Tired Phrases: When You’ve Had Enough!

This is a compilation based off of a conversation that @nadinebells sparked on Twitter. So many people chimed in with their suggestions! I wanted to save them for future reference, so I pulled them all together here.

1. She’s pretty for her age. (usually said about women who are around 30)
2. She released a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
3. You’re not like other girls .
4. You *belong* to me.
5. Let’s split up.

1. Be a man (usually said when young boys\men show emotion)
2. Comparing any character to a God/goddess
3. Daddy’s babysitting, again — no, he’s being a father!
4. Boys will be boys to justify shitty behavior
5. All of a/the sudden
6. He/she felt himself back/herself becoming
7. cold/numb/excited/surprise/agitated/exhausted/androgynous
8. his cold piercing eyes and dressed her and she felt her self flush
9. His eyes undressed her.
10. We were on a break.

1. He looked at her like she was the sun.
2. I’m not good enough for you.
3. You deserve better.
4. You aren’t like other girls.
5. You have such a pretty face.
6. Baby or babe
7. Literally any pointless description of a breast
8. She was glistening with sweat.
9. Meandering paragraph long descriptions of the weather or a sunrise/sunset when a sentence would do
10. A guy/girl like you being interested in a guy/girl like me just doesn’t happen
11. A tear slid down her cheek – No, she’s ugly crying. A single delicate tear is a little too perfect.

1. Looking up\through her lashes
2. The wrong side of 40
3. Describing a larger main character and then revealing she’s a size 12
4. It was all a dream.
5. She was like a breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed.
6. At the touch, a jolt of electricity run through my veins
7. Without him\her, I was nothing
8. I’m busy. Leave me alone.
9. You’re not my type
10. Get lost
11. You’re not good enough for my daughter.
12. She realized she could breathe for the first time in months.
13. You’re in good shape for your age.
14. She set her jaw.
15. No one has ever loved anyone as much as I love you.
16. He/she seemed or appeared to do something
17. Anything that involves a character shushing another in an intimate moment.

1. He/she stood on her head
2. Clinched/Clenched jaw, clinch stomachs, clenched fists…
3. At the end of the day.
4. I thought to myself.
5. I love you – show don’t tell!
6. Suddenly
7. Thankfully
8. She bit the inside of her cheek nervously.
9. It was so delicious, but disgusting – can you just pick one? Those contradict each other
10. For a long moment
11. Little did she know
12. Toxic white male
13. For that matter
14. You are my mate
15. Men are all the same.
16. I did it to protect you.
17. Suddenly
18. If you’re mine
19. Impossibly fast
20. We need to talk.
21. He/she couldn’t help himself/herself
22. The End
23. You just don’t get it do you?

And for a fun little video on why that last one isn’t okay, watch THIS.

Feel free to comment with your ideas and I’ll add them to the list!

Happy Writing!