But, Kev, creativity wasn't what I was talking about. I was talking about communication.

I think you know I know that (which is why my horse ran into your cart), but what I was *saying was that communication can have the goal of creativity. Maybe not as an exclusive goal, but. Clarity comes contextually, certainly as one goal of "formal expository writing", but even that form assumes some ideas which aren't immediately commmunicated. Even physical examples can make things clearer... where words will fail to describe ("-sarahlee" notwithstanding).

And I think I assume correctly that you would use the latter when talking with someone.

My use of single quotes objectify the words within. The double quotes refference as copies of words actually used (written or spoken)), however, I caught myself typing the later (what I would speak) and then went back, edited and added my own self-editorial.

I'm just not convinced that formal should be any different from informal given that communication is the goal.

(ps - yeah... it often takes me a few rewrites to make sure I ain't not clear when posting here, but then again, that often isn't my goal.)