Life is a bowl of....

Recently, I re-read one of my post and discovered the phrase “best laid plans”.   I would have preferred a different phrase.  Do clichés ever find their way into your writing.  How about…..
  • Fit as a fiddle
  • Tip of the iceberg
  •  A monkey’s uncle
  • The grass is always greener 

If any of these phrases have ever “wormed their way into” your writing, than consider trying CLicheCLeaner.

ClichéCleaner is an inexpensive program that highlights passages in your text that are either clichés, overly-used common expressions, or phrases of your own that you have repeatedly used within the same document. ClichéCleaner includes a list of nearly 7000 unique clichés and common expressions that are compared against your text. 

ClichéCleaner does not remove your clichés or over-used phrases or alter your document, so it you’re “dead set” on keeping a cliché  remember “to each his own”.  If your writing needs to be "tightened up", consider trying ClichéCleaner.  It's inexpensive and the site offers a free trial of the program.  Is there a cliché that you enjoy using in your writing?

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Mary Jo Guglielmo is writer and intuitive life strategist.  
For more information check out  www.donorth.biz
or folllow her at:
http://theadvantagepoint.wordpress.com
http://www.helpingchidrencope.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/do_north
http://facebook.com/DoNorth.biz  

11 comments:

Shirley Corder said...

Thanks for the topic. I enjoy taking a cliche and "Africanising" it. My hope is that others will then recognise what it's built on, and learn something about my country in the process.

Mary Jo Guglielmo said...

That's a great idea Shirley

Karen Cioffi said...

What an interesting program. This is especially great for new writers. thanks for sharing.

Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing

Magdalena Ball said...

Ooh, good editing tool Mary Jo. I've important to at least be conscious of cliches that we might accidently use in our writing.

Mary Jo Guglielmo said...

I agree Maggie. Sometimes I intentionally use cliches. I think the thing that is also interesting about the program is just it picks up on words that you over use in your writing.

Mary Jo Guglielmo said...

Thanks Shirley and Karen for stopping by.

Debbie A Byrne said...

I will try this. Thanks!

NancyCL said...

Wow, this is great, thanks so much!

D. Jean Quarles said...

Yes, it's always a challenge to keep them out. Thanks for sharing.

Anne Duguid Knol said...

I just love a good cliche--so clever and says so much in so few words. Interesting too to think about Shirley's comment and start writing our own in the hope people will still be using them decades later.

Mary Jo Guglielmo said...

I too like the idea of writing your own. It really is a way of coming up with a new way to describe something.

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