The year in words: 2008's most overused clichés - by Jered Stuffco
When the clock is ticking and developments on breaking stories come over the wires fast and furious, a well-placed cliché is a tried and true way of delivering up-to-the-minute information for readers young and old.Clichés even turn up in the work of great writers, broadcasters and columnists from time to time; not even the editors and writers at CTV.ca are immune to their time-saving charms. So, as part of a New Year's resolution to crusade against trite and untrue phrases, here's a rundown of some clichés that burrowed their way into the year's biggest stories and lingered like a bad hangover.By now, it would seem that many reporters have a single-keystroke shortcut for the misleading and overused term "bailout." Initially, we had the $700 billion Wall Street "bailout," and as 2008 ends, reporters and public policy people have again pulled out the term in relation to the Detroit automakers.Among the worst is the now-overused phrase "tough economic times" and its many derivatives, which have been bludgeoned to death by reporters, TV anchors and politicos. Stephane Dion dropped the phrase in his ill-focused and ill-timed address to the nation in early December, when he said: "We believe that in these tough economic times, the government has a role to play."
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