Are there words you hate to read or hear in business communications? I have one I can't stand more than any other. I bet it will surprise you.
Oftentimes.
Yes, the word that makes me grind my teeth most often is oftentimes. Whenever I read or hear it in a business report, proposal, or presentation, I want to shout, "Often! Often! Often!"
Why would anyone use the cumbersome oftentimes when they can simply state often? In Garner's Modern American Usage, Mr. Garner writes, "Oftentimes . . . often seems to add weight and perhaps quaintness to a pronouncement."
In business writing, I prefer clarity and conciseness to weight and quaintness any day.
Do you have words that drive you nuts? Feel free to leave them here.
Lynn
Syntax Training
