Stop using ancient cliches

I recently read an article about a rock star. She has a mansion equipped with a Jacuzzi and two flat-screen TVs.

BFD.

I'm not a rock star, or one of the one per cent, and I have eight flat TVs. I even have both indoor and outdoor bubble tubs (but not Jacuzzi-brand bubble tubs).

Flat screen TVs have been around for years. They are no longer rare, expensive or status symbols. They are not worth mentioning.

What is "the size of a Volkswagen?"

Also, it's time to stop describing things as "the size of a Volkswagen." That comparison may have made sense in the 1950s when the only VW was the Beetle, but VeeDubs have been made in many sizes, and many cars are smaller than the Beetle.

Is it bigger than one of these?

Another size cliche relates to breadboxes. "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" was a question often asked by Steve Allen on the TV game show What's My Line? 

Michael Desmond recently wrote that a Fujitsu scanner is "about the size of a breadbox."

Breadboxes were common in 1955-era kitchens, and most people back then knew they were big enough to hold two loaves of bread. In 2012, many people have never even seen a breadbox (but they are available at Target).

Also, be careful if you refer to "the turn of the century." Most uses seem to refer to the 1900 changeover, but we had a much more recent turn of the century.

(photo of old Beetle is from Robert Couse-Baker. VW van photo is from AutoEvolution.com. TV pix are from Panasonic. Bread box is from Tar-zjay. Thanks.)

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