Friday, 6 January 2012

jan 5, 2012

wow, i missed posting on here last night because i fell asleep at 7pm! was that ever a much-needed rest!! this is what i was working on before slumber-time...

recently, i've been sifting through my vocabulary. similar to a pair of jeans that develops holes from consistent wear, there are words that wear on us, culturally speaking, and they need to either be mended or thrown out. today, i'm mending my relationship to the word just, and i invite you to join me!

i often misuse the word, as in: "i just wanted to tell you..." or "i just wrote to ask...". using just in this way is diminishing and, frankly, unnecessary. both those sentences would work just fine without (*grin*), and its removal takes the worried, flakey tone out of the equation. as of now, i'm pledging to only use just in accordance with its two other (very functional and appropriate!) definitions: 1) to refer to justice, as in: "we're hoping for a just outcome." 2) to refer to proximity in time, as in: "i just finished my dinner."

anyone out there want to join in on the challenge? oh, and i invite you to call me on using the diminishing version of just in my posts if it sneaks in unnoticed by me! deal? deal!
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7 comments:

  1. Jenn6 January 2012 at 14:50

    Oooh - good one. For me it's 'really' .... 'I really want to go to that concert'

    Also, I hate that I sometimes use 'really' in the sense that I'm questioning what I just heard. (and I hate when other people do it, too)

    "I just got a new kitten" "Really?" ... umm... Why do we ask that?

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  2. Luna7 January 2012 at 21:28

    So true! My next vocabulary mend will probably be the dreaded verbal tick that so many of us tack onto the ends of our sentences: "you know?". *shudder* Why do we say that so much?!

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  3. Luna7 January 2012 at 22:15

    Hooray! The delightful Lili Kondo has removed her first excess "just" from an email! It's working!! The word "literally" on the other hand may show up in every sentence of hers until the end of time...

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  4. Caro M11 January 2012 at 09:04

    Cool! I've been aware of women's overuse of 'just' for years and I regularly try to edit it out of my writing and speech. It makes me feel more powerful, confident and like I deserve to take up space. I feel equally good about trying not to overuse 'like'.
    Enjoy your power!

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    Replies
    1. Luna12 January 2012 at 00:44

      yes, "like" is another big one! i've been thinking about problematic tone of voice, too - that upward lilt in voice at the end of sentences that sounds like you're looking for approval, or like you're asking a question instead of making a statement. that would be good to consciously edit out, too...

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  5. Julia20 January 2012 at 07:14

    My big one is apologizing when there is nothing to apologize for!!

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  6. Luna28 January 2012 at 18:37

    Good one...that would be a good post topic - care to write something about that for the blog, Julia?

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