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nAncliché is a phrase that is overused so much that it loses itsnmeaning or effect.
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n“He wore his heart onnhis sleeve.”
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n“The name was on thentip of her tongue.”
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n“Her cheeks were likenroses.”
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n“The answer gave himnpause.”
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nMostnclichés start out as metaphors or similes—poetic comparisons ofnone thing to another—and when they were first written, they helpednpeople see things in a different way. They created “aha!” momentsnor painted vivid pictures. n
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nFornexample, the first person who described a person struggling tonremember something as having the answer on the tip of his or herntongue was brilliant! I’ve had that experience; haven’t you? You try to say an answer, and then younrealize that you haven’t quite retrieved it from yournbrain—so you reach for the answer again—there it is! younthink—but again it slips away! It’s just like having somethingnRIGHT THERE, on the tip of your tongue, but you can’t quite say it.
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nButnthe phrase “on the tip of his/her tongue” was used by so manynpeople, over and over and over and over and over and over and overnand over and over and over and over and over and over and over andnover and over and over and over and over and over and over and overnand over and over and over and over and over and over again….
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| …except for the fact that “like the plauge” IS a cliché! |
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n…thatnnow, if someone says it, everyone knows that it means that someone isnstruggling to remember a name or word or answer…but it doesn’t seemnfresh or interesting. It’s trite, tired, overused. It has become ancliché.
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nHownto avoid using clichés:
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Whennyou write, really look at the phrases and metaphors and similes thatnyou have used. Did you write “as quick as a wink” or “as quicknas a cricket”? Did you say, “faster than a speeding bullet” orn“The car moved like greased lightning”?Those things have all beennsaid and written before (over and over and over and—you get the idea), sonsubstitute something else there. After all, there are plenty of quicknthings in the universe! How about “as quick as a laser beam” orn“faster than a hunting cheetah”?
Whennyou write, really look at the phrases and metaphors and similes thatnyou have used. Did you write “as quick as a wink” or “as quicknas a cricket”? Did you say, “faster than a speeding bullet” orn“The car moved like greased lightning”?Those things have all beennsaid and written before (over and over and over and—you get the idea), sonsubstitute something else there. After all, there are plenty of quicknthings in the universe! How about “as quick as a laser beam” orn“faster than a hunting cheetah”?n
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nInncase you’re confused…
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nAnsimile is a comparison of one thing to another using the words “as”nor “like.” Examples of similes include “as quick as a wink”nand “cheeks like roses.”
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Anmetaphor is also a comparison—but it skips the words “as” andn“like.” If you said, “Roses bloomed in her cheeks,” it wouldnmean that her cheeks were pink and rosy—NOT that flowers werenactually growing inside, on, or out of her cheeks! If you wrote, “The kidsnrocketed home to tell their news,” it means that they went homensuper quickly (possibly on bicycles?)—NOT that they climbed onto anrocket and blasted off to travel the three blocks to their house!
Anmetaphor is also a comparison—but it skips the words “as” andn“like.” If you said, “Roses bloomed in her cheeks,” it wouldnmean that her cheeks were pink and rosy—NOT that flowers werenactually growing inside, on, or out of her cheeks! If you wrote, “The kidsnrocketed home to tell their news,” it means that they went homensuper quickly (possibly on bicycles?)—NOT that they climbed onto anrocket and blasted off to travel the three blocks to their house!n
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nAlsonon this date:
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National Double-Talk Week
National Double-Talk Week n
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nSandwich Day
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nCulture Day in Japan
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nChemist Jakichi Takamine’s birthday
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