Cliches’ For Sale–Cheap: Comfort-food lingo that no longer counts…

I figure that language is our DNA, the DNA of our culture. Nothing is more exciting than a new piece of language or a well-turned phrase, BUT… nothing is staler than yesterday’s cornflakes or over-used clichés. Given our feverish climate of social media and anti-social behavior, this can happen with startling rapidity these days. By the time you’re really starting to get a kick out of saying that new phrase ‘that all the kids are saying’–it’s too late. The vacuum seal has been broken. Mold is accumulating on the outer surface and the sweet sickly smell of decay is beginning to infect, then pervade. These are prime current candidates for removal from our daily vocabulary:

1) Anything ‘best ever’–STOPPPPP!!!!!
2) Anything that you just ‘love love love’ in triplicate. One ‘love’ is enough. Twice loved=thrice shy…
3) Anything that’s ‘Just wow!’… I mean: really? Is that the best you can do? Just sayin’…
Hey, that’s another one! (yes, I’m one of the worst offenders; sometimes it seems like my whole life is one big cliché)…
4) “Just sayin”…

The good thing is that sometimes after a long absence, bringing old phrases back into current use can be good fun. For example: when’s the last time you used the word ‘groovy’? Try it! The basic idea is to keep it fresh and unexpected. That’s all that really matters. You gotta’ love it… WAIT!

5) “Gotta love it”…

Of course, to intentionally used clichés to make a point about clichés is a special use–reported speech, i.e.feedback–protected by law and copyright conventions…

We’ll be back after a break for station identification. Stay tuned for more!

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