History paper: "throws down the gauntlet"

Question

I read in http://www.hamilton.edu/documents//writing-center/WritingGoodHistoryPaper.pdf (pages 15 and 25 of the booklet; not pages 15 and 25 of the .PDF) that you shouldn't use cliches or phrases like "begs the question" in history writing. Along that same vein, is it OK to say "He throws down the gauntlet of _______(some theory) but leaves the student hanging for substantial evidence to confirm this theory"? Or is it better to say "He argues _______(some theory) but . . ."

Question part two: Is "leaves the student hanging" cliche?

Thanks.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I see no particular quality of history writing that denies the possibility of using cliches or other set phrases. The only concern is that they be of the same formality as the overall writing. As such, I see nothing wrong with 'to beg the question' or 'to throw down the gauntlet', both of which are respectable, formal metaphors of considerable merit if not overused. 'To leave someone hanging' is a much less formal expression, so while you may well leave a student hanging, it is not wise to do so for the Roman Empire.

Here are the comments in the paper you cite. Notice that the cliches they dislike are of a more casual variety:

Informal language/slang. You don’t need to be stuffy, but stay with formal English prose of the kind that will still be comprehensible to future generations. Columbus did not “push the envelope in the Atlantic.” Henry VIII was not “looking for his inner child when he broke with the Church.” Prime Minister Cavour of Piedmont was not “trying to play in the major leagues diplomaticwise.” Wilson did not “almost veg out” at the end of his second term. President Hindenburg did not appoint Hitler in a “senior moment.” Prime Minister Chamberlain did not tell the Czechs to “chill out” after the Munich Conference, and Gandhi was not an “awesome dude.”

Cliches. Try to keep your prose fresh. Avoid cliches. When you proofread, watch out for sentences like these: “Voltaire always gave 110 percent and thought outside the box. His bottom line was that as people went forward into the future, they would, at the end of the day, step up to the plate and realize that the Jesuits were conniving perverts.” Ugh. Rewrite as “Voltaire tried to persuade people that the Jesuits were conniving perverts.”

History paper: "throws down the gauntlet"

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