Sneaky Little Weasels

 

They are everywhere. Striking when you least expect it. Sneaky. Damaging. Terrifying.

Weasel Words.

You know you’ve seen them.

You’re reading a book. Suddenly, you realize that the author has used the words “arching brows” on EVERY SINGLE PAGE. Or that characters keep “slouching into” various articles of clothing. Perhaps every bit of dialogue begins with “Well” or “So” or “As I was saying”.

Weasel Words make me nauseous.

Especially when I find them in….GASP….my OWN WORK!

Lately, I’ve noticed the word “just”. “He just couldn’t believe…”, “She just walked on over…”, “Just like her mother, she just couldn’t be just her just self. Even just for a just a minute…”

AAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCKKKKKK!!!

Thank goodness writers get several chances to eradicate the sneaky little weasels.

Tell me, if you’re a writer, what are some of your weasel words? Are you a reader? What weasel words have you encountered in a book? Do you talk? What weasel words pop out of your mouth?