Cliché
Merriam Webster’s Definition
of CLICHÉ
1: a trite phrase
or expression; also : the idea expressed by it
2: a hackneyed theme, characterization, or
situation
3: something (as a menu item) that has become overly familiar
or commonplace
WIKIPEDIA
A cliché or cliche (UK /ˈkliːʃeɪ/ or US /klɪˈʃeɪ/) is an
expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the
point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier
time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken
on a more technical meaning, referring to any expression imposed by
conventionalized linguistic usage. The term is frequently used in modern
culture for an action or idea which is expected or predictable, based on a
prior event. Typically a pejorative, "clichés" are not always false
or inaccurate; a cliché may or may not be true.[1] Some are stereotypes, but
some are simply truisms and facts.[2] Clichés are often employed for comic
effect, typically in fiction.
Most phrases now considered clichéd were originally regarded
as striking, but lost their force through overuse.[3] In this connection, David
Mason and John Frederick Nims cite a particularly harsh judgement by Salvador
Dalí: "The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was
obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot."[4]
Ironically, in making this statement, Dalí was appropriating the words of
French poet Gérard de Nerval: "The first man who compared woman to a rose
was a poet, the second, an imbecile."[5]
A cliché is often a vivid depiction of an abstraction that
relies upon analogy or exaggeration for effect, often drawn from everyday
experience. Used sparingly, they may succeed. However, cliché in writing or
speech is generally considered a mark of inexperience or unoriginality.
I thought this was quite interesting:
In writing we are told to
In order to do this you must:
Perhaps you think this is difficult, but
And before you know it, it will be
Speaking of pie, are you all ready for Thanksgiving? Me neither...
So, go bake some pies and have a great holiday!
PS. Here are the top 12 clichés that need to be permanently retired (according to the Writer's Digest team of editors)
1. Avoid it like the plague
2. Dead as a doornail
3. Take the tiger by the tail
4. Low hanging fruit
5. If only walls could talk
6. The pot calling the kettle black
7. Think outside the box
8. Thick as thieves
9. But at the end of the day
10. Plenty of fish in the sea
11. Every dog has its day
12. Like a kid in a candy store
2. Dead as a doornail
3. Take the tiger by the tail
4. Low hanging fruit
5. If only walls could talk
6. The pot calling the kettle black
7. Think outside the box
8. Thick as thieves
9. But at the end of the day
10. Plenty of fish in the sea
11. Every dog has its day
12. Like a kid in a candy store
(Great blog for writers, by the way...check them out!)
PPS. I found a few (odd) clichés I've never seen before! (Does this mean we can use them?)
1. Well, pinch my toes and call me a jelly doughnut
2. Feel like I've been to two county fairs and a goat whoopin
3. He's so bucktoothed he could bite a pumpkin through a picket
fence
4. If dumb were dirt, he would be about an acre
5. Two hairs past the freckle, eastern elbow time
Please feel free to post any odd/strange/unheard of cliches you've seen or heard!
Happy Writing,
