Poor: The concert was simply exquisite.
Better: The concert was very good.
Poor: She was wild over the mistake.
Better: She was much annoyed by the mistake.

4. Avoid hackneyed phrases; expressions that have been worked to death. Examples:

His paternal acres.
The infuriated beast.
The gentle zephyrs of springtime.
Was gathered to his fathers.
The blushing bride was led to the hymeneal altar.
Applauded to the echo.

Exercise 83

For each of the following expressions devise the best simple English expression that you can:

  1. Individual was precipitated.
  2. Tendered him a banquet.
  3. At the witching hour of midnight.
  4. The devouring element was checked.
  5. Piscatorial sport.
  6. Pedal extremities.
  7. Fraught with tremendous possibilities.
  8. Amid the plaudits of the multitude.
  9. Caudal extremity.
  10. Passed to his long home.
  11. Dissected the Thanksgiving bird.
  12. Presided at the organ.
  13. Finger of scorn pointed at him.
  14. Wended his way.
  15. The green eyed monster.
  16. The whole aggregation of knowledge chasers.
  17. Maternal ancestor.
  18. Shuffled off this mortal coil.
  19. Failed to materialize at the banquet.
  20. Tonsorial artist.
  21. Twirler of the sphere.
  22. Pugilistic encounters.
  23. Performed his matutinal ablutions.
  24. Partook of a magnificent collation.
  25. Solemnized the rites of matrimony.

Exercise 84

In the third paragraph of the selection from Cranford (see §186) observe the use of the following words: human, weakness, hanks, twisted, annoyed, and undoing. Study the specific nature of these words by grouping about each of them other words of somewhat similar meaning, and then comparing the force of the various words in each group.

This sort of exercise may be continued by choosing passages from any careful writer and studying the words that he has used.