Comments on: Short words are best http://www.badlanguage.net/short-words-are-best How to communicate Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:45:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Walton http://www.badlanguage.net/short-words-are-best#comment-363012 Walton Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:05:11 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=44#comment-363012 As an ESL teacher working in Kazakhstan, I am grateful for your support. I keep trying to convince my students not to follow the formal Russian style which calls for long words, long sentences, abuse of useless referential words, and piling on redundant clauses. Of course, when writing formal English they copy all of these tendencies. Now they will see it's not just me! As an ESL teacher working in Kazakhstan, I am grateful for your support. I keep trying to convince my students not to follow the formal Russian style which calls for long words, long sentences, abuse of useless referential words, and piling on redundant clauses. Of course, when writing formal English they copy all of these tendencies. Now they will see it’s not just me!

]]> By: Bad Language / Multitasking makes us stupid http://www.badlanguage.net/short-words-are-best#comment-354719 Bad Language / Multitasking makes us stupid Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:02:20 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=44#comment-354719 [...] news that long words make us look stupid (see Short words are best) comes a report that multitasking makes us [...] [...] news that long words make us look stupid (see Short words are best) comes a report that multitasking makes us [...]

]]> By: Bad Language / The hidden cost of ten dollar words http://www.badlanguage.net/short-words-are-best#comment-1015 Bad Language / The hidden cost of ten dollar words Tue, 08 Aug 2006 06:57:04 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=44#comment-1015 [...] Ever used a foreign word in a piece of writing?  Some obscure thesaurus word or technical jargon?  Even better a bit of Latin?  As I’ve already written, long words actually make you look more stupid, not more intelligent.  But an article in Slate reveals a new risk: public ridicule. Don’t get me wrong: I get a kick out of $10 words, too, and even use them now and again to make my pieces showier. But the psychic surcharge deters me from using them often enough to fall into the faux-erudition trap that bedevils undisciplined, rich writers like Martin Peretz, co-owner and editor-in-chief of the New Republic. He burns through $10 words and phrases like they’re kindling. [...] [...] Ever used a foreign word in a piece of writing?  Some obscure thesaurus word or technical jargon?  Even better a bit of Latin?  As I’ve already written, long words actually make you look more stupid, not more intelligent.  But an article in Slate reveals a new risk: public ridicule. Don’t get me wrong: I get a kick out of $10 words, too, and even use them now and again to make my pieces showier. But the psychic surcharge deters me from using them often enough to fall into the faux-erudition trap that bedevils undisciplined, rich writers like Martin Peretz, co-owner and editor-in-chief of the New Republic. He burns through $10 words and phrases like they’re kindling. [...]

]]> By: Bad Language / Short words are popular http://www.badlanguage.net/short-words-are-best#comment-265 Bad Language / Short words are popular Thu, 22 Jun 2006 10:35:44 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=44#comment-265 [...] A while ago I wrote that short words are best. Now, according to a BBC report from the Oxford University Press, they are also the most popular. The top ten nouns are: [...] [...] A while ago I wrote that short words are best. Now, according to a BBC report from the Oxford University Press, they are also the most popular. The top ten nouns are: [...]

]]> By: Manage Your Writing http://www.badlanguage.net/short-words-are-best#comment-240 Manage Your Writing Tue, 13 Jun 2006 12:53:00 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=44#comment-240 <strong>Short words are best...</strong> In his blog Bad Language, London-based Matthew Stibbe cites (by way of Atlantic Monthly) research by Daniel M. Oppenheimer that shows that besides clouding the meaning, the use of long words actually makes the reader think the author is stupid.... Short words are best…

In his blog Bad Language, London-based Matthew Stibbe cites (by way of Atlantic Monthly) research by Daniel M. Oppenheimer that shows that besides clouding the meaning, the use of long words actually makes the reader think the author is stupid….

]]> By: Sam Mooney http://www.badlanguage.net/short-words-are-best#comment-232 Sam Mooney Sat, 10 Jun 2006 10:25:24 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=44#comment-232 Thanks. I knew it all along and now I can cite scientific proof. Short words, short sentences. Thanks. I knew it all along and now I can cite scientific proof. Short words, short sentences.

]]> By: Oplossingsgerichtmanagement » Blog Archive » Goed schrijven? Houd het eenvoudig! http://www.badlanguage.net/short-words-are-best#comment-99 Oplossingsgerichtmanagement » Blog Archive » Goed schrijven? Houd het eenvoudig! Sat, 20 May 2006 07:49:21 +0000 http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=44#comment-99 [...] Badlanguage [...] [...] Badlanguage [...]

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