Use of the word "very"

Or how Podunk U. has lost three consecutive games in a row.

 

I'm happy to see someone made an allusion to "Heathers." Carry on.

 

Each. Both. Either. All of which aren't needed about 99 percent of the time

 

AP was kind enough to show us an example of the necessary and unnecessary usage of "both" -- in the same sentence from the Broncos-49ers game Monday.


Both teams have postseason expectations, and both Cutler and Smith believe they're more ready to handle the pressure than they were when the clubs met in their regular-season finales last New Year's Eve.

 

Um, "Each team has....etc.

 

this thread has been very eye-opening.

 

haha. you've got me all wrong, friend.

i'm not fighting for anyone's right to type useless words. i agree with everyone trying to make writing tighter and easier to understand. if you asked me what any of the past 50 edits were on any of my stories, i couldn't tell you. i turn them in and, most times, never read them again.

and that's my point. i have done plenty of editing shifts, and to me, it's just one day in the job. but i see people who invest much more of themelves in word choice edits and ticky tacky peeves, and i wonder why?

i'm not talking shit. look at some of the stupid threads the reporters go on and on about: "i'll DIE before i use 'tell me about...' in an interview, arggghhhhh!!!! i challenge you to a duel!"

all i want to know is if there's some personality type that gives people a propensity for taking these minor edits so seriously. it's a legit question. sorry if anyone got offended. i wouldn't rather use 'last' or 'very.' i just wonder why some people get so mad about it.

seriously, someone answer.

 

hahaha. i valued ridiculous specificity over brevity in this case to help make the point.

 

Because it's our fucking job for some of us, and we take pride in our work. I don't get pissed at a 22-year-old stringer for making mistakes in his copy; I get pissed when I discuss the mistakes with him and he makes the same mistakes over and over. If deskers at your paper aren't discussing with you your myriad mistakes, then they're not doing their job.

 

JD,

Allow me to try to ease your concerns.

A.) Overstating things on here is a habit. I don't really want to fuckabuncha anything, I don't hate most of the things I say I 'hate,' and things like "I will kill the next writer who writes XXX" are most definitely hyperbole.

B.) This is a place where we can share our opinions with people who go through the same things we do. That allows us to express ourselves to a group who will likely listen. So we vent. It doesn't mean we literally punch ourselves in the face when someone writes something on this thread.

C.) Stop taking everything so literally.

D.) Try re-reading your stories when they run, so you see what changes are made. If you don't agree, then ask the desk about it.

 

Couldn't. Couldn't care less.

Pet peeve.

 

You know what makes me want to murder deskers in cold blood? (how's that for hyberbole?)

When it looks like all they've done is go through my story with a thesaurus.

I understand if they're changing words that are obscure or something.

But on consecutive days once upon a time, they changed a "but" to "however" and a "however" to "but."

In the grand scheme, it doesn't matter. But man, does it annoy me to no end.