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Color and bite permeate a language designed to rally many men, to destroy some, and to change the minds of others.

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
Color
Language
Permeate
Others
Rally
Change
Bite
Many
Bites
Mind
Designed
Men
Destroy
Minds

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George Washington had a tough second term.
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To be accused of 'channeling' is to be dismissed as a ventriloquist's live dummy, derogated at not having a mind of one's own.
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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.
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The right to do something does not mean that doing it is right.
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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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Previously known for its six syllables of sweetness and light, reconciliation has become the political fighting word of the year.
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A dependent clause is like a dependent child: incapable of standing on its own but able to cause a lot of trouble.
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As long as one American is hungry... then we have unfinished business in this country.
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Gridlock is great. My motto is, 'Don't just do something. Stand there.'
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The tension between the governed and the governing is what makes the world go 'round. It's not love, it's that tension, because that tension exists in love affairs. The whole idea of control is at the heart of human relationships. Control and resistance to control.
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Never feel guilty about reading, it's what you do to do your job.
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Adjective salad is delicious, with each element contributing its individual and unique flavor but a puree of adjective soup tastes yecchy.
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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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Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.
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Knowing how things work is the basis for appreciation, and is thus a source of civilized delight.
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Why use a modifier to set straight a not-quite-right noun when the right noun is available?
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Have a definite opinion.
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Different regions may require different strategies, as President Bush has noted, but not different basic principles. It's either collective security or selective security.
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Never put the story in the lead. Let 'em have a hot shot of ambiguity right between the eyes.
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The perfect Christmas gift for a sportscaster, as all fans of sports clichés know, is a scoreless tie.
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