Janice Harayda
Oct 22, 2023

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Right. That's the point I was trying to make: that it's the language of the modern era that's the problem.

There was a time when the baseball writers and sportscasters cared enough about language that if they used a metaphor, it was more likely to be apt and colorful (maybe because they were so often broadcasting on radio and had to make listeners "see" what they meant).

A sports metaphor I love and use (in writing and life) is the football term "Hail Mary pass." It's ancient, but it's endured because it's perfect. Baseball has given us terms like that, too.

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Janice Harayda
Janice Harayda

Written by Janice Harayda

Critic, novelist, award-winning journalist. Former book editor of the Plain Dealer and book columnist for Glamour. Words in NYT, WSJ, and other major media.

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