ARE you fed up with being asked to "think outside the box"? Perhaps you don't want to "cut to the chase" or maybe you're not sure if it really is a "no brainer".

An American university is here to help by publishing a list of words and phrases they want to banish from the Queen's English for "Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness".

Lake Superior State University has included the phrases "It is what it is" and "back in the day" in their annual collection of statements that add nothing to a conversation.

Bournemouth-based author Michael Litchfield, who is about to publish his latest book, Hostage, pulled no punches in offering up clichés he would lock away.

"The number one phrase I hate most of all is 'at the end of the day'. Every time we have a politician on television being interviewed you know he is going to say it. I just want to put a brick through the screen."

Second on the author's list is another one he hears on television, with footballers being described as "giving 110 per cent". "It's being a little pedantic but it is absurd as obviously you cannot give more than 100 per cent."

Like Mr Litchfield, speech writer Brian Jenna believes politicians are often to blame, talking about "personalising" health services.

"Nobody knows what they are talking about but what they really mean is 'privatising' the health service, but they won't say that."

Mr Jenna, of Bournemouth, is particularly annoyed with "think outside the box".

"It is always said by the most conventional and boring people, who have never taken any risks in their life."

Author of biographies on Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Hitler, Dr Andrew Norman cites the phrase "second guessing" as his pet hate.

"Why do people say it when they are simply guessing, not second guessing? It makes me furious, it's a form of illiteracy to be honest."

Vice chairman of the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Nigel Hedges, believes the question "how are you?" is over used.

"When you reply, whoever asked is normally not listening. You can say that your left leg fell off and they still smile pleasantly back at you. They don't really care how you are, they want to sell you insurance."

"Another one I hear all the time is 'it goes without saying,' but every time someone says that they go and say whatever it is anyway."

Simon Reynolds and his colleagues at Bournemouth library come across common words all the time that they would like to banish.

To their dismay television has helped make the one word response "whatever" too common, as well as the mis-use of "cool," "you know", "like" and other phrases.

"People are always saying lessons have been learned, when clearly they haven't," Mr Reynolds added.

At the end of the day, in an ideal world we would all cut to the chase and stop using these nonsense one-liners when we've got nothing relevant to say, it's a no brainer.