It’s Hotter Than A …
Aug 21, 2012
One of the most enjoyable— and occasionally frustrating— things about writing for Farm Journal and AgWeb is coming up with a snappy headline and a strong lead paragraph. That’s what sets the stage for the entire story and is the No. 1 factor in determining if you do (or don’t) read it.
One of my October assignments for Farm Journal is exploring if and how climate change is affecting the way we farm. I’m not above starting a story with a quote, or an anecdote, or even a cliché. But weather clichés are just the worst and I’m doing my best to avoid using the ones we’ve all heard a thousand times before. For example, if you search for "If you don’t like the weather (just wait a few minutes)," Google delivers more than a BILLION results.
With that in mind, here is a list of weather related clichés I’m intent on NOT using for my climate story:
• It’s so hot outside, you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.
• The calm before the storm.
• When it rains, it pours.
• Come rain or shine.
• Ride out the storm.
• It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.
• If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.
• Turn up the heat.
• Hotter than a two-dollar pistol.
From here on out, I’m putting weather clichés behind me. In fact, it will be a cold day in … oh, nevermind.
