Words with charisma

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Gavin Ford

Everyone has their stable of favourite words. Which of yours hit the sweet spot of delight?

Here are a few that blow my hair back: LUCIDITY (as in a profound “AHA” moment), VOLUMINOUS (hair which I have not) and SAGACITY (wisdom / good judgment) – which my thinning pate proclaims to celebrate.

One of my favourite verbs is GLEAN – it sounds like such a clean, purposeful process of assimilating, sorting, digesting and extruding useful information i.e. grasping the PITH of “what matters most” from among the DROSS of communication. GLIB is another expressive verb – being relatively articulate but insincere… as in the inconsequential froth of gutter journalism.

Then there are expressive loan words from other cultures that delight. Like the Yiddish SHLEP, from the German “to drag” (e.g. “It’s such a schlep standing in queues”) or GLITCH, originally from the German “to slip” – which also has a satisfyingly onomatopoeic quality about it. Almost like the sound when you step on an insect inadvertently. Proofreaders are paid to pick up and rectify errors and omissions… glitches in the works. And it’s far more polite to use a euphemism like “having found a few GREMLINS” than saying “I discovered some glaring mistakes”. Continue reading →

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How to spark ideas?

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Gavin Ford

Many of the world’s greatest minds have been stimulated by “walking meditation”. An outwardly aimless, impromptu stroll around a garden or park is an inspirational excursion accessible to most. Set out with the intention of freeing the mind to invite an upwelling of content relevant to whatever you may be seeking.

The effortless flow of ideas will take you by surprise. Remain non-judgmental. Don’t analyse the thoughts blipping onto your mind’s screen. Creative nuggets will glint brightly when they surface among the dross of mental chatter.

Should you temporarily forget one of your “AHA moments”, merely retrace your steps slowly, backwards (I kid you not)… and the errant, momentarily elusive thought will pop back into your mind as unexpectedly as it originally surfaced. Sounds folksy, but it works. Try it!

Another (perhaps obvious) insight: There’s a link between gastronomic indulgence and good conversation that acts as a powerful idea generator. I also love the use of disposable paper table cloths in continental bistros… it’s a great working surface for jotting down concepts that splash from the subconscious as liberally as vinaigrette from your salad.

And don’t underestimate the use of a table serviette: NASA engineer Frank Bill Burcham’s simple sketch on a paper napkin led to the development of the jet engine. As your innermost thoughts expose themselves, deliciously assailing your senses, jot down the inklings of a poem or a contents page for that book you’ve been long procrastinating…

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Homophonophobia

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Gavin Ford

Well, I don’t really have a fear of homophones: My pet peeve is their incorrect usage. These are words that have the same pronunciation, but are spelt differently and have different meanings. The sentence context and syllabic stress should make the correct choice of word obvious, but, regrettably, we often see silly trade outs between similar sounding pairings such as “compliment” and “complement” or “affect” and “effect”.

I’ve recently come across the following homophones being inadvertently swopped: “palette” vs. “palate”, where colour and taste got confused in the mix, and, more humorously: “barristers” in lieu of “baristas”… although I’m sure that legal beagles are so hyped up on caffeine that they would no doubt judge themselves to be expert coffee brewers. 

A recent verbatim comment seen on facebook:

“I can’t stand people that don’t know the difference between your and you’re.  There so stupid.” [sic][or maybe that should be “sick”?]

The last sentence of the quoted entry is a beautiful example of Muphry’s Law – which is an adage stating that “if you write anything criticising editing (or proofreading), there will be a fault of some kind in what you have written”. The name is a deliberate misspelling of Murphy’s Law.

For a comprehensive alphabetical list of homophones, visit: www.homophones.com

Which pairings do you love to loathe?

Footnote:

Then there are homonyms (words having the same spelling and pronunciation, but different meanings) such as  “lying”, or “watch” and “play” – where different meanings are deduced according to whether the word is used as a noun or a verb, and homographs (words having the same spelling, but different pronunciations and meanings) e.g wind / wound / present.

