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Monthly Archives: June 2011
A little alliteration goes a long way
As a literary tool, alliteration is best used with restraint in copywriting. Yet there’s something curiously satisying about its corniness when proliferated. My favourite example is an excerpt from the dystopian thriller “V for Vendetta”, cleverly scripted by Hilary Henkin: Introductory monologue of … Continue reading
Make your passion work for you
My deadline today was to write a blog post, after running the gauntlet of copywriting deadlines. So I’ve permitted myself the luxury of resorting to a short cut without sacrificing any value, by sharing some quotable quotes… After all, it was … Continue reading
Something to cut out…
I like to look at esoteric aspects of language and sometimes be flippant with tongue-in-cheek musings – as per my previous posts. But today, let’s be practical. In George Orwell’s 1946 essay “Politics and the English Language”, he listed five rules for effective writing. … Continue reading
How couth are you?
“I’m suitably unamused.” Words such as “uncanny” or “unkempt” are rather Victorian, yet familiar. Why, then, do we seldom hear their positive expression? Let’s encourage the couth pursuit of proclaiming their less-accustomed use, as a kempt contribution to the English language… … … Continue reading
Brainwave or Orwellian funk?
From The Sunday Times, London, May 30, 2011 Quote: SCIENTISTS have found a way to “mind read”, peering into the deepest recesses of the brain to watch words forming as people think and speak. Using networks of electrodes implanted into … Continue reading
