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Use of the word "very"

Ace said:
Tom Petty said:
Ace said:
I also think works such as "just" and "only" are overused.

He rushed for just 10 yards on 15 carries. If you want to editorialize fine -- do it better.

He threw only one interception all season. Same thing. Instead of "only" tell me if he set a record or led the league or be descriptive.

what if he only set one record?

that's when you go with "just."

thanks for clearing that up, ace. i'm very ecstatic.
 
quick question: what is going on in someone's brain chemistry when the use of any particular words hurts them personally enough that they would admit to hating the word, cringing when they see it and planning diabolical schemes to eradicate it?

some people i know are on this crusade to change every 'last' in the paper to 'past' or 'this past' because 99 percent of the time 'last season,' etc., doesn't specifically refer to the very last season ever played in history.

i'm curious to know what biological process causes someone in the mass communication profession to take things like this so personally while the entire mass they're trying to communicate with could care less.
 
Well I am on a crusade to change every 'last' to a 'past' because that's my paper's style.

That's kind of why most of us make the changes we make.
 
imjustagirl said:
Well I am on a crusade to change every 'last' to a 'past' because that's my paper's style.

That's kind of why most of us make the changes we make.

you just made three posts arguing about 'respectively.' your paper didn't make you do that. what did?
 
JD Canon said:
quick question: what is going on in someone's brain chemistry when the use of any particular words hurts them personally enough that they would admit to hating the word, cringing when they see it and planning diabolical schemes to eradicate it?

some people i know are on this crusade to change every 'last' in the paper to 'past' or 'this past' because 99 percent of the time 'last season,' etc., doesn't specifically refer to the very last season ever played in history.

i'm curious to know what biological process causes someone in the mass communication profession to take things like this so personally while the entire mass they're trying to communicate with could care less.

the word editor is nowhere in your job title, is it? i think it's wrong to bust on folks for trying to get shirt correct.
 
JD Canon said:
imjustagirl said:
Well I am on a crusade to change every 'last' to a 'past' because that's my paper's style.

That's kind of why most of us make the changes we make.

you just made three posts arguing about 'respectively.' your paper didn't make you do that. what did?

I was expressing my opinion on it, and how I write things. It wasn't an argument, and I didn't talk about how it consumed me or brought me physical discomfort.
 
Tom Petty said:
JD Canon said:
quick question: what is going on in someone's brain chemistry when the use of any particular words hurts them personally enough that they would admit to hating the word, cringing when they see it and planning diabolical schemes to eradicate it?

some people i know are on this crusade to change every 'last' in the paper to 'past' or 'this past' because 99 percent of the time 'last season,' etc., doesn't specifically refer to the very last season ever played in history.

i'm curious to know what biological process causes someone in the mass communication profession to take things like this so personally while the entire mass they're trying to communicate with could care less.

the word editor is nowhere in your job title, is it? i think it's wrong to bust on folks for trying to get shirt correct.

wait. wait. wait.

i have to cherish this pot, kettle and blackness.

tom petty: "i think it's wrong to bust on folks..."

listen, i'm not busting on anyone. i seriously want to know what makes people invest themselves personally on minute things the majority of other people gloss over. it's a legit question. when a copy dude/chick says "i hate when..." and it's something like when a writer types 'on' before a date or uses 'very' or 'last,' why does it make them mad?

what type of personality is that? perfectionism? borderline autism? i don't know. that's why i posed the question. call me curious.

getting things right is alright with me. facts, figures, i get that stuff. interchangeable words that mean the same thing when spoken in conversation but have technically different dictionary meanings? i don't get it. i typed 'that' now three times in this post. it didn't bother me at all.

help me understand if you feel like it.
 
imjustagirl said:
JD Canon said:
imjustagirl said:
Well I am on a crusade to change every 'last' to a 'past' because that's my paper's style.

That's kind of why most of us make the changes we make.

you just made three posts arguing about 'respectively.' your paper didn't make you do that. what did?

I was expressing my opinion on it, and how I write things. It wasn't an argument, and I didn't talk about how it consumed me or brought me physical discomfort.

fine. you're not 'one of them.' congratulations.
 
