I know, a lot of you dislike it when I send out lists of words or phrases that are considered overused or jargon. But then again, I don’t like it when I have to read a lot of jargon or worn-out phrases, so I guess we’re even! This list is from a GrammarBook.com email that I subscribe to. It’s part of their resolution to “Keep Writing Fresh in 2018.”
| Original | Problem Beyond Overuse | Alternatives in Careful Writing |
| on a daily/weekly basis (prep. phrase) | wordy | daily, weekly |
| going/moving forward (adv. phrase) |
inaccurate idiom meaning in continuance | in the future, from here, from now on |
| most importantly (adv. phrase) |
incorrect usage as adverb | most important (adj), above all |
| I feel like (verb clause) | subjective insertion before a statement (e.g., I feel like the book is too long) |
(strike as unnecessary) |
| bad optics (noun phrase) |
“buzz” phrase pertaining to the public’s view of something through the media | bad perception, bad impression |
| ubiquitous (adj) | big-word-itis (a clinical condition) | all over, all around, everywhere |
| proactive (adj) | often redundant modification of an action in progress (e.g. proactively seeking) | (strike as unnecessary) |
| just (adv) | intrusive insertion of thought (e.g., Why don’t we just go tomorrow?) |
(strike as unnecessary) |
| right? (interrogative) | highly catch-phrase in nature (meaning: Isn’t that true/correct? Isn’t that so?) | (strike as unnecessary) |
Kara Church
Technical Editor, Advisory
619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773
Symitar Documentation Services
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