Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and we’ve already been over the perils of meaningless words and jargon this week. So now it’s time for cliches and overused metaphors.
If a metaphor is one you hear frequently, like my least favorite “run roughshod over” or “in the nick of time” or “at the speed of light,” you probably should come up with something new. Remember, these phrases were once brand-new themselves, fresh and interesting to the reader. But now they’re boring. Old hat, so to speak. You can come up with something better. Or—like I always say—instead of using a metaphor to make your point, you can just make your point directly with normal, everyday, English words.
If you can’t state your point clearly, then you might want to rethink what you’re saying or at least make sure you know what you’re saying and have a good grasp of the material.
That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.