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The secret under my desk…

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Gavin Ford

Here’s a nifty idea that I can recommend for writers.

Under my desk there’s a suspended box (compartment) made up by my carpenter with the following dimensions: 30cm x 30cm. It’s 20cm deep and houses the reference books I work with most. It keeps them handy, yet out of sight.

There’s the Concise Oxford dictionary and the HAT Afrikaans-English dictionary. Their spines are reinforced with duct-tape. Roget’s Thesaurus, Cassell’s New French and Latin compact dictionaries are also ensconced there.

Yes, I’m old-school and prefer physical referencing to the use of software. There’s something delightful about the activity of riffling pages and poring over inked print that adds nicely to the creative mix.

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What’s in a name?

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Gavin Ford

Generating names for a product, brand or company is part of the copywriter’s repertoire. 

With the dotcom explosion having monopolised nearly all names and permutations thereof, wordsmiths have resorted to semantic associations, creating hybridised names as a creative way out of this impasse. e.g. Valprod (value + product) or Intel (intelligent + electronics).

Nickel artwork by Uwe Pfaff

However, the latest, most subtle form of name generation involves utilising sound symbolism – crafting combinations of vowels and consonants whose “sound packages” are tagged phonemes by linguists.

Sound associates not only with meanings but also emotions. For example, Laurentian’s Dr Whissel has proven how the sounds “l” and “s” are associated with pleasant feelings. Studies have shown that symbolism within phonemes (and the clustering of meaning) cuts across all cultures. Choosing a good hybridised name imbued with sound symbolism therefore ensures that prospects (potential customers) will subliminally understand the qualities of the brand irrespective of their national language. Continue reading →

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A little alliteration goes a long way

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Gavin Ford

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 the protagonist – upon meeting Evey – wishing no doubt to make a statement that resurrects its ostensible vapidity:

V:  “Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. [He carves a “V” into a sign] The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. [chuckles] Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honour to meet you and you may call me ‘V’.”

Evey: “Are you like a crazy person?”

V: “I’m quite sure they will say so.”

Apropos the incisive and insinuating sound of the letter “V”, I will introduce the concept of sound symbolism in my next blog…

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Make your passion work for you

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Gavin Ford

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 American entrepreneur Nolan Bushnell who said that, “The ultimate inspiration is the deadline.”

Now from among the myriad of motivational gems regarding the writing process, self-publishing guru, Dan Poynter, has this simple yet powerful advice:

“When you write what you love and love what you write, working is something you look forward to [sic]. When your avocation and vocation are the same, your research is fun.  When your passion centre becomes your profit centre, you are making a living doing what you want to do.”

But science fiction writer, Isaac Asimov, has the final word:

“If my doctor told me I had only six months to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.”

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Something to cut out…

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Gavin Ford

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. Here’s one of them (about which I have to constantly remind myself) on superfluity in language:

If it’s possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

When writing, less is always more. Express the essence. Say it, don’t spray it.  Communicate crisply. For example:

It’s a clear indication = It’s clear; On a daily basis = daily; The old classics = The classics; They merged together / as one = They merged. (You will have recognised that most of these are tautologies / redundant repetitions.)

Thomas Jefferson stated the rule succinctly over 200 years ago, “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” But my favourite quote on the subject is from Dr Seuss, “So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.”

The only positive thing about verbosity – and it’s scant consolation however – is that it keeps us editors in business. But I’d prefer a world without editors.

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How couth are you?

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Gavin Ford
“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…

… at the risk of being labelled canny-linguists!

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Brainwave or Orwellian funk?

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Gavin Ford

 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 people’s skulls, the researchers have located brain areas that generate the 40-odd sounds from which the English language is constructed.

They found each sound had a unique signal that could be seen forming as subjects expressed them out loud or in their heads.

The breakthrough could eventually allow scientists to translate people’s thoughts into words, potentially allowing those with severe paralysis or other disabilities to speak via a computer. Continue reading →

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