Write It Well

We thought we were speaking bona fide English, but a local government council in Bournemouth, U.K., decided terms like “bona fide” and “status quo” weren’t status quo at all. The council banned employees from using nineteen Latin borrowings, calling them “elitist”. Other phrases they chucked: ad lib, et cetera, vice-versa, and via. For good measure, they even tossed “vis-a-vis”, which was borrowed from French, not Latin.

Many linguists and others think the measure perfectly ridiculous. Supporters say that complicated language confuses people. Naturally, bad writing confuses lots of people — but chucking a few Latin scapegoats won’t make people better at communicating. We’re much better off practicing our writing skills, editing patiently, and keeping our audience in mind as we compose. For tips on how to sharpen your writing, check out Write It Well’s Professional Writing Skills book.