by Jim Warda
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Mind-numbing. Teeth-grinding. Bone-wrenching. I'm talking about clichés.
Slicing down like sleet, they've bombarded us from our first breath. We use them constantly. We tell customers their dishes will be virtually spotless. We inform employees that, moving forward, we'll touch base on mutually beneficial opportunities. And let's not even get into mission statements.
Clichés are grammatical abuse of the worst kind, because they're worthless. Worthless in advertising. Worthless in business memos. Worthless because they carry no weight. And, since they're insubstantial, they can't punch through the skin.
Why?
Because we've heard them before. And heard them again. The first time someone said "one day at a time," a caveperson stopped, thought deeply about the sentiment, and decided to spend more time with his or her cavekids.
The sixteenth time the phrase was used, a medieval princess stopped pining for her knight and started focusing on her inner child.
But the four hundred and three billionth time it was said, no one heard it. For, by then, the words meant nothing.
So, let's kill the cliché.
Don't Agree? Let's Try a Test
You're watching television. A car commercial comes on. Before you read another word, can you imagine what it would be like?
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