If you want to stand out from the crowd try omitting clichés from property stories, restaurant reviews, fashion raves and lifestyle stories.

Standing out from the crowd is the domain of those who tell others how to look cool in clothing, travel, a new home or where to eat.

What to wear to the gym: “Particularly good this season is the bold colour palette (right) – that’ll surely make you stand out from the crowd in your yoga class.” (Sunday Telegraph, NSW, July 15)

Corporate: “Strong branding is crucial to stand out from the crowd and that has been a core element of the company’s marketing plans.” (The Daily Express, July 16)

Food: “So yes, Le Thai has good food, but that’s not what makes it stand out from the crowd. Le Thai is perfect for downtown, perfect for this point in the life of our fabulous city, and we hope it’s only a portent of more to come.” (The Las Vegas Review-Journal, July 13)

Music: “After standing in line for a chance to stand out from the crowd, a dozen highly talented singers whose homes are all found along the Country Music Highway will go head-to-head Saturday.” (The Daily Independent, USA, June 11)

Cliché of the Week appears in The Australian newspaper Mondays. Clichés in the media are tracked across the world using Factiva and Dow Jones Insight.

Chris Pash’s book, The Last Whale , a true story set in the 1970s, was published by Fremantle Press in 2008.