Okay, we are three quarters through our list, which is by no means (not) the definitive one. Suitable words to replace the flabby ones may take time to find. But the powerful writing that results when the work is completed, makes it worthwhile.

The final countdown begins:

76. "Safe haven" - A haven is always safe. Her home was a safe haven from the storm. Improved version: Her home was a haven from the storm.

77. "Same exact" - We achieved the same exact score in the exams. Improved version: We got the same score in the exams.

78. "Serious danger" - Your behaviour put us in serious danger. Improved version: Your behaviour put us in danger

79. "Show up" - If you show up early, phone me. Use a stronger verb. Improved version: If you arrive early, phone me.

80. "So" - She is so beautiful. "So" is an adjective intensifier that is unnecessary. Improved version: She is beautiful.

81. "Spell it out in detail" - Did you spell it out in detail for the policeman? Improved version: Did you spell it out to the policeman?

82. "Start off/out" - Let me start out by welcoming you to the wedding. Improved version: Welcome to the wedding!

83. "Still persists" - My health problem still persists. Improved version: My health problem persists.

84. "Sudden impulse" - She acted with a sudden impulse. Improved version: She acted impulsively.

85. "Surrounded on all sides" - The enemy soldiers surrounded us on all sides. Improved version: We were surrounded by enemy soldiers.

86. "The first step is to" - using a powerful verb will trim the flab here. The first step to beating alcoholism is recognizing you have a problem. Improved version: Start beating alcoholism by recognising the problem.

87. "Take a look at" - Take a look at the cool Ford Mustang. Improved version: Look at that cool Ford Mustang.

88. "Take action to" - We need to take action to reduce the budget shortfall. Improved version: We need to act now to reduce the budget shortfall.

89. "Temper tantrum" - That child is always throwing a temper tantrum. (Tantrums rarely come without a temper) Improved version: She regularly throws a tantrum.

90. "The most important thing is to" - The most important thing to do when writing a blog is to do research. Improved version: Research is an important part of blogging.

91. "There will be" - There will be some who leave Wealthy Affiliate after one year. Improved version: Some leave Wealthy Affiliate after a year.

92. "Try to figure out" - Try to figure out which of the flabby phrases you struggle with. Improved version: Work out which flabby phrase you struggle with.

93. "Two equal halves" - Soccer is played in two equal halves. Improved version: Soccer is played in two halves.

94. "Went back over" - He went back over his manuscript before sending it. Improved version: He re-read the script before sending it.

95. "When it comes to" - Here's some more flab. When it comes to writing an article, you have to choose a great headline. Improved version: Choose a catchy headline when writing an article.

96. "Which is" - Caramello, which is made by Cadburys, is my wife's favorite chocolate. Improved version: Cadburys' Caramello is my wife's favorite chocolate.

97. "Within that time frame" - We have to finish this project within that time frame. Improved version: We have to finish this project within that time.

98. "You're going to" - You're going to walk around the oval during PE class today. Improved version: You're walking around the oval during PE class today.

99. "You're going to have to" - You're going to have to tell her about breaking her iPhone. Improved version: You'll have to tell her you broke her iPhone today.

The 100th flabby phrase comes from my wife. She has worked hard for years, editing my writing and helping me trim the fat. At #100, my wife's #1 pet hate of a flabby phrase -

100. "Off of" - Get your feet off of the coffee table. Improved version: Get your feet off the coffee table.

There we are. My 100 flabby phrases that impact everyone's writing skills. There are many more, but this teaches us that editing our writing is vital. Tight, punchy phrases will engage our readers and potentially move them to action. Want some interesting stats to go with this training? Try this on for size -

I counted the superfluous words that were trimmed from the examples on Page 3. We reduced the word count by 84. Over this training, potentially the numbers are close to 350 flabby words trimmed from the article. That is a 2/3 of a regular sized blog post. What impact will that have on your writing skills? It will be immense.

If you enjoyed this training, please click the LIKE button below. Additionally, share with us other flabby phrases we need to know about.

(Research Acknowlegements: 1. My wife; 2. https://smartblogger.com/weak-writing/)