Nora Johnson – No Disrespect But

When Susie Dent, the Countdown lexicographer/star, asked her Twitter followers which expressions they’d like banned, topping the list was “going forward”, “no disrespect but”, “I’m not gonna lie” and “like” as a filler.

Corporate jargon included “reaching out”, “going offline”, “leaning in”, “circling back” and considering the “optics” of something. Plus the fillers: “basically” and “so”.

“So”, let’s consider the “optics” of some of MY favourites:

We’re all on a journey, reaching out or leaning in, circling back or thinking outside the box. From the get-go, taking it offline, kicking the can down the road going forward. So, it’s literally like so hard that, you know, my mental health suffers at this moment in time doing the heavy lifting. Basically, I’m not gonna lie, it is what it is. But at the end of the day, turning a blind eye to blue sky thinking to see the big picture might be better than putting the cart before the horse. That’s a win-win, right?

Reminds me of that “awesome” line from ‘Yes, Prime Minister’: “But the man just spouts clichés. He’d talk in clichés until the cows come home.”

Clichés? Best avoid them like the plague. No disrespect. Simples. Just sayin’!

 Nora Johnson’s 12 critically acclaimed psychological suspense crime thrillers (www.nora-johnson.net) all available online including eBooks (€0.99;£0.99), Apple Books, audiobooks, paperbacks at  Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.