A Dilemma: To Cliché Or Not To Cliché, That Is The Question

/ Ally Bean

I think that this resource, Cliché Finder, could be useful for writers. 

A cliché, as defined by the New Oxford American Dictionary, is: “a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.” More information about clichés here: 50+ Examples of Cliches: Meaning and Origin & Definition and Examples of Cliches.

I’ve nothing against most clichés I suppose. I’m too easygoing to run around snarking about the use of them, BUT when writing something it’s good to learn/confirm that you’re using a cliché. And that is precisely what the free online Cliché Finder does for you.

For instance, even though I’m mellow yellow about most trite overused phrases I vehemently dislike one particular cliché: “thinking outside the box.” It’s so old I’m sure Moses used it. Adam probably used it before him just to annoy Eve. 

That’s how old it is. Quite rightly.

But thanks to Cliché Finder, I know for sure not to use my disliked cliché so that my writing is fresh and original, not stale and antiquated– because that would not do.

Anyhow, as a way of showing you how the Cliché Finder works, I wrote the following scintillating little flash fiction story, popped it into the Cliché Finder that told me I’d used SIX* overworked phrases.

Bad me. 😁

• • •

QUESTION OF THE DAY

What’s your least favorite cliché? You know, the one that makes you stop listening to what someone is saying or to stop reading what is in front of you. We all have one, don’t we?

[Extra credit to anyone who gets the Donovan reference.]

• • •

* The six clichés are: old as the hills, think outside the box, read between the lines, matter of time, busy as a bee, writing on the wall.

176 thoughts on “A Dilemma: To Cliché Or Not To Cliché, That Is The Question”

  1. I don’t mind one or two but when someone fills out a conversation with them it gets boring. I don’t think I have a most hated one but a friend hates “it is what it is” so I use that often around him! 🙂

    Liked by 10 people

    • Kate, good point. Overusing clichés does get boring. I hadn’t thought about that aspect of them. Aren’t you a little snot for using your friend’s hated cliché to annoy him. I love you for that, you know! 😁

      Like

    • I laughed at your response to your poor friend. I would probably do the same–except I hate that phrase, too. I have a friend with a jerk for a husband and sometimes the stories of how he treats her and her kids horrify me. And yet she excuses it with, “it is what it is.”

      I want to scream, “it is what you are LETTING IT BE!”

      Liked by 5 people

  2. In my writing classes I teach about NOT using clichés, but sometimes they’re so good we still want to use them. If a student does so, I stay mellow yellow. Also, sometimes clichés are okay in a story if they’re used by a character, and said character likes to use clichés. Viola – an author gets to use them without getting in trouble. My new least favorite cliché? “the new normal.” ACKKKKKKKKKKKK. So many people talk (or write) about the new normal since the pandemic – for me it’s like fingernails on a chalkboard (which I suppose is a cliché). A cliché I like? “let’s kiss and make-up.” Hey, what the world needs now is love sweet love! 🙂

    Liked by 6 people

    • Pam, I was taught to not use clichés so I try to avoid them, but sometimes on this blog, a personal one, I feel that saying something clichéd is more authentic than searching the thesaurus for a synonym.

      I know what you mean about “the new normal.” It’s definitely an overused phrase without any real meaning so why are people using it so much? [No answer, a rhetorical question.] I can go with you on the kiss-y face clcliché and be mellow about it. It’s a good one.

      Like

  3. I hate cliches yet I can’t think of one right now. I just read a book that used “funk smell” to describe four different characters underarm smell (in different sections of the book) so I think I just hate over use of anything. When I did my second podcast I realized that the word interesting could be used as a drinking game…

    Liked by 6 people

  4. I’ll claim my extra credit and mellow out a bit (thanks, Donovan!), but I have a problem. I’ve been trying to think of a cliché, and can’t. I recognized all of yours, of course, but bringing another one to consciousness just isn’t happening.

    It does occur to me that the visual clichés known as ‘memes’ are an interesting variant on the old-style bits of boredom we call clichés. I don’t see many, since I’m not on social media apart from Twitter, but even there the newer form of repetitive cliché shows up. One of the most recent examples that comes to mind involves Bernie and his mittens. May all clichés meet such a fate.

    Liked by 6 people

    • shoreacres, oh you get DOUBLE EXTRA CREDIT. First for knowing my somewhat obscure musical reference. Then for pointing out how memes are a kind of cliché. I hadn’t thought of that but they are. Your link is priceless. You’ve made my day with this. Thanks!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Oh, my gosh, that class sounds so interesting! I’ve always said that antique collecting was more than just collecting objects. It’s about history and the stories each piece tells.

