James Baquet

    Becky is chatting with her classmate Lily in the common room of their dorm.

    Becky: Hi, Lily. What’s up?

    Lily: Oh, I’m literally exhausted.

    Becky: “Literally?” Really?

    Lily: Well, I guess not really.

    Becky: That’s right. Because if you were literally exhausted, you’d be dead!

    Lily: I just used it for emphasis.

    Becky: I know. But remember, words have meanings. We have to use them appropriately.

    Lily: Can you give me an example?

    Becky: Sure. A lot of people like to use words like “honestly” or “to tell the truth.”

    Lily: Sure. I often say “to be honest.” What’s wrong with that?

    Becky: Think about it. Are you lying the rest of the time?

    Lily: Of course not! As I said, it’s just for emphasis.

    Becky: Sure. But these are what we call “crutch words.”

    Lily: A crutch is a stick people put under the arm to help them walk when they’ve hurt their foot or leg, right?

    Becky: Yes. And just as they lean on the crutch for support, people depend on crutch words when they speak.

    Lily: I still don’t see the problem.

    Becky: Imagine someone’s leg has healed, and they can now walk without a crutch. Should they still use it?

    Lily: No way!

    Becky: Same thing with crutch words. We shouldn’t use them when we don’t need them.

    Lily: So when do we need them?

    Becky: One example is when we need time to think.

    Lily: Oh, yeah. I’ve done that.

    Becky: And some crutch words have accepted uses. Take “actually,” for instance.

    Lily: It’s a bit like “honestly” and “to tell the truth,” isn’t it?

    Becky: Yes, it is. But sometimes we need it, like when we’re going to contradict someone.

    Lily: For example?

    Becky: If your friend says “Is the play at 8 o’clock?” and it’s at 7, you can say...

    Lily: “Actually, it’s at 7.” I get it!

    Becky: Good! Here’s another crutch word: “obviously.”

    Lily: Like, “Crutch words are obviously poor English.” What’s the problem?

    Becky: Well, think about it. If it’s so obvious, why do people use them so much?

    Lily: Oh, yeah. So what could I use instead?

    Becky: How about... nothing! Just say, “Crutch words are poor English.”

    Lily: I see. One more?

    Becky: “Basically.” We use it to mean “sort of.” But it should be used to indicate that something is simple, or foundational.

    Lily: So, if my dad only goes to work a couple of days a week, I shouldn’t say, “He’s basically retired.”

    Becky: Right. Better to say “he’s nearly retired.” You could use “basically” to compare calculators and computers. They’re basically the same.