Cliches. Organic. Bully pulpit. Fimfy.

Cliches. Organic. Bully pulpit. Fimfy.

951. In honor of National Cliché day, we uncover why some overused phrases rub us the wrong way. What is the boundary between idioms, slang, and clichés—and should we give "adulting" a break? Then, we trace the 700-year history of "organic," from bodily organs to natural growth, and ask whether using a bully pulpit makes someone a bad person.

The "cliche" segment was written by Kirk Hazen, a professor of linguistics at West Virginia University, and Jordan Lovejoy, a visiting assistant professor of American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It first appeared on The Conversation and appears here through a Creative Commons license (BY-ND 4.0).

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217 What Is Poetic License?

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15 Apr 20104min

215 Hey, That's Not Grammar Girl!

215 Hey, That's Not Grammar Girl!

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1 Apr 20104min

213 Stacked Modifiers

213 Stacked Modifiers

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18 Mar 20105min

209 Does the Olympic Theme Song “I Believe” Have a Grammar Error?

209 Does the Olympic Theme Song “I Believe” Have a Grammar Error?

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19 Feb 20105min

206 Is "I'm Loving It" Proper Grammar?

206 Is "I'm Loving It" Proper Grammar?

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29 Jan 20107min

205 Readers Share Their Funny Errors

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21 Jan 20106min

203 How Do You Pronounce 2010?

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18 Jan 20107min

204 Is "Got" Proper English?

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