Past history. Final outcome. Needless to say. Whether you're drafting an email or the next New York Times bestseller, be on guard for the redundant or useless words and phrases that can dull or weaken your writing.
Let's build a list of the most common words and phrases to avoid using so our writing will be lean and strong. We'll be adding our suggestions in the comments, but add yours as well using this format:
Word or Phrase
What you should say instead or why you shouldn't use it
Photo by Athos Boncompagni, oriontrail, Noiro (Shutterstock).