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Scrabble pieces spelling ‘tips and tricks’ with text overlay – How to avoid clichés – replace common clichés for professional, believable written communication
Clichés are overused expressions or phrases.

They’re catchy, they roll off the tongue and they can be useful for descriptive purposes, but clichés don’t tell us much. They’re non-specific. They’re also unoriginal and a little cheesy.

Clichés are statements that have been used many times before, so they lose their effectiveness, weaken writing – and add unnecessary words.

Scrabble pieces spelling ‘tips and tricks’ with text overlay – How to avoid clichés – replace common clichés for professional, believable written communication

Example

Needless to say, the sweet smell of success was a far cry from the battles he’d endured en route to securing the deal.

Revised: His success outweighed the battles he’d encountered in securing the deal.

Here’s how you can replace some of the most common clichés with simple words.

Replace… With…
At the end of the day To conclude
Eating establishment Restaurant / Cafe
Needless to say [simply omit this cliché]
On the same page Understand / Same understanding
Touch base Make contact

 

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Which clichés bug you? Let us know, below.

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