| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | adage | traditional saying expressing a truth |
| 2. | aphorism | brief statement of principle |
| 3. | balderdash | senseless foolish talk |
| 4. | banal comment | dull obvious comment |
| 5. | banal phrase | dull obvious phrase |
| 6. | banal remark | dull, obvious comment |
| 7. | banalism | banal statement or quality |
| 8. | banality | trite or boring statement |
| 9. | boilerplate | stock, formulaic language |
| 10. | broad generality | sweeping vague statement |
| 11. | bromide | trite, unoriginal saying |
| 12. | byword | well-known saying or expression |
| 13. | canned line | prepared repeated remark |
| 14. | canned remark | prepared stock comment |
| 15. | canned response | prepared routine reply |
| 16. | cant | insincere conventional talk |
| 17. | chestnut | stale old joke or saying |
| 18. | cliché | overused, unoriginal remark |
| 19. | common saying | familiar often-repeated saying |
| 20. | commonplace | ordinary, overfamiliar remark |
| 21. | copybook saying | moralizing conventional saying |
| 22. | corn | trite sentimental material |
| 23. | dictum | formal authoritative saying |
| 24. | drivel | silly meaningless talk |
| 25. | empty expression | meaningless conventional expression |
| 26. | empty generality | vague statement lacking substance |
| 27. | empty phrase | meaningless conventional wording |
| 28. | empty remark | meaningless conventional comment |
| 29. | empty sentiment | feeling expressed without substance |
| 30. | empty slogan | meaningless catchy phrase |
| 31. | empty talk | speech lacking substance |
| 32. | empty words | words without real meaning |
| 33. | fine words | impressive but empty language |
| 34. | formula | set conventional wording |
| 35. | formulaic line | predictable set wording |
| 36. | formulaic phrase | predictable set phrase |
| 37. | generality | vague, broad commonplace |
| 38. | gibberish | nonsensical speech |
| 39. | glittering generality | vague appealing statement |
| 40. | hack line | formulaic unoriginal line |
| 41. | hackneyed comment | worn-out comment |
| 42. | hackneyed expression | worn-out familiar expression |
| 43. | hackneyed phrase | worn-out familiar phrase |
| 44. | hackneyed remark | worn-out unoriginal comment |
| 45. | hackneyed saying | overused familiar saying |
| 46. | hot air | empty boastful talk |
| 47. | line | particular remark or phrase |
| 48. | locution | particular way of speaking |
| 49. | mantra | often-repeated formulaic phrase |
| 50. | maxim | short general truth or rule |
| 51. | moralism | conventional moral statement |
| 52. | motto | brief guiding phrase |
| 53. | old saw | familiar worn-out saying |
| 54. | pablum | bland, oversimplified content |
| 55. | pap | trivial or bland matter |
| 56. | party line | official repeated viewpoint |
| 57. | pat answer | glib stock answer |
| 58. | pat phrase | glib conventional phrase |
| 59. | phraseology | style of wording |
| 60. | piety | empty conventional moral remark |
| 61. | prattle | foolish trivial talk |
| 62. | pronouncement | formal weighty statement |
| 63. | proverb | well-known traditional saying |
| 64. | ready-made phrase | prepackaged conventional phrase |
| 65. | received wisdom | commonly accepted stock belief |
| 66. | rhetoric | showy language lacking substance |
| 67. | saw | old familiar saying |
| 68. | set expression | fixed conventional expression |
| 69. | set phrase | fixed conventional expression |
| 70. | shibboleth | worn conventional saying |
| 71. | shopworn expression | overused familiar expression |
| 72. | shopworn line | overused familiar line |
| 73. | shopworn phrase | overused familiar phrase |
| 74. | stale comment | old, unoriginal comment |
| 75. | stale line | old unoriginal line |
| 76. | stale phrase | old unoriginal phrase |
| 77. | stale remark | old and unoriginal comment |
| 78. | stock comment | routine repeated comment |
| 79. | stock expression | routine repeated expression |
| 80. | stock phrase | commonly repeated expression |
| 81. | stock phraseology | routine conventional wording |
| 82. | stock remark | routine repeated comment |
| 83. | stock saying | commonly repeated saying |
| 84. | tag | short stock phrase |
| 85. | threadbare remark | worn-out comment |
| 86. | trite comment | overused, dull comment |
| 87. | trite expression | overused dull expression |
| 88. | trite line | dull overused line |
| 89. | trite phrase | overused dull phrase |
| 90. | trite remark | overused unoriginal comment |
| 91. | trite saying | dull overused saying |
| 92. | truism | obvious truth stated blandly |
| 93. | truistic remark | obvious, self-evident remark |
| 94. | vacuity | lack of thought or substance |
| 95. | vague saying | imprecise familiar statement |
| 96. | verbiage | too many empty words |
| 97. | watchword | guiding repeated phrase |
| 98. | worn-out expression | stale repeated expression |
| 99. | worn-out line | stale repeated line |
| 100. | worn-out phrase | stale repeated phrase |

