Would You Please Stop Calling Whiskey Smooth?
Some years ago I was commissioned to write a travel guide to northern New England. I spent weeks on the road. I visited a heroic number of inns and eateries. I submitted my book on deadline.
But the thing I’m most proud of? I never once used the word “quaint.”
Avoiding this word was a challenge I gave myself when I started the project. “Quaint” struck me as the bedbug of New England travel writing—it crept in noiselessly, was irritating and was impossible to eradicate. It was so overused that it meant nothing. So I vowed to avoid it. Writers are rarely celebrated with thunderous applause or satchels of cash. We must rejoice in our nano-accomplishments. This was mine. Don’t judge me.