Topic: Cringe Words in Writing

10-second review: What expressions make you cringe? What words make you shudder? Then don’t use them in your writing.

Title: “Clear Out the Cringe Words.” Arthur Plotnik. The Writer (April 2005), 15-16. The Writer is a magazine by writers for writers.

Comment: Some of my cringe words? “irregardless”; “impacts” (as a verb); “disinterested” for “uninterested”; “”flaunt” for “flout” and vice versa.” My most hated cringe word in the English education professional vocabulary is “scaffolding” for “preparing.” You could have an interesting discussion with your writing students in completing a dictionary of class cringe words. RayS.