Quote:
Originally Posted by TGS
Ridiculous? Possibly, but no more so than the preceding contributions.
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I'm an editor in the professional (i.e., paid, not superior) sense. Half of what we do would probably strike most readers as ridiculous.
I would argue that international readers would be better served by correct English usage than the careful avoidance of associations that might or might not be pertinent.
Which is not to say that Poppaea's idea of avoiding distracting metaphors -- however deeply built into traditional usage -- is without merit.
TGS: The question isn't whether warmth should be sacrificed to literal-mindedness, but rather if an expression of warmth is appropriate to the context. While you might or might not be fond of President Obama, if you were a member of the press, you'd always refer to him as
Mr. President as opposed to, say,
Darling!