Allow me to introduce an expressionless bear! Generally, I consider his expression to be concerned and reassuring, but today he seems to display no expression whatsoever. Which is appropriate for a blog post about unneccessary expressions.
I would like to have begun with an earnest introduction, explaining that this is part of a series of blog posts intended to help newcomers to scholarly writing. Indeed, I do wish to help you, and I’d love to write that series, but at the moment, my focus is on my book deadline in six days’ time. So, this posting is just a collection of thoughts arising from my second edit of the book draft! It might still be helpful – I do hope so.
In the second week of my intensive book revision fortnight, I’m on the warpath for unneccessary expressions. I still needed to lose a few words in order to meet the deadline of 75,000 words, so I’ve been compiling a glossary of terms best either avoided or used sparingly!
- ‘Always with an eye for an opportunity’. Cancel that cliche!
- ‘At this time‘. If you’ve already defined the time-frame, there’s no need to over-egg the pudding!
- ‘Essentially‘. No, that word has to go. The genre either was, or wasn’t a hybrid form. No ‘essentially’ about it. Same applies to ‘Evidently’.
- ‘In actual fact’. Basically, if it’s a fact, it’s a fact, and doesn’t need to be labelled as one. (If it’s a surprising or unexpected fact, fair enough.)
- And here I am, overdoing ‘Indeed‘ again, too. I can’t have seven ‘indeeds’ in one chapter!
- ‘Interestingly,’ …? Obviously it’s interesting or it shouldn’t be there. Another word down!
- ‘… is on record as having performed’. ‘Performed’ would do!
- ‘It is clear that‘. This is just padding, the same as ‘evidently‘. A quick way to lose four words (or one!).
- ‘More significantly in the present context‘ – oh, this is a good one! Six unneccessary words. Just say what you’re going to say.
- ‘Repertoire‘. Use judiciously. ‘Song and dance repertoire’ can often be encapsulated in ‘Song and dance’!
- ‘… seems to‘. Stop prevaricating! Does it or doesn’t it? Keep this expression for when you’re really not sure.
- ‘Specifically‘ is often a redundant word (said she, just deleting another one).
- ‘… was groundbreaking in being one of the first‘. Okay, she was one of the first. ‘Groundbreaking’ can be taken as read. Three more words gone.
- ‘… would also have been‘. Or, more concisely, ‘was’!
Acceptable Informality? Or Not …
I had a feeling that I shouldn’t really be writing that something was ‘in your face’; nor that we ‘should call out’ something that is now politically incorrect or considered offensive. So, I’m afraid I asked Chat GPT what it thought!
I consider myself enlightened now. ‘In your face’ is apparently unacceptably informal in scholarly writing, so I won’t use it.
However, I can call out whatever I like, with impunity. There you go, then!
Karen McAulay, Musicologist 