Photo: Joe Seggiola
After we published “10 Words and Phrases We Never Want to See in Travel Writing Again,” some readers argued that travel-writing clichés can be necessary and useful in certain mainstream publications. Others felt that we should stop whining, that no word should be declared off-limits.
And lots and lots of readers had lists of their own hated and despised travel-writing words. What can we say? We love to whine about bad writing. So here are five more words we’d just as soon never see again in travel writing:
Photo: Supermac
1. perched/nestled. These words are just too, too adorable when used in reference to towns or buildings.
Form the picture in your head of an oh-so-charming, thatch-roofed country inn. Now picture it…nestling. Ugh. Save these words for birds and fluffy little puppies.
2. Mecca. Mecca is of course an actual place you might travel to or make reference to, and in either of those cases, it’s a perfectly appropriate word to use. But a Shopping Mecca? A Snowboarding Mecca? Really?
Would you ever refer to a “Shopping Basilica of Guadalupe?” Or a “Snowboarding Konark Sun Temple?” Sounds dumb, right? Okay, then.
3. shrouded. Whether it’s shrouded in mystery or shrouded in fog, this seems like a strangely morbid word choice in most situations. A shroud, after all, wraps a corpse. Do you mean to imply that San Francisco, “shrouded in fog”, is dead and awaiting burial? Probably not.
Photo: Jitze
4. spartan/rustic. Our problem with these words is when they’re used for “spin” purposes. If the toilet is an open ditch out back, you have to bring your own toilet paper, and yes, those are bedbugs—well, “rustic” is perhaps bordering on dishonesty.
5. eatery. Just imagine how goofy you would sound if you used “eatery” in conversation. “I don’t feel like cooking—let’s go to an eatery!” Try saying that out loud and see if you don’t giggle.
(And don’t worry: if someone was silly enough to actually name their restuarant “The Brown Cow Eatery” or some such thing, we won’t hold you responsible.)
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33 Comments... join the discussion!
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I’m with you on shrouded.
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I think there are two different things going on here – there are words, like eatery, that have probably never had a natural place outside of PR-y writing, and then there are words/metaphors that made a lot of sense at one point but have since been over-used. For instance, I actually think Mecca is a fantastic shorthand – how else will you get across the idea of “a near-mandatory pilgrimage spot for all serious devotees of [shopping, snowboarding, whatever]” in one word? The trouble is that it’s become so overdone.
Eatery aside, I’m also not sure that “Do people say this in everyday conversation?” is the best measure of whether a word is appropriate for use in your writing. Because, like, most conversations these days are, you know, semi-literate.
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I so, like, knw wht u mn Eva. Totally.
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I agree that these words are over-used, but some of them have a complete lack of synonyms (Mecca, eatery) or their synonyms are just as bad (hotspot, dining venue) – and from a writer’s perspective, when you’re writing a lot of text (say an overview of restaurants in an area) you tend to cherish any alternative you can find. I’d say though that you should always search for new and interesting adjectives etc. before deferring to cliches — and even consider creating your own neologisms (invented/new words or phrases). “Look at the way that bird is perch-nestled on that roof!” Ha!
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“Mecca eatery shrouded in mystery and nestled within a rustic village”. No?
Definitely with Eva & Paul on this one. It really boils down to how the entire sentence/snapshot is woven together with some of these words.
No doubt they are over-used, but there are various types of travel writing (service pieces, narratives, reviews, guides, etc).
Like Paul noted, always search for better synonyms.
For example, if I can’t find a good one, I’ll take “eatery” over “restaurant” if I’m writing a service piece and I’ve already littered the first paragraph with “restaurant”.
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Ha! As a fellow travel writer I agree with this list. Many writers take the easy way out and use the same 5-10 boring words to describe something. Yes it may be at times tough to explain another hotel room (after you have visited 5 in the same week), but do not be lazy and dull. This article made my day.
Andrew
TheBrooklynNomad.com↵ -
How about an end to top 10 lists?
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AMEN! It seems like that’s all Brave New Traveler is – 10 places you don’t want to miss, 11 reasons to visit India, 9 great bookstores.
