12 Writing Tips From George Orwell

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:14:30 GMT

clipped by: missangelyss

George Orwell has earned the right to be called one of the finer writers in the English language through such novels as 1984 and Animal Farm, such essays as “Shooting an Elephant,” and his memoir Down and Out in Paris.

George expressed a strong dislike of totalitarian governments in his work, but he was also passionate defender of good writing. Thus, you may want to hear some of George’s writing tips.*

A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus:

What am I trying to say?
What words will express it?
What image or idiom will make it clearer?
Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?

And he will probably ask himself two more:

Could I put it more shortly?
Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?

One can often be in doubt about the effect of a word or a phrase, and one needs rules that one can rely on when instinct fails. I think the following rules will cover most cases:

Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
Never use a long word where a short one will do.
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Never use the passive where you can use the active.
Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

* From “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell.

Back

Tags: writing

23 Obscure and Obsolete Words

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 04:41:58 GMT

clipped by: missangelyss

Clip Source: www.canongate.net

23 Obscure and Obsolete Words

The average adult recognises 30,000 to 50,000 words, but only uses 10,000 to 15,000. However, there are actually about 1 million words in the English language, some of which - although obscure, forgotten, or rarely used - are worth reviving.

BOANTHROPY - A type of insanity in which a man thinks he is an ox.
CHANTEPLEURE - To sing and weep at the same time.
DIBBLE - To drink like a duck, lifting up the head after each sip.
EOSOPHOBIA - Fear of dawn.
EUGERIA - Normal and happy old age.
EUNEIROPHRENIA - Peace of mind after a pleasant dream.
EYESERVICE - Work done only when the boss is watching.
FELLOWFEEL - To crawl into the skin of another person so as to share his feelings, to empathise with.
GROAK - To watch people silently while they are eating, hoping they will ask you to join them.
GYNOTIKOLOBOMASSOPHILE - One who likes to nibble on a woman's earlobes.
HEBEPHRENIC - A condition of adolescent silliness.
IATROGENIC - Illness or disease caused by doctors or by prescribed treatment.
LAPLING - Someone who enjoys resting in women's laps.
LIBBERWORT - Food or drink that makes one idle and stupid, food of no nutritional value, `junk food'.
MEUPAREUNIA - A sexual act gratifying to only one participant.
NEANIMORPHIC - Looking younger than one's years.
ONIOCHALASIA - Buying as a means of mental relaxation.
PARNEL - A priest's mistress.
PERISTEROPHOBIA - Fear of pigeons.
PILGARLIC - A bald head that looks like a peeled garlic.
PREANTEPENULTIMATE - Fourth from last.
RESISTENTIALISM - Seemingly spiteful behaviour manifested by inanimate objects.
SUPPEDANEUM - A foot support for crucifix victims.

Other lists in Words

Have a browse of the List of Lists down the left hand side of this page for more lists in different subjects...

Tags: english, grammar, wordsmith, words

Clipmarks | missangelyss's 'english' clips

12 Writing Tips From George Orwell

23 Obscure and Obsolete Words

23 Obscure and Obsolete Words

Other lists in Words