Journalists should eliminate the strange construction, stilted language and stiff wording of journalese to make their writing stronger.

Cliches are timeworn expressions that were once fresh and new. From overuse, they have become tired and can weaken our writing.

Your Journalism 101 textbook says not to use jargon. But police, courts and government are well known sources of the stuff, so even the newest reporters knew which words to watch for.

Journalists, who spend so much time trying to keep the jargon of police, doctors and lawyers out of the paper, use a lot of it themselves. These are a few terms that, if you’re new to a newsroom, may make you wonder.