New Site Chronicles Journalists' Clichés

On the first day of class, my twelfth grade AP English teacher handed out a list of wordy phrases that she claimed would result in an automatic F if included in any paper handed in. The usual suspects made the list, including such standby fillers as “due to the fact” (she preferred because) and “whether or not” (there was no debate “or not” was unnecessary). That same year, I first encountered the advice to “omit