
- complicated
- intelligent
- dumb
- lame
- exemplary
- loud
- mad
- strong
- nice
- stupid
- overwhelming
- super
- pretty
- talented
- quick
- tiny
- quiet
- unintelligent
- slow
- weak
- small
- smart
Years ago, Gabriel Garcia Marquez vowed never to use another adverb in his work. Adverbs, you see, do little more than emphasize the meaning of verbs. If you use strong verbs, why would you need to emphasize the point? To track down and kill adverbs, look for words ending in –ly.
Cliches and bureaucratese
Cliches are once-clever observations that have grown stale with time. Beware of these clichés:
- ameliorate
- articulate
- ascertain
- basically
- closure
- commence
- components
- concerning
- consequently
- contradistinction
- currently
- downsize
- elements
- elucidate
- employ
- empower
- enhancement
- enumerate
- expedite
- facilitate
- facility
- factor
- feasible
- finalize
- formulate
- functionality
- functioning
- fundraise
- has issues
- have a tendency
- have knowledge
- hence
- hereafter
- herein
- herewith
- i.e.
- impact
- implement
- in agreement
- in the vicinity
- incenting
- incentivizing
- inception
- indicate
- indices
- individuals
- individuate
- initiate
- input
- inquire
- integrate
- interface
- irregardless
- issue
- leverage
- litmus test
- logistical
- make no mistake
- materialize
- matrices
- matrix
- maximize
- mitigate
- modification
- moreover
- multiple
- necessitated
- nevertheless
- numerous
- obviate
- of the conviction
- of the opinion
- on a daily basis
- on my plate
- on the occasion
- ongoing
- operational
- optimal
- optimize
- optimum
- orientate
- outreach
- paradigm
- parameters
- perameter
- perceive
- perpetrator
- peruse
- point in time
- present time
- presently
- preventative
- prior to
- prioritization
- prioritize
- proactive
- process
- procure
- push the envelope
- raise the bar
- ramp up
- ratchet up
- recur
- regarding
- remediate
- render
- renumerate
- reside
- retain
- signify
- solely
- strategize
- subsequent
- synergy
- terminate
- that said
- therefore
- therein
- thus
- transmit
- transpire
- ultimate
- unit
- utilize
- vis a vis
- with regard
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