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Do not be taken in by 'insiderisms.' Fledgling columnists, eager to impress readers with their grasp of journalistic jargon, are drawn to such arcane spellings as 'lede.' Where they lede, do not follow.

William Safire

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William Safire
Age: 79 †
Born: 1929
Born: December 17
Died: 2009
Died: September 27
Author
Columnist
Journalist
Writer
New York City
New York
William Lewis Safire
Impress
Fledgling
Grasp
Fledglings
Drawn
Arcane
Readers
Columnists
Follow
Journalistic
Reader
Jargon
Taken
Spelling
Eager

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Sir Alec Douglas-Home, when he was British Foreign Secretary, said he received the following telegram from an irate citizen: To hell with you. Offensive letter follows.
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George Washington had a tough second term.
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The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.
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The wonderful thing about being a New York Times columnist is that it's like a Supreme Court appointment - they're stuck with you for a long time.
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Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.
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Of higher value than any one leader is the cause.
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I'm willing to zap conservatives when they do things that are not libertarian.
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Sometimes I know the meaning of a word but am tired of it and feel the need for an unfamiliar, especially precise or poetic term, perhaps one with a nuance that flatters my readership's exquisite sensitivity.
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Give your main clause a little space. Prose is not like boxing the skilled writer deliberately telegraphs his punch, knowing that the reader wants to take the message directly on the chin.
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This is what it's all about. From what I could see, you could get a bunch of people together, whip up the press and have some impact.
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Remember to never split an infinitive. The passive voice should never be used. Do not put statements in the negative form. Proofread carefully to see if you words out. And don't start a sentence with a conjugation.
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President Reagan is a rhetorical roundheels, as befits a politician seeking empathy with his audience.
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The most fun in breaking a rule is in knowing what rule you're breaking.
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Avoid overuse of 'quotation “marks.”'
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