Something for the language curmudgeons to gnaw at. Somebody has come up with this list of overused terms that should be eliminated from the language. Some are terms you don't hear so much here. Do you have any better candidates?
I'd like to nominate children (as opposed to their deaths) being described as tragic, eg "tragic Bobbie". Actually, that would be terrible even if it wasn't overused.
And on a similar subject, "every mother's worst nightmare". There are times when it's appropriate if cliched, but if your twenty year old son being hit and needing a couple of stitches is your worst nightmare then you live in a really nice world.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2007-01-09 05:36 am (UTC)I'd like to nominate children (as opposed to their deaths) being described as tragic, eg "tragic Bobbie". Actually, that would be terrible even if it wasn't overused.
And on a similar subject, "every mother's worst nightmare". There are times when it's appropriate if cliched, but if your twenty year old son being hit and needing a couple of stitches is your worst nightmare then you live in a really nice world.
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Date: 2007-01-09 06:19 am (UTC)Yep, misfortune does seem to bring out the cliches.