" True ease in writing comes from art, not chance." - Alexander Pope

Here's a useful writing tip: Bottom Line on Clichés

Quick as a flash, straight from the shoulder, bite the bullet, and blessing in disguise. Sound familiar? They should, because they are all familiar and overworked clichés. Although Shakespeare and the Bible consistently used them, and they are handy word devices we like to employ, clichés should be avoided in your writing.

A cliché is an expression that has been used for so long that it is no longer fresh. It’s trite and worn out. They’re often used in an attempt to make writing elegant or impressive. Because they are wordy and vague, however, they slow communication and irritate the reader.

Sometimes writers further embarrass themselves by getting their clichés wrong. The expressions become so timeworn that users forget what the words mean and invent silly variations. Some garbled phrases include:

“Its no skin off my teeth.”
“You’re treading on thin water.”
“We were just sitting around shooting the fat.”
“He came out smiling like arose.”

Note that in speaking, clichés are even tougher to avoid because they come so quickly to mind. But unlike readers, listeners are not that offended by them because the phrase may sound friendly or lively and no substitute will do. To that end, they have a qualified acceptance in speaking. However, to improve your writing, they usually should be eliminated during the revision phase of the writing process. Some people see them as word padding, and who needs another can of worms in their communication. Avoid them like the plague!