long words
I like Zinsser’s advice to “beware of the long word that’s no better than the short word”(Zinsser, 15). Long words that most people cant pronounce really are “weeds that will smother what you write.” One time, I sent my very smart older brother an essay to edit for me. He sent it back with red lines crossing out at least half of what I wrote and blue lines through all the words that I hadn’t used correctly. At the bottom, he typed, “you need to start saying things with your words.”
When I read literature that is clean and neat, it is a pleasure to read. And when I read Shakespeare, I wish he read Zinsser’s advice.
5 responses so far
I do agree that trying to sound excessively verbose makes you sound like a fool rather than an intellectual. I also think, however, that variety is appropriate, and sometimes, lengthy words are appropriate. If it’s too simple, I often will get bored with it and put it down. If the organization of the work is clear, then I find that the occasional “academic” word will not cloud my understanding.
I agree. I think that when you’re reading something and start thinking more about individual words than overall meaning, it gets annoying. There needs to be a balance between simple and complex, but sometimes big words and long sentences just get in the way.
I liked this advice too. When I am writing, I admit that sometimes to add variety I’ll use the thesaurus to change several words but by the time i finish writing, my work just sounds wordy and obnoxious. I believe that Zinsser is trying to advocate toeing the fine line between adding variety and adding jargon in all of our writing.
While I agree that it’s important to sound like yourself, I recommend that you consider another piece of advice from this book–“The English language is rich in strong and supple words. Take the time to root around and find the ones you want.” English is indeed a very beautiful language and it would be a shame if we ignored all the remarkable words within our reach. As for Shakespeare, I’d have to completely disagree with you on that one. Shakespeare has made an invaluable contribution to the English language and every word he uses is deliberate and filled with as much meaning as the plays themselves.
Now, when you say that you wish Shakespeare read Zinsser’s advice…
Shakespeare wrote plays, which is a lot different from writing a novel, or an essay. In his works, Shakespeare use his words – in most cases, literally his words – to the fullest extent. The language and capacity of vocabulary fluctuates from character to character, helping to flesh out characters ranging from nobility to mere peasants. Often, Shakespeare’s kings would speak in such a language that involves a number of large, elaborate words in ways that reveal that they aren’t as intelligent as they should be. They’re nothing but a front for power, and try to hide behind regal words to retain respect. Shakespeare knew what he was doing with words.