I once started a major college paper with this: "The 1960s, arguably the most turbulent decade in American history...." The rest of the sentence isn't important.
What's important, at least to me, was the lesson scrawled by my professor in the margin on the paper's right side.
"How about the 1860s? 1920s?"
Whatever. Who was I to let a Civil War, the Roaring 20s and a Great Depression stand between me and the meaningless generalization I needed to start my paper.
When I think back to my education in college, there are a few moments I really remember. This note in the margin is one of them. Words meant as "filler" in the author's mind, do have meaning in the reader's mind. And, using "filler" without thought just makes you sound dumb.
It's a lesson George Will reminded me of today.
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