In Defense of "Skedaddle"

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we're saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I'm Lauren Smyth, and someone recently asked me for my opinion on the word "skedaddle." Well, he didn't actually ask. He said he didn't like the word, and I said I did, and one thing led to another and here I am making an episode about it. Recently I suggested using highly descriptive verbs and nouns rather than heaping up a bunch of adjectives. For example, instead of saying the food was "very good," describe the experience of enjoying said food using strong words like "savored" or ooh, here's a good one, "scrumptious." This can get taken a little far when you start using words most people don't understand. Such as crepuscular, for example. I have no idea what that means and something about the texture of the word makes me uncomfortable. In my opinion, "skedaddle" doesn't fall into this category. It's an interesting, somewhat unusual word that sounds like what it means and is commonly understood. Hence, though it isn't frequently used, it's easily recognizable and conveys a lot of descriptive information. If you said you didn't like this word--and you know who you are--consider this: how would your life be different if you used "skedaddle" in an email? That's your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.