Clichés

One of Orwell's rules is avoid using clichés in your writing. Here are the top clichés, in rank order, from the Oxford English Corpus:

1. at the end of the day
2. back on track
3. the fact of the matter
4. few and far between
5. a level playing field
6. in this day and age
7. to all intents and purposes
8. when all's said and done
9. in the final analysis
10. come full circle
11. par for the course
12. avoid someone or something like the plague
13. think outside the box
14. in the current climate
15. mass exodus
16. at this moment in time
17. the path of least resistance
18. a baptism of fire
19. in any way, shape, or form
20. not fit for purpose