--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think my mistakes were kind of common…" description: "\"I think my mistakes were kind of common - leaning on cliches and adjectives in the place of clear, vivid writing. But at least I knew how to spell, whi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a46/dick-schaap-23889_adjectives_i-think-my-mistakes-were-kind-of-common_214508.png" --- # I think my mistakes were kind of common - leaning on… ![“I think my mistakes were kind of common - leaning on cliches and adjectives in the place of clear, vivid writing. But at least I knew how to spell, which seems to be a rarity these days.” quote by Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a46/dick-schaap-23889_adjectives_i-think-my-mistakes-were-kind-of-common_214508.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a46/dick-schaap-23889_adjectives_i-think-my-mistakes-were-kind-of-common_214508.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a46/dick-schaap-23889_adjectives_i-think-my-mistakes-were-kind-of-common_214508.png) > “I think my mistakes were kind of common - leaning on cliches and adjectives in the place of clear, vivid writing. But at least I knew how to spell, which seems to be a rarity these days.” [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights reliance on overused phrases and vague descriptors, noting that basic spelling is becoming rare. **In simple terms:** Overused phrases replace vivid writing; spelling is still rare. Key Takeaway Focus on clear, vivid language and maintain spelling skills. Themes writing clarity language education Mood reflective critical educational Type literary advice analysis When to use this quote - editing essays - teaching writing - proofreading - improving communication Key Concepts clichés adjectives spelling literacy Questions to Reflect On - How can you replace clichés with specific imagery? - What habits improve spelling today? A Different Perspective Relying on clichés can mask weak ideas and reduce impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adjectives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adjectives/) [Clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear/) [Cliche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/) [Cliches Adjectives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliches-adjectives-2205939/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Leaning Cliches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaning-cliches-2205938/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) [Mistakes Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes-kind-2205937/) [My mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-mistakes/) [Rarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rarity/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [These days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/these-days/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Vivid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vivid/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-knew-597593/) ## Related quotes > [Cliches and adjectives permeated my prose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/cliches-and-adjectives-permeated-my-prose/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [Mistakes happen. Its the way you recover and come back from those mistakes that show what kind of person you really are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mistakes-happen-its-the-way-you-recover-and-come-back-from-those/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was lucky enough to have made a tonne of mistakes and be kind of frustrated. I was working in the movies for 15…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-blum/i-was-lucky-enough-to-have-made-a-tonne-of-mistakes-and-be-kind-of/) [Jason Blum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-blum/) > [I love writing. I've always been drawn to that and felt a particular joy in it - like the phrase in Chariots of Fire:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-wallace/i-love-writing-i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-that-and-felt-a-particular/) [Randall Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-wallace/) > [I got interested in writing at a early age, and wanted to be an outdoor writer. And was trained to, encouraged to write what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-rinella/i-got-interested-in-writing-at-a-early-age-and-wanted-to-be-an/) [Steven Rinella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-rinella/) > [I did not think much what I was writing them for, except that I knew I wanted my next novel to be in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-mosley/i-did-not-think-much-what-i-was-writing-them-for-except-that-i-knew-i/) [Nicholas Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-mosley/) > [I wanted to get better at writing, so I knew I needed to move to Nashville.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-swindell/i-wanted-to-get-better-at-writing-so-i-knew-i-needed-to-move-to/) [Cole Swindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-swindell/) > [Once I discovered the endless fascination of doing the research and of doing the writing, I knew I had found what I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/once-i-discovered-the-endless-fascination-of-doing-the-research-and/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [Technology has altered the way music sounds, how it’s composed and how we experience it. It has also flooded the world with music. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/technology-has-altered-the-way-music-sounds-how-it-s-composed-and-how/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“The rarity of what you hold is more powerful than you can imagine. It is a gift for humanity and the most lethal curse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-j-pryor/the-rarity-of-what-you-hold-is-more-powerful-than-you-can-imagine-it/) [Lindsay J. Pryor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-j-pryor/) > [I like the whole package to be good, It's a rarity that that happens, so I end up not working a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-wright/i-like-the-whole-package-to-be-good-it-s-a-rarity-that-that-happens/) [Robin Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-wright/) > [Legislators who are of even average intelligence stand out among their colleagues. . . . A cultured college president has become as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bergen-evans/legislators-who-are-of-even-average-intelligence-stand-out-among/) [Bergen Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bergen-evans/) > [Rarity gives a charm; so early fruits and winter roses are the most prized; and coyness sets off an extravagant mistress, while the door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martial/rarity-gives-a-charm-so-early-fruits-and-winter-roses-are-the-most/) [Martial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martial/) > [To a lot of Africans, seeing an animal is a something of a rarity. So it's a paradox of this sort of parallel life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/to-a-lot-of-africans-seeing-an-animal-is-a-something-of-a-rarity-so/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [The wisdom of providence is as much revealed in the rarity of genius, as in the circumstance that not everyone is deaf or blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/the-wisdom-of-providence-is-as-much-revealed-in-the-rarity-of-genius/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) ## More by Dick Schaap > [I was also in love with the English language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/i-was-also-in-love-with-the-english-language/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [I came up with new leads for game stories by being observant and clever, by using the many gifts of the English language to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/i-came-up-with-new-leads-for-game-stories-by-being-observant-and/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [In fifty years of covering the sport, of course Muhammad Ali is by far the dominant figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/in-fifty-years-of-covering-the-sport-of-course-muhammad-ali-is-by-far/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [Sugar Ray and talked about doing some articles together or writing a book together but dealing with Sugar Ray was a lot like fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/sugar-ray-and-talked-about-doing-some-articles-together-or-writing-a/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [All of journalism is a shrinking art. So much of it is hype. The O.J. Simpson story is a landmark in the decline of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/all-of-journalism-is-a-shrinking-art-so-much-of-it-is-hype-the-o-j/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [I began learning the sportswriting business very early in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/i-began-learning-the-sportswriting-business-very-early-in-life/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [I think on balance, Don King has been bad for boxing. I think he's done some very good things and I think he did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/i-think-on-balance-don-king-has-been-bad-for-boxing-i-think-he-s-done/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [It's kind of ironic that the two sports with the greatest characters, boxing and horse racing, have both been on the decline. In both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/it-s-kind-of-ironic-that-the-two-sports-with-the-greatest-characters/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [Today, it's money. There's no question about that. Unless you endorse a grill that cooks hamburgers and steaks, where else can you make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/today-it-s-money-there-s-no-question-about-that-unless-you-endorse-a/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [My top three were Jim Brown, Wilt Chamberlain and Bo Jackson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/my-top-three-were-jim-brown-wilt-chamberlain-and-bo-jackson/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [Sugar Ray Leonard was as close as anyone came after Ali to being Ali, but he wasn't Ali.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/sugar-ray-leonard-was-as-close-as-anyone-came-after-ali-to-being-ali/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [Sportswriters have changed more than sportswriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/sportswriters-have-changed-more-than-sportswriting/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [I worked with Rocky Graziano and Rocky was certainly a character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/i-worked-with-rocky-graziano-and-rocky-was-certainly-a-character/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [Sugar Ray Robinson was at the top of the boxing world during the 1950's when it seemed that he would either win or lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/sugar-ray-robinson-was-at-the-top-of-the-boxing-world-during-the-1950/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [Cliches and adjectives permeated my prose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/cliches-and-adjectives-permeated-my-prose/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) [Explore all 25 Dick Schaap quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) ## More Adjectives quotes > [To write or even speak English is not a science but an art. There are no reliable words… Whoever writes English is involved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/to-write-or-even-speak-english-is-not-a-science-but-an-art-there-are/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Avoid the ecstatic adjectives that occupy such disproportionate space in every critic's quiver - words like "enthralling" and "luminous."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/avoid-the-ecstatic-adjectives-that-occupy-such-disproportionate-space/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [In the history of the concept of number has been adjective (three cows, three monads) and noun (three, pure and simple), and now ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mazur/in-the-history-of-the-concept-of-number-has-been-adjective-three-cows/) [Barry Mazur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mazur/) > [In my opinion, using different kinds of epithets and adjectives in connection with the word democracy is a sign of mere hypocrisy, to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/in-my-opinion-using-different-kinds-of-epithets-and-adjectives-in/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [But what is memory if not the language of feeling, a dictionary of faces and days and smells which repeat themselves like the verbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-cort-zar/but-what-is-memory-if-not-the-language-of-feeling-a-dictionary-of/) [Julio Cortazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-cort-zar/) > [Eschew all those beastly adjectives...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/eschew-all-those-beastly-adjectives/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [I will give you my definition of a nation, and you can add the adjective 'Jewish.' A Nation is, in my mind, an historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodor-herzl/i-will-give-you-my-definition-of-a-nation-and-you-can-add-the/) [Theodor Herzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodor-herzl/) > [The mind that thought of light, heavy, grey, yellow, still, swift, also conceived of magic that would make heavy things light and able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/the-mind-that-thought-of-light-heavy-grey-yellow-still-swift-also/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Whatever you want to say, there is only one word to express it, only one verb to give it movement, only one adjective to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/whatever-you-want-to-say-there-is-only-one-word-to-express-it-only/) [Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/) > [I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English―it is the modern way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-notice-that-you-use-plain-simple-language-short-words-and-brief/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Purity of action guided Janis's behavior. If she was going to be good, she was very, very good. If she was going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-joplin/purity-of-action-guided-janis-s-behavior-if-she-was-going-to-be-good/) [Laura Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-joplin/) > [I have been called 'Bongshell' the day I stepped into showbiz. So, any adjective coming my way, I take it positively. Sometimes it's also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bipasha-basu/i-have-been-called-bongshell-the-day-i-stepped-into-showbiz-so-any/) [Bipasha Basu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bipasha-basu/) > [I like that 'Mad Men' is now an adjective I use to describe clothing when I'm shopping: 'I like this top. It's very 'Mad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-brie/i-like-that-mad-men-is-now-an-adjective-i-use-to-describe-clothing/) [Alison Brie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-brie/) > [anything being perceived as being superior takes the noun. And everything that isn't, that's judged to be inferior, requires an adjective. So there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/anything-being-perceived-as-being-superior-takes-the-noun-and/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [The only sort of descriptive adjective or catch phrase for my music would be 'eclectic.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/the-only-sort-of-descriptive-adjective-or-catch-phrase-for-my-music/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) [Browse all 239 Adjectives quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adjectives/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think my mistakes were kind of common - leaning on cliches and adjectives in the place of clear, vivid writing. 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