A Conversation of Concatenated Cliches

Two old blokes finishing Friday coffees...

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Heinrich: Aach. Going to the dogs, things are.

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Heimi: Life sure ain’t no bowl of cherries nowadays, is it.

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Heinrich: Well, I’d better be making tracks. Time and tide, you know. Forget how it goes.

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Heimi: That’s the way the cookie crumbles. What’s the rush?

Un cafe per amico

.Heinrich: Got to see a man about a dog. Pressing matter, not a moment to lose.

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Heimi: Rescue, huh? A stitch in time? Horse might have bolted?

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Heinrich: Dog. Dog. Keep telling you.

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Heimi: Okay. Penny dropped. Weather might be nice for the weekend again.

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Heinrich: Garden looks dry as a chip at the moment. Report is for cats and dogs. But don’t count your chickens.

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Voice-over

Phrases we fall back on. When words fail us. As they can, if the morning coffee isn’t strong enough to stand up a spoon in.

...

Needless to say...

The manager speaks…

Let me begin by saying (1) that there may be a problem. That said(2), I feel sure it can be solved. Needless to say(3), there are sacrifices(4), we must all pitch in to overcome the issue, think outside the box on it, and run it up the flagpole to achieve a paradigm shift, so at the end of the day, we will all come out of it better people and ready to go forward(5).
_____________

Voice-over

Suggested rewrite:
We need to make cuts in spending (what). A meeting tomorrow for everyone (who), 8 am sharp, (when), in the multipurpose room (where), to figure out a way how to pay this year’s tax (why).

1. A declaration doesn’t need an introduction. Declare it.
2. Giving reassurance is not necessary before a solution.
3. If it is needless to say, it is needless to say.
4. A warning followed by an exhortation is better replaced by details of the plan.
5. Summarizing the "who," "when" and "where" is more effective than stringing transitions together.