Breaking the Rules – Clichés
Rule: Don’t use clichés
Why this is a rule:
‘Avoid clichés like the plague’ we say as a joke.
This French word, cliché, translates as stereotype. It’s a printing term meaning to turn out the same page again and again. We use it to refer to a phrase, idea or situation that has been used too often.
The thought is if a writer cannot take the trouble to express thoughts in a fresh and careful way, readers could feel they are being cheated with stale phrases by a lazy writer. In case the rule-makers are right, avoid over-used metaphors and similes and any commonplace expressions which have become clichés such as: brave as a lion, weak as a kitten, heart-stopping fear.
Also watch out for worn-out expressions such as:
add insult to injury
make a mountain out of a molehill
at the drop of a hat
bite the bullet
And pairs that ‘go together like a horse and carriage’:
pick and choose
short and sweet
toss and turn
cut and thrust
Why you should break it:
They can make complex ideas accessible to more people – which is exactly what good writing is all about it. Just don’t overdo it. Clichés are useful in dialogue; injecting a note of realism into conversations. Not every widely-used idiom is an easily replaced cliché. For instance:
old school tie
tongue in cheek
But to be sure of not offending your readers, express it in your own way. Creating your own metaphors and similies is much more fun than copying them. You have 170,000 English language words to choose from – so get to it!
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