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I tend to alternate between other ways of saying it: "and so on," "and
others." And one that I kinda enjoy using is "and the like." It's a
little archaic, but I think it has a nice ring to it.
Thanks for the info, Lisa, on internationalizing "etc." -- I hadn't
thought of that. Since I find myself internationalizing, I'll make a
greater effort to ensure that I'm "etc.-free"!
On a similar note, I completely blow a gasket when I see e.g. and i.e.
used improperly -- I forcibly restrain myself from checking my NYPL
Style Guide to make sure I used them right in THIS sentence! Like
Leonard, I think misusing and overusing these little guys can backfire
terribly.