    Favorite cliche to love to hate? “He was as hard as steel”—oops, can you tell what kind of books I’ve been reading lately. LOL

    Liked by 4 people

  6. What the heck was that Donovan song all about, anyway? (Supposedly, a banana-shaped vibrator, but he’s also talking about an underaged girl named Saffron in there, too, so…?!)

    Anyway. Some cliches are quite apt, but they still sound like lazy writing if they’re used too often. There still isn’t a better way to convey the idea of “walking on eggshells” than that cliche metaphor.

    I agree with Kate, above: It Is What It Is makes me nuts. That’s the worst.

    Liked by 3 people

    • nance, I have NO IDEA what that song was really about. All I know is the lyrics are embedded in my brain and spill out occasionally.

      You’re right that some clichés are perfect. They can say something that cannot otherwise be conveyed. I’m not against all of them, but some. drive. me. nuts.

      When I hear someone say “it is what it is” I feel the dismissive tone immediately. Do you suppose that person believes he’s thinking outside the box when he says that? 😉

      Liked by 2 people

  7. I cringe with slang terms that are “used to death” (another cliché), like anything starting with the word HASHTAG. I mean someone saying in conversation, “Hashtag Goals”–rather than writing the statement on Twitter. Also the use of the word LITERALLY has unfortunately become the “new normal.” (I like to pile on the clichés.) I have heard so many people say, “I literally can’t even.” Usually this statement occurs in comments on social media.

    Liked by 5 people

    • L. Marie, I’m not a big fan of hashtags anywhere on social media so to hear someone say what you wrote would make me snarl. I’d forgotten about the word ‘literally’ and how it is forever misused. That’s a good example of a cliché that needs to disappear, literally. 😁

      Liked by 4 people

  8. I got the Donovan reference and I spotted all six clichés. I am guilty of using clichés occasionally in period pieces. I despise the current clichés “I don’t know who needs to hear this, but…”, “I’m going to leave this right here”, “these unprecedented times” (I have been guilty of that one).

    Liked by 4 people

    • Maggie, yep those are three very annoying clichés that are more filler than content. I know you can’t get people to stop using them, but that doesn’t mean I won’t quietly raise an eyebrow if someone writes or says them in front of me. 🤨

      Liked by 2 people

  9. I’m so over words and cliches that are overdone, overused, and oversold. Your example of six cliches for the price of one = well done!

    Like L.Marie, “literally” is overused and misused to the point of distraction.

    Not a cliche, but I detest “baby bump” . . . what did we call “it” before that alliterative abomination kidnapped every baby-to-be? ACK!

    Ah, well . . . it is what it is. No use crying over spilled milk. The English language is going to hell in a hand basket. You can’t stem the tide once the floodgates are open. Anything we try would just be a drop in the bucket. Best just go with the flow.

    Cheers!

    Liked by 4 people

  11. Social media can create cliches rather quickly as people pick up on what they see others do. Like. Sentences. With. Periods. Between. Each. Word. What is that? Instagram is full of visual cliches. One cliche that rubs me the wrong way (whoops, there goes another one) is “a perfect storm.” As far as Mellow Yellow, I walked straight past Donovan and smacked into, “if it’s yellow, keep it mellow, if it’s brown…”

    Liked by 5 people

    • Janis, you’re right that social media has changed the ways in which we communicate. I write sentences, or phrases, with periods between words because I like the subtle way in which it emphasizes my emotion. I think that trend originated before we could easily add italics or bold to our blog posts. And people still do it out of habit.

      I don’t spend a lot of time on Instagram so I hadn’t thought about it being full of visual clichés but you are onto something there. I don’t hate on IG but it seems strangely repetitive to me– and you’ve nailed the reason why. Which means that you’ve not rubbed me the wrong way! 😊

      Liked by 4 people

    • Lynette, I don’t like “at the end of the day” either. It’s an excellent example of a cliché that I’d forgotten about it. I’m laughing at your revision of “the new normal.” Yep, you said it.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Paula, that’s a good distinction. I sometimes use a cliché when I write here on this personal blog, but in more formal business writing I avoid them. Not that anyone else much does. 🙄

      Liked by 2 people

  14. I knew the song but not that it was Donovan. Partial extra credit?

    I don’t know that it’s a cliche, but I dislike the term ‘unpack’, used as, ‘there’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s get started’. I don’t know where it came from. I also dislike the term ‘what keeps me up at night’. I had a CEO who used it 6 or 7 times during an address to all employees, and I found it distracting, I worried that he wasn’t getting enough sleep.

