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elucidation

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:12 pm
by William Hupy
Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation. Sorry for submitting more than one today, but I felt compelled to share this with you. It is ironic that this phrase IS confusing to those of us who are not that well versed in latin based words.

Re: elucidation

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 8:31 pm
by Perry Lassiter
Methinks the phrase "eschew obfuscation" comes from Strunk and White's The Elements if Style. A humorous way to make the point by contradicting it. Don't remember the second, but probably coined to match.

Re: elucidation

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 8:16 pm
by Philip Hudson
Perry: I think the phrase "eschew obfuscation" predates Strunk and White.

In the same vein, Mark Twain’s critique of the writing of Fenimore Cooper urges a writer “Eschew Surplusage”. See: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/i ... fense.html. If a writer wants a guide to writing, I suggest she/he read the “Leatherstocking Tales” and write totally differently. As a child I wondered at the absurd style of Cooper. I have never known how anyone could appreciate his writings. I remember specifically that Natty Bumppo circumnavigated a lake. I wondered why he didn’t just walk around it.