Mark my words & other cliches

Broad daylight "An 88-year-old man was mugged in broad daylight in a busy street after visiting the bank." Robbers really ought to be going about their business in dark alleyways at the dead of night. When a thief shamelessly strikes during the day, indignant reporters always describe the flagrant act as happening in broad daylight (and usually in a busy street, to boot), no matter if the weather was actually rather overcast or hazy.

Fierce "The Gurkha, who died last week, was decorated with the Victoria Cross after capturing a Japanese position in fierce hand- to-hand fighting." Hand-to-hand fighting is usually described as fierce. It is hard to imagine hand-to-hand combat that is not fierce, but the adjective leaves us in no doubt that the VC was well- earned in this case.

Integral part "I don't consider him dropped because he is on the bench. He is still an integral part of our squad." Jonny Wilkinson is unlikely to have been cheered by these formulaic words of consolation: integral parts of a squad never seem to get into the team. The adjective is often used pre-emptively when the part in question might be considered rather peripheral: "A discussion on the topic "Independent Belarus is an integral part of Europe" was held in Strasbourg on 12 March."

Love affair The term sometimes aptly denotes a relationship which looks risque and transient (as in "Labour's love affair with the City"), but it is also used indiscriminately whenever a nationwide enthusiasm for anything is discussed: "Our love affair with cheap air travel continues unabated." The phrase may yet hint at something dubious in that preference, but in other cases, such as the British love affair with curry or property in Portugal, the term seems particularly loose.

Much in demand An agent's client-friendly phrase which often translates as "available". According to Cumberland Society of Chartered Accountants chairman John Hunston, broadcaster Garry Richardson "is much in demand on the after-dinner circuit".

Wrangling "The widow of 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin is at the centre of legal wrangling over millions of dollars allegedly owed to creditors by her late husband's zoo." The qualifier legal is almost superfluous as it is very rare for wrangling to take place in any forum other than the offices of well-paid solicitors.

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