The Newsstand Sophisticate

I’ve noticed the use of the word “wildly” has become common in journalism lately: “wildly popular,” “wildly entertaining,” and “wildly successful” most often. But it’s also used redundantly: “wildly inconsistent” or “wildly extravagant.” In these uses it simply means “very.” I prefer “very,” and hereby issue a call to writers to tame their savage instincts and give “wildly” a rest.