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Activity Quote by Mary McCarthy

“Our language, once homely and colloquial, seeks to aggrandize our meanest activities with polysyllabic terms or it retreats from frankness into a stammering verbosity.” quote by Mary McCarthy
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“Our language, once homely and colloquial, seeks to aggrandize our meanest activities with polysyllabic terms or it retreats from frankness into a stammering verbosity.”

Mary McCarthy

About This Quote

Source Essay: The Group, 1963

Language can become pretentious, using complex words to mask simple ideas, or overly verbose, losing clarity.

In simple terms: Language can become pretentious or overly verbose.

Key Takeaway

Prefer clear, honest expression.

Themes

communication language pretension

Mood

critical analytical

Type

observational critical

When to use this quote

  • writing
  • public speaking
  • daily conversation
  • teaching

Key Concepts

sociolinguistics verbosity

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does word choice affect truth?
  • When is complex language justified?
A Different Perspective

Clarity may be sacrificed for style.

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