Barbara warned us

Coming soon: a holiday competition for the whole family. Meanwhile, we tried, but Barbara J. Boltin of Seattle warned us about tampering with cliches. Here is part of her letter, with appreciation to her and all of you who entered The Home Forum Competition and/or sent friendly notes:

''The old saws may be dull, but at least you know which way they cut, and you can let the chips fall where they may, no matter which way the wind blows.

''In other words, your heart is in the right place, but it's like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. I may be like the pot that called the kettle black, but really neat use of language is my thing. Like, communication is really where it's at, see, and this is the pits. I won't stand by and be a party to it.

''Maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew, trying to stop this thing dead in its tracks, but - to coin a phrase - 'a byte in time saves nine.' Hope I haven't ridden roughshod over you, but this had to be nipped in the bud. Nice try, anyway.''