Verbiage Truths

A lot of words are used incorrectly, irresponsibly and all-around hideously, and near the top of that list is “verbiage.” I take offense to the misuse of this word because some people describe what I, a writer, do as “providing verbiage.”

Two things about that claim: (1) “Provide” is overused and doesn’t belong anywhere in copywriting; (2) “Verbiage” is something all writers should try to avoid.

Verbiage Truth #1

It’s pronounced “Ver-bee-ij.” If you’re going to use it incorrectly, you should at least pronounce it correctly.

Verbiage Truth #2

The definition of verbiage, according to my MacBook Pro dictionary widget, is “Speech or writing that uses too many words or excessively technical expressions.”

As any nerd will tell you, Apple is infallible and thus that definition needn’t be questioned lest you desire to be shunned from the nerd community for eternity.

Verbiage Truth #3

If you ask me to provide verbiage, I will refuse, and probably launch into my afore-mentioned rant on the word “provide.” What I will also do, though, is eliminate verbiage, and I will take great joy in doing so.

Verbiage Truth #4

If your writer touts an affinity for verbiage or uses the word in any tone other than negative, you need a new writer.