Writers Tricks of the Trade VOLUME 10 ISSUE 1 | Page 16

L ATEST L IST O F M ISUSED , O VERUSED
A ND U SELESS W ORDS , P HRASES
H AL M ORRIS WWW . GRUMPYEDITOR . COM
Thanks to former LA Times and Los Angeles Mirror reporter and columnist, Hal Morris, who hangs out
at www.grumpyeditor.com these days, here are more tips for writers.
Always interesting to writers is the latest list of words and phrases cited for misuse,
overuse and general uselessness by Lake Superior State University.
Topping the 45th list tallied by a committee from the English department at the Sault
Ste. Marie, Mich. university is (surprise!) quid pro quo. Its use spiked in November,
2019 when it was all over newspapers and broadcast chatter.
W
HAT IS THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF QUID PRO QUO ?
In common law, quid pro quo indicates that an item or a service has been traded in
return for something of value, usually when the propriety or equity of the transaction is in
question. A contract must involve consideration: that is, the exchange of something of value
for something else of value.
Quid pro quo faded as fast as it debuted. Going into 2020 it was largely gone —
vanished.
O THER MOST NOMINATED WORDS AND PHRASES :
Artisanal. One nominator called the word as
an “obfuscation,” describing an “actual person
doing something personal for another
unknown person.”
W INTER 2020
Curated. Like “artisanal,” Lake Superior’s
English department says "this seems to be
another attempt at making something more
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W RITERS ’ T RICKS OF THE T RADE