When was the last time you read your own copy and set about cutting out any words larger than three syllables? It sounds like a drastic measure, but these days, even corporations are starting to see the light: words like synergy , sustainable and assessment are being sliced out in favor of more direct, simplified language. What's the deal here? Have we all gotten dumber? Not at all. But we have gotten more used to the instantly-ready, on-demand world.