Cheever once said that he never used three words in a row that he'd seen used in a row before, which was why he described a bruise as "blue and black" instead of "black and blue." This is a motto I try to live by. You must always do something original with language. The first time someone said "like a fish out of water," you saw the fish, but no one can tell me now that when they hear that phrase they see the fish.
I couldn't remember who (Cheever?) it was that said the thing about three words in a row. Glad to find you mentioning it here.
Posted by: Bill | July 13, 2011 at 08:52 AM