Quote

Every writer, by the way he uses the language, reveals something of his spirit, his habits, his capacities, his bias....Avoid the elaborate, the pretentious, the coy, and the cute. Do not be tempted by a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, ready and able.

William Strunk, Jr.

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William Strunk, Jr.
Age: 77 †
Born: 1869
Born: July 1
Died: 1946
Died: September 26
Professor
Writer
Cincinnati
Ohio
Language
Avoid
Tempted
Use
Ten
Dollar
Spirit
Dollars
Uses
Elaborate
Able
Capacity
Cute
Handy
Every
Habit
Habits
Capacities
Something
Writer
Center
Pretentious
Way
Ready
Twenty
Bias
Word
Twenties
Reveals

More quotes by William Strunk, Jr.

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The surest way to arouse and hold the attention of the reader is by being specific, definitive, and concrete. The greatest writers - Homer, Dante, Shakespeare - are effective largely because they deal in particulars and report the details that matter. Their words call up pictures.
William Strunk, Jr.
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Vigorous writing is concise.
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A dash is a mark of separation stronger than a comma, less formal than a colon, and more relaxed than parentheses.
William Strunk, Jr.
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If you don't know how to pronounce a word, say it loud!
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None are so fallible as those who are sure they're right.
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A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.
William Strunk, Jr.
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Avoid fancy words....If you admire fancy words, if every sky is beauteous, every blonde curvaceous, every intelligent child prodigious, if you are tickled by discombobulate, you will have bad time Reminder 14.
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The approach to style is by way of plainness, simplicity, orderliness, sincerity.
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The situation is perilous, but there is still one chance of escape.
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To acquire style, begin by affecting none.
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Instead of announcing what you are about to tell is interesting, make it so.
William Strunk, Jr.
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Opinions scattered indiscriminately about leave the mark of egotism.
William Strunk, Jr.
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Remember, it is no sign of weakness or defeat that your manuscript ends up in need of major surgery. This is a common occurrence in all writing, and among the best writers.
William Strunk, Jr.
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...when a sentence is made stronger, it usually becomes shorter. Thus, brevity is a by-product of vigor.
William Strunk, Jr.
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It is worse to be irresolute than to be wrong.
William Strunk, Jr.
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To air one's views gratuitously, is to imply that the demand for them is brisk.
William Strunk, Jr.
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The adjective hasn't been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place.
William Strunk, Jr.
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Rich, ornate prose is hard to digest, generally unwholesome, and sometimes nauseating.
William Strunk, Jr.
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Never call a stomach a tummy without good reason.
William Strunk, Jr.
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A drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.
William Strunk, Jr.