The Style Files
My thoughts on design, writing and entrepreneurship.
Photo credit (background): www.pexels.com
Photo credit (background): www.pexels.com
Using these words is one way to stop a conversation in its tracks. Photo credit: www.pexels.com Working as a writer means coming face to face with many of the same mistakes time and again. Some of them aren't technically wrong; they're just really cringey. In case you want to stop sounding so basic, here's your go-to list of vocab to avoid like the plague. Amazing Unless Covid has kept you out of touch with the world entirely, you've probably heard your fair share of this overused and underwhelming word. Do yourself a favor and stop calling everything amazing. It's probably not and using it makes you sound as uninspired as a box of cornflakes. Awesome This one, too: you'd have to live under a rock to dodge all the awesomes thrown your way. I must admit I'm guilty of using some of these words myself including the dreaded awesome. Enough is enough. Let's stop the boring train and kick this one to the curb. Compelling Do you know what's not compelling? Using this word in front of content because they both start with c. Normally, I'm a fan of alliteration but this one is widely overused among copywriters and content writers alike. It's time to stop the madness and come up with an alternative. Game changer Do you remember when former President Obama first used this? Suddenly, it was in every conversation and every sound bite. The problem is what started as a trend never went away. It needs to. I'm a fan of his and have a soft spot in my heart for language that catches fire but let's drop this like a bad habit. Incredible Again, not incredible. Most of the words to make this list aren't worthy of any emotion other than irritation or aversion. Using this word makes you extra basic since it often describes mildly pithy situations instead of, say, a rocket launch. Be done. Interesting Yes, we all use this word and yes, it's often applicable. However, just because something is true doesn't mean you should verbalize it. My floor is brown. So is my hair. So are brownies, in fact. The problem is none of that MATTERS. Start using words that do. If nothing else, limit your use. Literally This word literally makes you sound like a teenager and literally carries no weight because of how rampant it's become in popular culture. I literally can't even. Let's just not with this one, capisce? Remarkable Most things deemed remarkable fall short every time. If someone tells me a show or book is remarkable, I'll make a mental note to skip it. You might as well suggest reading the fine print for funsies. The other thing is talk is cheap. How often do you hear meaningless conversations or office drivel? Being comment-worthy sets a low standard. In the meantime, let's drop this one from our popular lexicon. Utilize There are a lot of words people use to sound smart. Utilize is definitely one of them. Merriam Webster defines it as "to make use of" instead of "to diminish your opinion of the person using it." If brainy is what you're after, capitalizing on dime-a-dozen vocab will take you nowhere fast. Next. Wordsmith Wordsmith isn't common in everyday language but it is if you're a writer. We often read bios which allude to other writers' skillful use of language. Guess what? Calling yourself a wordsmith is anything but unique. In fact, it's about as basic as bleach, if you catch my drift. Final Thoughts I'm sure more words will come to mind after writing this post but getting these out into the blogosphere has been cathartic. Got any others to add to the list? I'd be happy to consider them. In the meantime, watch your language (for boring vocab, that is) and keep it up! The world needs more coveted language. Don't be a bummer. Up your language game!
Photo credit: www.pexels.com
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AuthorHi, my name is Martha Oschwald and I'm a content writer focused on design. This page is meant to give you a taste of my writing style and latest musings. Archives
April 2022
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