To write or even speak English is not a science but an art. Whoever writes English is involved in a struggle that never lets up even for a sentence. He is struggling against vagueness, against obscurity, against the lure of the decorative adjective, against the encroachment of Latin and Greek, and, above all, against the worn-out phrases and dead metaphors with which the language is cluttered up.
~George Orwell, English writer 1903 -1950
This, that and the other thing 
Well, atleast it’s not French! I gave up within a week of trying to learn that…’speak something else ,write it someway else’!! Am I making sense or has the vagueness got the better of me….
Haha, Yes french does tend to confuse one…I tried learning it for a year but I was glad to get rid of it finally!
A year before you quit Wow! Well, my husband is braver than I am He just began a month back and he’s still at it!
Oui, oui. 🙂
janet
This is so true and a battle all writers must continue to wage their entire career.
True, Joe. A blessed Sunday to you.
janet
That is such a strong quote! But the English language is so intriguing, it is beautiful.
Some of it is so logical and some such a mystery ( as with most languages). But I also think it’s beautiful.
janet
All of the above, but fun. And a challenge. Ever think that’s how the class system began? If you could learn the code, you were IN, otherwise you were out in the cold. 😉
Thats soooo true :o) … and I agree for the comments about french :o) Have a great sunday!
You, too.
janet
The constant assault on even ‘decent’ English by those who would make it little more than an amalgam of catchphrases and popularities amounts to a war on the language. The giant modern spin machine is churning our beloved language into an unrecognizable thing. Very sad.
Very true, James.
janet
I always knew George to be a smart man!
Erhmmm … “cluttered UP”? Well, I suppose we must’ve dropped the preposition post-George …
There are lots of unnecessary prepositions floating around. One of my favorites is “Where are you at?” “Where are you” works just fine.
janet
How about “get off of”?
That’s another good example. “Where are we going to?”
… … … …
You win, Janet.
😀
I’m sure there are many more examples. 🙂