>> My favorite was "The car wasn't just totaled. It was completely totaled!"
>
> I saw this cat the other day, and it was really ugly! Well, I mean, it 
> wasn't ugly ugly, but it was pretty ugly.
>
> WTF?

But you understand the difference if someone had written instead:

> I saw this cat the other day, and it was really ugly! Well, I mean, this 
> wasn't pretty ugly, this was ugly ugly.

Those sentences where the write repeats the word but with some 
clarification, actually help the reader to understand the situation:

Compare:

1) I totaled the car!

2) I totaled the car, I mean it is completely totaled!

3) I totaled the car, I mean it is only *just* totaled.

With 1) the reader is left wondering how badly the car is damaged, ok we 
know it's not driveable and probably beyond repair, but is that because you 
crashed into a wall and the wheels and bodywork are all bent, or is it 
because it was crushed by rolling over 10 times or between two trucks?  With 
2) you get some further information, that the situation is more towards the 
totally crushed rather than bent wheels end of the scale.  With 3) you get 
the further information that the car is more towards the bent-wheels end of 
the scale.

Words like "ugly" and "totaled" are not digital yes-no words, you can always 
clarify them.

Post a reply to this message