In Damp Squid: The English Language Laid Bare, author Jeremy Butterfield says that many annoyingly over-used expressions begin as office lingo, like 24/7 and synergy. Researchers monitor the use of phrases in a database, compiled from books, papers, magazines, broadcast, the internet and other sources.
It seems that most people just get tired of a phrase when it becomes too popular and is overused. Review your resume and cover letters to make sure you aren’t overusing or misusing the following:
- “At the end of the day”
- “Fairly unique”
- “I personally think”
- “At this moment in time”
- “With all due respect”
- “Absolutely”
- “It’s a nightmare”
- “Shouldn’t of”
- “24/7”
- “It’s not rocket science”
I know I’m guilty of a few of these…I’ll be working on that. Absolutely.
