>>Terry,
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>>I am speechless. Sooner rather than later, you should realize that, at the end of the day, ranting here about cliches will not help you avoid being seen as pedantic, you should have seen this, it is not rocket science, just common sense. But make no mistake, basically I agree with you, I hate people using all those cliches. :)
>
>You missed out "to be quite honest with you". People say that for no reason, in confabs where honesty is not an issue.
>
>BTW I watched a docu the other night, after starting this thread, about prince Charles in his 61st year. I counted he used "at the end of the day" at least 5 times in the 1 hour show. In the time it took me to write that last sentence my colleague behind me said it twice on the phone to a customer (he uses all these all day, every day). Ironically he also said "ultimately" in the same sentence as "at the end of the day".
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>Is it any wonder my pedant nerves jangle?
>
>Also, just the other week it was on national news here about a survey of the top cliches that drive us nutzoid, and all the above are in it.

Here are a couple I think you'll like. I ride the commuter train to and from work (it's called the "GO" train). And every trip (every station, in fact) I am treated to the following announcement: "Remember, it is prohibited and illegal to cross the tracks". I also am subjected, at every station, to: "Stay back behind the yellow line. Trains may approach from any direction." This announcement is interesting because the tracks only go in two of directions at any station. I always like to picture a train lurking quietly behind a tree and then suddenly rushing out and attacking us.