Think about how many times you’ve let “house” sit there in your copy. O.K., it’s familiar, it’s short, it’s standard, but is it the most potent word? Riff through the choices, which include cottage, duplex, dacha, shack, bungalow, A-frame, Tudor, Victorian, hacienda, manor, and wickiup. (Don’t even think about colorless words like abode, dwelling, domicile, or residence.)
