Removing Word Clutter
I think of "clutter words" as "flutter words." They may look pretty as they flutter around the substance of a sentence, but they are distracting. William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well, says that "fighting clutter is like fighting weeds--the writer is always slightly behind."
He defines clutter as "the laborious phrase which has pushed out the short word that means the same thing." Most people use word clutter carelessly, without intention, while other people use clutter in the hopes that they will sound more important or because they think it is expected in their profession. But in almost all cases, the use of such phrases should be avoided.
The following list of clutter words includes many redundancies, clichés, and bureaucratic phrases so ingrained in our speech and writing that most writers must concentrate just to notice them. This particular list focuses on clutter I've observed in business and technical writing. Once you've read a few, they'll probably begin leaping out at you!
Clutter | Use |
---|---|
A great number of times | often, frequently |
a greater number of | more |
a little less than | almost |
a small number of | few |
a large number of | many |
a period of several weeks | several weeks |
a sufficient number of | enough |
absolute guarantee | guarantee |
absolutely essential | essential |
adding together | adding |
advance planning | planning |
advance reservations | reservations |
any and all | any |
as a general rule | as a rule |
at regular intervals of time | regularly |
at some future date | sometime, later |
at 12 noon | at noon |
at 12 midnight | at midnight |
at the conclusion of | after |
at a meeting held here | at a meeting here |
balance against one another | balance |
basic fundamentals | fundamentals |
called attention to the fact | reminded |
came to a stop | stopped |
cancel out | cancel |
cannot be possible | cannot be |
close proximity | close |
close scrutiny | scrutiny |
commute back and forth | commute |
completely decapitated | decapitated |
consensus of opinion | consensus |
continue on | continue |
current status | status |
current trend | trend |
despite the fact that | although |
detailed information | details |
different kinds | kinds |
due to the fact that | because, since |
during the time that | then, while, as |
end result | result |
ended his talk | concluded |
entered a bit of | bid |
entire monopoly | monopoly |
equally as well | equally |
established precedent | precedent |
estimated at about | estimated at |
estimated roughly at | estimated at |
expressed the belief | said |
few in number | few |
filled to capacity | filled |
final outcome | outcome |
finally ended | ended |
first and foremost | first |
first priority | priority |
for a period of 10 days | for 10 days |
for a short space of time | for a short time |
for the purpose of advancing | to advance |
future plans | plans |
general conclusion | conclusion |
general public | public |
goals and objectives | goals |
guest speaker | speaker |
hidden pitfall | pitfall |
honest truth | truth |
hot water heater | water heater |
if that were the case | if so |
in addition to | and, besides, also |
in case of | of, concerning |
in excess of | more |
in the absence of | without |
in the near future | soon |
in the not too distant future | eventually |
in the event that | if |
in view of the fact that | considering |
introduced a new | introduced |
introduced for the first time | introduced |
invited guests | guests |
is of the opinion that | believes |
is opposed to | opposes |
joined together | joined |
lift up | lift |
major portion of | most of |
merged together | merged |
midway between | between |
new innovation | innovation |
off of | off |
official business | business |
on account of | because |
on behalf of | for |
one and the same | the same |
on two different occasions | twice |
once in a great while | seldom, rarely |
past experience | experience |
past history | history |
personal opinion | opinion |
placed its seal of approval on | approved |
point in time | time |
prior to | before |
probed into | probed |
refer back to | refer to |
regular weekly meeting | meeting |
repeat again | repeat |
rise up | rise |
since the time when | since |
tendered his resignation | resigned |
this particular instance | this instance |
there is no doubt that | doubtless |
true facts | facts |
total operating costs | operating costs |
unsolved problem | problem |
went on to say | continued, added |
when and if | if |
whether or not | whether |
with the exception of | except |
wrote away for | wrote for |
you may or may not know | you may know |
Zinsser, William. On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction. 2nd ed. New York: Harper & Row, 1980.