    Liked by 4 people

    • J, congrats, you get full extra credit for taking the time to consider the reference in all its entirety.

      I don’t know about the origins of “unpack” either. From business maybe? I’ve used it a few times, but can’t say when I first did so. It doesn’t really fit into my personal lexicon.

      I can see how saying “what keeps me up at night” more than once in an address would cause you to wonder about your boss’s sleep habits. Poor tired dude.

      Liked by 2 people

    • YES! Unpack is a businessy term that got adopted by the news media and has become a monster. Another one of those is “baked in.” I detest that the most. “Baked in to this proposal is …” or “The cost of the R&D is baked in to the drug prices.” WHY WHY WHY? Is “built in” no longer a decent phrase? “Included” not getting the job done? GRRR…

      Liked by 4 people

      • I don’t hear “baked in” often, but I don’t like it either. I want flavor baked into a cake, not sneaky details baked into a proposal. I can’t figure why it’s difficult for people to just say what they mean. Are they intentionally being devious by using these clichés or are they just unaware of the words they use?

        Liked by 2 people

  15. Roger and I love to laugh about cliches all the time. We shout to each other “I know, right.” And, “for sure.” I read most of this post out loud to him and we laughed some more. Thank you for this.
    Yes, I recognized Donovan’s Mellow Yellow in there!

    Liked by 4 people

    • Robin, first of all you get extra credit. I agree with you and Roger, you gotta laugh at most clichés or you’d go bonkers. In my observation the more we communicate with the written word, the more I’m seeing cliché everywhere. Of course, I’m too laid-back to call people out on most of them, but a few…

      [I’ve no idea why your comments always get held in moderation, btw. Sorry about that. Will try to find out why.]

      Liked by 1 person

  16. My kids busted me for saying to people out in public that I was just ‘running around like a lunatic’. I didn’t even know I was saying that . . . so often. I’m not sure if that counts, but since it was overused BY ME, then I’m guessing it might be. True as it was, I eliminated it.

    My college friend used to make fun of people in the business world who say I KNOW JUST ENOUGH TO BE DANGEROUS. Again, not sure that qualifies, but we used to bust a gut about that phrase.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Ernie, I’d say you have two good [bad] clichés there. Of course if you are a lunatic and you are running around then you’d merely be accurately describing your own behavior. Just saying

      Business clichés are the worst, imo. I haven’t heard anyone say it in years but there was a time when people would say: “let’s throw it on the wall and see if it sticks.” I hated that. It offended my need to keep my work environment clean, and it seemed a rather pathetic way to decide what to do next.

      Liked by 2 people

  17. Quite rightly!
    With texting, our language is changing! Now we have initials to express our feelings and phrases. It is like translating a foreign language when I text with my teenage granddaughters! LOL! ❤ ! WTF! LMAO!…

    Liked by 5 people

    • Ellen D, I know what you mean. Decoding text messages and tweets is a new life skill. It’s all about the acronyms and emojis, some of which I know, many of which I don’t [with no interest in learning them].

      Liked by 2 people

  18. Off the top of my head I have no idea that I’m bothered by any particular cliche, but I think I just used one to begin this sentence! Not even sure I’m aware when I use them anymore because they just seem to be part of standard speech and apparently I ignore most of that anyway.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Deb, I ignore most clichés because what’s the point of trying to get someone to write or speak more clearly? [Unless you’re teaching those subjects, of course.] It’s just that “thinking outside the box” does bug me to a point where I stop reading or listening. I think it’s time to permanently retire it. Put it back in the box.

      Liked by 2 people

  19. Like Lynnette, I dislike the phrase “At the end of the day.” But to deter people from its use, we may as well try and catch the wind (I’d rather have that Donovan song rolling around in my head than “Mellow Yellow”).

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  20. I’m guessing all of us of a certain age (whoops!) probably got the Donovan reference, which sent me down a rabbit hole (oops, I did it again! oh, and again!) in which I realized that Donovan and Tiny Tim are mixed up in my head for some reason. Not relevant, but mildly interesting to me.

    There are so many that annoy me (as I’m an easily annoyed person), but my peeves are probably reserved for those that intersect with malapropisms–for example: “for all intense and purposes.” Nails on effing chalkboard. (#sorrynotsorry for that last one. Or two.)

