“At the End of the Day”… It’s Evening

I really think I am going to scream the next time I hear “at the end of the day…” in another interview.

My country’s public broadcaster has always been my choice for radio listening as I have no patience for commercials and, generally, the quality of content is high.

BUT every time someone is quoted in a news story, or interviewed about ANY subject, inevitably the phrase, “at the end of the day” works its way in. And I am NOT exaggerating. I started tracking it, but got too depressed to continue.

This is not new; the overuse of this meaningless cliche has been going on in CBC Radio circles for years. I only didn’t mention it before because I didn’t want to be petty.

Now I want to be petty.

Don’t get me wrong; cliches worm their way into my life too, despite my snobbish outlook on language. (Words have been, like, my whole life.)

I read Leslie Savan’s book, “Slam Dunks and No-Brainers: Language in your Life, the Media, Business, Politics and, Like, Whatever” (OK, I couldn’t finish it, due to risk of choking.)

Nowhere in the book did I come across “at the end of the day.” That could be due to a cultural difference; I’ve heard that this cliche is uniquely British/Canadian. Lucky us.

What about other decent cliches that mean the same thing as “at the end of the day”?

How about saying: “When all is said and done”? Or, “The long and the short of it…”?

Some diversity in expression, pleeeease!!

Because, at the end of the day…. it’s evening.