So here it is, merry cliché... 15 December 2009
“So here it is merry Christmas…”. How many times have you heard those lyrics this year – and how many more times do you expect to hear them? As the words troubled my ears for the millionth time this season, I started thinking about familiar words and phrases and what happens when they’re over-used. Last year, the people at the Oxford English Dictionary revealed a list of the top ten most irritating expressions. Ever been haunted by someone’s repeated use of ‘At the end of the day’ or ‘It’s not rocket science’? The top ten most hated list features one that makes me particularly twitchy – ‘shouldn’t of’ instead of ‘shouldn’t have’. While we all use some of these sayings once in a while, it’s the repetition that makes them so painful. Just like business copy clichés, they can cause a person’s attention to switch off quicker than dodgy Christmas lights. Aside from Slade’s (unfortunately) immortal words, which phrases would you prefer never to hear again, this season and beyond?
Written by Camilla Zajac
Camilla Zajac is an award-winning copywriter dedicated to uncovering what’s exciting and unique about organisations and empowering them to communicate that with impact. Learn more about copywriting services from Green Light Copywriting.
