Season With Salt—Not Pepper

Gracious speech will not be overseasoned with verbal condiments.

By L. LAMBERT MOFFITT, Associate Secretary, Sabbath School Department

Gracious speech will not be overseasoned with verbal condiments. Beware of the careless use of superlatives. Guard against the unjustifiable use of those all-embracing state­ments. You do not need to corral all time and space to make your utterances impressive. Don't say invariably when you mean only cus­tomarily, usually, frequently, or even occasion­ally.

Before using the word invariably, pause a moment. Does the positive statement you are about to make admit of any possible variation? Might there be at least one exception? Are you certain that it is absolutely uniform, con­stant, unalterable—everywhere and eternally the same? When we stop to consider how un­stable, insecure, unreliable, undependable, and variable most things are in this world we begin to realize how little use we have for such ex­pletives as invariably. If you feel that you must use invariably then bring it a little nearer the facts by saying almost invariably.

Doubtless is a word that is also bandied about rather carelessly. Try using presumably, prob­ably, perhaps. The probabilities are that your statement will be the more impressive and con­vincing because of its moderation. If there can be any possible trace of question, uncertainty, or doubt, then do not say doubtless. Even though there is not a shadow of doubt, your statement will usually be stronger if you elim­inate doubtless. Notice the difference in these two statements : "John did it." "Doubtless John did it." All too often when you say doubtless you raise a doubt. If there is no doubt about it, why suggest doubt?

Again, take the expression, "Nothing could be more distressing." Are you sure ? Are you competent to judge the utmost degree of dis­tress? Isn't it barely possible that there might be at least one situation more distressing than the one to which you refer ? Remember, noth­ing is a very exclusive word. If you feel that you must be emphatic, try saying, 'Few things could be more distressing." You will still be taking in plenty of territory.

Some time ago in reading a document, I came to the statement, "It is the only method possible." Pretty sweeping isn't it? Would it ' not have appeared less dogmatic, aroused less resistance, and have been a more truthful and forceful statement to have said, "This is prob­ably the best method now known," or, "This is perhaps the best procedure under most cir­cumstances"?

Quite is another badly abused word. Be guarded in its use. Frequently people say quite when they mean fairly, moderately, ordinarily, tolerably. Someone asks you, "How is your ía-flier these days ?" You answer, "Quite well, thank you. He complains some of rheumatism; he has a bit of a cold, and a touch of laryngitis; and the other day he sprained his ankle, but on the whole and in general he keeps quite well." Brother, you mean he is more or less average, about like the general run of us mortals, cer­tainly not totally well as the word quite im­plies. Do not say quite when you mean not quite. Quite means completely, wholly, entirely, totally, absolutely.


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By L. LAMBERT MOFFITT, Associate Secretary, Sabbath School Department

February 1948

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