Let's Retire these Cliches

[Nathan Flowers]

"he ran like a madman"
"he fought like a tiger"

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Two words that could be taken out at sunrise and shot:
"Awesome!" (US)
"Brilliant!" (UK)

How about we swap instead? Americans can start using "brilliant" and Brits can start using "awesome."

 

[LizzieMaine]

How about we all adopt a classic bit of Maine dialect, and begin referring to anything of quality as "wicked decent." Or if it's *really* first-rate, "some old wicked decent." I live for the day when I hear that phrase delivered in an elegant Southern accent or refined upper-class British tones.

Cliches I could do without? Anything and everything derived from dot-com-era corporate newspeak.

 

[Gilbey]

"Tell it to the Marines", Mommy used to say.
Huh?

 

[BegintheBeguine]

My bad.
I first encountered this as the answer in a New York Times Magazine Sunday crossword puzzle! Where did this one even come from?
I've also never heard hot mess or chillax.

 

[Miss Brill]

Panty Crickets. It isn't funny anymore! :rage:

 

[vonwotan]

From a _____ perspective

We have a ________ situation

Another vote for the overuse of "like"

"Technically" when it is anything but...

The ball is in [your, their, her] court.

Get [your, my, our] arms around it.

And many others - especially when cliches overused in business creep in to everyday life. Substantive conversations that do not remind me of work are what I hope to find when I am not in my office.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Sucks to be me.
My mother-in-law inserts this into every online message to her son who is a soldier in Iraq. Not many adults in his family.
No surprise, not only have I never come across Panty Crickets, I have no idea what it means.
Bouncing off the walls. This irks my goat, don't know why.

 

[Fletch]

"Tell it to the Marines", Mommy used to say.
Huh?

Meaning, try telling anything to a Marine...

 

[KilroyCD]

Not exactly cliches, but...

There are a couple of common expressions used where I live (which is in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country) that drive me nuts. First, people will ask, "What for you have for (insert whatever item here)...?" I'd just love to say "Do you mean, What do we have in (insert whatever item here)...?" The other thing is what someone will say when something is all gone or sold out. The person will say, "I'm sorry, that item is all." I'm thinking, "All WHAT? Complete the dog-gone sentence!"
There, that's off my chest. Just don't get me started on apostrophies being used incorrectly. Turning plurals into possessives drives me up a wall!

 

[Dan G]

"Your mom"
What about her?! Nothing makes me want to throw people out windows like this...:rage:

 

[pigeon toe]

"Your mom"
What about her?! Nothing makes me want to throw people out windows like this...:rage:

Oh goodness, that's truly the most evil of them all. My boyfriend says that constantly, and it's rubbed off on me. I swear, every time I say it my IQ goes down about 5 points.

 

[nyx]

Lord, there are so many I could name. I hate any internet misspellings or text message abbreviations. Personal favorites: "teh," "kewl," and "wat r u doin?" As an English Composition teacher, I would get college freshmen who would actually put "nite" or "thru" in the their papers. :rage: :rage: :rage:

I also hate "irregardless." What the heck does that mean? I've heard professionals at my work use it--people with college degrees. Eek!

And finally, my least favorite phrase ever: "That's what she said." As in, "It's hot." "That's what she said!" "That was a tough workout." "That's what she said!" etc. For some reason, the guys I know find it hysterical. Besides the fact that it turns mundane things into something pathetically suggestive, it's just dumb. I always say, "How old are you again?" to them. Sigh.

Also, pigeontoe, you're new avatar is CUTE!

 

[dhermann1]

"Tell it to the Marines", Mommy used to say.
Huh?

It's an old marine slogan, gets their fighting spirit up. Originally said by King Charles II of England.

 

[Paisley]

I'd like to retire most sports jargon, but especially the phrase "Step up to the plate." People tend to say this when they feel proud of themselves for finally taking responsibility for something that, in bygone days, they'd have done automatically. For example: "He stepped up to the plate and proposed to the mother of his three-year-old daughter."

 

[dhermann1]

Michael Kay, who broadcasts the Yankees, as two phrases which he seems addicted to. "Of late" instead of "Lately" and "Giving chase" instead of several less clumsy phrases. I think some commentators try to avoid certain cliched phrases, and create even worse cliches for themselves. Michael, the English language is blessed with lots and lots of excellent verbs, try some of them! And what's wrong with the word "lately", anyway?
Otherwise I like him! He's not so bad, but boy he has a hangup about those two phrases.

 

[Feng_Li]

My bad.
Where did this one even come from?

Chinese, I believe, in which it's a grammatically correct utterance, because nouns and adverbs/adjectives often play both parts. In this case, the word "cuò" means "bad" as an adjective/adverb and "mistake" as a noun.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

The problem with 'retiring' cliches or phrases we don't like...

is that there are always more waiting in the wings.

 

[Fletch]

...gathering in the clouds, darkening the skies, in the offing, hatching, a-bornin', and in the pipeline.

We must stem the tide, nip them in the bud, cut 'em off at the ankles, head 'em off at the pass, stamp them out, rub them out, put the kibosh on them, deep-six 'em, 86 'em, $#!!can 'em, round-file 'em, give 'em the old heave-ho, the toe of yer boot, and the keys to the street.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

...gathering in the clouds, darkening the skies, in the offing, hatching, a-bornin', and in the pipeline.

We must stem the tide, nip them in the bud, cut 'em off at the ankles, head 'em off at the pass, stamp them out, rub them out, put the kibosh on them, deep-six 'em, 86 'em, $#!!can 'em, round-file 'em, give 'em the old heave-ho, the toe of yer boot, and the keys to the street.

Exactamundo!