No limits…

Clarity? It’s not that simple.

In The Stories of English, David Crystal clarifies the complexity: “There is no simple relationship between clarity and language. Apart from well-known political exceptions, everyone wants to be clear and admires clarity of expression in others. But clarity cannot be achieved by forbidding the use of whole areas of language, such as figures of speech or Classical vocabulary, for it may well be precisely those areas which best express a thought. Notions such as ‘plain speech’ and ‘simple style’ are notoriously deceptive, especially when it comes to explaining complex thinking. Where would a modern popular scientist, such as Richard Dawkins, be without his reliance on metaphors of blind watchmakers and digital rivers flowing out of Eden? Clarity depends on us making judicious use of all of a language’s resources, and the blanket condemnation of any of these resources is as undesirable as it is unwise.”

As for clarity, so too for character – the essential build on clarity at the heart of every strong brand communication. Better not to close down your options. Take for example, the apparent AI tell and in turn, these days, a bit of a gramatica non grata – the em dash. In recent times it’s got a bad rap thanks to overuse by our LLM friends. But like all the elements of English at your disposal, it can, in the right place, be super handy. Em dashes – me? I like ’em.

So if you want to communicate clearly and characterfully, draw widely and deeply from every element at your disposal. There are no limits when it comes to lovable language.