According to Amy George of By George Communications, there are some trendy words in use these days. You want to engage your audience, not distract them. Here are a few of them.
Bespoke: This term is overused and misused. According to Webster’s Dictionary, bespoke means “custom made — a bespoke suit; dealing in or producing custom-made articles — a bespoke tailor.” A better word to use is “custom,” if it is true. According to Webster’s “custom” means made-to-order or tailored. Use words that are in common use, such as custom or original.
AUTHENTIC: Again, Webster’s says it means “not false or an imitation but real and actual.” An original piece of art would be authentic, but a copy of it would not be authentic.
CURATED: Which Merriam-Webster defines as “selected, organized, and presented using professional or expert knowledge.” It is stilted and belongs in a museum.
Two of my annoying trendy words are:
PASSIONATE: Came and went in about six months a few years ago. It has been so overused that it does not have much meaning any longer. It seems that everyone is passionate about something. It implies zeal, devotion, or enthusiasm. “Enthusiastic” is a good substitute for “passionate.”
CIRCLE-BACK: This means to return. Why not just say, “I will get back to you on his issue?”
If you are not sure of the meaning of a word, either look it up or don’t use it. Don’t use words to impress your readers. If you do not know the meaning of the word, they probably do not either.
Recently, Kim Isaacs, a Monster.com contributor, contacted me for tips on career change resumes. If you are interested, here is the link to the article: https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/resume-dilemma-career-change.
