Don't Overwork Adjectives

"When you catch an adjective, kill it." —Mark Twain

I was just reading a biography for review and was put off by a large number of gushy adjectives. It brought this quote by Twain to mind. Read the context below and you will see it is not quite so harsh as it seems. But it makes the point.

"I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English—it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them—then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice." —Letter to D. W. Bowser March 20, 1880