Why did I choose this wordy title? Because long ago back in 1963       I invented it – and here’s the story.

In my English class at Del Valle high school in Northern California one student stood out. She loved to write, worked hard at it and was the best writer I had ever had in my classes. She had one issue: she preferred to use long Latinate words whenever possible, often at the expense of clarity. I pointed this out regularly in my comments on her papers but she didn’t agree. I pointed out how Emily Dickinson used big words sparingly and for special effect, contrasting Latinate long words with Anglo-Saxon short words. Still the impressive big words!

Finally one day in mild frustration I  traded my long written comments for a pithy statement that would make my student take notice. Two obscure powerful words joined together: eschew & obfuscation. (eschew rhymes with chew not shoe as some pronounce it weakly)

That was the end of it. No comment on my little aphorism, but she did give a little on the big words.

Next step. a few months later I am taking some graduate courses at UC Berkeley. This was the 60’s, a time of turmoil strife and confusion in the country, especially at Berkeley – home of the Free Speech movement and one-hundred other movements. Anyway, I am in a bathroom stall on campus; the walls are completely covered with graffiti, slogans, rants, debates, insults and insipid insights. I felt compelled to add my own two cents so I came back with a black marker pen and wrote, you guessed it: Eschew Obfuscation! Again, end of story.

Later, about 21 years later!  I am on the UC San Diego campus for my son’s graduation ceremony.  I come from outside into one of the buildings to find a men’s room.  I enter a stall and am dumbfounded: written on the wall in large letters is: Eschew Obfuscation. The slogan has a life of its own!

A few years later I am listening to a favorite program on public radio: a group of witty Brits discussing culture and literature, playing word games, making brilliant comments. One of the brilliant wits said something like this: One of my very favorite  sayings is Eschew Obfuscation, I just love it!

This warmed my heart; it was the greatest recognition I could ever receive. That’s the story as I know it –  firsthand.

Why this strange title for my blog? Because I like it and because I know who and when it was put together and how it was promulgated. I’ll talk about this later.

By the way there is a weak wimpy way of pronouncing “eschew” that just lacks energy – ess-SHOE. Contrast that with a strong ess-CHEW as in ESCHEW TOBACCO.

I’m still learning how to maneuver around this, my new website. My son Mark, an expert in computers among other things, has inspired me to tell some stories, share ideas, laugh a little etc. in this public way. We’ll see what comes up.

Even before this first post I have received mail/comments telling me how I can vastly increase my audience. Curious!