    Liked by 5 people

  21. I think some of the sayings are cute, but as a previous commenter mentioned, I don’t enjoy reading them (or too many of them) in books. There were many cliches in education; one of my least favorite was anything that had shifting paradigms or who moved my cheese.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Margaret, Z-D got caught in some level of lawyer hell wherein there was emphasis of the movement of cheese. He hates that one, too. For the most part I overlook clichés but with the rise of social media, overwrought phrases have made a resurgence. 🙄

      Liked by 1 person

  22. For some reason I hate the phrase”I’ve found my person” As opposed to what? Love this post. It’s fun reading other people’s posts.

    Liked by 4 people

  23. I got them all except “matter of time.” That didn’t hit me as a cliche. My son hates, “the bottom line is…” He says there is no bottom line. I think you should do an A to Z on this topic 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

    • Janet, I didn’t realize that was a cliché either until I read the lists on the articles to which I linked. I put it in the Cliché Finder and it was a cliché. I appreciate your idea for an A to Z theme, but this one post is going to be enough talk about clichés for me.

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  24. My cliched Achille’s Heel (which is a cliche by itself) is probably “It’s God’s will” when something we don’t want to happen, does. For most of the bad things that happened to me? I don’t think God had anything to do with them, it was more likely that other guy, the one with a red hide, horns and a tail and a pitchfork that was involved; at least in my opinion. “God’s will” indeed. Pfui!!

    Liked by 4 people

    • Melanie, I take your point and can understand your point of view. There’s definitely something to it. “It’s God’s will” sounds like a cop-out more than an explanation. Something said blithely as a way to avoid responsibility.

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  25. I just dump part of an essay I’m working on into Cliche Finder and whoo-hoo! No cliches! Yay me. Back when I was working, people would talk about trying “to get their arms around [ fill in the blank ].” Usually they were referring to an idea but I’d always visualize someone literally trying to get their arms around whatever they were talking about. Why would you want to hug an idea? Why not simply say they are trying to understand the problem instead of “get their arms around” the problem? It’s like when my former (yay!) boss asked me if I had the “bandwidth” to take on another project. I started to explain that my home DSL is rather sluggish when she interrupted and said she meant whether I or my staff had the time to take on another project. I still don’t know why she couldn’t have simply asked if we had the time. It would have been concise and to the point 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

    • Marie, you raise a good question about “getting your arms around” something. I’m like you in that I’d immediately think about it literally, trying to figure how it was going to happen. That’s a stupid cliché.

      As for saying “bandwidth” instead of talking plainly, that’s sounds like the business world to me. Why say something directly when you can throw around a cliché with an obscure meaning? I wouldn’t have understood either.

      Liked by 2 people

  26. I do love that you’re mellow yellow when it comes to hearing cliches over and over. Mellow Yellow is a term I’ve not heard in a long time.
    I don’t know that cliches bother me. Maybe they all go over my head?
    Oh, the irony.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Suz, nicely said. Over your head, you say? Most clichés roll off me, I don’t think a thing about them. But a few irritate me because they’re overused to a point of being in need of permanent retirement, like Lucy in my story.

      Liked by 1 person

  28. Someone said “circle back” twice this morning, and both times my mind kind of hiccuped on the phrase. “Think outside the box” is definitely up there as a terrible one, one I would avoid like the plague. 😉

    Liked by 5 people

    • Jan, I think you’re right about how clichés slip into a person’s writing. And often a cliché explains your message in a clear way– which is the ultimate purpose of communication. It’s just that some clichés are worn-out and need to go bye-bye. I can think of one in particular…

      Liked by 1 person

  30. I’m enjoying the cliche toss-outs here in the comments and in your post.
    So, I’ll present a different slant on this (because so many have already commented in ways I agree with and learnt from): I vowed to never again use the semi-cliche phrase, “It is what it is” when T.Rump spewed out that reply to a question about what he thought about the rising number of deaths due to COVID. Never ever again will that phrase pass through my lips.
    Since I’m way down the line on commenters, I felt I could insert this different slant without being labeled as irrelevant to topic!
    🙂

    Liked by 4 people

  31. I can’t really think of a cliche right now that annoys me. But when my husband starts off with “Now don’t get me wrong…” or “Don’t take this the wrong way…” or “I know you don’t like…” Argh!!!

    I have something snazzy for you tomorrow morning.

    Liked by 5 people

    • Eilene, welp I can understand why those introductory phrases annoy you. It’s not like you just fell off the wifey turnip truck so you know there’s going to be a criticism. Looking forward to a snazzy Saturday post from you.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Laurie, many commenters have mentioned that cliché as their least favorite. I don’t like it either, so I get it. The links are interesting should you need to know more about clichés.

