DR. ENGLISH: Strength in Simplicity

“You, too, can have the vocabulary of a Harvard English major.” You’ve probably seen that advertisement in airline magazines, suggesting that you, too, can develop knowledge of words that other people don’t know, making them feel stupid and, thus, elevating your own self-image.

As it so happens, Dr. English is a Harvard English major, and the only others he knows who use words most people don’t understand are just plain rude. After all, why say “eleemosynary” when “charitable” will do just as well? Why say “have a predilection for” when all it means is “like”?

What about you? How secure or insecure are you about your language skills? The more you opt for the simple alternative, the more secure you are.