Good With Words
What does being “good with words” mean?
Good With Words – A Definition
The purpose of written language is to convey ideas, concepts and emotions. Words are meant to communicate “meaning”. In short, words are used to communicate. So the best definition of being “good with words” is to be able to communicate well with words.
What Are Obscure Words For?
A lot of young writers fall into the trap of thinking that using obscure words and big words is good communication. I was guilty of this as a youngster myself. A person thinks, “If I use these obscure terms, then it shows that I’m well-read and paid attention in my studies.” But is it good communication to use obscure terms and $100 words to convey a message to your readers?
I would argue that it only is when it gets the point across better to your audience.
Rule #1: Use the most common words possible to convey your message. Only use obscure words or big words when that word is more precise than a more commonly used related word.
So if you are looking for a precise meaning, use the less common word or term. If a more common word is just as precise, then use the common word. It’s a better communication tool than the word your reader might have to look up in a dictionary.
An Example of Hard Reading: Thomas Pynchon
Don’t get me wrong: I enjoy reading Thomas Pynchon as much as anyone. I enjoyed the quirkiness of The Crying of Lot 49 and the pithiness of Gravity’s Rainbow, and I still intend on one day finishing Gravity’s Rainbow (a black mark against me that I never finished it, I’ll admit). But as novel reading goes, there’s no doubt it’s “hard sledding” for just about anyone.
I had an English professor in college who loved Thomas Pynchon novels. He claimed he would sit on his porch every summer, reading a Pynchon novel while he kept a Websters Dictionary nearby to look up the little-known terms Pynchon would use. Mind you, this was a 50-something college professor who was brilliant and well-read, sitting on his porch looking up words in the dictionary he wasn’t familiar with.
Thomas Pynchon may go down as one of the great writers of the second half of the 20th century. But unfortunately, too many college students are introduced to a few writers like Pynchon and decide they need to emulate that kind of writing. And it makes their writing much less accessible. Frankly, it hurts their writing style.
So when a novice writer intentionally tries to be obscure and esoteric, is that being “good with words“.
Does it make for good communication?
Probably not. In my definition, definitely not.
But I’ll let you be the judge on your own.
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