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Points well-taken, Odile, and I agree, even to your thoughts on
Southey's quote. Don't puzzle overmuch: I'm not saying "concision" never
has merit. It just jarred my ear a bit. Sometimes we get lost in the
50-cent words when the cheaper ones will do as well or better. But not
always.
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: Odile Sullivan-Tarazi [mailto:odile -at- mindspring -dot- com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 11:22 AM
To: Pinkham, Jim
Cc: Odile Sullivan-Tarazi; Cardimon, Craig; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Concision?
Ah, but context, context is all. There is a time to be terse, pithy,
bare. And a time to be concise, to convey eloquently with concision.
The writer's ear must always be sensitive to context. The words have a
sound and a feel, as well as a sense. They have a rhythm.
I was more puzzled, than anything else, to see a perfectly good word
slashed for no good reason. In your quote below, you will notice
Anglo-Saxon words mixed with Latinate terms to good effect.
Odile
At 11:01 AM -0500 10/29/08, Pinkham, Jim wrote:
>I'm sure they do. I'm chuckling now a bit that you're taking this so
>seriously. No offense.
>
>Sorry, but when I read concision, the next word that came to mind was
>"circumcision," and there, perhaps, I'd go for the Latin formation and
>avoid some blunter Anglo-Saxon alternative, if such there be.
>
>But, generally, I agree with Orwell: Use words that convey images. Keep
>it simple and direct. Use the good, crisp, clear Anglo-Saxon words.
>Don't seek concision. Be concise. Better yet, be brief. Terse. Pithy.
>
>Jim
>
>*********************************
>"If thou wouldst be pungent, be brief. For it is with words as with
>sunbeams: the more they are condensed, the more they burn." -- Robert
>Southey.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Odile Sullivan-Tarazi [mailto:odile -at- mindspring -dot- com]
>Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 10:45 AM
>To: Pinkham, Jim
>Cc: Cardimon, Craig; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>Subject: RE: Concision?
>
>
>But why? It is not archaic. Its meaning in the sense of a cutting up
>or off is archaic. Its meaning as the quality or state of being
>concise is not. And in AH, the order of those two entries is
>reversed: concision as the quality or state of being concise is listed
>first.
>
>The second book I cited, _Style: Toward Clarity and Grace_, is put out
>by the University of Chicago Press as part of their guide to writing,
>editing, and publishing series. These guys know a little something
>about word choice.
>
>
>Odile
>
>
>
>
>At 9:57 AM -0500 10/29/08, Pinkham, Jim wrote:
>>I think the New Oxford Guide editors should go back to Orwell's
>>"Politics and the English Language" and dispense with words such as
>>"concision" altogether. But I have no wish to start a dictionary or
>>style skirmish. This was, as I said, just a good-natured tweak.
>>
>>Best,
>>Jim
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Odile Sullivan-Tarazi [mailto:odile -at- mindspring -dot- com]
>>Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 9:46 AM
>>To: Pinkham, Jim
>>Cc: Cardimon, Craig; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>>Subject: Re: Concision?
>>
>>
>>No, I think he meant "concision," a more precise (and concise) word
>>than "conciseness."
>>
>>See, for instance, _The New Oxford Guide to Writing_ or _Style:
>>Toward Clarity and Grace, the latter of which devotes an entire
>>chapter
>
>>to concision.
>>
>>
>>Odile
>>
>>
>>
>>At 8:40 AM -0500 10/29/08, Pinkham, Jim wrote:
>>>"Concision," huh? I thought you meant "conciseness," and I had to go
>>>look the two up.
>>>
>>>Merriam-Webster dates "concision" back to the 14th century, but its
>>>first listed rendering is archaic, "a cutting up or off," and then
>>>the
>
>>>second rendering, of indeterminate origin, gets at conciseness.
>>>"Conciseness," on the other hand, dates to around 1590 and has the
>>>definition I suspect you meant: "marked by brevity of expression or
>>>statement."
>>>
>>>So accurate, brief, clear -- that's what we value. Hmm...and someone
>>>just suggested law?? :)
>>>
>>>OK, enough tweaking...back to work.
>>>
>>>Respectfully,
>>>Jim
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: techwr-l-bounces+jim -dot- pinkham=voith -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>>>[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jim -dot- pinkham=voith -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
>>>Behalf Of Cardimon, Craig
>>>Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 8:15 AM
>>>To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>>>Subject: RE: Career transition away from tech writing
>>>
>>>> I'm thinking about leaving the field of technical writing and
>>>> I'm
> >very
>>>
>>>> interested in learning about the jobs other technical writers
have
>>>> transitioned to. Project management, training, and user
>>>> experience
>>>seem
>>>> to be the more common transitions, but are there other areas you
>may
>>>> have ventured into?
>>>>
>>>> Thank you.
>>>
>>>I would bet this comes up more often than one might think. How about
>>any
>>>field that values concision, clarity, and precision. To these I add
>>>attention to detail and the ability to organize one's thoughts.
>>>
>>>Craig
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