I want to say…
by uber
I blame the video podcasts for my new verbal tick. I have started to use “I wanna say…” when I am unsure about something. It goes with extended umms and you knows, you know? It seems to be an American thing.
It got me thinking though, there are a whole set of words that I know, but that I do not use. Words like alight, copacetic. It seems that it’s not enough to be aware of words, but also to be willing and able to use them.
That said, every good writing guide suggests using the simplest word available, and it’s not like I need more help looking pretentious.
Comments
Actually that Scoble video you sent me the woman uses some really great words in the interview. I can only remember “visceral” offhand but there were others.
Actually myself and Ian were talking the other day about the excellent words from vampire you can throw into conversations. Celerity and Obfuscate to name a few. Jeb Bartlett is a fan of obfuscate actually. There’s a great bit in an episode where they’re talking about dumbing down and why he uses obfuscate instead of hide.
The best advice from my favourite style guide (the elements of style by Strunk and White) is to always aim to say something in as few words as possible, it’s amazing how this one piece of advice can make a huge difference in writing style. Personally I quite like a varied vocabulary, I even like reading words that I don’t know cause it makes me look them up.
I’ve read that you should never use a $50 word when a $0.05 one will do, and I’ve found this to be true both in speaking and reading. (Not that I put it to use all that often ’cause I do love me them big words but I am at least aware…)
As for “I wanna say,” I think I’ve missed out on that “American thing.” I do have a particular preface when saying something that I know might be incorrect, but I think it’s usually “I believe that…” with similar vocal inflection.
All I can think of when reading this is the scene in Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life” which has the line.
Grim Reaper: Shut up! Shut up you American. You always talk, you Americans, you talk and you talk and say ‘Let me tell you something’ and ‘I just wanna say this’, Well you’re dead now, so shut up.”
I can understand the cleavage between “words you know” and “words you use”. I think one of the hazards of living the relatively secluded life of a writer is that you start thinking that certain words and phrases are more acceptable in general discourse then they actually are.
And don’t get me started on words that you only ever see written down. If I had a dollar for every time Savage butchered “Equanimity” or “Impediment”*, I’d have a not inconsiderable pile of dollars.
*Though he now only does this to annoy me.