or what's hot and what's not in prose style 2023...
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| What would Aristotle think? |
In no particular order and with my tongue very much in my cheek:
1a. Using a substantivised adjective + genitive over the traditional adjective + noun pairing, 1b. pluralising things that don't need be, 1c. distressing use of the definite article (or 1d. indefinite article). For example, instead of saying 'I'm interested in economic theory and the Roman economy' you can say 'I'm interested in theories of the economic and in the economies of the Romans'. This trifecta is trendy with those using theories of the queer, the critical, and the affected (see further 8 below). Most recent sighting:
They further demonstrate how the analytical frameworks developed by queer theorists in the last thirty years deeply resonate with the ways in which Euripides' plays twist poetic form in order to challenge well-established modes of the social.
One I confess I was too fond of as an undergrad. 'In this connection' is the coward's choice. If you're going to do it, at least stick your neck out with the archaic spelling but I'd suggest it's better to avoid getting into connections altogether.
5. 'In terms of'
Another personal failing and one which looks worse for its South Dublin parochiality. Hilariously abused by Irish rugby players. Leinster and Ireland back-rower Caelan Doris recently managed an incredible three 'in terms ofs' in one interview - bless. But that's fine for Doris in terms of he's a star rugby player and I'm a tyro academic...
6. 'As such'
Another guilty pleasure. A seemingly helpful way to connect two sentences together when one really wants 'accordingly' or 'therefore' etc. I would actually disagree with the 'as such' then 'as what?' test:
A: The antecedent of 'as such' can be the previous sentence itself. As such, the... B: as what?
A: As the antecedent of 'as such' can be the previous sentence itself it, that is, the antecedent of 'as such', can be the previous sentence itself. B: As such, just avoid as such.
7. Em, too many em-dashes
Em-dashes are great, but when I find myself using them merely to save me from comma splices then it's time to stop Dickinsoning around and write shorter sentences! Sometimes it's better to leave them to their namesake, who once said:
Because I could not stop using Em-dashes...
The Em-dashes kindly stoppped working for me
8. Translationese Foucauldian Tricolon Crescens
It's not the noughties anymore, you sound like your man in Seinfeld: it's outrageous, egregious, preposterous!
9. 'The fact that'
Just say what you mean! This phrase makes sense in everyday speech. Like many maligned filler phrases and words it is an important way of securing your chance to speak in a group. We could even describe it as asseverative (μήν is a bit more succint). What is annoying about it is that it is perhaps more affected than commoner particles which are just discourse markers like 'like'. In any case, it has no place in good academic prose. A similar junk phrase, which is commoner in academic publications, is 'what it is is'. What it is is yikes! Just 'that' will usually serve for 'the fact that'. Cut that officious fat.
10. 'Often'
Ma bête noire.
Dishonourable mention here for using too much French, Latin, German etc. (#11) - a sure sign of insecurity and one I know only too well, but it can be witty if done right. In any case (#12?), 'often' is often a total copout. It often generalises and hedges far too much. If I say 'Aristophanes often parodies tragedy', that is unlikely to cause much consternation. Yet the question often remains, how often is often? Often, it is perfectly fine to use often for something that is relatively (#13, relative to what?) frequent but it often lets an author make broad totalising statements without good evidence of something occurring often. The real problem is often when 'often' begins to mean 'more than once' and often therefore 'all the time' but in such a way that it often becomes difficult to pin an author down and argue against their claims.
Happy belated new year.
Sorry, belated happy new year!
