Clichés: A - Z

Do you have a terrible time with clichés? I do. I don't even realize I'm using them but they sneak up in my writing all the time. Maybe it's because I really love all the old sayings--like phrases my grandma always said--such as: what goes around comes around, as honest as the day is long, what you see is what you get, or work your fingers to the bone.

I thought since so many of these expressions are stuck in my head, they might be stuck in yours, too. Sure, these words bring back nostalgic memories. Nostalgia may not be the word that pops into the editor's mind, though, when they see your pages filled with them. They could be annoyed and think it takes away from your story.

Writing mentors of mine have told me, "Michele, you've written a wonderful story, and I really love it, BUT... it's filled with too many clichés. Take those out before you submit it anywhere." I'm glad I had someone with a fresh, seasoned eye to let me know!

This topic has been on my mind for a while now, so I decided to address it in this post. When I Googled the word cliché, I discovered what Wikepedia had to say about it:


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A cliché (from French, klɪ'ʃe) is a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or novelty, especially when at some time it was considered distinctively forceful or novel. The term is generally used in a negative context.
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I can't tell you how hard it has been to break myself from including so many of these "overused words" in my written work. I won't even mention how many times I say them out loud. Have I bypassed turning into my mother altogether and morphed into grandma status? Okay, we won't go there.

In those "cliché" Google results a most interesting site surfaced: ClichéSite.com. I love it! I noticed right away that phrases are listed starting with the letter a and continuing all the way to the letter z. You can literally find cliche's from A to Z, including from which country they originated. It's amazing... You'll definitely be busy for quite some time. Wait. There's more. Cliché of the Day provides a new overused term each day!

Cliché Finder is another source. There are over 3,000 of them filed here. Still not happy? Site owner, S. Morgan Friedman, even lists Other Cliché Links to further satisfy your thirst.

I hope these links help you keep clichés out of your content, while writing the cyber highway!

UPDATE:
Rebecca Laffar-Smith brought up an excellent point in her comment. She suggested that the Cliché of the Day would probably do more harm than good by implanting these pesky little phrases deep into our heads only to flow through our fingers and onto the keyboard--exactly what we're trying to avoid. She shared her opinion: "Perhaps we need to tred with caution and become more conscious of the cliche terms we use." Right! Thanks for your thoughts, Rebecca! Exactly what I was trying to say, only you said it better :-)

Stumble Cliche: A - Z!

Five Resources to Enhance Your Grammar

Have you ever mistakenly written “their” in the place of “they’re?” How about “ad” instead of “add?” Do you sometimes use “beside” in place of “besides?” Perhaps you’ve made the error of creating the combo “could of” (which doesn’t exist), in place of “could have.”

This can be very frustrating for editors, and that means you might not have the opportunity to work with them again. How sad, especially since these mishaps could have been prevented by paying closer attention to proper usage of English. I’d hate for a simple homonym oversight to result in that oh-so-dreaded rejection letter.

There are several resources I refer to so I can keep my grammar sparkling and my editors smiling.

• Try out Grammar Slammer. Englishplus.com is a fun and useful Website. Style and usageCommon Mistakes and Choices are two links that will undoubtedly enhance your writing skills. For even more knowledge, click on Grammar Glossary beneath “Other Resources.”

• Alan Cooper’s homonym list is a very handy site. Starting with the letter “a”, he goes through the alphabet listing homonyms that are commonly misused. This list will definitely refresh your memory and aid in writing grammatically correct articles.
  

• Speaking of Grammatically Correct, Anne Stilman is the author of a book titled as such.

It is cram packed with examples and exercises to tickle your brain and sharpen your English skills. I keep it in my writer’s reference library and reach for it anytime a word is in question.

Why is English grammar becoming such an issue? Have parents failed to teach their children the correct way? Do teachers get the blame? Are youth just too preoccupied with PDAs, cell phones, and game boys to even give grammar a second thought?

Is it a regional concern? Perhaps we just pick up on certain writing/speaking styles and just can’t pry ourselves away from that comfort of habit. Who knows? There are so many people/circumstances we could blame. The main thing is that we need to embrace our lovely language and study until our words glisten with perfection!

Nonstopenglish.com is another place where you and/or your child can brush up on English grammar. There are several quizzes, word games, and sentence exercises to choose from. This Website can be a fun learning tool and a sneaky way to share in your child’s learning.

I’m also fond of The Elements of Style: The Original Edition.



Freelance writers I know have kept this small goldmine on their desks for years.

Regardless of which reference book you prefer, how many years you’ve been a freelance writer/author, or which writer’s sites you frequent, never become “grammar lazy.” No matter how old we are, we’re never too old to learn something new or remind our tired memories of something we once knew but forgot somewhere along the way.

Keep writing, keep submitting, and keep that grammar glistening!

Remember: The less an editor has to edit, the greater the odds that you’ll begin a flourishing editor/writer relationship that may last for decades to come. Good luck!