George Orwell called cliches a substitute for thinking. "Use cliches when you write and you don't build a unique mansion of meaning but a prefabricated hen-house," the lauded writer said. Uh-oh.

Business writing boils over with cliches like: a wide variety of services, think outside the box, and working like a dog.

When you're tempted to use a cliche, brainstorm alternatives. How about "a rainbow of services" or "think beyond the mental blocks" or "working as hard as a wind chime in a hurricane." Avoid cliches like a downed power line.