Just a Few Words

By Ron Merk

As writers we always struggle with words. Did we write too many? Too few? Is our meaning clear as written? Do we need to say more?

A friend of mine recently posted something on his Facebook page about the phrase, “at the end of the day,” which has leaped not creeped into the English language, and seems firmly implanted, like weeds in a lawn that are almost impossible to get rid of.

At the end of the day, there is absolutely no meaning in the phrase, “At the end of the day.” As far as I can tell, it’s just empty words taking up space and diluting whatever it is you want to say.

This was my response: Here’s another… “having said that…” well, you’ve already said it and if you didn’t say it very well, then it’s your own fault. Keep it simple, keep it short, and make it clear. There’s no way to guarantee the intelligence of a reader. At some point in time, you simply have to let your ideas live on their own, and hopefully, survive the inadequate education and attention span limitations of most people. As for the words, “at the end of the day,” I can think of one GOOD way to use them. “At the end of the day we got together with friends, shared a great meal, several very good bottles of wine, and some amazing stories.”