Meaning: value is in the eye of the beholder. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: one man’s garbage is another man’s four-star meal
Rewrite 2: one man’s treasure is another man’s trash
Rewrite 3: what is junk to you may be treasure to me
Rewrite 4: you see junk I see jonque (“dressed-up” version of junk)
Rewrite 5: junk by any other name is treasure by another
Comment 1: You may be familiar with this cliché using "trash" or "junk" instead of "garbage."
Comment 2 : There are lots of ways to position both “garbage” and “treasure.” There are also lots of ways to twist and turn the phrase to praise either trash or treasure.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• This is Broken – Advertising Cliches: “This Is Broken is a project to make companies more aware of their customer experience. Submit your own entry.”
Friday, December 30, 2005
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Cliché: just the tip of the iceberg
(entered for 12.29.05)
Meaning: only the most visible part of a much bigger whole. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: just a jewel of a buried treasure
Rewrite 2: only a penny of a pocketful of change
Rewrite 3: just the street entrance of a 40-storynoun3 building
Rewrite 4: but the flower of a long-rooted dandelion
Comment: I first established a larger whole then decribed on a smaller part; it helps to stick with something most people would recognize rather than something more obscure, although if you’re addressing a special audience you can most certainly pick an object perhaps known mostly or only to them.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Colonial Clichés in a German Zoo? “Many zoos put on special exhibits in order to attract visitors. Most also attract little notice much less controversy. But one zoo in southern Germany is…”
Meaning: only the most visible part of a much bigger whole. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: just a jewel of a buried treasure
Rewrite 2: only a penny of a pocketful of change
Rewrite 3: just the street entrance of a 40-storynoun3 building
Rewrite 4: but the flower of a long-rooted dandelion
Comment: I first established a larger whole then decribed on a smaller part; it helps to stick with something most people would recognize rather than something more obscure, although if you’re addressing a special audience you can most certainly pick an object perhaps known mostly or only to them.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Colonial Clichés in a German Zoo? “Many zoos put on special exhibits in order to attract visitors. Most also attract little notice much less controversy. But one zoo in southern Germany is…”
Cliché: go against the grain
(entered for 12.28.05)
Meaning: do something opposite to the established or accepted way. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: row against the tide
Rewrite 2: steer against the curve
Rewrite 3: walk against the flow
Rewrite 4: talk over the conversation
Comment: Think of going against something that everyone does automatically, like walking up the downstairs or driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Great Movie Clichés: 'Auteur Movie Clichés'. “'Broadway Movie Musical Clichés'. 'Television Drama Cliches'”
Meaning: do something opposite to the established or accepted way. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: row against the tide
Rewrite 2: steer against the curve
Rewrite 3: walk against the flow
Rewrite 4: talk over the conversation
Comment: Think of going against something that everyone does automatically, like walking up the downstairs or driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Great Movie Clichés: 'Auteur Movie Clichés'. “'Broadway Movie Musical Clichés'. 'Television Drama Cliches'”
Cliché: ants in his pants
(entered for 12.27.05)
Meaning: excited or energized. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: statica3 in his shorts
Rewrite 2: an itch on his spine
Rewrite 3: a scorpion in his shoe
Rewrite 4: a spider dangling in front of his face
Comment: I thought of things that might make me jump around excitedly or make me get up quickly and run away.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Leadership & Practical Theology: “Tom Payne's guide to the words that reviewers and publishers love too much…”
Meaning: excited or energized. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: statica3 in his shorts
Rewrite 2: an itch on his spine
Rewrite 3: a scorpion in his shoe
Rewrite 4: a spider dangling in front of his face
Comment: I thought of things that might make me jump around excitedly or make me get up quickly and run away.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Leadership & Practical Theology: “Tom Payne's guide to the words that reviewers and publishers love too much…”
Monday, December 26, 2005
Cliché: you could have knocked me over with a feather
Meaning: extremely weak. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: you could have knocked me over with a leaf
Rewrite 2: so beat, a feather could have knocked me out
Rewrite 3: such a wuss I was afraid a dandelion seed would push me over
Rewrite 4: so weak, I couldn’t stand straight on a windless day
Comment: This is really a metaphor about weakness, whether it’s physical or mental.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Web Design Tips, “The purpose of this web site is to help out new web developers by going over some of the tips of how to put together a top-quality, professional web site.”