      Liked by 1 person

  33. Hi, Ally – Great question! Like some other commenters, I’m usually okay with a couple of cliches, as long as they are not overused, or are part of a long string of cliques. That being said, ‘it is what it is,” can get to me after a while. Ironically, some of the more annoying phrases (to me) were not listed as cliches on your Cliche Finder, e.g. ‘in this town’, or ‘me bad’ (but not ‘bad me’ – ‘bad me’ makes much more sense to me). 😀

    Liked by 4 people

    • Donna, it’s been interesting to learn which clichés are the ones that bother someone. I’ve learned about many that I’ve never heard of before. I’ve not heard “me bad” so that’s a new one for me. Is that a cliché for “my bad” as in mea culpa? While I could say this means I’ve not been thinking outside the box, I shall not say that. You understand why.

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  34. I’d never heard of ClicheFinder, so that was interesting. My husband uses “it is what it is” a lot, so that might by my least favorite. But I have a least favorite cliche word: hack. I don’t mind if you hack to something or go out hacking on your horse, but please don’t tell me the best hack for __________ (fill in the blank.) Now that I think about it, the hijacking of “woke” beats the overuse of “hack” by many, many miles. Wish the “woke” would either go back to sleep or learn that they live in glass houses but those stones are going everywhere. Civility would be much more appreciated even when passionate.

    janet

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  36. Interesting information about the “Cliche Finder,” Ally. I agree how they can be overdone. To play ‘devil’s advocate’ old sayings are old sayings for a reason. They have withstood the test of time. (Yes,yes,yes…I know….) 🙂

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    • Erica/Erika, I tend to agree with you about some of these older clichéd sayings, they are timeless. I use clichés because to me they’re wordplay, but there are a few that set my teeth on edge. 😉

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  37. I don’t mind the old cliches, the ones my mom and grandma used to use, maybe because you don’t hear them much anymore and it’s a reminder of a past mindset. The cliches that bother me are the somewhat new and “in” phrases that are overused like “cancel culture” or “woke”.

    Liked by 5 people

    • Nicki, good point. Some of the older time-honored clichés are wonderful. I also agree about some of these newer overused phrases. What the heck does “woke” mean? I hear it said and read it written then cringe and mutter to myself. 🤨

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  38. I like your story! But “out of an abundance of caution” I think Lucy should be updating her resume. That phrase is just like chalk on a blackboard to me. PS. Mellow yellow – but is it cheating if you had to google it?

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  39. One of my friends always says “to make a long story short” but I am not sure if it’s a cliche or not as I am pretty sure I’ve never heard it from anyone else. I am quite certain I use cliches all the time and probably write with them too. Some of them are just so apt that they apply which I guess is how they ended up as a cliche.

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  40. My least favorite cliché is probably that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. (It irks me that it’s true!) But generally I don’t mind clichés because most of them seem like good metaphors to me. Then again, I’m not a writer or the most discerning of readers… Yup, I did pick up on the mellow yellow/Donovan connection. 🙂

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  43. Fun post! Okay, so I think the mellow yellow song is about drugs, just sayin’, a tidbit I didn’t realize for a long time.😕 Work hard, play hard. 24/7. Best life. Don’t get your nose out of joint. (Ouch!) Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back. (Double ouch!) Gifting. Mic drop. Partying. Party hard. Schmooze. Blessings upon you. Be well. God took her home. Passed. (Instead of died.) Kill two birds with one stone. (Why are we killing birds?!) I’m sure there’s more but I better quit while I’m ahead. The early bird…ewww.

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  44. Many interesting comments here. “It is what it is” sounds fatalistic to me. I hate when I hear it.

    Another one that rankles me: “To be honest.” As if, other stuff you say may be less so.” Dunno. . .

    I never heard of the “Cliche Finder,” so there’s that!

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    • Marian, your first cliché has been the most disliked one. Your assessment of what it means rings true with me… to be honest.

      I stumbled over the Cliché Finder in the process of taking my college class and thought it was worth sharing here. Like I said, most clichés don’t bother me but it is good to know if you’re using one.

