"U-prime"

[Ken d'Albenas <kendal -at- AUTOTROL -dot- CUC -dot- AB -dot- CA>]

I'll rise to the bait: no passives, no "be"s, no polysyllabic
words . . .


Thanks to the past week's mail, I've learned some new ways to
stretch the brain cells:
 (a) try to write in E-prime;
 (b) try not to end with a preposition*; and/or
 (c) write naught but short* words.
Hey, I think I like it!  This thread can help me in my work,
yet it lets me have fun at the same time.

* (Arrghh, I give up!  I can't think of one-syllable words for
  "preposition" and "one-syllable!"    %-}

I have one more to throw in the pot.  In the same vein as
"E-prime," I'll call it U-prime ("U" for "use").

I once read a book that said we should not use the word "use."
Not as a noun, not as a verb; no where, no how.  At least, we
should try hard to steer clear of it.

"Why!?" I hear you ask in a shocked tone.  Well, the book said
that we all tend to use [sic] the word "use" a lot - 'way-y-y
too much; in fact, we tend to beat the poor word to death.

The book called that a cop-out, if not a sin, and urged us to
think hard [and click our heels twice?  - ed.] and try to say
what we have to say with no trace of the "u" word.  Once we've
trained the brain in this vein, we can then slack off a bit
and write the "u" word now and then, though not too much.  It
packs a whole lot more punch that way.

(Phew!)



Ken d'Albenas
(-::

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The goal of science is to build better mousetraps.
The goal of nature is to build better mice.
 - Anon.
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