Words and Phrases You Should Avoid
If you look around the Web you’ll find many sites that tell you how to write, what to write, when to write and what words to use. It’s much tougher to find sites that tell you which words and phrases to avoid. What follows is a list of my favorites, words to avoid that is.
Core of my being – If you run across this in written form just click the back button or close the book. If you actually hear the phrase spoken aloud you need to exit the coffee shop immediately and make sure the woman wearing the Sylvia Plath tee isn’t following you.
Think outside the box – If you can’t think of another phrase to use then you should be stuffed inside a box because you’re brain dead.
Quantum leap – Unless you’re a physicist you should avoid the word ‘quantum’ period.
Paradigm shift – Finding a new way to shaft the consumer is not a paradigm shift. That’s business as usual. If you actually encounter a paradigm shift, feel free to use the term.
Granular – If someone says a report needs to be more granular, don’t hesitate, kick them in the balls. Hard. Granular is a word used by corporate weenies because they think it makes them sound more intelligent.
Confidence is high – If you’ve ever used that in a sentence you were high.
Manage expectations – What that really means is “we don’t know if this will work so let’s make sure if we fail we can say that we expected it might fail”. Say what you mean. Let people manage their own expectations.
Credibility gap – Political speak for calling a group a bunch of goddamn liars. Why group? Because there’s no such thing as an individual act in politics. If you don’t trust someone, say so, lest your readers identify a ‘credibility gap’ between you and them.
Less than stellar – As in Keanu Reeves’ less than stellar performance in, well, everything he’s ever been in. Just say it sucked.
Critical mass – Again, unless you’re a physicist, stay away from their lingo. This one is most often used to mean ‘self-sustaining’ so why not just write ‘self-sustaining’.
Irregardless – WTF? I still don’t know what that non-word is intended to mean. Just don’t use it.
Bellwether – Used to refer to leaders or indicators. Doesn’t anyone know that a wether is a castrated sheep? I’m not following the guy with no balls, especially if he’s wearing a bell…
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April 3, 2007 at 1:29 pm
I believe in the Core of my being that this is a Quantum leap in writing tips. My Confidence is high that this post positions you as the bellwether of the writing Paradigm Shift.
In fact, it is so good, you will now need to manage expectations in regards to other less than stellar posts. While this post might have been a bit more granular, it Irregardlessly disrupts the credibility gap.
Sorry,
I just couldn’t resist :)
April 3, 2007 at 1:34 pm
I threw up while laughing. What does that mean? ; )
April 3, 2007 at 1:38 pm
That beer and blogging don’t mix?
April 3, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Kills the ‘Will Blog For Beer’ career move I intended to make…
April 3, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Next time you want me to join a conference call just ask Toni to drag me out of the box :)
April 3, 2007 at 4:29 pm
*rotflmao* – great post!
April 3, 2007 at 8:07 pm
As early as the last conference call was for I can see why you might need to be dragged. ; )
Timethief, I need those thirty seconds back, c’mon man, hand them over.
April 4, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Lovely post;
Anything that smacks of current science speak/ad speak and management speak. Most are made up to deny clarity except to a cognascenti.
Bellwether, He is the one you catch for the others will follow.
The bell and his condition are important to the one catching him. His leadership, being a sheep.
The fashion houses and any red carpet event, provide a sweet example.
April 4, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Hello Roaring40s, it’s amazing the clarity that can achieved when idioms and catch phrases are edited out of most writings.
Another phrase that journalists like to overuse is ‘watershed event’. I’ve seen that expression 6 times today.
April 4, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Awesome list DG. Very clever!
April 4, 2007 at 9:34 pm
You forgot my favourite phrase, guaranteed to be cringe-making: “leveraging the synergies”.
April 4, 2007 at 9:46 pm
I use critical mass not when trying to say “self-sustaining” but when trying to convey the fact that the thing has grown so large that it’s just about to implode on itself/explode over everyone else.
“The entire project reached critical mass and the next day, the collateral damage achieved by HR was beyond clean-up costs.”
Something along those lines.
Yeah, people who use “thinking outside the box” should probably be kicked out to the curb.
April 4, 2007 at 9:57 pm
We must “level set” the expectations of this blog.
April 4, 2007 at 10:06 pm
Haaha. Politically correct.
