A colleague points out that “of course†risks becoming a tic in our stories. Sometimes the phrase is warranted for emphasis or, far less often, as a sly comment. But often it serves little purpose and can be omitted with no loss. Occasionally “of course†carries a whiff of condescension or superciliousness that should give us pause.
And if we are indeed supplying information so obvious that it demands the qualification “of course,†perhaps the entire reference can be deleted. Our dictionary says the phrase means “as is or was to be expected†- which might prompt a reader to ask, “So why are you bothering to tell me?â€
The examples below are just some of the “of courses†from a single day recently. Some may pass muster, but let's be judicious.
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Metro:
Free College Options Still Exist, for Those Willing to Build Ships, Milk Cows or Salute
And the national service academies, of course, require years of service in support of a robust national defense.
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Sports:
The Mock Drafts Before the NFL Draft
Of course, we long ago identified the around-the-bend types because they have been poring over this stuff for weeks, watched over by their Mel Kiper Jr. bobblehair dolls.
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You're the Boss blog:
Yes, You Treat Customers Well. But How Do You Treat Employees?
Of course, you also have to return phone calls promptly… Of course, there will always be times when we blow it.
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India Ink blog:
On Being Brown in America
No one had been arrested that day, of course, and, alas, there was no dark-skinned male.
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Culture:
Anarchy in the Met
Everyone loves a uniform. In both the mainstream and the counterculture, they connote order and authority… They are also constraints, of course.
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Magazine:
Our Feel-Good War on Breast Cancer
Tamoxifen, for instance, carries small risks of stroke, blood clots and uterine cancer; radiation and chemotherapy weaken the heart; surgery, of course, has its hazards.
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Culture:
Haute Punk
But because very few people preserved their holey tops and fraying jeans - sweating and shredding through them was, of course, a badge of honor - the garments on display are mostly from the couture side, pricey ensembles inspired by, or sometimes direct rip-offs of, outfits worn by the emerging counterculture in New York and London from 1974 to 1979.
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Wheels blog:
Why We Should Miss Pillarless Rooflines
Of course, pillars have become so robust that they come much closer to dominating the driver's field of vision from within modern cars.
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Styles:
Lauren Bush Lauren Is Making a Name for Herself
The collection, the aesthetic of which she described as “modern Americana,†features many categories, including bakeware, tumblers, iPad sleeves, jewelry, baby bibs, scarves and women's clothing, like the denim shirt she had on at lunch (and which she paired with American Indian silver jewelry and, of course, Ralph Lauren pieces: a wool blazer, distressed pants and preppy oxford heels).
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In a Word
This week's grab bag of grammar, style and other missteps, compiled with help from colleagues and readers.
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The transformation illustrates a drastic shift in California immigration trends over the last decade, one that can easily be seen all over the area: more than twice as many immigrants to the nation's most populous state now come from Asia than from Latin America.
The phrase is “twice as many as,†not “twice as many than.†And if it's even more than that, it's “more than twice as many as,†not “more than twice as many than.â€
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But there has been an intensification of opposition to the bill in the past few weeks, as Mr. Hollande's critics have used demonstrations against it as a way of attacking the president himself.
No need for the cumbersome periphrasis “there has been an intensification of.†Make it “opposition has intensified …â€
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[Op-Ed column] Perhaps a quick refresher on the benefits of Keystone are in order.
Agreement problem. Make it “a quick refresher…is in order.â€
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Advocate, a faith-based nonprofit, has an advantage over other health systems just jumping into what is more broadly known as “value-based care.â€
This vague and faddish description is not informative, and we never elaborated. If the organization is run by or affiliated with a church or other religious institution, let's say so.
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The man who prosecutors said was the lesser participant in a foiled 2011 plot to blow up the largest synagogue in Manhattan in order to kill Jews and spread fear around the world was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison.
Which synagogue? The story never says.
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Before his televised performance on Thursday morning, he engaged in effortless banter with the show's hosts, Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan, around the subject of his impending fatherhood: his wife, the Argentinean actress and model Luisana Lopilato, is due to have a boy on Aug. 21.
Our style is “Argentine.â€
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The calls mentioned jihad - a central concept in Islam that sometimes can mean holy war - but no specific attack plans, the official said.
As The Times's stylebook says, the adverb goes best between the parts of the verb: “can sometimes mean.â€
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Recovered from the private collection of the Nazi foreign minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, “Waterlilies†was one of an estimated 2,000 artworks that the French government reclaimed after the war, but said it could not identify the owners.
We needed an “of†at the end, or needed to recast the sentence.
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The Police Department is seeking to retrace his steps and find out who he saw while here.
More relative-pronoun trouble. Make it “whom he saw.â€
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Reese did not make it sound as if there was much disagreement on who to take.
And still more. Make it “on whom to take.â€
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The company also plans to get more involved in brand extensions, like games and e-commerce, and grow its conference business.
This transitive use of “grow†for something other than crops is described by the stylebook as “business jargon, best resisted.â€
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Also not taken Thursday was Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, whose poor performance in the Bowl Championship Series title game may have hurt his stock more than his involvement in a hoax centered around a fake girlfriend.
As the stylebook says, make it “center on†or “revolve around,†but not “center around.â€
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An army attack helicopter pilot recently returned from a combat tour in Afghanistan, Prince Harry lingered near the finish line until the moment that some thought was potentially the most hazardous - four hours after the start, the time chosen by the Boston attackers, and one in which the crowd of runners reaching the marathon's end are at their thickest.
“Thick†describes the crowd as a single entity, so make it “crowd … is.â€
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There were also troubling things, like the fact that her students asked her fewer questions about math then they had when she was a man, or that she was invited to fewer social events - a baseball game, for instance - by male colleagues and business connections.
A too-common typo; make it “than.â€
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After being blown out in the Bronx, it was difficult to tell which team had replenished its roster in the off-season, and which one was trying to fend off numerous injuries.
Dangler; “being blown out†does not describe “it.†(This was fixed in time for print.)
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Juice is fast becoming a big business, and everyone from Starbucks to restaurant impresario Danny Meyer is diving in.
From the stylebook:
false titles. Do not make titles out of mere descriptions, as in harpsichordist Dale S. Yagyonak. If in doubt, try the “good morning†test. If it is not possible to imagine saying, for example, “Good morning, Harpsichordist Yagyonak,†the title is false.
