‘Very’ Is Very Tempting. Don’t Give In.

Robin Williams in “Dead Poets Society”

“You’re much, too much, and just too very very/ To ever be in Webster’s dictionary.”

– “Too Marvelous for Words,” lyrics by Johnny Mercer, music by Richard Whiting.

There are usually two chastening things about getting a copy-edited manuscript back from the publisher. First, most of my onlys have been moved around, so, for example, “He was only married once” becomes “He was married only once.” Second, virtually all my verys have disappeared.

In confiscating...