Tonight, Valentine's Day, on the NBC nightly news Brian Williams, in speaking of the death of George Shearing said, "His most famous composition of all time was "Lullabye of Birdland."
Why does anyone need to add "of all time." It doesn't change the meaning. This kind of overspeak is epidemic and Williams is particularly guilty. He's also the greatest offender of turning two syllable words into three syllables. Spark-el-ing, gam-bel-ing, troub-bel-ing. Why can't we depend on the most visbile and highest paid newscasters to speak properly? It's their career. I notice the same sloppiness from voice-over announcers. I recall once when my creative director had chosen a highly-paid announcer for a spot, how offended the "talent" was that I wanted him to pronounce internet correctly (not innanet). Later he referred to me as very fussy. I don't get it. It seems to me if you have a job, especially a highly paid one, you would want to do your best.
"In France every Frenchmen knows his language from A to Zed. The French don't care what they do actually as long as they pronounce it properly."
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