Nail in the coffin

A few days ago, one of our guys wrote a brief on a high school softball game and used the term "nail in the coffin," as in "Bumble High scored four runs in the sixth to put the nail in the coffin."
A reader called and said she was "appalled" that we used that term and threatened to unsubscribe to the paper. So, our managing editor told us that we shouldn't use the term anymore. I think that is ridiculous.
Does this happen anywhere else, or am I just out of it?

 

It shouldn't be used because it's cliche. However, nothing people call to complain about surprises me anymore. For entertainment, start a list of all the stupid things callers and e-mailers complain about.

 

Agreed on the cliche part, but I guess that's a whole different conversation

 

It would have made me hurl, but for a different reason.

That level of cliche has no place in a newspaper.

 

Seems to me to be both trite and in bad taste.

And coming from me, that's quite an observation.

 

Use it again to put the nail in the coffin of her subscription.

Of course, that will make it hard for her to read any more articles about how hard Little Johnny tries, for I'm assuming that's the only reason she was reading that article.

 

I had no idea "nail in the coffin" was in bad taste. I'm, ahem, dead serious -- I only think of that term in relation to "NBA Jam." Boom-shaka-laka!

 

Maybe the reader wasn't offended at all, just hates reading trite cliches.

You should call her and thank her.

 

change it to "apholstery tack in the casket lining" ... it's more insider-ish that way.

 

Indeed, it is. Life in the corner suite must be working for you.

 

No cliches. Period.

 

End of thread.