Just to change ’em up, the Grammar Cop will share a totally different class of eyesores this week. (Because I can.) I’m sure you have similar ones that grate on your nerves, but for now, these are the top clichés that make me cringe!
- At the end of the day – I hate, hate, hate how you see this every, every, everywhere. I don’t know the origin of this dreaded phrase (nor do I want to), but I wish it would find its way back and stay there! Alternatives: Finally / Basically / The bottom line is… (I’m not too crazy about this last one either, but if used only occasionally it wouldn’t be too awful.)
- Pushing the envelope – Where the heck did this come from, anyway? No, don’t tell me. May it be expunged from every English treatise ever written. Alternatives: Being avant-garde / Being daring / Being brave (They all depend on context of course.)
- Out of your comfort zone – Okay, whoever invented this drivel should be throttled and pushed right out of their comfort zone! Alternatives: In an area you’re not used to / Too anxiety-provoking / In a way that’s too different (I agree these aren’t pretty, but they can be tweaked.)
- Going forward – Hello? What’s wrong with FROM NOW ON? <shaking head in despair>
I think that clichés are lazy and unimaginative. As in: Hey, that sounds nice and familiar, I’ll go with that. Boooo!
What are some clichés you wish would disappear?
Crossed Eyes and Dotted Tees 
The one I hate the most is “it is what it is.”
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OH yes! Was there ever such an empty statement before or since?!
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Going forward, you can push the envelope, but at the end of the day, it is what it is.
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At the end of the day, you are HILARIOUS!!
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And they’re not even accurate. I took out a big manilla envelope and have been pushing it around my desk for the last half hour but nothing very extraordinary happened.
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Haha!! It is what it is, Bun!
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Well, coming from a grass roots organization and not feeling comfortable in my own skin, I need to make a critical adjustment. I must circle back because I’m on the bleeding edge. It’s Ok though because I can think outside the box, peel back the layers of the onion, drill down, and when push comes to shove, it’s like, basically, between a rock and a hard place. And the fact of the matter is, to be perfectly honest I just need to touch base regularly to address the issue.
(I’m really enjoying your posts, very impactful! 🙂
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OMG Yvonne, that’s hilarious!!! I forgot all about those! I guess we could team up and write a book on these gross cliches, eh? lol Thanks for the laugh!
Thanks for the kudos, means a lot to me!
xox
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