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Pam Rider's résumé
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C
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- CAD design: delete design to avoid CAD (computer-aided design) design (redundancy)
- call a halt, change to: stop (wordiness)[Stop procrastinating. Not: Call a halt to procrastinating.]
- call it a day: cliché (avoid)
- call it quits: cliché (avoid)
- call the shots: cliché (avoid)
- calm before the storm: cliché (avoid)
- can't face it: cliché (avoid)
- can't judge a book by its cover: cliché (avoid)
- came in for their share of: cliché (avoid)
- cancel, not cancel out (wordiness)
- capacity crowd: cliché (avoid)
- captured alive: cliché (avoid)[Besides, it's impossible to capture something "dead."]
- capture attention: cliché (avoid)
- capitol building: delete building (redundancy) [It was an historic capitol. Not: It was an historic capitol building.]
- cards on the table: cliché (avoid)
- carnival atmosphere: cliché (avoid)
- cast a pall: cliché (avoid)
- casual encounter: cliché (avoid)
- categorically denied: cliché (avoid)
- cause, not give rise to (wordiness) [Breathing too quickly causes hyperventilation. Not: Breathing too quickly gives rise to hyperventilation.]
- cause: not root cause (redundancy) [Slavery was not the only cause of the USA Civil War. Not: Slavery was not the only root cause of the USA Civil War.]
- caused injury to, change to: injured (wordiness) [The falling pot injured me. Not: The falling pot caused injury to me.]
- cease and desist: delete and desist (redundancy) [The rancor must cease. Not: The rancor must cease and desist.]
- center around: oxymoronic (reword) [The discussion centered on details. Not: The discussion centered around details.]
- center stage [for attention]: cliché (avoid)
- change of heart: cliché (avoid)
- character assassination: cliché (avoid)
- charm offensive: cliché (avoid)
- chattering classes: cliché (avoid)
- cheap price: delete price (redundancy) [I got it cheaply. Not: I got it for a cheap price.]
- checkered career: cliché (avoid)
- cherished belief: cliché (avoid)
- chief cook and bottle-washer: cliché (avoid)
- chief protagonist: delete chief (redundancy) [The protagonist was Hamlet. Not: The chief protagonist was Hamlet.]
- child's play: cliché (avoid)
- chill out: cliché (avoid)
- chink the the armor: cliché (avoid)
- choked with emotion: cliché (avoid)
- christened: not christened as (redundancy) [He was christened Robert Thomas. Not: He was christened as Robert Thomas.]
- circumstances over which I have no control: cliché (avoid)
- circumstances: not surrounding circumstances (redundancy) [The exact circumstances were vague. Not: The exact surrounding circumstances were vague.]
- city fathers: cliché (avoid)
- city slicker: cliché (avoid)
- civic wrath: cliché (avoid)
- claimed __(pronoun or name)___ for its own: cliché (avoid)
- clash: not angry clash (redundancy) [The debate was a clash of opposites. Not: The debate was an angry clash of opposites.]
- classified into groups: delete into groups (redundancy) [We classified the phyla. Not: We classified the phyla into groups.]
- clean bill of health: cliché (avoid)
- clear as a bell: cliché (avoid)
- clear as crystal: cliché (avoid)
- clear as mud: cliché (avoid)
- cliché (avoid; simpler, more precise wording is better)
- clinging to life: cliché (avoid)
- closed book: cliché (avoid)
- close proximity: delete close (redundancy) [The proximity of the rocks was intimidating. Not: The close proximity of the rocks was intimidating.]
- closure [to mean resolution]: cliché (avoid)
- CNN news: delete news to avoid CNN (Cable News Network) news (redundancy)
- coin a phrase: cliché (avoid)
- cold as ice: cliché (avoid)
- cold comfort: cliché (avoid)
- cold turkey: cliché (avoid)
- collaborate: not collaborate together (redundancy) [Let's collaborate. Not: Let's collaborate together.]
