What are Clichés

Clichés are unnecessary phrases or jargon that we hear and read every day. It’s all too easy to drop these into your writing, whether you are penning an email, or writing copy. And, when speaking to colleagues, or customers, you’ll see the eye rolls that can accompany such phrases.  Clichés get the point across, but they don’t spark the imagination. With written clichés, they’ll pop into your copy without a second thought. 

Here are some tips to help you ban the most obvious, and potentially irritating clichés from your writing. 

Be Aware of the Most Common Clichés

I’ve used some of these in my writing, so if you’re cringing when reading this list, you’re not alone!  

Are you ready? 

Tried and tested

Heart and soul

A whole raft of things

Reach out

Beat about the bush

Leaps and bounds

At the end of the day

Bite the bullet

Helicopter view

Touch base

Quick Exercise:

Look through the above list and consider an alternative, more original way to get your message across? 

Once completed, take a look at this fun video for a few more common clichés.

Practise Active Attention Management

Bringing clichés to front-of-mind needs a little discipline as they have a tendency to creep in when we stop actively concentrating. The eye and brain just skip over these words, so they are not just meaningless, they are actively ignored. This may happen when we’re tired, or other matters are on our minds and our brains switch off.  If you find yourself writing without thinking about the termonology, take a more active stance to concentrate fully in the moment, bring attention from back-of-mind to front-of-mind, and your work will improve. 

Consider the Audience of your Writing

There are a few clichés that can “rattle a few cages”. (Cliché fully intended.)  According to a survey of 300 employers conducted by CV Library, there is one phrase that tops the poll.  

“With all due respect…”

46.5% of employees cannot stand this phrase. It creates defensiveness in the recipient, and moves the conversation away from a goal of reaching agreement because emotions get in the way. Some of these clichés are classed as management ‘jargon’, often used solely to fill space or make the user sound important. 

Here’s a link to the article.

It also helps to consider your own reaction to certain phrases. 

For example: 

Do you find yourself irritated by someone’s use of a particular phrase? 

Do you feel that you are hearing or reading a word orphrase over and over? 

Does your eye or ear skip over the phrase, making it a little like verbal ‘white noise’? 

 Bear these statements in mind when creating emails, or other copy you plan to send to others. What does your audience need to know and what are their needs? Short, succinct copy is often well-received as attention tends to wander and readers are often time-poor. Replace longer words, don’t use redundant words, very, really, etc., and read through your work thoroughly. 

Finally, ask a trusted colleague or friend to read through your work.They may be able to point out phrases you use that could be substituted.