Today has been full to overflowing: writing, students, more writing, editing, a writing group and now home to write some more before bed. And I can’t wait for bed. I feel as if that’s all I talk about on this blog, how much I’m looking forward to sleeping. It’s just that it’s my routine at present to write my blog at the end of the day. I used to write early in the morning, and I think that’s a better time since I have more energy. Alas, I write when I have time to write so for the past while it’s been later rather than sooner.

My husband hates the expression “sooner rather than later,” I don’t quite know why. He finds it irritating and indicative of some clichéd way of living, I think. I am not sure because at this moment, I’m having trouble getting my head around being bothered by a phrase. Not that I’m not bothered by some phrases. “You know?” over and over in a conversation gets irritating or the now ubiquitous “You think?” which tops the charts as annoying. Or, “Back at ya,” though I haven’t heard that one in a while or the common 70’s response, “Far out!” though I must admit as a 70’s person, I was never much bothered by that one. But sooner rather than later? What’s wrong with that? After all, sometimes you just need to say, “It’s probably better if we do that sooner rather than later,” or “I guess that’s going to happen (whatever that is) sooner rather than later.” Does that show weakness of character or a banal approach to life? My husband would say a resounding yes.

Alas, I use that phrase occasionally – then catch myself, of course – after I’ve gotten that look, which reads, “Ah ha! There you go, using that trite phrase I hate.” As if I might do it on purpose just to irritate him. Oh, there’s another little phrase I loathe: “As if.” Needless to say, I do avoid using the hated phrase when I remember to avoid it. But, I often forget…

I recall the films of Edgar G. Robinson with that cigar in his mouth, his finger punching the air and him saying something like, “You just don’t get it, see. There’s a big world out there, see. And in that world there are forces at work that are out to get you, see.” Yeah, “see.” Now that can be tiresome to hear except when being said by the last and great Edgar G.

So, now I’m headed for bed. I am delighted to think of crawling between those sheets. I truly am not obsessed with sleeping – I swear – except at 11:22 at night after a day that started at 5:30 this morning.

So, on that note, I’ll close. I find myself trying to figure out how to use the dreaded phrase to close. I guess I’ll just say it’s probably better if I stop writing now, sooner rather than later. Otherwise, I might just trite you all to death and that would not be good, right?

Good night, folks. Have any phrases that especially bother you? Share your thoughts in the Comments section. They will be much appreciated, don’t you know.