Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Here's something informative i read.In short:
words like:
"This is probably a stupid idea, but..."Instead of trampling on your ideas, give them a simple, neutral intro such as, "I have an idea," "Here's my thought," or "What if we...?" You don't have to "sell" your idea if that's not your style - but you don't have to handicap it, either.
my fave:
"Like"You can thank the Beat generation of half a century ago for launching the popularity of this little word (as in, "Like, wow!"). These days it's used as a substitute for "said" ("I was like, 'Get out of here!'"), to soften what you say ("I make, like, a decent salary"), and as a filler ("I went, like, to the mall, and it was, like, so crowded").
With its hipster image, "like" tries to pass itself off as cool, but it's a nonword, like "um" and "uh." Plus, "using 'like' makes you sound inarticulate and young - in a bad way," says Diane DiResta, author of Knockout Presentations. So ditch it - you'll sound less tentative (read: way cooler) without it.
"I think""I think I can handle this project." (actually called hedges) Some people will get fed up with you for never committing yourself wholeheartedly. And others may tune you out because "I think" is a needless addition to the sentence (well, of course you think the thought - you're the one saying it).
"Kind of," "Sort of" (also hedges)"Just"Someone would ask, 'Oh, are you a doctor like your husband?' and I'd answer, 'No, I'm just a journalist.'
Because you haven't minimized your role or importance with that insidious little adverb, the person talking to you will likely ask you more questions about your life - and treat what you do as if it's, ahem, just as important as what they do. Which, of course, it is.