JD Canon said:
Tom Petty said:
JD Canon said:
quick question: what is going on in someone's brain chemistry when the use of any particular words hurts them personally enough that they would admit to hating the word, cringing when they see it and planning diabolical schemes to eradicate it?

some people i know are on this crusade to change every 'last' in the paper to 'past' or 'this past' because 99 percent of the time 'last season,' etc., doesn't specifically refer to the very last season ever played in history.

i'm curious to know what biological process causes someone in the mass communication profession to take things like this so personally while the entire mass they're trying to communicate with could care less.

the word editor is nowhere in your job title, is it? i think it's wrong to bust on folks for trying to get shirt correct.

wait. wait. wait.

i have to cherish this pot, kettle and blackness.

tom petty: "i think it's wrong to bust on folks..."

listen, i'm not busting on anyone. i seriously want to know what makes people invest themselves personally on minute things the majority of other people gloss over. it's a legit question. when a copy dude/chick says "i hate when..." and it's something like when a writer types 'on' before a date or uses 'very' or 'last,' why does it make them mad?

what type of personality is that? perfectionism? borderline autism? i don't know. that's why i posed the question. call me curious.

getting things right is alright with me. facts, figures, i get that stuff. interchangeable words that mean the same thing when spoken in conversation but have technically different dictionary meanings? i don't get it. i typed 'that' now three times in this post. it didn't bother me at all.

help me understand if you feel like it.

dear wiseass,

you know not of what you speak. i'm 100 percent positive you are a lowly reporter who benches every time "copy editor jimmy, forks with my copy," even though he's only helping you not look like an idiot.
 
JD Canon said:
Tom Petty said:
JD Canon said:
quick question: what is going on in someone's brain chemistry when the use of any particular words hurts them personally enough that they would admit to hating the word, cringing when they see it and planning diabolical schemes to eradicate it?

some people i know are on this crusade to change every 'last' in the paper to 'past' or 'this past' because 99 percent of the time 'last season,' etc., doesn't specifically refer to the very last season ever played in history.

i'm curious to know what biological process causes someone in the mass communication profession to take things like this so personally while the entire mass they're trying to communicate with could care less.

the word editor is nowhere in your job title, is it? i think it's wrong to bust on folks for trying to get shirt correct.

wait. wait. wait.

i have to cherish this pot, kettle and blackness.

tom petty: "i think it's wrong to bust on folks..."

listen, i'm not busting on anyone. i seriously want to know what makes people invest themselves personally on minute things the majority of other people gloss over. it's a legit question. when a copy dude/chick says "i hate when..." and it's something like when a writer types 'on' before a date or uses 'very' or 'last,' why does it make them mad?

what type of personality is that? perfectionism? borderline autism? i don't know. that's why i posed the question. call me curious.

getting things right is alright with me. facts, figures, i get that stuff. interchangeable words that mean the same thing when spoken in conversation but have technically different dictionary meanings? i don't get it. i typed 'that' now three times in this post. it didn't bother me at all.

help me understand if you feel like it.

You typed "that" four times, and each time it was used correctly. The "now" was not needed, though.

It's all about writing tighter. If you don't have a problem using useless words, I guess we're not going to convince you otherwise.
 
friend of a friend said:
JD Canon said:
Tom Petty said:
JD Canon said:
quick question: what is going on in someone's brain chemistry when the use of any particular words hurts them personally enough that they would admit to hating the word, cringing when they see it and planning diabolical schemes to eradicate it?

some people i know are on this crusade to change every 'last' in the paper to 'past' or 'this past' because 99 percent of the time 'last season,' etc., doesn't specifically refer to the very last season ever played in history.

i'm curious to know what biological process causes someone in the mass communication profession to take things like this so personally while the entire mass they're trying to communicate with could care less.

the word editor is nowhere in your job title, is it? i think it's wrong to bust on folks for trying to get shirt correct.

wait. wait. wait.

i have to cherish this pot, kettle and blackness.

tom petty: "i think it's wrong to bust on folks..."

listen, i'm not busting on anyone. i seriously want to know what makes people invest themselves personally on minute things the majority of other people gloss over. it's a legit question. when a copy dude/chick says "i hate when..." and it's something like when a writer types 'on' before a date or uses 'very' or 'last,' why does it make them mad?

what type of personality is that? perfectionism? borderline autism? i don't know. that's why i posed the question. call me curious.

getting things right is alright with me. facts, figures, i get that stuff. interchangeable words that mean the same thing when spoken in conversation but have technically different dictionary meanings? i don't get it. i typed 'that' now three times in this post. it didn't bother me at all.

help me understand if you feel like it.

You typed "that" four times, and each time it was used correctly. The "now" was not needed, though.

It's all about writing tighter. If you don't have a problem using useless words, I guess we're not going to convince you otherwise.

jd is sticking up for the little guy, who does it wrong on every story, every day.
 
Don't even get me started on jd's "the very last season ever played in history" for wasted words and redundancy.
 

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