"Struggled mightily"

[clutchcargo]

I read it again in the ESPN piece today on Phil Jackson's being stunned over not getting the Lakers job----the awkward phrase "struggled mightily".

That has been popping up fairly frequently in stories over the last 2-3 years. It's too quirky for my taste and come across as a lame attempt to make a sports piece into a work of literature.

Where did this nonsense come from, and why do so many writers use it? It also looks like there's a group of writers out there trying to create a new cliche because they've overused all the old ones.

Can we please quit using this?

 

[JRoyal]

I'm struggling mightily with the thought that this is a problem.

 

[Azrael]

Adverbs! Use sparingly!

 

[Tarheel316]

I'm struggling mightily with the thought that this is a problem.

And I'm struggling mightily that you're struggling mightily with the thought that this is a problem.

 

[SixToe]

It's redundant and silly.

 

[typefitter]

I struggled only a tiny bit. Tried to accomplish a fairly basic task and did it easily, but still, it was harder than just sitting here, doing nothing.

 

[Steak Snabler]

I've been grappling with this problem myself. It would take a Hurculean effort to stop using the phrase, though.

 

[slc10]

After that effort you would have momentum to battle through the day.

 

[CharBroiled]

Only working hard to get to a high level can you overcome struggling mightily.

 

[Pencil Dick]

I worked for years with an accomplished veteran college writer who inserted "struggled mightily" into almost every game story he wrote, regardless of the sport.

He also used "Unfortunately" in every game story, as in "Unfortunately, Boner State could not convert in the red zone ..." Unfortunate for Boner State, yes; not so much for its opponent.

Used to drive me to the brink of insanity.

 

[HanSenSE]

Someone must have wanted to differentiate between that and struggling lazily ...

 

[Big Circus]

Makes me think of this, for some reason.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/loved-ones-recall-local-mans-cowardly-battle-with,772/

 

[mediaguy]

Hurculean. Like Hurcules.

 

[Riptide]

"More importantly" drives me crazy. "More important" is correct.
Otherwise you're pointing to the verb, not the action you're trying to emphasize.

 

[joe]

Adverbs! Use sparingly!

Strunk & White. They be your friends, yo.

 

[rpmmutant]

Struggling lazily = welfare queens. Struggling mightily = millionaire small business owners.

 

[HanSenSE]

Makes me thing of this, for some reason.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/loved-ones-recall-local-mans-cowardly-battle-with,772/

Nice find.

 

[mediaguy]

I think the "more importantly" works as an adverb when used as an introductory phrase.

More importantly, the win gave the Tigers a share of the division lead.

Unfortunately, the loss eliminated the Twins from playoff consideration.

Essentially, the man's grammatical hangups were an overreaction.

 

[dooley_womack1]

This brings up a myriad of most importantly issues that I struggle mightily on the horns of a dilemma with.

 

[Songbird]

bit.ly just punched a wall and doesn't know why.