April 4, 2007 at 11:12 pm
>>leveraging the synergies
That’s just terrible. Can anyone write or say that with a straight face? Much worse than ‘leverage our assets’.
>>critical mass – about to implode on itself
At least that makes sense.
>>’level set’ ?
I’d rather we didn’t. ; )
>>politically correct
I suggest that we not only avoid using the phrase ‘politically correct’, but that we encourage people to ignore the entire concept.
April 4, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Great post that reminds me of Evan Morris’ Word Detective.
I was expecting to see ‘pushing the envelope’ on the list.
You could have called this blog “Speaking Freely – Writing Clearly”.
April 4, 2007 at 11:38 pm
>>pushing the envelope
I hate that one too. Maybe I could do a series? ; )
>>writing clearly
I’m thinking about starting a blog that’s dedicated to nothing but words and writing. Think it would fly? (don’t kick me, I used that hackneyed phrase on purpose).
April 5, 2007 at 1:50 am
Very sad cynicism, sorry you get so upset.
April 5, 2007 at 2:12 am
>>cynicism
Where do you see cynicism? We were discussing the elimination of phrases that detract from the clarity of written work.
April 5, 2007 at 2:44 am
I stumped my young aerospace engineer co-workers with a simple “box” question.
Q. How many sides are there to a box?
This brought about many replies, theories and quantum leaps into other planes that had nothing to do with the question. I told them all that they had spent 4 years going to school to be creative and to “think outside of the box”.
They all wanted to know the answer so I explained that years ago, while taking a MENSA test, I got bored and stopped. This brought some funny looks and the question of “why?”
I told them I had to get out of the box. There are two sides; inside and outside.
That brought on a few “I was gonna say that” remarks.
Yeah, right.
I still won’t sit down to take one of those mind numbing tests.
April 5, 2007 at 3:23 am
This post is very Dilbert. For those who enjoy this type of observation you must check out a book called “The Dilbert Principle”……it’s cover to cover with stuff like this from the point of view of a cubicle worker and hilarious. Yes it’s based on and written by those who do that cartoon.
April 5, 2007 at 3:39 am
excuse me! but i thought Keanu Reeves was pretty damn good in the matrix aright! as for all the other stuff, you’re probably right. especially the ‘core of my being’ one, its just one of those extremely lame, pretentious phrases used by people who don’t know what it, or words like existential, really mean or what they themselves are trying to say.
April 5, 2007 at 4:58 am
Quote: “Granular – If someone says a report needs to be more granular, don’t hesitate, kick them in the balls. Hard.”
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!. Damn near choked on my drink.
I’m off to see if I can make my boss say Granular ……… :-)
April 5, 2007 at 6:20 am
This had me cracking up. Here’s another one I can’t stand:
“I could care less.”
It should be “I couldn’t care less,” as in “there is no level of caring below the one where I’m at right now.” If I could care less, that means there is a level of caring that I haven’t reached yet, and therefore I could obviously care less than I am.
Think I’m gonna have to rant about that on my blog.
Keanu Reeves has sucked ever since Bill & Ted. He should’ve just been type-cast then. I can think of 20 actors who would’ve made the Matrix better.
April 5, 2007 at 7:51 am
I think the words you suggest we scrap are considerably better than words like “it sucked.”
Because those two words are certainly a cliche!!! And, they’re certainly not creative, descriptive, or even well thought out.
April 5, 2007 at 8:08 am
Rebecca, I didn’t mean that you should literally use the words, ‘it sucked’, although I prefer that to ‘less than stellar.
Tell me his performance was pathetic, tell me it was mediocre, abysmal even, just don’t tell me it was less than stellar.
>>descriptive
People use too many adjectives. The fewer the better.
As far as clarity goes though, ‘it sucked’ seems clear enough.
April 5, 2007 at 8:42 am
Excellent!
others I hate…”thirty thousand foot view”..”at the end of the day”
I agree with coma toes, I’m going to see if i can get my boss to say granular.
April 5, 2007 at 8:54 am
Simple superb
:)
April 5, 2007 at 10:07 am
>I’m thinking about starting a blog that’s dedicated to nothing but words and writing. Think it would fly?
It would certainly have legs.
April 5, 2007 at 10:46 am
“I’m thinking about starting a blog that’s dedicated to nothing but words and writing. Think it would fly? (don’t kick me, I used that hackneyed phrase on purpose).”
