Silence of the clams

On his blog, screenwriter Craig Mazin is trying to eliminate clams. ("According to Jane Espenson, clams are one-liners or comic concepts that have gone stale from overuse.") Some examples:

The Inside Voice: “I’m sorry…did I say that out loud?”

The Freudian Slip: “Hey, Carol, I see you’re wearing some new boobs…I mean boots!”

The “Mr.” Insult: “Oooh, check you out. Mr. Big Man! Mr. Crazy hat-wearing guy!”

The Nutty List: “All I know is I want to eat a steak, get laid, and play some golf…not necessarily in that order.”

Dante’s Clam: “This is the date from hell!”