Get Me Rewrite: At the end of the day

By Scott Kleinberg, former social media editor at the Chicago Tribune

At the end of the day, we have to find another way.

“At the end of the day” is overused. It’s lazy. And with a literal meaning that sounds appropriate only for evening use, it results in some awkward writing. 

“At the end of the day, we are only human.”

Then what are we in the morning?

“At the end of the day it’s all worth it to her.”

She feels differently at lunchtime?

“At the end of the day, we are neighbors.”

Before 5 p.m., we are not?

Stop the madness!

We live in a social media world where every character counts, so why use 21 characters when “ultimately” accomplishes the same thing in 10? “Eventually” works too.

But here’s an even better idea: Drop it entirely. 

Read the three sentences above with and without “at the end of the day,” and you quickly realize it’s not necessary.

It’s time to sunset “at the end of the day”.

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