HELP! the word "to describe" is trying to eat me up

[howsmyenglish]

Before describing the skinning of a dead animal, he describes in some detail...

This is what I just wrote. I feel like I'm sitting inside this huge and scary animal called "to describe". At first it just came and sat here. Then it started coming closer. Now, I'm afraid to move: everywhere I turn I see it, it has already opened its mouth and I'm half inside, I think that if I type very slowly it might not notice that I'm trying to get help... p-e-o-p-l-e, are there any other words left in the world?? I doubt it, really, I've seen lists of synonyms, they don't help. But tell me, at least, that you understand the problem? Please? *drops down and cries*

Comments

[angelofthenorth]

Yup...

[howsmyenglish]

*sobbing* thanks

[glassfinger]

Of course I do. I had this problem as a boy, any time I had to write an essay for homework. In your case, I might write "Before describing the skinning of a dead animal, he delineates in some detail..."
"Before describing the skinning of a dead animal, he tells us in some detail..."
"Before describing the skinning of a dead animal, he sets out in some detail..."
How's that? Perhaps you may want to tell us what comes after the dots? Does he describe something else?

[howsmyenglish]

Thank you! Good thing I noticed your rich vocabulary and befriended you on DW! :D
Delineates! It doesn't even appear in any of the synonym lists I've looked at.

For the moment, I've settled with "Before describing the skinning of a dead animal, he narrates in some detail how the disposal of dead cattle was arranged", but my problem was that I wanted him to "describe" a noun. You can "describe the disposal", you cannot "narrate the disposal", can you delineate one? I doubt it...

[glassfinger]

Correct; you can't!

[draculard]

Your blog posts are always like little puzzles to solve XD I'm sitting here wracking my brain on how to reword this and I can't come up with anything (other than what glassfinger already said)

[howsmyenglish]

Your blog posts are always like little puzzles to solve
Ooooh! I'm taking this as a compliment! :D

[draculard]

Good! It was meant as one, I love puzzles XD

[thanatos_kalos]

I have this issue constantly-- English has a vast number of near-synonyms with slightly different connotations but I find myself repeating the same ones over and over again if I'm not careful! :P

Your adjustment of the sentence in the comments is fine; 'narrate' is just talking about or describing any series of events (e.g., narrating a story). :)

[howsmyenglish]

No, seriously, there's no real synonym for "describe". Is there? I bet it's going to be the most-used word in my thesis, apart from... well, the absolutely main word I cannot avoid... (which has to be kept secret, because otherwise I would come close to disclosing (ha! isn't this a nice phrasing?) my identity...)

[thanatos_kalos]

::g:: I always tell my students that it's better to be clear but awkwardly phrased as opposed to being unclear but stylish. Don't worry too much about the repetition, just get the full draft written! :)

[howsmyenglish]

You're so right! :D I'm doing my best, honest. I've never worked as good as this in all the years. I only hope I can keep it up when the semester starts!
Thanks for the support! :D

[thanatos_kalos]

Just try to keep a regular schedule once the term starts; I blocked out evenings and time at the weekends when I was working on my diss and teaching full time. :)

You're very welcome for the support and feel free to drop me a note anytime you need to vent your frustrations! :)

[howsmyenglish]

:D