Clichés: The Follow-up

Don't Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater
By D. C. Sistrunk

Admittedly, I beat up clichés rather badly in my last post. However, in all honesty, I had a blast doing the research on this topic. The “groaners,” which you often hear in news broadcasts, made me laugh and convicted me. Yes, it’s true. I, too, can be lazy when it comes to writing. By the way, if you want to snicker and read dozens of offending clichés, you’ll find them at http://www.newswriting.com/groaners.htm

I had just as much fun checking out what I call garden-variety type euphemisms. Most of the phrases I know originated in the United States, but some surface from other countries.
For instance:

Cliché: If you get the sense, then chuck the tense
Explanation: If you understand what the other person is trying to say, don't bother worrying about how they say it.
Country: India

Ah, the color of language. Here are some of my favorite clichés:

Life is a bowl of cherries

God willing (and the creek don’t rise)

Working my last good nerve

Dogs have masters; cats have staff

His mouth is writing checks his body can’t cash

Got a favorite euphemism? Consider this “Cliché Central” for the day. Post your favorite (or least favorite) figure of speech, along with an explanation, if needed.

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Resisting the Seduction of Clichés

Public relations writers fall for them. Reporters are lured by them. Communications veterans across the spectrum succumb to the sweet talk of the ever-present, easily accessible cliché. No writing style is immune to these overused phrases, even fiction. The media biz coined a term for these expressions - "groaners." If you're looking for a surefire way to annoy your audience, take the easy way out and slip a series of groaners into your copy.

Newswriting.com describes a groaner as "a hackneyed, overblown, stuffy or just plain silly cliché that turns up time after time in news scripts. Groaners show laziness on the part of writers, disrespect for the folks watching, and a general contempt for lively English." I agree. When it comes to many of these euphemisms, I believe in taking quick corrective action. Arrest these overused phrases. Blindfold them, give them a cigarette and place them before a firing squad.

When it comes to groaners, seasoned journalist Abe Rosenberg does a great job of identifying some of the worst offenders, often heard in TV news broadcasts. Here is a sampling of groaners from Newswriting.com:

Area residents - “Shhh, Tommy, don’t play the drums so loud. You’ll wake the area residents!” Normal people don’t refer to their neighbors this way. Why should we?

Famed - “Mommy, mommy, I just saw somebody famed over there!” When did “famous” become a dirty word?

Lay the Groundwork - Doesn’t anybody “prepare” anymore? Too many writers cling to these phrases (“Set The Stage” is another example) when talking about politics, foreign policy, war and peace, etc., as if big phrases made a story important. Important facts make a story important. References to theater and construction belong in stories about theater and construction.

Motorists - Where have all the drivers gone? Don’t fall into the DMV Handbook trap.

Somewhere, some wordsmith is hoping that I'll ease up on folks who like to incorporate clichés into their copy. I'm not completely heartless. As a journalist and PR practitioner, I have fallen into the same trap.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. If you want your copy to "sing," write as if you're holding a conversation with someone. Put your best foot forward. Work like a dog. Leave a lasting impression. In the end, your copy will be the best thing since sliced bread. Just do it.