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It’s déjà vu all over again.Yogi Berra (1925-)A redundancy is a term or phrase that unnecessarily repeats words or meanings. Below are some common redundancies that can usually be avoided (redundant words are italicized):Some words and phrases can usually be omitted without affecting meaning, and omitting them often improves the readability of a sentence:Quite, very, and rather are often overused and misused and can be deleted in many instances (see also , Correct and Preferred Usage of Common Words and Phrases).Avoid roundabout and wordy expressions:An adjective denoting an absolute or extreme state or quality does not logically admit of quantification ...Less

Back-formation is the creation of a new word in the mistaken belief that it was the source of an existing word. Many back-formations are verbs, some of them derived from abstract nouns (ambulate from ambulation, diagnose from diagnosis, dialyze from dialysis) and others from agent nouns, real or supposed (beg from beggar, peddle from peddler, scavenge from scavenger). These examples of back-formations have achieved acceptance; however, many of those pertaining to medical jargon have not, including adhese, cyanose, defervesce, diurese, lyse, necrose, pex (from orchidopexy), plege (from cardioplegia), and torse. Medical jargon also includes many deviant singular forms of nouns ...Less

Many words have found their way into medicalvocabularies with unusual meanings that are notrecognized even by medical dictionaries. Suchwritings may be characterized as medical jargonor medical slang. When these words appear inmedical manuscripts or in medical conversation,they are unintelligible to other scientists, particularlythose of foreign countries; they are not translatableand are the mark of the careless and unculturedperson.   Morris Fishbein, MD I have laboured to refine our language to gram-matical purity, and to clear it from colloquialbarbarisms, licentious idioms, and irregularcombinations.  Samuel Johnson (1709 1784)Words and phrases that can be understood in conversation but are vague, confusing, or depersonalizing are generally inappropriate ...Less

Use specific terminology to refer to persons' age. See also , Inclusive Language, Age.Neonates or newborns are persons from birth to 1 month of age.Infants are children aged 1 month to 1 year (12 months).Children are persons aged 1 to 12 years. Sometimes, children may be used more broadly to encompass persons from birth to 12 years of age. These persons may also be referred to as boys or girls.Adolescents are persons aged 13 through 17 years. They may also be referred to as teenagers or as adolescent boys or adolescent girls, depending on context.Adults are persons aged 18 years ...Less

Authors often err in referring to anatomic regions or structures as the “right heart,” “left chest,” “left neck,” and “right brain.” Generally these terms can be corrected by inserting a phrase such as “part of the” or “side of the.” right side of the heart; right atrium; right ventricle left side of the chest; left hemithorax left aspect of the neck right hemisphere [query author] ascending [not right] and descending [not left] colonWhere appropriate, use specific anatomic descriptors:The upper extremity comprises the arm (extending from the shoulder to the elbow), the forearm (from the elbow to the wrist), and the ...Less

The article a is used before the aspirate h (eg, a historic occasion) and nonvocalic y (eg, a ubiquitous organism). Abbreviations and acronyms are preceded by a or an according to the sound following (eg, a UN resolution, an HMO plan). (See also , Abbreviations, Agencies and Organizations.) ...Less

Sexist language, racist language, theisticlanguage all are typical of the policing languagesof mastery, and cannot, do not, permit new knowl-edge or encourage the mutual exchange of ideas.    Toni MorrisonJAMA and the Archives Journals avoid the use of language that imparts bias against persons or groups on the basis of sex, race or ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation. The careful writer avoids generalizations and stereotypes and is specific when choosing words to describe people.Sex refers to the biological characteristics of males and females. Gender includes more than sex and serves as a cultural indicator of a person’s personal ...Less

UPDATE: We will discontinue using quotation marks to identify parts of an article, but retain the capitalization; eg, This is discussed in the Methods section (not the “Methods” section). This change was made February 14, 2013.What would become of us if the deleatur did notexist, sighed the proofreader.    José Saramago We not infrequently are compelled to refusepublication to an article which contains valuablefacts, but which is weighed down with so manyimperfections as to discourage one as does theporcupine from closer investigation.     JAMAThe second quote, from a 1904 editorial in JAMA, certainly holds true today, but of course, editors do consider manuscripts that ...Less

Occasionally, reference to a locus of insertion, position, or attitude is given in terms of a clock-face orientation, as seen by the viewer (see also , Numbers and Percentages, Use of Numerals, Measures of Time).Note: The terms clockwise and counterclockwise can also be confusing. The point of reference (eg, that of observer vs subject) should be specified if the usage is ambiguous. ...Less