Avoid clichés (or cliches) like the plague. Do not fall back on overworked phrases such as:
right royal occasion
long arm of the law
calm before the storm
mercy dash
action packed
at the end of the day
at this point in time
backlash
battling (cancer etc.)
blaze
breakthrough
desperate
escalate
facelift
fighting to save the life of
finishing touches
full scale search
grind to a halt
in the pipeline
in the spotlight
it remains to be seen
it goes without saying
mounting tension
no uncertain terms
ongoing
only time will tell
outspoken critic
a question mark hangs over
rushed to hospital
sparked off
sweeping changes
under the microscope
