(Tom Newby Photography/Flickr)

Identifying journalistic cliches has become a favorite Washington parlor game. But might it not also open a rare window onto the struggles of writers and editors trying to think outside the box?

Over the past few years, some colleagues at The Washington Post and I have played our own parlor game, assembling a list of verbal crutches, stock phrases, filler words, cliches and perpetually misused expressions that we should avoid in The Post's Sunday Outlook section — or at least think hard about before using. The initial list received some attention last year on the media blog Romenesko, triggering many more nominations.

Below is the latest, expanded version, which reached 200 entries on July 10, 2014. Feel free to suggest new entries (or arguments for why something should be taken off the list) in the comments section, or tweet at us: @CarlosLozadaWP or @PostOutlook. We'll keep adding to it.

And believe me — this is not your father's list of journalism cliches.

The Outlook List of Things We Do Not Say

At first glance (or worse, "at first blush")

As a nation (or worse, "as a society")

Upon deeper reflection (why not reflect deeply from the start?)

Observers (unless referring to people actually sitting around watching something)

[Person] is not alone (from anecdote to generalization, we get it)

And [someone/something] is no exception

Pundits say

Critics say (or "critics are quick to point out")

The American people (unless in a quote)

The narrative (unless referring to a style of writing)

Probe (an uncomfortable substitute for "investigation")

Opens/offers a rare window (unless it is a real window that is in fact unusual)

Begs the question (unless used properly – and so rarely used properly that it's not worth the trouble)

Be that as it may

If you will (actually, I won't)

A cautionary tale

Cautiously optimistic (h/t @daviduberti)

Needless to say (then don't say it)

Suffice it to say (if it suffices, then just say it)

This is not your father's [anything]

[Anything] 2.0 (or 3.0, or 4.0…)

At a crossroads (unless referring to an actual intersection)

The powers that be

Outside the box (describes creative thinking — with a cliche)

A favorite Washington parlor game

Don't get me wrong

Make no mistake

Yes, Virginia, there is a [something]

Christmas came early for [someone]

Chock full ("full" is just fine by itself)

Last-ditch effort (unless ditch-digging is involved)

Midwife (as a verb, unless involving childbirth)

Cue the [something]

Call it [something]

Pity the poor [something]

It's the [something], stupid

Imagine (as the first word in your lede)

Time will tell if [something]

What a difference [a time period] makes (h/t @jasondhorowitz)

Palpable sense of relief (unless you can truly touch it)

Sigh of relief (h/t @geneweingarten)

Plenty of blame to go around

Rorschach test (unless it is a real one)

An object lesson h/t @markleibovich

Turned a blind eye

Underscores

Cycle of violence (unless referring to a particularly vicious Schwinn)

Searing indictment

Potent symbol

Broken system (or, "the [anything] system is broken")

Famously (if readers know it, you don't need to tell them it is famous; if they don't know it, you just made them feel stupid)

The Other (or "otherize," "otherization" and other variations)

Effort (as a verb)

Table (as a verb, as in "table the talks")

Shutter (as a verb, as in "they shuttered the factory")

Gestalt/Zeitgeist

Orwellian (unless discussing George Orwell)

Machiavellian (unless discussing Niccolo Machiavelli)

Gladwellian (never)

What happens in [somewhere] stays in [somewhere]

Oft-cited

Little