Orwell is a stern taskmaster! As a novelist, I aspire always not to disappoint him. Note I’ve already used one stale idiom in my reply. Meeting Orwell’s expectations is monumentally difficult. There, I did it again, though perhaps more cleverly.

But as much as I despair of meeting his high standards in my fiction, I adore calling out vague, euphemistic political speech. Even when it riles people.

Orwell was a remarkable writer and an astute observer. Thank you for reminding us all of the clarity and frankness he championed.