tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879006027819443616.post1570239062104922847..comments2024-02-27T04:29:23.845-05:00Comments on The Ethical Adman: Get with the now!Tom Megginsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10342481605991016501noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879006027819443616.post-29220907323746164332009-04-16T15:15:00.000-04:002009-04-16T15:15:00.000-04:00Nothing is more precious than an original idea pre...Nothing is more precious than an original idea presented clearly. University professors (who are probably responsible for this whole synonym-a-thon) reward bafflegab every day, so it's no surprise people later adopt it into their everyday life. But whether it's ad copy or a PhD thesis, word clutter is an idea's worst enemy. <br /><br />P.S. Downfall videos might just be my favourite internet meme...CD Redmondnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879006027819443616.post-36496252852227324722009-04-16T13:36:00.000-04:002009-04-16T13:36:00.000-04:00I would counter that "overuse" does not make a pla...I would counter that "overuse" does not make a plain word ineffective. Ad writing needs to be absorbed quickly, and using more florid or obscure synonyms just gets in the way.<br /><br />I agree about using the right word, though, at the right time. The whole point of having a large vocabulary is to be able to pull out a more nuanced word when one is really needed (rather than just showing it off at every opportunity). But in plain language copywriting, you want to avoid unnecessary interpretation... not to mention save precious ad space!Tom Megginsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10342481605991016501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879006027819443616.post-33213844114984852852009-04-16T12:30:00.000-04:002009-04-16T12:30:00.000-04:00For the sake of sparking discussion here, I will d...For the sake of sparking discussion here, I will disagree. Even in conversational writing like advertising there must be standards. While "get" is a perfectly valid verb, it can easily be overused, making it ineffective. Those who use "get" repeatedly in their writing are not pushing their creative abilities. The next time you see yourself using "get," ask yourself if it's really the BEST word to use. Broaden your vocabulary.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02509003976837777724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879006027819443616.post-85673481003843875012009-04-16T11:36:00.000-04:002009-04-16T11:36:00.000-04:00The fancy term for "grammar Nazi" is "prescriptive...The fancy term for "grammar Nazi" is "prescriptive grammarian," FWIW. They're the butt of many jokes among real (descriptive) language scholars. As Winston Churchill once joked, :that is something up with which I shall not put."davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15194758376900990105noreply@blogger.com