Crutch Words: Insidious Creepers

These malignant weeds propagate throughout your work and choke its vitality.

This post will cover a few of the most frequent offenders:

a lot, actually, all, almost, anyway, apparently, basically, definitely, especially, essentially, even, honestly, just, like, literally, obviously, only, quite, really, seriously, simply, so, something, very, truly

During Your Revision Process, Ask Five Questions

1. Do the crutch words advance my narrative?
2. Can I find more specific words?
3. Can I make a generalization specific?
4. Is it possible to show instead of tell?
5. Would specificity solve the problem?

The Fastest Fix Is Deletion

Crutch words contribute nothing but fluff. Rather than complement writing, they diminish its impact. Delete them. Then read your work out loud to see if it conveys the desired effect. If not, create alternatives.

Practical Application

The following sections offer examples of crutch-word elimination. Exploit them as idea starters.

a lot

He looks a lot like his brother.
He resembles his brother.

She likes him a lot.
She has a crush on him.

They have a lot in common.
They share similar interests.

actually

He didn’t actually say he liked her.
He didn’t admit he liked her.

She actually saw his six-pack.
She gawked at his six-pack.

He actually said he needs a loan.
He said he needs $1000.

all

All the children recited the poem.
The fifth-grade class recited the poem.

All the research contradicts that.
Comprehensive research contradicts that.

All of them went to the fair.
The family went to the fair.

almost

Almost twenty people showed up.
Nineteen people showed up.

I’m almost sure he left already.
I think he left already.

She almost vomited.
Nausea overcame her.

anyway

He decided to try it anyway.
He decided to attempt it.

Anyway, it didn’t taste too bad.
The taste was acceptable.

Anyway, it costs too much.
It’s too expensive.

apparently

Apparently, he’s married.
He has a wife and three kids.

Her answer was apparently ironic.
Her ironic answer made everyone laugh.

The motor apparently died.
The motor seized and refused to restart.

basically

He’s basically too old for the marathon.
His arthritis won’t allow him to run in the marathon.

She basically answered the test question correctly.
She misspelled her answer, which resulted in a loss of one mark on the test.

Basically, he was on his own.
Both parents disappeared when he was sixteen, leaving him to fend for himself.

definitely

She’s definitely not interested.
She’s unapproachable.

This car is definitely old.
This car is an antique.

They definitely disagreed.
They quarreled.

especially

It gets hot here, especially at night.
Days here are hot. Nights are sweltering.

I was especially interested in the Yorkie.
I had to have that Yorkie.

We need a break, especially Curtis.
Curtis needs a break. We do too.

essentially

The process is essentially automatic.
The process requires little intervention.

Essentially, he owns two mansions.
Although he owns two mansions, they are over-mortgaged.

Newborns essentially sleep most of the day.
Newborns sleep sixteen to seventeen hours a day.

even

Even a dolt could understand this.
Anyone could understand this.

Not even two hours passed before he woke again.
Fewer than two hours passed before he woke again.

She hadn’t even been to Egypt yet but was in love with it.
She couldn’t wait for her first trip to Egypt.

honestly

Honestly, this is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
This is the most difficult problem I’ve ever encountered.

I can honestly say I forgot.
Sorry, I forgot.

It was honestly the best pizza I ever ate.
The pizza tasted scrumptious — the best I ever ate.

just

He was just a little too old for the competition.
The competition cut-off was nineteen years of age, but he was twenty.

It’s not just the teachers who disagree with the changes.
Teachers — and parents — disagree with the changes.

No matter what Mom did, the baby’s fever just kept getting worse.
The baby’s fever worsened no matter what Mom did.

like

He looked like a cat ready to pounce.
He resembled a cat ready to pounce.

Like her mother, she detested the smell of garlic.
She and her mother detested the smell of garlic.

He acted like an uptight despot.
He demanded unconditional loyalty.

literally

She was literally broke.
Her bank account was as empty as her gas tank.

His basement, literally overflowing with water, smelled of mold and dead rats.
His flooded basement reeked of mold and dead rats.

Her observations were literally true.
Her observations were flawless.

obviously

He was obviously embarrassed.
He bit his lip and shifted in his seat. Then his face turned red.

She stared at him, obviously confused.
She frowned at him while she fumbled with her phone.

He obviously detested her enthusiasm.
Whenever she made an enthusiastic remark, he bared his teeth.

only

She owned only a few pairs of shoes.
She owned sneakers, flats, and a pair of heels with a broken strap.

His only regret was never having married.
His greatest regrets were never having had a wife to confide in, never fathering children, never having a family dog to greet him at the door.

Her actions only made the situation worse.
Her machinations exacerbated the situation.

quite

He was quite smitten by the woman.
Whenever the woman came near, he grinned and stuttered.

Her jeans weren’t quite large enough.
She struggled to pull on her jeans.

Quite a few hurricanes were expected this year.
More hurricanes than usual were expected this year.

really

What really is the issue here is your attitude.
The issue here is your disgraceful attitude.

He really doesn’t believe in the human impact on climate change.
He disbelieves that humans affect climate change.

She didn’t really break the rules.
She bent the rules.

seriously

He was seriously injured in the accident.
His accident caused life-threatening injuries.

She takes her role as oldest sister seriously.
She encourages and guides her younger siblings.

He spoke seriously.
His voice turned somber.

simply

She simply clammed up.
She refused to speak.

If he had simply asked, she would have offered to help.
If he had requested, she would have volunteered.

She simply didn’t have time to paint the mural.
She was too busy to paint the mural.

so

He spoke so loud that it hurt my ears.
His yelling hurt my ears.

She lived so far away from the store.
Bicycling wasn’t an option for her eight-mile trip to the store.

The fog was so thick that it caused several accidents.
The dense fog triggered six accidents.

something

He wanted something more than a peck on the cheek.
He yearned for a passionate kiss.

She mumbled something unintelligible, and then walked away.
She mumbled below her breath, and then stomped away.

He wanted something to eat. Now.
He needed food. Now.

truly

He made a truly heroic effort to save the dog from being hit.
He made a superhuman effort to prevent the bulldog from being run over by a bus.

Her eyes flashed, truly evil and frightening.
Her eyes flashed, malevolent and terrifying.

He’s a truly remarkable person.
He’s an extraordinary humanitarian.

very

She was very glad to see him.
Her face lit up with delight when she spotted him.

He is very protective of his desk.
His desk functions as his castle, defended by a deep glower whenever anyone dares to enter his cubicle and violate his “personal space.”

She knew very little about the new boss.
The new boss was an enigma to her.

The Simmer Principle

• Edit your writing.
• Allow it to simmer for as long as possible.
• Appraise it.
• Repeat the previous steps as many times as necessary.
• Present your pièce de résistance to the world.