Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-24993958-20150826074135/@comment-24891101-20150926162619

If you're sufficiently attached to the phrase to feel the need to use it, he means. The other option is just to get into what's bothering you without using the phrase. Certainly having it by itself is not useful, being just bait to have a question asked, and serving no other purpose, when given that you're baiting and fishing for sympathy (which is not particularly a bad thing, mind) means that you're going to say it anyway.