The whole "Harvard Author" thing

Another plagiarism charge brought against the teeny-bopper Harvard author

Whatever happened to the word "cliche," people? Is it being prosecuted out of the language?

I detest plagiarism. But when I see phrases like "in today's society" appearing in student papers, I don't nail them for plagiarism, I nail them for being vague and cliched.

So when I read of an author being accused of plagiarism for things like this:

"Jack, the love interest in Kinsella's novel, has a scar on his hand; so does Sean, the romantic hero in "Opal." Jack has "eyes so dark they're almost black." So does Sean."

...I get somewhat puzzled. By that standard, fantasy and romance fiction is rife with plagiarism. No more square-jawed heroes, people. No more heroines with hair "like spun gold" or "black as a raven's wing."

True, the animal rights passage is *slightly* closer, but it's no more plagiarised than your average standup comedy routine about airplane food.

Finally...

A.B.D.

(Translation: I passed my qualifying exams. I'm freeeeeeeee!),/i>