To Jonathan Smith on Clichés Jan. 13, 2026
Cliches much used by professionals
“Post-flooding I thought I’d just reach out to you about the impact
on multiple people moving forward on the ground as things unfold.”
And they’re mostly uttered by professional paid speakers! As if they’ve never heard of
“after”, “tell”, “affect”, “many”, ‘future”, or “there”! I think it’s a bit of an issue! That last word there now used for the most dreadful stuff, such as disaster, death, illness and any other big problem.
Ocht! Gee
From J-san Jan. 13, 2026
Full disclosure, Graham,
When I have the bandwith I’ll take a deep dive into that issue, drill down, circle back and keep you aligned. Maybe we can move the needle if we generate synergy.
The one that gets up my nose is the fatuous question. For example, after someone has lost their entire family in a car crash or seen their house burn down, the interviewer asks the stock question: “And how did that make you feel?”
I think that kind of question is to do with the feminisation of reporting. They have to ask it, but take no account of whether it may be wildly inappropriate or simply stupid.
Ah, and that’s another word: “inappropriate”. Now used as a weasel-word alternative for practically anything negative, including “morally wrong”.
Ocht indeed! Wish they’d wheesht!
And another thing! (Jabs finger in the air). Something that’s everywhere!
“I was like…” as a substitute for “I saw / felt / thought / perceived or experienced in any way”. I hear it but don’t move in circles that use it. If I ever have a conversation with someone who uses it, I’m going to turn it round and ask them, “Pray tell what were you like exactly?”