6.“My blood ran cold.”
No. It. Didn’t. Maybe we should come up with a less reptilian way to describe fear.
8.“Something in me snapped.”
For when a character loses their temper. Not only is it overdone, it sounds a bit like the character in question is suffering from an alarming medical condition.
9.Skin like “caramel” or “chocolate” or “coffee” (you get the idea).
Ooof. I cringe every time I read these phrases because most of the authors I’ve seen use them are, in fact, white. Let’s go ahead and NOT describe people of color like food. Not only is it lazy (Honestly, how many times have you encountered it?), it’s disrespectful and creepy AF.
10.“In that moment.”
This phrase pops up when an author is trying to be poetic. It’s usually something like “And in that moment, I knew I was in love with him” or something equally cheesy. I used to be ok with it, until I realized how overused and unnecessary it is. Readers already know that every single thing a character says or does is happening in a specific moment.
Honorary mention: “smirking”
It’s not a phrase, but it’s confusing nonetheless. The main culprit is definitely Young Adult Literature. Since when is this every teenager’s go-to facial expression?
Finally, to give you an idea of the epidemic we’re facing here, I’ve read every single one of these just this year, in newly released books. I do try to have a certain degree of tolerance for clichés (I’m sure my Instagram captions have their fair share, after all), but I swear, the next time I read the phrase “companionable silence” I might just quit reading the book on principle.