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When all is said and done
I was going to write about grammar this week. And then Roger Federer won the Australian Open men’s singles title for the sixth time to bring his tally of Grand Slam titles to an even 20, a feat which deserves recognition. So I decided to combine the two.
What am I after on the grammar front? This time, it’s words and phrases that sound important, but that float away like dandelion fluff on the most casual analysis.
Take this statement: “When all is said and done, Roger Federer will be remembered as the greatest tennis player of all time.” What exactly does “when all is said and done” add to the point being expressed? Nothing! Anybody who purports to choose the greatest player of all time and who wants his or her opinion to be taken seriously is expected to take into account every relevant thing that has been said and done.
So it would be simpler to say “In my opinion, Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player of all time.” Simpler, but not simple enough. There is no UN-appointed International Court of Tennis Greatness, so any statement comparing past and present players is bound to be a matter of opinion. It’s unnecesary to add the qualifying phrase “in my opinion”; or any similar concoction like “so far as I’m concerned,” “for me, personally,” “from my point of view,” or “from where I sit.”
Once you recognize one filler phrase, it becomes easier to spot others. Take “for better or worse,” “all things considered,” “at the end of the day,” “all in all” and “on balance.” Each one is just a way to stretch (and thereby weaken) the point with a false gravitas.
But wait, there’s more. “In the process of” should usually fall victim to an editor’s pen, as should “in the event that,” “for the most part” and “for all intents and purposes.” They add nothing but fluff. I was going to add “needless to say” to that list, but decided that it must be acceptable; otherwise, why would I have used it in my column last week?
Then there are the expressions that project the sense that the speaker is drawing on a special fund of personal honour; phrases like “to be honest,” “frankly,” “literally,” “as a matter of fact” and “in a very real sense.” The trouble with using those expressions is that when you don’t employ them, you invite the listener to consider the possibility that you are being dishonest or less than candid. You would be better off adding the filler to every assertion you make; and better off still dropping it and letting the listener assume that you are always honest and candid.
Filler words cover for us when we are afraid that simple and direct language will reval that we don’t have that much to say. But simple and direct is harder to misinterpret. Most of the time we’re better off without the filler. I admit, however, there are occasions on which a little fluff is called for. For example, if I were holding court in a bar in Melbourne, I would be well advised not to go for the grammatically spare but highly provocative assertion that “Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player of all time.” I would instead lace it with filler: “At the end of the day, all things considered, and on balance; for me, personally, Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player of all time.” That would give me a few extra seconds’ opportunity to make it to the airport before an angry mob of Rod Laver fans took my hide.
Whether I could also make it with a posse of outraged grammarians in hot pursuit is a question that will go unanswered. Truthfully, I hope never to find myself in that predicament.
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