      Liked by 1 person

  45. One thing I’m getting tired of hearing lately is “game changer.” We heard it often now in regard to vaccines or treatments. It started with Pfizer vaccine, then with the Moderna, and now with the J&J one. There can’t be that many game changers can there?! – Marty

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    • Marty, yes that’s an overused cliché that’s been around for about as long as “thinking outside the box.” I’m with you on disliking it. You’re right, there cannot be THAT many game changers.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Markus + Micah, good one, btw. I don’t care for hearing or reading that phrase too often either. It makes conversations tedious– or turns them into a drinking game: take a shot every time Bob says “by the way!” 😁

      Like

  49. I always have my favorite words in English and French at the ready (at the ready – is that a cliche??), but I can’t come up with a cliche that I loathe, even though I dislike it when writing is peppered with them (oh, God, is “peppered with” a cliche??). I just know one will hit me (cliche??) in like, two weeks. I’m super paranoid now about all the cliches in my writing!

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  50. I am old enough to get the “mellow yellow” Donovan reference. I’m no fan of “this too shall pass” and I am sure there are others as well. I had a boss one time who only spoke in cliches.

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  51. Well, Ally, I couldn’t think of a cliche right off the top of my head…too much pressure I guess…but what I did do was run the first three paragraphs of my most recent blog through the cliche finder. I only got one hit, so not too bad. By the way, it was “more and more.” Thanks for this reminder and the enjoyable morning reading. Have a lovely day! Or is that too cliche? How about this instead…make it an interesting day!

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    • Christie, I never would have thought that “more and more” would be a cliché so that’s news to me. Perhaps the Cliché Finder is a bit too fussy? Right back at ‘ya with have an interesting day. It’s Monday after all, what could possibly go wrong? 🙄

      Like

  52. My husband likes to say”that’s what she said” even when it doesn’t make any sense which sometimes makes me laugh but mostly makes me want to hurt him. Old idioms and their origins, however, can be fun.

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    • Anna, I agree about the idioms. I did the A to Z challenge one year and focused on idioms that had to do with food. It was fun. As for your husband’s need to bug you, isn’t that the way?!

      Liked by 1 person

  54. I don’t mind cliches, especially when apt. I more enjoy idioms and similes tho, hm?
    My husband is overly fond of “To be honest” which is unfortunate since he’s an honest guy and people come to him for honesty. I have never once said anything to him about it because I have so many more important things to nag him about, but when he says it, I roll my eyes. He never says it to me, thank tacos.

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  55. Got a laugh out of your cliche story
    I’ve grown to hate “follow the science” and “justice” (which usually means “revenge” or “I want compensation/money” these days)
    Snazzy. That one still makes me smile even though it was posts ago….

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  56. I’m not sure I have a least favorite cliche, but I cringe when I see or hear “First and foremost.” I once listened to an hour long thing where it was said at least 20 times. It started to set me on edge and now I notice it everywhere. Eek.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Amy, that’s the thing about clichés and other overused sayings, once you decide you don’t like one you see/hear it all the time. That’s my experience with “thinking outside the box.” Once I stumbled on it, it was everywhere. 😞

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  57. I don’t think I could stop at just one disliked/loathed cliche; but what annoys me even more is when people can’t even get the cliche right. Of course, right now, I can’t think of an example, but I’m noticing that it’s become increasingly common for people to use cliches, but actually misunderstand what they mean and use slightly different wording.

    Years ago I worked with a man whose favourite phrase was “six of one, two on the other.” He was a lovely man and none of us had the heart to point out he’d kind of got it wrong.

    I’m assuming here that “six of one, half a dozen of the other” is a cliche you know, and you’re forming a wry smile right about here.

    Postscript: I’ve always hated the Donovan song, and have mental overlays on it that trigger fairly out of proportion responses. First of all, we used to rely on rainwater tanks for our water supply, which means conservation, which means not always flushing the loo. The phrase that begins “if it’s yellow, let it mellow. …” was/is widely used to explain how and when to flush.

    And because the Universe really wants to stir the brain soup; a few years ago I went to a friend’s funeral. His coffin was brought into the chapel to the strains of Mellow Yellow.

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    • Su, I know what you mean about people not getting clichés [and literary quotes] right. It’s annoying and difficult to know what to do about it. My late mother used to say “six of one, half a dozen of the other” and I like that cliché because it reminds me of her. BUT if I had to listen to someone say it wrong over and over again, I’d snap.

      As for the Donovan song, dare I say that I feel it’s an odd choice for the song to begin your funeral? I mean to each his own and all, but *mellow yellow* isn’t a phrase that I’d like to put into the mind of the people attending my funeral– for the reason you mention with the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” saying. I want to keep the idea of peeing out of my funeral service. But that’s just me.

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