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ImageSMART TALK
by Dr. Winton "Windy" Prolix



FOR THE PURPOSE OF: My fellow therapist Les Terse calls this a smoke phrase.  At the Institute for the Linguistically Impaired, verbal smoking is using verbiage in the way a smoker becomes very busy lighting up while deciding what to say.

Alfred Kahn, who fought heroically but quixotically for clear language while part of the Carter administration, directed the Civil Aeronautics Board and staff to stop using for the purpose of and simply say and write to.  Dr. Kahn's memo may have failed, but he can sleep the sleep of the righteous.

The benighted souls who use for the purpose of may think using four words where one will do makes them seem smart instead of fatuous.  Or perhaps they formed a verbosity habit in school after being assigned to write too many essays at least so many words long.  Good teachers often impose a maximum word count to encourage simple, tight writing, which is good writing.

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