What are weasel words in writing?

What are weasel words in writing?

Weasels are words that equivocate. They are vague qualifiers like generally, most, and probably that weaken your writing. Writers use weasel words to avoid making direct statements. The term is not new.

What are two examples of weasel words that are used in advertising?

Weasel words include: Better, improved, gains (does not say how much) Acts, works, effective, efficient (action, but no quantitative value) Seems, appears, looks, is like (gives impression, not real change)

Why are weasel words called weasel words?

What’s the origin of the phrase ‘Weasel words’? It has long been a widespread belief that weasels suck the yolks from bird’s eggs, leaving only the empty shell. This belief is the basis of the term ‘weasel words’, used to describe statements that have had the life sucked out of them.

Is improved a weasel word?

Weasel words include: Helps, supports, is useful (friendly, but no real value added) Better, improved, gains (does not say how much) Acts, works, effective, efficient (action, but no quantitative value)

How do you identify a weasel word?

Weasel words and phrases include “may,” “might,” “could,” “can,” “can be,” “virtually,” “up to,” “as much as,” “help,” “like,” “believe,” “possibly,” and similar qualifiers that create enough wiggle room for a rhino….Specifically, it involves using:

1. Weasel words.
2. Passive voice.
3. Subjunctive mood.

How do you stop weasel words?

Weasel words weaken prose….I’ve italicized the weasel words in these examples to make them stand out.

1. Delete the weasel word and see if the sentence is still true.
2. Make a more specific statement.
3. Quantify.
4. Use expressive verbs.
5. Rewrite based on what you actually believe.

Is many a weasel word?

A 2009 study of Wikipedia found that most weasel words in it could be divided into three main categories: Numerically vague expressions (for example, “some people”, “experts”, “many”, “evidence suggests”)

Whats a Fisher look like?

The fisher exhibits the typical weasel shape with a long, slender body, short legs and furred tail. Its face is pointed with large, rounded ears set close to the head and it has fierce-looking fangs and sharp, retractable claws similar to those of a domestic cat.

How do you identify a fisher?

Length: Adult fishers are 24 to 30 inches long, including their long, bushy tail. Weight: Female adults weigh 6 to 8 pounds, and males weigh up to 18 pounds. Color: The fur of a fisher is a grizzled dark brown, blackish on the rump and tail, with a white or cream-colored bib on their chest.

What is the difference between a fisher and a weasel?

As nouns the difference between weasel and fisher is that weasel is the least weasel, mustela nivalis while fisher is a person or ship that is engaged in fishing or fisher can be a north american marten that has thick brown fur, (taxlink).