A Phrase I Hate

I recently blogged on clichés that I love, although I also mentioned two clichés that I hate: "bucket list" and "life hack". (In this I was prompted by a blog post from Bruce Charlton.)

Here's another one, and I'll be amazed if anybody disagrees with me: "elevator pitch".

Never mind that we don't call it an elevator on this side of the Atlantic, the phrase has become a standard one anyway.

Come to think of it, "bucket list", "life hack", and "elevator pitch" all seem to share the same atmosphere, to belong to the same mental world. A world of efficiency, go-getting, and utility maximization. We all live in that world and have to play along to some extent. But we don't have to like it!

And I think we can at least resolve to avoid ever saying "bucket list", "life hack", or "elevator pitch"...

(Just compare "elevator pitch" to one of my favourite phrases, "till the cows come home"...what a world of difference!)

I can't help including this cartoon I drew some time ago, though I think I've posted it before.