The updated Bleacher Report blacklist of cliches to avoid

Bleacher Report has maintained a blacklist of clichés to avoid since 2012. The Quality Control team, using a combination of analytics and human judgment, has revised and expanded the list. These are the words and phrases that editors will zap from copy every time.

They’ll be on it like …

All right, we won’t do that thing of using a bunch of clichés in this blog post about clichés.

The numbers tell us that B/R writers have stopped using certain blacklisted items, like “when push comes to shove.” We’d like to think it’s because of writers diligently checking the list and absorbing its lessons. But we’re realists.

Still, the blacklist does an important job. Any B/R writer who knows it and avoids the words and phrases on it will not only save editors some work, they’ll write better copy. Any writer who becomes conscious of clichés and avoids them becomes a better writer.

Here’s is the new, expanded blacklist of 30 clichés for Bleacher Report writers to avoid:

Easier said than done
Time will tell
Back to the drawing board
On the same page
It is what it is
At the end of the day
To the next level
Step up
Without further ado
Drink the Kool-Aid
Jump on the bandwagon
Mail it in
One game at a time
Do or die
Back against the wall
Live and learn
First and foremost
Are you ready for some X
Tis the season
With [EVENT] in the books
Come back to haunt them
Throw under the bus
Tale of two halves
Taking his talents to
All is said and done
Any given Sunday
Right before our eyes
Send/sending a message
Will be interesting to see
Left in the tank