#9: Cliches

I considered starting off this tutorial with all the grand oldies of cliché-dom. What better way to show you want something is than by using them? But then it doesn't make sense when the whole tutorial is about not using them.

In Writing Tutorial #14, the third strong prose tip was "No clichés."

No clichés. Clichés are phrases that once were unique, but gained so much popularity that everyone started overusing them. Think of them as the stupid hoax emails of the English language. The analogy is a good one; nobody likes reading either one. They are tired words, don't give the reader any new information, and need to be left alone.

Writing Tutorial 14: Strong Prose Tips

WHAT IS A CLICHÉ?

To further understand a cliché, we turn to S. Morgan Friedman's definition.

The non-cliché suggestions I've received seem to fall into two categories: bad jokes and plain commonplace expressions. It seems obvious to me that the former category (just plain bad jokes) aren't clichés; I'm not even going to go into detail on that one. But the later category presents a problem. What is a cliché if not a commonplace expression?

Answer: a lot. A cliché is not just something that lots of people say; it's something that lots of people say and it conveys some sort of idea or message. A cliché is, in other words, a metaphor characterized by its overuse.

Cliche Finder

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a likeness or analogy is suggested between them. Example: drowning in money. A simile always uses "like" in the phrase, and that what differs the two figures of speech. Example: I need her like a fish needs water. So much for steering away from clichés.

A cliché is a metaphor everyone is tired of seeing. A writer has to work for fresh approaches. Using a cliché instead of a fresh approach is cheating the reader.

WHAT TO DO WHEN EDITING?

If you have seen that metaphor or simile in print before, you should exchange it for new words conveying the same idea. If in doubt over a particular phrase, check it on a couple of these sites.

Cliché Finder doesn't give you any meanings or origins, but if the phrase is on the list, you've got a cliché.

The Book of Clichés is more a list of proverbs and other common sense sayings, but if you need a set of positive affirmations, it's a good collection.

ClichéSite.com These guys take themselves seriously. You've given explantions for what the clichés mean and the country from which it came. Also the most adorable illustration of "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."

The Phrase Finder is another good site for finding origins of phrases.

And just so you don't feel that phrases are the only things picked on, plots and plot devices often become clichéd. The Grand List of Overused Science Fiction clichés is a list of the worst offenders.