AMBROSIA’S WEEKLY BLOG

Friday, September 1st at 20:00 PM

THE BUTTER KATANA
I think that, despite our different viewpoints, we can all agree that if a friend
polaris_511 of ours were to suggest using a katana to cut a stick of butter, we would
immediately dismiss the idea as laughable, not because it is impossible for us
Senior
member to do so, but because a knife would do the job just as well (or even better,
considering the fact that handling a katana is not something that an average
person can do with ease). After all, we only have a butter knife, not a butter
katana.
Now, let's talk about learning English vocabulary. Although I always try to
spend a considerable of time on expanding my repertoire of 'formal' or
'uncommon' English words, it is my personal belief that they are only useful
to the extent that they allow me to express a certain idea in a more precise or
concise way or, in some cases to avoid repetition and maintain a healthy
degree of flexibility whenever I write or speak. Just as you do not use a katana
to slice butter because a knife would suffice, so you should never use an
'advanced' or 'complex' word when a simpler one would be enough to get
your message across.
If you think carefully, embracing simplicity, especially in writing, makes
perfect sense. After all, whether you are writing a news article or an
argumentative essay, your basic goal is to ensure that the reader can fully
understand and remember (and, in some cases, agree with) what you are
trying to tell them, and cramming your written work with formal words for no
clear communicative purpose will certainly not make your writing more
perspicuous to anyone.
Another problem that can occur from the wanton use of 'advanced' words is
that you will unknowingly convey unintended meanings. One example of this
is the rather widespread use of the word "discrepancy" as a so-called "more
formal version" of the word "difference". What many learners, advanced
English majors and even English teachers still fail to realize is that the
definition of "discrepancy" is actually a bit nuanced. Yes, a disparity is a
difference, but it is a difference between things THAT SHOULD BE OR
SUPPOSED TO BE THE SAME. So when you write a sentence like: "There
was a discrepancy between the number of overseas tourists in Japan and
 that of Spain," you have, despite having no intention of doing so, added a
whole new dimension to its meaning–instead of simply describing a statistical
difference, you are also subtly saying or assuming that the number of
overseas tourists in both Japan and Spain should be, for some logical reason
that eludes all of us, the same.
If you still struggle to see my point, think of it like this: Without proper
knowledge of how to wield and use a katana, it is entirely possible that our
poor friend would (1) injure himself, (2) slice the butter in the wrong way, or (3)
end up slicing something or someone else.
Before you furiously point out how the above attempt at making this post a
remotely enjoyable read has failed miserably, I would like to end this blog post
with a piece of advice: Whenever you want to use a 'formal', 'uncommon', or
'advanced' word, ask yourself this simple question: Am I using a butter
katana?

Leave a reply… (You must log in or register to reply)

Share: