Writing clearly demands that you avoid overworked, uninspiring phrases such as clichés and euphemisms, as well as jargon that most likely is unknown to the reader. Learn to recognize these and keep away from them in your writing and speech.
Clichés are phrases that have been used so long and so often that they are dull and unimaginative for the reader or listener. Clichés can also be comparisons, i.e., metaphors that have been overused. Clichés can also be other types of expressions. A cliché is not just a sentence or phrase or a word that many people use; it must convey an idea or message. What was once a clever or interesting way of saying something, has been used so much that it no longer has any force. It is a lazy way to speak and to write. Please, please take pity on those who read your text or listen to you speak, and do not use clichés! Note: It isn't always easy to distinguish between a cliché, a euphemism, and jargon, but all of them should be used with care. If you can think of another way to get your idea across, it is probably wise to do so. Here are just a few clichés:
Animal clichés
|
blind as a bat busy as a bee/beaver dog-eat-dog world don't count your chickens (before they're hatched) gentle as a lamb happy as a lark like shooting fish in a barrel looking a gift horse in the mouth mad as a wet hen rat race sick as a dog the straw that broke the camel's back strong as an ox stubborn as a mule take the bull by the horns wise as an owl work like a dog You can't teach an old dog new tricks. What other ones have you heard? |
Food Clichés
|
a
piece of cake
cool as a cucumber cry over spilt milk duck soup easy as pie flat as a pancake life is just a bowl of cherries like a knife through hot butter in a nutshell slow as molasses that's how the cookie crumbles Can you think of more? |
Clichés for every mood, every occasion
| Live and learn
Live and let live What goes around comes around Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans Don't worry, be happy ! Today is the first day of the rest of your life Laughter is the best medicine Tomorrow is another day Every cloud has a silver lining (I can see/I can't see) a light at the end of the tunnel After the rain comes a rainbow It's always darkest before the dawn Every rose has its thorn Cheer up! It's not the end of the world This, too, shall pass All good things come to those who wait Time will tell The waiting is the hardest part Some day my ship will come in No news is good news Haste makes waste When life gives you lemons, make lemonade There are plenty more fish in the sea All is fair in love and war You can't tell a book by its cover No pain, no gain If it doesn't kill me, it makes me stronger No guts, no gloryThere is nothing to fear but fear itself The devil made me do it Life goes on When it rains, it pours When at first you don't succeed, try try again When the going gets tough, the tough get going Rome was not built in a day |
There are literally thousands of clichés, and you will not always be able to recognize them. Be alert, be observant, and ask when you are unsure.
Euphemisms are words or phrases that substitute for other words or phrases the speaker or writer feels might be offensive, too blunt, or just too honest. In some cases, using an euphemism may spare a person's feelings (You're not fat, you're pleasingly plump.), but in other cases they are a way to mislead or confuse people. We suggest that you use euphemisms sparingly. **Governments all over the world use euphemisms all the time!
Note: For some unknown reason, American English has more euphemisms than British English has.
Passed away, for die; toilet tissue, for toilet paper; little boy's or little girl's room (and many others), for toilet; domestic worker, for cleaning lady or maid; sanitation engineer, for garbage collector; golden-ager or senior citizen, for old or elderly.
**Governments are very good at coining euphemisms: peace-keeping force, for army; ethnic cleansing, for genocide; surgical air strikes, for bombings; collateral damage, for civilian casualties. The simple, easily understood term shell shock used after World War I is now called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
Other euphemisms have developed because of the on-going furor of political correctness: hearing impaired, instead of deaf; visually impaired, instead of blind; mentally challenged, instead of retarded.
Many euphemisms have to do with bodily functions, or sex: in a family way, for pregnant; adult movie/adult book/adult entertainment, for pornography.
In English, some of the milder "swear" words are euphemisms: heck, for hell; gosh and golly, for God; gee, gee whiz, cheese and crackers, geeeze, for Jesus or Jesus Christ.
Can you re-phrase the sentence using plain terms instead of the euphemisms?
1. His job entails custodial duties.
2. She has a substance abuse problem.
3. Paul was laid off because he was unmotivated.
4. The bank president had misappropriated funds for years.
5. Sometimes Jean is economical with the truth .
6. Great-great Aunt Zelda passed away last year.
7. This house has a distinctive aroma.
8. Rocky was incarcerated for a minor indiscretion.
9. XYZ Utilities announced a service interruption.
10. In order to enhance fiscal assets, the company decided to down-size.
Jargon can mean two things:
The special vocabulary of a specific group of people who have the same interests or career field (musicians, baseball, computers, cooking, acting, medicine, farming, etc.).
A contrived type of talking or writing that uses obscure words, a lot of clichés and euphemisms, and complex, convoluted sentences which leave the reader or listener completely confused. You will often find jargon in government documents/speeches and corporate publications. Some academic people/textbook authors, and anyone who is trying to impress others with their "intelligence" and education, often state things in a way that purposely confuses people or hides the truth.
We will talk about the second type of jargon on another page. The first type---specialized vocabulary, or vernacular---can be illustrated here. Every special group has its own jargon. Here is just a small sample:
Business Jargon
|
aggressive quote at some juncture band-aid bearish on bullish oncost management; downsize
hired gun
in-sourced major player
put forward
spinoff
Trim fat
Well-behaved price |
a low bid to produce goods or provide services some unspecified point in time in the future a quick temporary fix against; to assert a belief that investments will decrease in favor of; to assert a belief that investments will increase the firing of employees and/or the reduction of employees' salaries a consultant with a particular "expertise" who may or may not have more knowledge than any other employee use resources owned by the firm to provide goods or services a firm, union, or other participant which is involved in business deals and has influence aggressively present a plan as being factual an independent company created from an existing part of the
original company through a divestiture, such as a sale or distribution of
new shares. A stable price---neither rising nor falling. |
Sports Jargon
| rookie
huddle draw
slam dunk shooter scrum blindside anchor heat |
Novice or
newcomer
the players stand together in a group while on the court/field to discuss strategy. A game that ends with a tied score. A player's use of his head to deflect the ball.3 or more goals scored in a game by a single player. When a player close to the basket jumps and strongly throws the ball down into it A player who throws the ball toward the basket to make a goal. A rugby team's defensive players. A referee's inability to see a foul. The final swimmer in a relay. A single race when there are too many participants to have them compete at once. |
Medical Jargon
| OB/GYN
circumorbital hematoma analgesic salvage therapy |
obstetrics/gynecology
black eye a compound that reduces pain. The final possible treatment for those who are not responding to other treatments. |
Chat Jargon
| *poof*
moof ^5
a/s/l afk bbl brb bf/gf lol ppl rofl gtg ttfn ty yw |
disconnected voluntarily
disconnected involuntarily high 5 (slapping one's hand over the head with another person---sign of agreement) age/sex/location request away from keyboard be back later be right back boy friend/girl friend laughing out loud people rolling on the floor laughing got to go ta ta (goodbye) for now thank you you're welcome |
University Jargon (American style)
| poly-sci
cut mid-terms frosh frat frat rat jock |
political science
(a
school class)
not attend a scheduled class middle of the term examinations freshman or first year student fraternity a member of a fraternity an athlete |
We were going to add some "teen" jargon, but then realized: a) any we used when we were teens would be completely out of date; b) by the time adults pick up on the latest jargon, the kids stop using it.