As long as we're throwing out phrases to be banned...

The school was located on Elm Street.
The school was on Elm Street.

The restaurant is located at 123 Wall Street.
The restaurant is at 123 Wall Street.

95 percent of the time, you can get rid of "locate."

 

"shore up." I don't think I had heard of this phrase until college, then covering State U football I saw it at least once a week. It seemed like each week a different position group / aspect of the game needed shoring up. It was true, the team did need to shore up its defense as a whole one week, its run d the next and other stuff, but man was that phrase over used.

 

Liar. Remember, you had to admit to Natalie that you didn't sleep with her, getting you called a "goober," if I recall correctly.

 

"Partially blocked." I have yet to see a part of a football or basketball blocked, with the rest of it heading toward the uprights or basket.

"Intangibles." Putting this word in the sports talkbook was Jimmy The Greek's real obscenity. Yes, you have to give those Patriots the edge in intangibles. However, if you can measure which team has more of the intangibles, they would be tangible, wouldn't they?

 

I actually don't mind "partially blocked." It conveys exactly the image it's supposed to. If a punt is "partially blocked" and goes 30 yards, but you just call it "blocked" and leave it at that -- you're giving the reader a false impression.

Now, in basketball, I'd agree a block is a block.

 

and, to beat you to the punch, nobody gives a fuck about senior night, either.

 

But those nights create such emotion, you could slice it with a knife. I mean, if you can't win at Homecoming or on senior night you might as cancel the season

 

It's not partially blocked. It's deflected.
Which is far different from being blocked.

 

instructions are left at my place to cut out all references just in case a writer wants to get stupid with those things.

 

OK, I'll buy that.

 

That is completely untrue. The seniors' mothers give very much of a fuck about senior night.

 

I don't mind mentioning that it was a Homecoming game or stating it was senior night. Just don't make that your story angle. Put it in a note or in a line at the end of the story. People think they are big games, they are not. The dance will still go on, and the seniors will go on to college and enjoy their time playing HS sports. They aren't going to look back in 50 years and say "The one regret I have in life is losing on senior night to West Podunk."