
“He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.”
***
William Faulkner
(about Ernest Hemingway)

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That’s not such a bad thing, Mr. F.
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I actually enjoy coming across words I’m not familiar with, and always stop to look them up. Of course, it DOES interrupt the flow of the story, but I don’t mind that too much. I’m guessing it all depends on the reader, as to whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. 😀
Thanks for stopping by and taking a moment to weigh in. Have a super day! 😀 ❤️
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He’s right – but the emotion is still conveyed in that simple style. Not come across this one before! ❤
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Personally, I think whether it’s a good thing or a bad one depends on the reader. I enjoy coming across new-to-me words or phrases, but they certainly don’t make or break a great story, and I can definitely understand why they could be annoying to some.
And I’m glad I found a quote that was new to you, Trish. I’m taking a bit of a break today, but I’ll be back with more tomorrow, if the bridge don’t go an’ the creek don’t rise, as we say down here in the south. 😁
Thanks for stopping by today and taking a moment to make a good point.
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Love the saying! 😀 ❤
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“What’s a dictionary?” some may ask.
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I’m with Ernest.
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‘Reticence’ – on a BBC radio documentary this morning an English presenter was talking to a USA citizen and her sentence included ‘reticence’. He said ‘Hold your horses, stop right there, I have never heard of that word.’ – perhaps he didn’t use exactly those expressions, but you get the meaning. I wonder how many words don’t cross the Atlantic in either direction. As reticence is the natural state of being for we English, it would explain why nobody else knows the word!
PS. I have learnt many new words since being an adult, words that seem to be common now , but once seemed strange like penultimate and long ago my daughter’s young friend started talking about analogue watches, I had no idea what she meant and just tried to look intelligent. Salutary lesson for a parent.
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ouch! (lol)
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I’m siding with Ernest Hemingway. Simple words are not a distraction. 🙂
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True, but I do like to see interesting words mixed in here and there, and if I learn a new one, it’s even better. But too many would definitely start to interrupt the flow of the story.
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This gave me a chuckle. I do like learning new words, so I don’t mind going to the dictionary. But if a book has too many obscure word choices, that becomes a chore. Great quote!
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I agree, Paula, but I do admit to being happy every time I learn a new one. 😀
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I don’t like being pulled out of a story, but I’m okay with a writer using words I don’t know as long as their context clues make it clear about its meaning. Popping in fancy words just to be flowery will annoy me if it’s done often.
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
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Good point, Yvette. It’s something we should remember when writing. I love “fancy words,” but you definitely have to be careful not to overdo it.
Thanks for stopping by and taking a moment to share your thoughts. Have a super day!
🤗❤️🤗
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