“We all have a phrase attic with the same attributes, filled with a few gems among the tired, habitual language.”
— Ronn Lehmann
Ah, the attic…that venerable vault of treasured keepsakes. You know…junk. Sure, there are sometimes jewels among the clutter, but by and large, the attic becomes a storage locker, a home for items that are no longer useful, an anteroom before proceeding on to the trash or recycling center.
We all have a phrase attic with the same attributes, filled with a few gems among the tired, habitual language. And like its dimly lit home counterpart, it requires our attention.
For the record, I love language. I adore a clever turn of phrase, a well-chosen word, a finely crafted thought. At the same time, I abhor slipshod sentences, vapid verbiage, and atrocious alliteration.
At the top of my list are those worn-out clichés and tired catchphrases that populate the phrase attic and litter the linguistic landscape. (Hmm…maybe I don’t abhor alliteration as much as I thought.)
Anyway, here are some examples that are well past their sell-by dates:
- “The reality is…” “The truth is…” “The fact of the matter is…”
What follows these phrases is rarely reality, truth, or fact, but is often the speaker’s opinion. Designating it as reality, truth, or fact does not make it so.
- “At the end of the day…”
This presumes that everything resolves itself of clutter and vagueness “at the end of the day.” And what exactly is the end of the day? Five o’clock? Midnight? What if I’m in a different time zone? Clearly, this phrase is meaningless, so let’s drop it.
- “It is what it is.”
Really? ‘Cuz I was sure that it was something else. This one is often a lazy way to end a conversation.
- “It’s not rocket science.”
This hackneyed bromide needs to be put out to pasture. Suggested replacements: “It’s not Advanced Calculus,” or “It’s not writing Malebolge code.” “This is simple” will also do nicely.
- “Don’t go there…” and “To make a long story short…”
I am also quite done with these two phrases for the same reason: By the time they are uttered, it’s too late. I’ve already gone there, and the story is already too long.
If any of these phrases are in heavy rotation for you, it might be time to do some timely tidying. (More alliteration? Evidently, I should have used “adore” rather than “abhor”.)
Sure, cleaning out any attic is a chore. But when it comes to your phrase attic, the result can be clearer, more powerful, and more memorable communication. Writing and speaking with less speed and more care, fewer clichés and greater clarity, and a little more pizzazz all around will provide enormous benefits with a modicum of effort.
After all, it’s not rocket science.
Ronn Lehmann advises organizations and leaders on the human factors that determine their culture. Lehmann developed the Cultural Audit Process, which is designed to provide an outside perspective of an organization’s culture: what’s important, what’s rewarded and punished, what the rules are, and how people “show up.”
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