No, it wasn't from Joe the Pumber or Sarah Palin, it came in the mail as a note with an ostentatious "calendar portfolio" for a mall in Orange County. (Apparently my husband had bought a leather jacket at this mall years ago and is still on some special mailing list.) Here's the sentence:

 

"South Coast Plaza reflects a substance of rare statehood with its distinguished eminence."

 

It may be the worst sentence of the decade or that I've ever read in my entire life. It's so awful it's wonderful! It's totally meaningless (statehood?) And what the hell is distinguished eminence?  (I mean we're talking about a shopping mall, folks.)This is an outstanding example of a writer trying to impress the reader with bloated, pretentious  language.

 

All that's required with your writing is that you don't confuse the reader and you say something true and real in clear and simple language. And please, avoid ever using the words distinguished and eminence in the same sentence.