Tuesday, June 11, 2013
"Echoic" Writing
One of my pet peeves is "echoic" writing, re-using one of one's own previous words absentmindedly or lazily.
Today, an unusual example. Under the headline "League can't close the deal" Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times tells us closing pitcher Brandon League couldn't pull off a save and lost the game. Then:
"On what might be the most discouraging night in a season full of them, the Dodgers' beleaguered closer blew a two-run lead with two outs to go..." "be-league-red"
It might have been deliberate; if so, my congratulations. Even if it wasn't, I can hardly complain. But my hunch is it was unconscious as "echoes" usually are. So this one gets a pass from me and maybe my smiling admiration. It's a good pun.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
oh no. I fear I am guilty of echoic writing from time to time. I am aware of this faux pas, and desperately search my dictionary, thesaurus and my brain for word usage so as to never stray into the echoic writing. Some days are better than others.
ReplyDelete