(November 1 is “All Saints’ Day” – a public holiday – in Western Christian countries. Initially, this was a celebration of those who died as martyrs. These days, it is a commemoration for all those who have passed away. I wish it to be a day of your liking.)
Three weeks ago, I bumped into my Irish friend on the bus home. It was such a delight to be sharing information about here and there. I told her I had used “monicker” (variant of moniker) in class, and my students didn’t have a clue what it was. I went to great lengths explaining to them that it’s not synonymous with “alias” (a false name in place of a true name to stay anonymous or mislead people) but a descriptive or familiar name. Napoleon Bonaparte’s soldiers called him “Le Petit Caporal” (The Little Corporal) – his moniker. I shouldn’t have used moniker, as it’s slang; “nickname” would have been easily understood.
Early this year, there was an informative article posted on Linkedin that had long sentences; each with five lines of over 50 words. I commented, “Can someone please write this in Plain English”. To date, no one has responded, which surprised me because the articles had many likes and several hundred readers followed its source (i.e. website).
Verbose writing utilises more words than necessary that can make understanding difficult. Whereas, Plain English is straightforward and clear. It uses simple words and short sentences to convey ideas and avoids slang and jargon.
Verbose writing: “It is with great pleasure that we announce the commencement of the public hearing about business dominance, which is scheduled to take place on November 5, 2024 in the confines of Chamber C at the hour of ten o’clock in the morning.” Plain English: “The public hearing on business dominance will start at 10 a.m. in Chamber C.”
Clarity is the remedy for confusion. — William Zinsser (American writer, 1922 – 2015).
The world’s best speeches are in Plain English:
Martin Luther King Jr.: “I have a dream…”
Winston Churchill: “We shall fight on the beaches…”
John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
Nelson Mandela: “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Barack Obama: “Yes, we can.”
Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Angela Merkel: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Using complex or verbose language and jargon doesn’t make us sound smarter or more sophisticated. We should communicate or converse to understand and be understood, and not to impress.
The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do. – Thomas Jefferson (3rd US President, from 1801 to 1809).