- colleagues: not fellow colleagues (redundancy) [Their colleagues were impressed. Not: Their fellow colleagues were impressed.]
- colorful display: cliché (avoid)
- combine: not combine together (redundancy)
- comfort zone: cliché (avoid)
- coming out of the woodwork: cliché (avoid)
- comings and goings: cliché (avoid)
- coming to a head: cliché (avoid)
- commercially: not from the commercial standpoint (wordiness){[The product was commercially successful. Not: The product was successful from the commercial standpoint.]
- common knowledge: cliché (avoid)
- common variety: cliché (avoid)
- commute back and forth: delete back and forth (redundancy) [He will commute to work. Not: He will commute back and forth to and from work.]
- complete master: delete complete (redundancy) [He is a master artist. Not: He is a complete master of his art.]
- complete monopoly: delete complete (redundancy) [The moguls formed a monopoly. Not: The moguls formed a complete monopoly.]
- complete ruin: delete complete (redundancy) [The shack was a ruin. Not: The shack was a complete ruin.]
- complete: not entirely complete (redundancy) [The blocks came in a set. Not: The blocks came in a complete set.]
- completion: not final completion (redundancy) [The construction was nearing completion. Not: The construction was nearing final completion.]
- condition: not essential condition (redundancy) [The premise was based on one condition. Not: The premise was based on one essential condition.>
- confessed: not self-confessed (redundancy) [She was a confessed thief. Not: She was a self-confessed thief.]
- connect the dots: cliché (avoid)
- connect: not connect together (redundancy). [Connect the dots. Not: Connect the dots together.]
- connect: not connect up (redundancy). [The firefighters connect the hose. Not: The firefighters connect up the hose.]
- consensus of opinion: delete of opinion (redundancy) [We reached consensus. Not: We reached consensus of opinion.]
- conservative estimate: cliché (avoid)
- consider: not give due consideration (wordiness) [Please consider the proposal. Not: Please give due consideration to the proposal.]
- consider: not take into consideration (wordiness) [Please consider the design. Not: Please take the design into consideration.]
- considered opinion: cliché (avoid)
- consigned to oblivion: cliché (avoid)
- conspicuous by its absence: cliché (avoid)
- contemporaneous in age: delete of age (redundancy) [The classmates were contemporaneous. Not: The classmates were contemporaneous in age.]
- continue to remain: delete to remain (redundancy) [The facts continue as true. Not: The facts continue to remain true.]
- continue: not continue on (redundancy) [The memory will continue forever. Not: The memory will continue on forever.]
- controlling factor: cliché (avoid)
- cool as a cucumber: cliché (avoid)
- cooperate: not cooperate together (redundancy)[The youth are expected to cooperate. Not: The youth are expected to cooperate together.]
- cooperation: not joint cooperation (redundancy) [The process was a model of cooperation. Not: The process of a model of joint cooperation.]
- cooperation: not mutual cooperation (redundancy) [Cooperation was the hallmark of the group's process. Not: Mutual cooperation was the hallmark of the group's process.]
- corridors of power: cliché (avoid)
- count: not count up (redundancy)
- crack troops: cliché (avoid)
- creation: not new creation (redundancy) [The sweater was her creation. Not: The sweater was her new creation.]
- crisis proportions: cliché (avoid)
- cry for help: cliché (avoid)
- crying need: cliché (avoid)
- crystal clear: cliché (avoid)
- curiously enough: cliché (avoid)
- custom: not habitual custom (redundancy) [The custom of civility was maintained. Not: The habitual custom of civility was maintained.]
- custom: not usual custom (redundancy) [Our custom was to gather for coffee. Not: Our usual custom was to gather for coffee.]
- cut a long story short: cliché (avoid)
- cut and dried: cliché (avoid)
- cut and run: cliché (avoid)
- cut down in one’s prime: cliché (avoid)
- crisis cut to the quick: cliché (avoid)
- cutting edge: cliché (avoid)
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