# Lazy English and stupid cliched phrases people use without thinking. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 4, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290 "2003-07-04T20:53:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/1 "2003-07-04T20:53:17Z")
I am sick (but not “sick and tired”) of people using certain phrases without thinking. It is as if some folks just have the grab bag of ready made phrases that they use to string together sentences. Instead of giving thought to their words they lazily rely on these snippet of concepts that in the end will only lead to fuzzy ideas and fuzzy definitions. I do this myself and am trying to break the habit (“Break the habit” may be one, in that where else would you use “break the” in such a way?). Many of these I have noticed on news broadcasts where they are very prone to blind phrase usage. Here are a few that I have noticed: Nary a word fateful day tightly woven media (or anything else) has descended upon Foster education wipe from the face of the Earth Knock it off Can anyone else think of some of the cliched phrases? ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/2 "2003-07-04T21:00:11Z")
One of George Carlins favourites: Walkin’ the streets. “He’s out walkin’ the streets now.” ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/3 "2003-07-04T21:09:25Z")
Since the dawn of time… In today’s society… Both are the bane of freshman comp teachers, although the first one occasionally redeems itself by providing comic relief; I once had the pleasure of reading a paper that began, “Since the dawn of time, men have been telling stories about dogs.” ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/4 "2003-07-04T21:45:35Z")
[ul]😛 [sup] **“This is so much bull shit!”** [/sup][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Tradnor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cab0a1/32.png) [@Tradnor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tradnor)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/5 "2003-07-04T21:54:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muad’Dib \* > \*\*Knock it off \*\* While I agree with your general point, I don’t think this qualifies. “Knock it off” is just using a phrasal verb, also seen in “Knock off that racket”. I wouldn’t call it a cliche any more than “put up with it” or “give it up”. But here are my contributions: lay down the law full-blown AIDS these United States ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/6 "2003-07-05T00:31:50Z")
My mom has been complaining for years that the news media inevitably report rescue workers facing “the grim task” of identifying the remains of victims after an accident. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/7 "2003-07-05T00:55:21Z")
I recently started a thread like this on a sports baord, so here are a few (applicable to everyday life): out in left field warning track power (a third baseman) caught napping Bush League closer in a pickle a rhubarb And cuz I’m from PA (P-A 🙂 ) Go red up your room! ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/8 "2003-07-05T01:29:02Z")
My personal peeve is cliches that are no longer used (or rarely used) in everyday life, but are still used in un-clever jokey ways in TV news shows. For instance, you never hear anybody say the something is “going to the dogs” unless it’s a local newscaster introducing a human-interest story about a dog show or some damn thing. And for some reason, no local news show can ever have any kind of dog-related story without that same tired gag being trotted out. They usually find some way to squeeze “doggone” in there somewhere too. Another thing. Used to be, there would occasionally be “controversy” over some topic or other. Once in a while, there would be especially intense controversy about something, and eventually, journalists began referring to such situations as a “firestorm of controversy”. Okay, fair enough, although I don’t see why everybody has to use the same metaphor. But now, _any_ controversy is a firestorm of controversy. There is no plain ordinary controversy anymore. And somebody is always “igniting” these firestorms. Newcasters always say that Joe Blow “ignited a firestorm of controversy”. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/9 "2003-07-05T01:50:51Z")
**these ones** If I could annihilate a single word sequence, it would be, “these ones.” Use “these,” all by itself. The world won’t explode if you do this. Although, someday my head may explode if I hear “these ones” too many times in one daylight period. “Hot water heater”, this one runs a distant second. It’s a water heater, by definition it makes the water hot. “May I ask you a question?” My answer shall remain, “You just did!” ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/10 "2003-07-05T02:12:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\ ***these ones** > > If I could annihilate a single word sequence, it would be, “these ones.”\*\* LOL!!! Here in P-A it’s thesuns, youns, and myuns. ---
**Author:** ![woolly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ebca7d/32.png) [@woolly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woolly)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/11 "2003-07-05T02:15:06Z")
bring 'em on. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/12 "2003-07-05T02:51:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Earl of Sandwhich \* > \*\*My mom has been complaining for years that the news media inevitably report rescue workers facing “the grim task” of identifying the remains of victims after an accident. \*\* Good one! That is a great example of the many ones that the press use. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/13 "2003-07-05T05:17:23Z")
“Weapons of Mass Destruction” ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/14 "2003-07-05T05:27:09Z")
In high school, my journalism teacher forbade us from ever using the phrase “hard work paid off.” ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/15 "2003-07-05T05:44:45Z")
Not quite on target, but I hate when people say, “I _could_ care less”. It’s “I \* COULDN’T\* care less”, you oaf! StG ---
**Author:** ![TheFunkySpaceCowboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@TheFunkySpaceCowboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFunkySpaceCowboy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/16 "2003-07-05T06:44:57Z")
I have nothing to contribute to this thread other than my sig, which for the first time since I started posting here is actually topical 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/17 "2003-07-05T08:02:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fionn \* > \*\*In high school, my journalism teacher forbade us from ever using the phrase “hard work paid off.” \*\* But there are plenty of instances where hard work accomplished jack squat! And other instances where goofing off and doing a half-assed job paid off through sheer luck. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/18 "2003-07-05T10:08:03Z")
My nomination is “live life to the fullest.” I think I graded a thousand essays or papers this year that told me that Character X or the student himself just wanted to “live life to the fullest.” What a filler sentence that is! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/19 "2003-07-05T14:00:58Z")
The term “invades” annoys me when it comes to music. On the cover to the most recent Edge here in Austin, it announces “Ozzy Invades San Antonio!” Invasions require some sort of lasting force, no? When a band shows up, plays a concert, and leaves…I’m not seeing an invasion. It just bugs me. ---
**Author:** ![skyzoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@skyzoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skyzoo)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290/20 "2003-07-05T14:33:59Z")
Perhaps this one is too new, still - I’m already sooooo yawned out with the **"sooooo"** phrase/word. I know it makes some point, but it’s starting to stab my eardrums. _(I am sooooo disagreeing with myself on this right now!)_ :eek: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-english-and-stupid-cliched-phrases-people-use-without-thinking/186290.md?page=2)