Letter: On Grammar Moses' mixed bag of advice

While I enjoyed Jim Baumann's Grammar Moses column Jan. 15 outlining the horror of redundancy as it pertains to the written word, I feel we often become so hung up on grammar that we subsequently run the risk of losing the original point of what we or others might be trying to convey.

And yet, as someone who lives for proper grammar, I agree with most of his thoughts on the subject.

However, reader John Becker's comments about headlines - quoted within Baumann's column - are a different matter in my view, because headlines are more of an attention grabber than something to be taken literally.

Many years ago, then- "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno featured a segment wherein he used actual newspaper headlines sent in by the public, and they often amusingly translated into something other than what was probably intended by the headline writer.

Anyway, I've also noticed how in emails, texts or general posts on the Web, a great many people are fond of using "Lo-o-o-o-o - o-o-ve" and "Re-a-a-a-a-a-a-lly," and "S-o-o-o-o-o-o-o" in their writing. It's both distracting and redundant.

In addition, Baumann mentioned how effective repeated lyrics in a song could be used in tying the song together, citing the repetitive "Be Near Me." On that score (no pun intended), I disagree. In 1969, the musical group Steam had a megahit with their song "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." And while it was indeed terrific overall and is occasionally used by various sports teams to taunt their opponents during games, whenever it was played on the radio every half-hour during its heyday, both the chorus and refrain caused in me a nails on a blackboard reaction.

Nobody wants to hear "Na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, hey, hey, goodbye" repeated 12 times in a row. They s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o really, really, really, really, don't!

Christine McCurdy

Warrenville