That’s my question: How to get rid of that pesky paper clip on word?
Can it be replaced by anything else?
i personally find the paper clip cute 
that said…you can turn it off by right clicking on the clip and selecting “Hide”. it will obediently turn off.
you can also choose other “office assistants” to replace the clip…right click on the paper clip and select “choose assistant”…you might need the original ms office cd to change assistants ( depending on your settings during the install ).
Go into the Control Panel. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. Click either Microsoft Word or Microsoft Office (whichever is listed), and then click Add/Remove.
There will be instructions about how to uninstall specific components. You want to uninstall the “Office Assistant.” Once you have done this, it will never appear again, and your life will be greatly enriched.