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    ✂️ Em Dash Cliche Stripper

    ✂️ Em Dash Cliche Stripper

    by JustHandled Labs

    Flag every em-dash and AI transition cliché in a draft and get a plain replacement suggestion for each. Catches em-dashes (the "ChatGPT dash"), overused transition words and phrases (moreover, furthermore, "in today's digital age," delve), and dash-like punctuation doing vague connective work. It flags and suggests; you decide what to change.

    Updated Jun 2026
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    $5

    · or 25 credits

    30-day refund guarantee

    Secure checkout via Stripe

    Included in download

    • Identify and replace overused "AI-voice" transition phrases
    • Audit Markdown files for excessive em-dash punctuation clusters
    • terminal, file_read automation included
    • Ready for Cursor
    • Instant install

    Sample input

    Scan my recent blog post draft in blog/post-v1.md and find all the em-dashes and filler transitions.

    Sample output

    Scan Results for blog/post-v1.md

    • Line 12: "...solution—unlocking new potential."

      • Issue: Excessive em-dash filler.
      • Match:
      • Suggestion: Use a colon or a new sentence.
    • Line 45: "In conclusion, it’s clear that..."

      • Issue: AI transition cliche.
      • Suggestion: Remove entirely.

    About This Skill

    Professional Prose Refinement

    The Em Dash Cliche Stripper is a specialized utility designed for editors, technical writers, and developers who need to purge AI-generated artifacts and overused punctuation from their documentation or blog posts. It targets the "AI-voice" by identifying high-frequency transition cliches and excessive em-dash usage that often disrupt the flow of natural writing.

    What it does

    This skill performs a deep scan of your Markdown or text files using a structured audit checklist. It doesn't just find symbols; it analyzes the context of transitions to determine if they add value or act as "filler" prose. Key features include:

    • Pattern Detection: Targets specific em-dash clusters and common AI-style transition phrases.
    • Non-Destructive Audits: Flags issues with line-by-line evidence without altering your original files.
    • Smart Replacements: Suggests plain-text alternatives to make your writing sound more human and direct.

    Why use this skill?

    Prompting a generic AI to "make this sound human" often results in more cliches. This tool uses a deterministic regex-based scanner and a curated audit checklist to provide objective, repeatable feedback. It’s a developer-centric way to maintain high editorial standards across large sets of documentation or content drafts.

    Use Cases

    • Identify and replace overused "AI-voice" transition phrases
    • Audit Markdown files for excessive em-dash punctuation clusters
    • Generate a line-by-line report of stylistic filler in technical drafts
    • Validate prose against an editorial audit checklist before publishing

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    Security Scanned

    Passed automated security review

    Permissions

    Terminal / Shell
    Read Files

    File Scopes

    em-dash-cliche-stripper/**
    **/*.md
    **/*.txt

    Read-only. Prints each hit with rule id, severity, file, line, and a suggested plain replacement. It reads no environment variables and writes nothing. Applying a suggestion is left to you or your agent.

    Works with any agent that can read a draft and run a local Python script (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex CLI, and other SKILL.md-compatible agents). Standard library only, no install step. Reads Markdown and text files. It does not rewrite your prose automatically.

    Creator

    JustHandled Labs creates focused agent skills and workflow packs for Claude, Codex, Cursor, and AI-assisted builders. Each tool is designed around a real repeatable task: cleaner commits, better PRs, stronger handoffs, safer repo hygiene, clearer documentation, and less copy-paste chaos. The goal is not generic AI productivity. The goal is specific workflows that are easier to run, review, and repeat. Maintained by H.J. Westerfield, with a background in communications, editing, project coordination, customer support, and practical AI systems. JustHandled Labs builds tools for people who want useful automation without theatrical complexity.

    Frequently Asked Questions

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