IMPROVING YOUR STYLE / 87 Here is the simplified version: Louis had given all the appropriate information before entering the race. Now he hurtled along the track, hoping to win. Avoid jargon. Aim for simplicity. Clichés are phrases that are heard over and over again. We all use them and they are often very apt. Of course, they were original when they were said for the first time. Many of their origins have been lost but a number owe their existence to the Bible and Shakespeare. The following expressions are probably familiar although the original words have some- times been changed slightly: All that glistens (glisters) is not gold. ( Merchant of Venice , Shakespeare) My mind’s eye. ( Hamlet , Shakespeare) Don’t hide your light under a bushel. (The Bible) Here are some more common examples: He stopped dead in his tracks. She went as white as a sheet. He ran like the wind. STIMULATING YOUR IMAGINATION Avoiding clichés