Pam Rider's résumé

B

• baby face: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• back in the saddle: clichés (avoid)
  
  
• back to square one [or to the drawing board]: clichés (avoid)
  
  
• bad hair day: clichés (avoid)
  
  
• bag and baggage: cliché (avoid)
• ballpark figure: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• barracks: not barracks buildings (redundancy)
  
  
• BASIC code: delete code to avoid BASIC (Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) code (redundancy)

• basic fundamentals: delete basic (redundancy)[Emphasizing fundamentals is vital. Not: Emphasizing basic fundamentals is vital.]
  
  
• balanced evenly: lose "evenly"; tautology: it's impossible to balance unevenly [Either: it was a balanced presentation or the presentation was even.]
  
  
• barking up the wrong tree: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• barrel of laughs: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• basis: should only be used in the sense of "foundation"; in such constructions as on a ___________ basis it is overused (wordiness) [He gave the advice personly. Not: He have the advice on a personal basis. The report was issued daily. Not: The report was issued on a daily basis.
  
  
• bated breath: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• battle with cancer: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bear witness to: cliché/pompous (avoid)
  
  
• beat a hasty retreat: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• beat the rap: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• beating around the bush: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• beauty is only skin deep: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• beck and call: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• before: not in advance of (wordiness)
  
  
• beggars description: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• beginning of the end: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• beginning: not fresh beginning (redundancy)
  
  
• beginning: not new beginning (redundancy)
  
  
• believed: not was of the opinion (wordiness)
  
  
• below the belt: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• beneath contempt: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• benefit of a doubt: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• benefit: not good benefit (redundancy)
  
  
• bent out of shape: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• best-kept secret: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• best-laid plans: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• best of health, change to: well [or healthy] (wordiness)
  
  
• best things in life are free: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• better half: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• better late than never: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• better left unsaid: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• beyond the pale: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bewildering variety: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bible thumper: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bid farewell: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• big bucks: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• big in size: delete in size (redundancy)
  
  
• biography of one’s life: delete of one’s life (redundancy)
  
  
• bird brained: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bird in the hand: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bisect into two parts: delete into two parts (redundancy)
  
  
• bit by the bug: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bite the bullet: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bite the dust: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bitter end: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• black and blue: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• black and white: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• blanket approach: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• blanket of snow: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• blare forth: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• blazing inferno: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• blessed with a child: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• blind leading the blind: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• blissful ignorance: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• blissful ignorance: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• block out: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• blood bath: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bloody but unbowed: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bloom of youth: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• blow off steam: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• blue in color: delete in color (redundancy)
  
  
• blueprint for growth: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• body of the late. . . .: delete the late (redundancy)
  
  
• bolt from the blue: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bone of contention: cliché (avoid)
• botched robbery: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• both: delete in qualifying two things or persons (redundancy)
  
  
• both sides of the coin: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bottom line: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bowled over: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• breakneck speed: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• break the bank: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• breakthrough: not major breakthrough (redundancy)
  
  
• breathless suspense: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bridge the gap: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• brief: not brief in duration (redundancy)
  
  
• bright and shining faces: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bring home the bacon: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• broad daylight cliché (avoid)
  
  
• broke the mold: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• brook no delay: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• brownie points: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• brutal murder: cliché (avoid) note: by definition, murder is brutal (redundancy, too)
  
  
• brute force: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• budding genius: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• built-in safeguards: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bull in a chila shop: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bum deal: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• burdened with debt: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• burned: not destroyed by fire (wordiness)
  
  
• burning question: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• burning the midnight oil: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• burn the candle at both ends: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• burn the midnight oil: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• busy as a bee: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• bust a gut: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• busy as a bee: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• but nevertheless: delete but (redundancy)
  buzz words: cliché (avoid)
  
  >
• by hook or crook: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• by leaps and bounds: cliché (avoid)
  
  
• by means of: replace with by or with, as appropriate (wordiness)[We are traveling by train. Not: We are traveling by means of train.
  
  
• by reason of: replace with because (wordiness)[We chose that route because it is shorter. Not: We chose that route by reason of its being shorter. But: Established phrases such as "by reason of insanity" are acceptable.
  
  
• by the name of, change to: named (wordiness)
  
  
• by the same token: cliché (avoid)
  
  

Pam Rider's résumé

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