I, personally think that at the end of the day what really matters is that you give 110%. With all due respect, it’s not rocket science to come up with writing that’s fresh and original, or at the very least, fairly unique. Absolutely, it’s a nightmare to slog through writing that’s cliché-laden, and if you’ve managed to read this far, I’m amazed.

Last year, researchers at Oxford University compiled a list of the top ten annoying phrases (I crammed in seven of ‘em in the paragraph above) “At the end of the day” topped the list, and while it’s a worthy contender, I’ve got my own list of phrases that push me over the edge. Some are business jargon, some are trendy, and some are just plain wrong. Here you go:

1.     A myriad of (It’s just “myriad,” I promise.)

2.     My bad (Please, let’s retire this one.)

3.     Basically (as in, “Basically, it doesn’t add anything to a sentence.”)

4.     Hunker down (I come from the land of hurricanes, and this one gives me the willies.)

5.     Think out of the box (I’m not in a box)

6.     Are we on the same page? (… or in a book)

7.     Touch base (… or on a baseball diamond)

8.     Paradigm shift (Cringe-inducing marketing-speak)

9.     Synergy (Double cringe)

10. When all is said and done (then why are you still talking?)