repetition

The woman on the podcast referred to her father’s friend as “magical.” A lovely description. The second time she used the word describing somebody else, I thought “that’s sweet.” By the fourth and fifth time, everybody became “magical.” The word lost its energy and passion, its magic. On the cusp of the 90s when I lived in England, everything was “brilliant.” In North America, “awesome.” These days, “amazing.” All three are great words when used sparingly and purposefully. The rule, when writing, is not to repeat words. I’m not usually a fan of writing regulations but I like this one. This rule can and should be broken, but sparingly.