have a template for how not to write.

Following are a few words that have had their character ground away by unrelenting use

(or is that utilization?):

2. Erin Kissane, “Attack of the Zombie Copy,” A List Apart, October 24, 2005

(www.alistapart.com/articles/zombiecopy).

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CONTENT

Solution: Probably the poster child for corporate-speak abuse, this once great word

now appears on an incalculable number of company websites. Unfortunately, while

elegant, it has little meaning when orphaned, especially in a site’s navigation. The

word is still valid when meaning an actual answer to a problem, but not when used

as a replacement for more tangible words like products or services.

Utilize: The major problem with utilize is that it is simply overused. It may or may

not be a direct replacement for use; in different situations, its meaning can con-2

note something slightly different. For example, I can use this shovel to dig a hole

(its intended purpose), or I can utilize this shovel to smash this lock open (an unin-

tended use, no matter how practical). However, the problem lies in the fact that

copywriters use utilize even when its monosyllabic cousin would be clearer and

more to the point.

Enterprise: This word is just a flowery alternative to company. Who can seriously

tell me they don’t think of Star Trek when they read it? A prime casualty of the-

saurus abuse, try the more humane company, organization, or business instead.

Leverage: This is another alternative for use, but with major bonus pretension

points. While a real word with real meaning, it hardly ever relates to the marketing

material in which it finds itself. Your software might leverage your client’s IT invest-

ment, but it more likely takes advantage of that investment instead.

Best-of-breed: This one just has to stop. Probably one of the most pompous

descriptors to come into common use, best-of-breed is a term best left to award

ceremonies at dog shows. A marginally better best-in-class could be employed, or

you could just stop writing empty modifiers and talk more about the real-world

benefits of your company’s product.

Writing with clarity also requires the immediate cease-and-desist of trying to write with

pomposity. People who try to write over the heads of their audience nearly always fall

short; after all, what is the benefit of confusing your readers with sentences thicker than