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Feb

18

My Own Personal NOTHING


I’m not a writer, I just play one.

But every time I see “My own personal (fill in the blank)” I get a little nuts. Like just a few minutes ago on the Plain Dealer’s Open (no link for the specific quote):

WEEKEND SENDOFF: We leave you for the weekend with this quote…

“My own personal feeling is, until he is led off the floor of Congress in handcuffs, he’ll be tough to defeat.”

- State Rep. John Boccieri, explaining why no top-tier Democrat filed to run against embattled GOP Congressman Bob Ney

If it’s “my,” then it’s yours – the reader knows that. And when you use “my,” you eradicate the need for “own” and “personal,” which mean, respectively, “Of or belonging to oneself or itself” – um, in other words, the speaker who is indicated in the word “my,” and “Of or relating to a particular person” – that person being you, which you’ve told us, because you just said, “my.”

I get accused of being verbose and overwrought in my writing. So I know this problem well. But really – you need only say, “My feeling is…”

Don’t. Need. The “own personal.”

Don’t. Need. It.

This has been a message from the Poor Phrasing Police.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 4:31 pm February 18th, 2006 in Politics 

Comments

9 Responses to “My Own Personal NOTHING”

  1. 1 Lisa Renee on February 18th, 2006 5:10 pm

    You get accused of being verbose, I get teased about writing novels. Infact a friend of mine once told me that I wrote so much at one point in time that he was printing out my blog and taking it with him as bathroom reading material. I didn’t know if I should be flattered or insulted.

    Then the first time I called a local talk radio show after I started blogging, the host intro’d my call as “Lisa Renee Toledo’s most prolific blogger”.

    Again I wondered flattered or insulted? So both times I decided I would be flattered. Now it’s become something to tease me about. Thankfully I have a very good sense of humor.

    I do admit though that my grammar skills at times have not been what they should. That’s another reason blogging has been good for me. It’s made me at times focus on not just what I’m writing but how I’m writing it.

    :-)

  2. 2 Eric on February 18th, 2006 5:57 pm

    Jill,

    I must beg to differ with you. As the Ohio President of the Alliance for Redundancy Coalition I must say that you are very prejudicial in your treatment for those of us who would choose to wax prolific. I wish and hope and dream that some day you will alter and change your mind and your mental attitude towards such matters/issues/ideas.

    Thank you for your time. I appreciate you reading this.

    Sincerely and dearly,

    Eric

  3. 3 Jill on February 18th, 2006 8:11 pm

    Eric – So long as that is your own personal opinion, no problemo.

    Was that sincerely and dearly or sincerely and clearly?

    :)

  4. 4 Jill on February 18th, 2006 8:12 pm

    Lisa – I totally agree – blogging has made me re-read so much of my own writing. I definitely think it helps.

  5. 5 Chris on February 18th, 2006 10:20 pm

    You don’t go far enough. “My feeling” is just weak. It’s weak when spoken. It’s weak when written. Think of how much stronger this would have been: “Until Ney is led off the floor of Congress in handcuffs, he’ll be tough to defeat.”

    Why couch something in tems of what you “feel”? If you are saying it, of course you feel it.

  6. 6 Jill on February 18th, 2006 10:55 pm

    Excellent point, Chris. Another of a few things I’ve learned about writing – from law school, they taught us, never use phrases like I think or I feel because it weakens what ever follows. You’re right.

  7. 7 Dawno on February 20th, 2006 8:28 am

    the cynic in me whispers in my ear that maybe a politician should clarify that something they’re about to say is actually their own personal opinion rather than someone else’s that they’re obligated to parrot because of the votes they could garner or the contributions they’ve received…

  8. 8 Jill on February 20th, 2006 2:40 pm

    Good point, Dawno! I do understand what you’re saying. (How are you!? – I should post an AW-related post – I was over there yesterday and I don’t recognize anyone!! boohoo)

  9. 9 Dawno on February 23rd, 2006 4:22 am

    Dawno is doing ok. I try to get to as many blogs as I can on a fairly regular basis but I don’t always comment unless I feel I can add some value to the converstation – even if it’s just a bit of comic relief :-)

    I did just get asked to be a supermod, btw – It’s hard not abusing such power.

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