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Rule 17 of Strunk & White's Elements of Style commands, "Omit needless words."
When eight of 10 readers scan—not read—your copy, according to Web usability researcher Jakob Nielsen,
why stuff it with unwanted ideas?
Be selective.
Under the heading "Good Writing," Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his journal, "
All writing should be selection in order to drop every dead word. Why do you
not save out of your speech or thinking only the vital things?"
Part 4 of a 5-part series on forgotten verbs
Perquest means to search.
You might say, "Chad had to perquest his trashcan to find my email."
Canadian criminal law today still refers to a warranted search as a perquisition.
Part 3 of a 5-part series on forgotten verbs
Gignate means to produce.
You might say, "Chad gignated 200 leads with his email."
Nowadays we honor the verb's Latin root, oriri, to begin, and only say originate.
Part 2 of a 5-part series on forgotten verbs
Perstringe means to put down or rebuke.
You might say, "Chad was fired after he perstringed his employer on Facebook."
The verb derives from the Latin word perstringo, to reprimand.
Part 1 of a 5-part series on forgotten verbs
English comprises more than half a million words.
Many are undeservedly forgotten.
Attinge means to touch or influence.
You might say, "Chad's post about great customer service attinged thousands of users."
We preserve the verb's Latin root whenever we use the word tangent.