Yes, please!
April 5, 2007 at 11:43 am
“Core of my being” and “critical mass”…
I HATE those haha.
-Matt
http://www.mattgunn.ca
April 5, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Oh, but quantum leap is a lovely phrase. It sounds so intelligent and important, and I shall have to think outside the box to find a way to pepper every paragraph I write with “quantum leap” at least once. =)
I enjoyed your post.
April 5, 2007 at 3:04 pm
>>have legs.
Bloody hell, another one.
Hello to all the new faces. If you think of any more phrases that should be buried, let me know.
April 5, 2007 at 3:27 pm
How about “action item” and “skill-set”?
What about “inner child”?
April 5, 2007 at 3:38 pm
I am tired of “gravitas” and “the surge”.
April 5, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Isn’t it funny to think that “outside the box”, which was coined to denote original thinking, has become a cliche? I love the irony.
April 5, 2007 at 7:28 pm
DG,
The fewer the adjectives, the more BORING the writing…
April 5, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Sorry Rebecca, just isn’t so. Pacing, dialog, foreshadowing, etc, can all contribute to creating suspense or excitement that isn’t necessarily helped along with the addition of lots of adjectives.
I’m not real fond of blanket statements like “The fewer the adjectives, the more BORING the writing” either.
Eliminating adjectives typically moves the story along.
April 5, 2007 at 10:43 pm
What in hell is a 30,000ft view.
April 6, 2007 at 12:56 am
Very nice writeup! :->
April 6, 2007 at 6:28 am
The 30,000 foot view is a conceptual view, lacking ‘on-the-ground’ details, like the view you would get while flying in an airliner.
What does it really mean?
The freedom to plan without bothering about the little details, like reality. ;)
April 6, 2007 at 6:47 am
DG,
I don’t agree that pacing, dialogue, and foreshadowing just happen without adjectives. Eliminating “extraneous” adjectives might help, but cleaning house of adjectives altogether isn’t advisable either.
And, you, mi amigo, make blanket statements more often than you think.
April 6, 2007 at 6:56 am
I can’t read or hear ‘inner child’ now without thinking of the Eagle’s tune, ‘Get Over It’ which contains the line, ‘I’d like to find your inner child and beat its little ass’.
Action items and skill-set, more corporate weenie vocabulary.
Is it okay if I’m just superficially opposed to ‘gravitas’? Is there a rising tide of resentment against ‘the surge’? Stay tuned… ; )
April 6, 2007 at 7:08 am
>>Eliminating “extraneous” adjectives might help, but cleaning house of adjectives altogether isn’t advisable either
Exactly. I contend though that lazy writing can often be identified by the large number of adjectives present. Did you ever see the M*A*S*H episode in which Radar wants to be a writer?
>>blanket statements
I’m sure I do, some of them slip by my sometimes lax editorial control, and some of them are intentional. I still recommend firing lazy words.
April 6, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Why, O why, is there a need to translate everything that leaves the mouth of a military spokesman/woman.
April 6, 2007 at 7:47 pm
The military is fond of misinformation. Clarity isn’t in their handbook. ; )
April 9, 2007 at 2:40 pm
“At the end of the day…”
April 19, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Talk about one post creating mayhem. You hit a sore spot in many of us. Well done (from someone who is rarely impressed by words). /Maria
April 20, 2007 at 4:27 am
Hello Maria,
To be fair, the reason cliches become cliche is because people like them. Used correctly they can add a little flavor. Used too often and the blandness returns.
May 8, 2008 at 2:24 pm
This is fantastic! thanks
September 30, 2008 at 10:55 pm
I kept laughing…at 10:00 in the morning…in office…I’m a designated manager… :D
November 24, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Well said and thank you!
I have another – what about:
“If it’s in your wheel house…” what is a wheel house? And how does that reference a skill and/or expertise in one area or another??
November 24, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Wait, wait – I have others…
Tertiary Market
Blue Sky Thinking
Wedge Issues
Wrap My Brain or Arms around an idea (I’m guilty of this one…the visual is not appealing however).
March 6, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Excellent!
Be more Creative! Great Post.
Cheers!
November 16, 2010 at 6:42 am
I didn’t know about such a list, but I guess you are right, although I haven’t used any of those words on my blog. Just the “think outside the box” but I’ll stop using it.
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