Orwell

The purpose of writing is to convey a message from the writer to the reader. Without precise wording, the meaning of the written phrase is likely to become muddled or lost on the reader. Even more dangerous, as Orwell argues, is submitting to preformed phrases at the sacrifice of lucidity. Although idioms can be used effectively, it seems as though Orwell would contend that they are less precise, and may convey an interpretation to the reader that is slightly off from the writer’s intention. From the understanding that writing is a medium of communication between the reader and the writer, to loosely use colloquialisms or phrases originating from somebody else bears the risk of losing the clarity that often comes with direct written communication. When writing prose, "surrendering to [words]" is dangerous - the writer may lose full control over the meaning of his writing when resorting to phrases that may roll off the tongue neatly, and subsequently, the writing not only loses creative and original flavor from the author, but may also take on unintended meaning.