In this installment of Word Knots we’ll start a new series, where we’ll look at tired phrases that are so worn out that they should never be used. Beyond simply being clichés, they signal that the writer has a limited vocabulary.

Our source for this installment is The Dimwit’s Dictionary by Robert Hartwell Fiske (Edison, NJ: Castle Nooks). This is not only a useful book, but very entertaining to anyone who cares about language: I highly recommend it.

From Fiske (excerpted):

Here today, gone tomorrow

An infantile phrase. 

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Fiske makes several suggestions in terms of suitable replacements, including brief, ephemeral, evanescent, and fleeting.

The use of phrases such as “Here today, gone tomorrow” should be avoided. Let’s look at a situation where that hackneyed phrase can be replaced effectively by rewriting the sentence.

Original:

The preferences of the public are fickle: Many restaurants in this town are here today and gone tomorrow.

Edit:

The preferences of the public are fickle: Many restaurants in this town are short-lived.

Among Fiske’s suggestions, my favorite is ephemeral. 

Let’s look at what Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary says about it in this context it (excerpted):

ephemeral

adjective

1  a: lasting or existing briefly

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Now let’s use it in the same sentence:

The preferences of the public are fickle: Many restaurants in this town are ephemeral.

When editing your own work, keep in mind that minor changes can have a huge impact.

Remember: word choice matters.

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