There is Nothing Grammatically Wrong With a Trite Expression

Corbett said, “The price that writers pay for their use of trite language is the alienation of their readers. Readers stop paying attention. Writers may have something new and important to say, but if their message is delivered in threadbare language, they will lose or fail to capture the attention of their readers.” Trite expressions are certain combinations of words or certain figures of speech that have been used so often that they have lost their freshness and even their meaning for most readers. 

There is nothing grammatically or idiomatically wrong with a trite expression. A trite expression is stylistically objectionable – mainly because it is a tired expression. Whether an expression is tired is, of course, a relative matter. What is lack-luster for some readers may be bright-penny new for others.

Below are samples of trite expressions in bold – they may be new and fresh for new readers no matter how old and overused they are such as:

• I returned from the picnic tired but happy, and that night I slept like a dog.
• My primary objective in coming to college was to get a well-rounded education.
• Convinced now that drugs are a temptation for young people, the community must nip the problem in the bud before it runs rampant.

Trite Expressions can be Revised

Figures of speech are prone to staleness. Metaphors like “nip in the bud”, “slept like a dog” were once fresh and cogent. Now they are wilted from overuse. Trite combinations of words like “tired but happy”, “runs rampant” produce glazed-eyed readers. Ironically, one of the ways in which to revise sentences that have trite language is to use the most familiar, ordinary language.

In sample 1 sentence would be improved if the but happy part of the combination were dropped and if a simple adverb were substituted for the simile like a dog.

• I returned from the picnic tired, and that night I slept soundly.

Look at what happens to the yawn-producing well-rounded education in sample 2 sentence if revised to -

• My primary objective in coming to college was to get a well-squared education.

If one makes an effort to invent his own figures of speech, he may produce awkward, strained figures, but at least they will be fresh. Instead of borrowing the hackneyed metaphor nip the problem in the bud, he can make up his own metaphor. In sample 3 sentence it can be revised like -

• Convinced now that drugs are a temptation for young people, the community should excise the tumor before it becomes a raging cancer.

It takes a great deal of sophistication about language even to recognize trite expressions and those who do not read very much can hardly be expected to detect tired language because almost all the expressions that they encounter are relatively new to them. They may have to rely on others to point out the trite language in their prose.

Sources of facts and other info: Choices and Conventions by Edward P.J. Corbett

Read also my other published articles:

• Trending Items From Ingress Down to Bay Area
• History for Hubpages: Why They Phased Out Tags
• Are You Afraid of Facebook Policy Over Sharing of User Data?
• I Failed to Hit My Target Views: 814 is Lucky Number
• 28 More Days to Enjoy The Double Earning Bonus at Expertscolumn
• Why You Should Write for Allvoices, Bukisa, Expertscolumn, Hubpages, Squidoo, Triond and Wikinut

Aside ExpertsColumn, I am also writing for CashMyStudio, Allvoices, Bukisa, Squidoo, Triond, HubPages and Wikinut. I also maintain couple of blog sites. I have no specific areas where my writing will focus on. I write any subject that interests me under the merciless sun. My favorite saying: "Dream big and don't stop without giving it a chance to come true." 

Tags are as Important as Catchy Title

I have no rights to question any policy that a publishing site is regulated on its site. But as one of its content creators - I have that option to ask question. If you're an online writer and you are writing for a publishing site - would you care to publish your column, article or hub without keywords or tags? Tags are important for every article. They help attract traffic and views to any article page. 



Search engines are there to help the million surfers for any terms that they are searching on the Internet. Tags assist in Google search algorithms and other search engines and surfers - with out them your pages will be hard to find. Tags are as important as catchy title. It surprised me to see and to learn that hubpages.com has now phased out tags on every hub a hubber would submit for publication. 

HubPages explains, "Tags and used to be very important on HubPages, but due to abuse by spammers, we developed an automated system that develops tags for Hubs automatically which will ultimately save you time and leave Hubbers less dumbfounded when trying to determine which tags are or are not appropriate."

I was about to submit a hub at HubPages but I can't. I noticed it that the tag section on their hub editor is missing. I already done all the polishing make-ups of my hub but without tags yet, so I just kept it as unpublished status. I even asked from other hubbers if they also experienced what I found. Cuttler said, "I have just published two hubs without the tags. I'll give it a day and investigate how the traffic is going to be." Another hubber has replied my question. "Tags are being phased out, they are only for internal HubPages use anyway," replied Uninvited Writer.

Now I am planning to delete the hub from HubPages and bring it out from the site and offer it to other publishing sites I am writing for. I am not used to publish item on the Internet without tags. This is Internet. Many writers from around the world are competing one another and tags help them to shine in the competition. And to publish articles, columns or hubs online without tags seem to me ineffective.

On November 18, 2012, I published a column at ExpertsColumn entitled: How Important are Keywords and Tags for Our Columns Online Writing? I had differentiated competitive keywords from non-competitive keywords down to keyword phrases and tags. So to know that HubPages has phased out tags - it amused me so much. That's all for now guys. Thank you for your time.

For those who are not yet writing for ExpertsColumn - this site is open for all your awesome and original columns. Join ExpertsColumn Community – write, publish and earn.

Aside ExpertsColumn, I am also writing for CashMyStudio, Allvoices, Bukisa, Squidoo, Triond, HubPages and Wikinut. I also maintain couple of blog sites. I have no specific areas where my writing will focus on. I write any subject that interests me under the merciless sun. My favorite saying: "Dream big and don't stop without giving it a chance to come true." 

Famous Actors of All Time

History recorded that the entertainment industry began when the first time a caveman picked up a stick and beat a rhythm on a log which his companions danced to. The tune was not captivating but the desire to entrain was there. Entertainment is a cultural aspect that differed from country to country or region to region. There is Asian entertainment, Western entertainment and Middle Eastern entertainment. British entertainment would differ from American entertainment. In rural America entertainment was much different than urban America of the 1800s or 1900s.

In our present time, there are thousands of famous actors living like kings and queens - loved and idolized by their millions fans around the world. But when some of them became infamous - they're left behind alone by their fans. However, there are actors too, even though they died long ago - they are still alive in every hearts of their fans from generations to generations. They are the original winning actors. In some occasions and other gatherings, they are still the hot subjects for love and respects - that made them famous, namely:

• The Collins
• White Lady also known as a Delilah
• Ramos gin fizz
• The Sidecar
• The Gimlet
• The Vodka gimlet
• Sazerac
• The Pegu
• The Manhattan
• The Jack Rose 

On many occassions such as wedding, anniversaries, birthdays and other celebrations, the above names are still the hot subjects for love and respects from people around the world. They are the original actors and actresses who have died long ago and yet, still very alive being kissed, loved and embraced by million fans from around the globe.

Thanks to the genius minds of inventors and other business minded people around the world - these actors and actresses are now on classical cocktails and are available in supermarkets, malls, restaurants, hotel and five star hotels, luxury love boats, disco houses and other superstores.

Read also: Interesting Facts About ExpertsColumn and Other Publishing Sites

For those who are not yet writing for ExpertsColumn - this site is open for all your awesome and original columns. Join ExpertsColumn Community – write, publish and earn.

Aside ExpertsColumn, I am also writing for like Allvoices, Bukisa, Squidoo, Triond, HubPages and Wikinut. I also maintain couple of blog sites. I have no specific areas where my writing willfocus on. I write any subject that interests me under the merciless sun. My favorite saying: "Dream big and don't stop without giving it a chance to come true."