Thursday, January 10, 2008

End of the road for these cliches

Phrases that should never be used again:

"How cute is THAT!!" (or, really, anything asked as a question when no answer is expected -- it's mere annoying punctuation)

"Needless to say..." (if it's truly needless, don't say it)

"Literally" (when you mean 'figuratively', as in "I literally dropped dead!")


We would be better off using and hearing with some frequency such happy phrases as these:

"Mad as a wet hen"

"Happy as a duck in a bucket"

"Bless my bloomers"

...but that's just my opinion.

Each of these has a story behind it. Just so you know. I haven't gone completely redneck on y'all.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

First, I do not wear bloomers and don't know anyone who does. Plus my guess is, there are some people who do not know what bloomers are. Then, how do you know the duck is happy in the bucket??
I am glad to hear you have not gone completely redneck, but you had me guess for a minute.

Me, I like: "you've got to be kidding!!?
Or, "get outa here.." (not realling meaning for you to leave, however)
Or, "Let me rephase that"

Love Ya!!
MOM

josie said...

I am so guilty of "How cute is THAT" and "How scary is THAT" and "How weird is THAT" etc etc etc. Sorry. And if I was a duck in a bucket I would not be happy. Needless to say, I'd be literally thinking "How *#@&%?-up is THIS!"

Anonymous said...

"Needless to say" has another meaning though. It's a way of giving whoever you're talking to credit for being knowledgeable, while bringing up something they may or may not have already considered.

The alternative is to risk insulting another's intelligence by telling them something in a way that says they didn't already know it.