I love it when I am reading an article that makes very little sense but starts sentences with expressions like “At its simplest, X means…” Yes, at its simplest, followed by incomprehensible, impassable descriptions of I still don’t know what. I know it is possible to achieve an “at its simplest” definition because I have seen several for the concept at hand, making this “at its simplest” qualifier all the more laughable.
clarity
Be careful where you stick it – Words change meaning
StandardWatching television news and pseudo-news à la The Daily Show, I hear a lot of misplaced modifiers. I also see them in print:
- the former lesbian tennis star
- the former French president
- seeking a junior Chinese copywriter
These bother me because they change the intended meaning. I am fairly sure the former tennis star is still a lesbian; the former president is still French and the junior copywriter sought is still capable of using Chinese (what would a “junior Chinese” be, exactly?).
I’m fussy, but clarity is meaningful.