Stop Fussing!

I’m talking about writing.  Stop being a fussy writer!  Here are some examples that make my worst list:

Older versus elder, oldest versus eldest (unless you’re writing in the time of Camelot, skip this one).

Lived in versus resided in or dwelt in (we get it; someone lived there).

My father versus my sire (You’re kidding, right? Was your father the king of England and you were forced to refer to him as “sire”?).

The coffee brewed versus ropes of dark liquid emerged (I am the first person to wax rhapsodic about coffee, but this is still pedantic!).

Hair versus tresses (Most of the long-hair’d are young people. How often do they refer to themselves as having tresses?).

Sweat beaded versus moisture pearled (it’s such CUTE moisture!).

Home/house versus abode, or worse, manse (this is aimed directly at romance writers!).

Four-footed companion versus dog/cat (OK, I can live with this one).

There are many, many more, and I encounter them too often.  I understand wanting to combat “the boredom factor,” or using the same old words, but if they still speak to the subject matter in a clear and concise manner, I’m a cheerleader for the mundane.

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Java Davis