Digital Parsimony

I’m a huge advocate of hatred towards corporate-speak. I hate verbifying nouns and the defamation of the English language. Surprisingly, English is only my second language, but I love it too much to let middle-management and politicians to destroy it.

So, for the upcoming election, read the following essay by George Orwell, the guy who wrote Animal Farm. Politics and the English Language. Most importantly, remember the rules of writing:

(i) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

(ii) Never us a long word where a short one will do.

(iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

(iv) Never use the passive where you can use the active.

(v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

(vi) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Since reading this months ago, I’ve applied these rules to my emails, school papers, and daily speech. Read the essay, I know it’s long, but it might just change the way to look at things the next time you hear the word pacification, transfer of population, or elimination of unreliable elements.