Editors and publishers hate wordiness. I found this website useful in helping to make my own writing more concise:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_concise.html
There's a link to useful exercises, too.:-)

The above link seems useful if you find you are using some of the "offending" words/word combos frequently. Otherwise, I beleive there should be an "equilibrium of wordiness", allowing the writer freedom to express things at their whim, while also reigning in the excess.

So to speak.

Frankie, what are non ceef pros?

Oh, I'm so glad someone else asked. I thought it was only me who didn't recognise ceef and non ceef

Dee.

Well, thanks for that, I couldn't find it in the dictionary so thought it was probably an acronym. I know what non means, but what are pros?

Aha! All is now clear. Thanks. And I've just noticed a funny yellow box telling me to take care not to make any dodgy comments - as if I would!

So I was wondering - is there a word for using words that other people don't recognise and by thus doing, create some confusion?

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What about this for Ceef? - pinched from internet

The objective of this study was to find out whether porcine cumulus and mural granulosa cells can secrete cumulus expansion-enabling factor (CEEF). Culture drops of M-199 medium were conditioned with denuded porcine oocytes (1 oocyte/microliter), cumulus cells from oocytectomized complexes (1 OOX/microliter), pieces of mural granulosa isolated from preantral to preovulatory follicles (1000 cells/microliter), or oviductal cells (1000 cells/microliter) for 24 hr. The production of CEEF was assessed by the addition of mouse OOX and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (1 microgram/ml) to microdrops of the conditioned medium.

Tabitha, I've had a look at that website and although it seems sensible I believe that being fanatical about 'wordiness' could be dangerous. People don't think about it when they speak for a start (wordy), and eliminating it is likely to make every writer sound more or less (wordy) the same.

Like any other writing tip it can be a useful thing to be aware of, but it's not written in stone.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

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And Andrew, I love you.

Well Nell - I think you meant you loved the - cumulus expansion-enabling factor
A )

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OK Maybe pig's sweat isn't that funny

The thingy that makes the clouds grow? lol...

Yes - is that hot air?

You're far too clever for me Andrew!

my answer was - we tried making pigs sweat with this stuff and it seemed to work ok - (but somehow it don't have the same impact, do it?)

Have you noticed the adverts on the sidebar during this discussion?

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I'm sure there was one about pigs just now.

texpert choking smokers don't you think the joker laughs at you
See how they smile
like pigs in a sty
See how they snide -

Mailme

No, not in the least snide - the title of the thread is 'How to Eliminate Wordiness' and I was making the point that sometimes, especially with a scientific document, a certain wordiness can often add gravitas and believability - even if one doesn't have a clue what it is on about - (which I don't, other than it has something to do with porcine ie pigs) merely an attempt at a humourous aside picking up on the use of your unusual word, for which I thank you for adding to my vocabulary - by the way, do you know where the derivation of the word 'Ceef' comes from - I am interested.

Andrew )


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...who is David? - did I miss something?

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when I wrote in my comment - 'pinched from the internet' I was reeferring to the piece I quoted, which I pinched from the internet by way of an example (hope this explains)