William Safire (1929-2009), Nabob
Editor’s Note: I don’t worry about his politics. Anyone who can care about the appropriate use of “wackadoodle” and language and life in general—as Safire did—is OK with me. Bill Safire died yesterday. He wrote for Nixon and The New York Times. Both. Go figger. He also brought “nabobs” and alliteration to the hoi poloi. Says Cokie Roberts on NPR: “Someone who could disagree without being disagreeable.”
Safire offered this useful writing advice
1. No sentence fragments.
2. It behooves us to avoid archaisms.
3. Also, avoid awkward or affected alliteration.
4. Don't use no double negatives.
5. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, “Resist hyperbole!”
6. Avoid commas, that are not necessary.
7. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
8. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
9. Writing carefully, dangling participles should not be used.
10. Kill all exclamation points!!!
11. Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
12. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
13. Take the bull by the hand and don’t mix metaphors.
14. Don’t verb nouns.
15. Never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
16. Last but not least, avoid clichés like the plague.
—William Safire (1929-2009),
Pulitzer Prize-winner, wordguy, presidential speechifier and columnist.
And curmudgeon.
Pulitzer Prize-winner, wordguy, presidential speechifier and columnist.
And curmudgeon.
“Curmudgeon,” Safire said, means, “a likeably irascible old man.”
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On Sep 28, 2009, at 9:08 AM, David Hench wrote:
ReplyDeleteYou could not have set up the curmudgeon reference better had you been the grim reaper herself. Kudos.
TP: I am particularly grim today.
On Sep 28, 2009, at 9:16 AM, ts@tonyseton.com wrote:
ReplyDeleteI not only objected to his politics, but, for gawd sakes, he had no right, absolutely no right, to come down on commas the way that he did.
TP: What?,,,,, commas,,,,,!?
I also object, to, the overuse, of, well, commas, he, said.
I considered Saffire one helluva writer, except when he was pontificating on matters of usage (which he usually, and wrongly, called "grammar"). There he was often just another linguistic bigot. There, I've spoken ill of the departed, and damned if I don't feel better.
ReplyDelete--will