The 40 tells · Words · No. 18
Why "cutting-edge" makes writing sound machine-made
Flagged "Cutting-edge"
"Cutting-edge", "state-of-the-art" and "innovative" claim newness without naming anything new. Every company says them about itself, so they don't separate one from another.
Say what the new thing is, and why it matters to the buyer.
Before
Our innovative, state-of-the-art clinic uses cutting-edge technology.
After
The clinic's scanner shows the result during your visit, so you don't wait a week for a callback.
The fix
Swap it for the concrete thing. What does it do, in words a buyer can check?
Write this instead
- name the technology
- what it lets the buyer do
- how old the alternative is
What the checker matches
Any of these, in any case:
- cutting-edge
- cutting edge
- state-of-the-art
- innovative
- innovation