The World is full of Cliches

More and more we have become a nation that attaches itself to popular cliches and "in" terminology and by that I mean that too many operate as a herd: they follow others. Take for example the irritating tendency in the UK at present of those whose response to questions begins with the word "so".

Interviewer: "What can you tell us about the state of waiting times in the country's casualty departments, minister?"

Interviewee: "So, it appears that waiting times are....."

"So" is a conjunction, a 'connective', and should not ideally begin a sentence, whether spoken or written.

How many times do we hear in coffee shops; "Can I get an Americano with a little milk, and can I get a chocolate milkshake?" The correct English is: "May I have or may I order..." The word 'get' is like the word 'nice', they are both lacking in originality and strength.

Then there are the fashionable words that do little other than seek to impress the listener that whoever is using them knows what they are talking about . Here are some example....

Embed, as in "This procedure needs to be embedded across all departments."

Robust, as in "We need to ensure that our defence capability in the United Kingdom is robust."

Best Practice.....

Wake up and smell the coffee....

Joined-up management

Think outside the box

The English languages is awash with words and terminology that sound 'cool' but mean very little and succeed only in eroding originality of thought. They are the work of the herd mentality.