On saying what we mean, even on Twitter. by Jo Carroll
I'm grumbling about sloppy language, again. As writers we should be precise. We hone our sentences until each word says exactly what we need to to say, don't we? Or course we do. But let's unpick this. I'll play a game with you. Let's have a continuum, from a bit of a problem to disaster, looking something like this: Bit of a problem<----------------------------------------------------->Disaster Now, you've been out, having a lovely time, maybe a couple of glasses of wine, and you're looking forward to a cup of tea before crawling into bed - only to find that the washing machine has leaked, the kitchen is under water, and the cat has knocked one of your most precious books onto the floor and it is ruined. Where would you place this on the continuum, and what word might you use? Again, you leave your bag on the bus. Not only does it contain your purse, house keys and phone, it also has your laptop containing the final draft of your manuscrip...