There’s nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned essay: an introduction, a couple interesting ideas supported by a few anecdotes, maybe a little thesis running through it and a nice conclusion to give us something to think about.
What do you think?
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don’t get your point. seems like you haven’t read BNT.
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It’s interesting to me that you’ve got a beef with top 10 lists on Matador– how about top 10 lists in glossy travel magazines? Have you checked out your local newsstand lately?
Numbered list articles can have plenty of solid content if you move beyond the title.
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I don’t read glossy travel magazines, and the last time I checked my local news-stand everything was in Thai.
I agree that a numbered list can provide useful information. But they are not the only way to do so, and like the words in this article, I think they’re a bit overused here.
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Nice post. As a freelance editor-writer, I frequently see manuscripts from writers who overuse cliches and inappropriate/misused words and phrases. At an AWAI Travel Writers’ Workshop in San Francisco last year, some newspaper travel editors stated that if they see the words “white sandy beaches” or “grilled to perfection” in a submitted manuscript, they’ll trash it (or send it to the bit-bucket). (And one editor said that she’d hunt down the writer and strangle him.) Note also that there are “photographic” cliches (I’m also a photographer)! The typical lone palm tree hanging over a tranquil beach, or a pair of palm trees with a hammock stretched between them and a turquoise reef in the background… these are photographic cliches. Boring because they’re overused. You must search for a new angle for illustrating and describing destinations. Find something unique about the food, the culture, the music, the language, and most importantly, the people. Then, you’ll have an article that hooks an editor and gets you published!
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The solution here is clearly to just avoid adjectives in general when travel writing.
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I’m glad I used “shrouded” in my animal encounters blurb before this list came out, otherwise I would feel kind of embarrassed.
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Nestled is one of those irksome words for me…I think you nailed it, it’s too adorable.
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I think the best rule of thumb is to “show, not tell”–that’ll help you avoid stupid-sounding cliches. But I do think “Mecca” can be appropriate sometimes. Maybe.
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I think Leo’s comment may make for some interesting experiments in interactive travel writing. “The — surfer sat on the — beach” Let the reader insert their own words / use their own imaginations. Ha!
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Thanks for accepting my “nestled/perched” and “mecca” submissions from the comments in your last post. Now if only I could get the editors I work with to agree!
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How about “adventure?” Why does everyone think their holiday/trip is always an “adventure?”
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I use all of these all the time. I am not embarrassed.
Except for eatery, that’s just lame.↵ -
How about now more “50 best place to see/things to do before you die” lists!!!!!! Sheesh!
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Sorry that was “no” more.
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i just found another one: ‘hailed’ — as in ‘hailed as the mecca for mountain biking. . ..’
there’s only one use for the hailed — the past tense of the verb describing when balls of ice fall out of the sky.
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What about hailed a cab? That’s legit. 2 legit 2 quit.
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funny, Carlo, I read ‘hailed a cab’ in this morning’s piece on Buenos Aires. people do say ‘hailed a cab’ I guess. damn.
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Truth. Death to ‘eatery’!
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Great post. I agree that words like “nestled, Mecca, adventure, rustic, etc…are overused. I admit to using “adventure” for some of my travel articles.
Some other words and phrases that are overused: azure, a step back in time, hustle and bustle, must-see, best kept secret, and hub.
Reading this article inspires me to really “think deeply” about my articles before I write them. Perhaps a brainstorming session would help.
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I do believe it is all about context. It is a shame that certain words and pictures are so overused that people get tired of them, because some are simply the best way to describe things, without being long winded. Mecca can wrap it all up….but can also be used in a terrible context. I would have to see that we should look at the overall context of the article before saying the words do not fit.
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Why are residents of a particular place always “locals” ? I am really tired of “locals.” It sounds demeaning.
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I hardily agree….but for the new restaurant owner who does not want to use ….grill, diner, restaurant, cafe, bistro, what options are there to convey you have a place to eat food?
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It’s useful information.
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HA! Does anyone want to join me for dinner at The Eatery? Most from/have been to Vancouver reading this will know this restaurant. It’s a GREAT name!
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