Rewrite 1: you could have knocked me over with a leaf
Rewrite 2: so beat, a feather could have knocked me out
Rewrite 3: such a wuss I was afraid a dandelion seed would push me over
Rewrite 4: so weak, I couldn’t stand straight on a windless day
Comment: This is really a metaphor about weakness, whether it’s physical or mental.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Web Design Tips, “The purpose of this web site is to help out new web developers by going over some of the tips of how to put together a top-quality, professional web site.”
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Cliché: season’s greetings
Meaning: best wishes for the holiday. More on the greeting.
Rewrite 1: wishing you the most wonderful time of the year
Rewrite 2: wishing you many cheerful holiday moments
Rewrite 3: here's hoping your holiday is full of cherished memories
Rewrite 4: may your holiday stocking be full of wonderful surprises
Rewrite 5: may all that you desire come true this joyous holiday
Comment: More to the point, however, it may be more sincere to say "Merry Christmas!", "Happy Hanukah!", or "Happy Kwanzaa!" if that's what you really mean. And so, I wish you the merriest of Christmases, the most happy of Hanukahs, and the most splendid of Kwanzaas.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “holiday clichés”:
• Poynter Online – Forums, holiday clichés.
Rewrite 1: wishing you the most wonderful time of the year
Rewrite 2: wishing you many cheerful holiday moments
Rewrite 3: here's hoping your holiday is full of cherished memories
Rewrite 4: may your holiday stocking be full of wonderful surprises
Rewrite 5: may all that you desire come true this joyous holiday
Comment: More to the point, however, it may be more sincere to say "Merry Christmas!", "Happy Hanukah!", or "Happy Kwanzaa!" if that's what you really mean. And so, I wish you the merriest of Christmases, the most happy of Hanukahs, and the most splendid of Kwanzaas.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “holiday clichés”:
• Poynter Online – Forums, holiday clichés.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Cliché: rotten to the core
Meaning: bad throughout. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: rotten4 through to the center
Rewrite 2: bad, bad, really bad
Rewrite 3: a core made of rotted heart
Rewrite 4: so full of corruptionn1b there's no room for a soul
Comment: Just think of Dr. Seuss's "Grinch" (the nasty green fellow who stole Christmas) before his conversion. Which reminds me! Happy holidays to all: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa!
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Some past and future clichés regarding GNU/Linux: “Some past and future clichés regarding (GNU/) LINUX. Originally printed in Mute Magazine.”
Rewrite 1: rotten4 through to the center
Rewrite 2: bad, bad, really bad
Rewrite 3: a core made of rotted heart
Rewrite 4: so full of corruptionn1b there's no room for a soul
Comment: Just think of Dr. Seuss's "Grinch" (the nasty green fellow who stole Christmas) before his conversion. Which reminds me! Happy holidays to all: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa!
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Some past and future clichés regarding GNU/Linux: “Some past and future clichés regarding (GNU/) LINUX. Originally printed in Mute Magazine.”
Friday, December 23, 2005
Cliché: firing on all cylinders
Meaning: maximum performance. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: using all 10 fingers
Rewrite 2: counting on all 10 toes
Rewrite 3: using both sides of the brain
Rewrite 4: playing all 88 keys
Comment: Metaphors with numbers enhance the essence of this statement.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Sport clichés press: “As featured in Sports Illustrated, ESPN, USA Today, Fox & Friends.”
Rewrite 1: using all 10 fingers
Rewrite 2: counting on all 10 toes
Rewrite 3: using both sides of the brain
Rewrite 4: playing all 88 keys
Comment: Metaphors with numbers enhance the essence of this statement.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Sport clichés press: “As featured in Sports Illustrated, ESPN, USA Today, Fox & Friends.”
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Cliché: everything’s coming up roses
(entered 11:46 pm ET, 12.22.05; updated 04.02.06)
Meaning: things are turning out wonderfully. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: everything’s coming up aces
Rewrite 2: we’re seeing white linensn2 and no spotsn2c
Rewrite 3: I plant weeds and what I get are petunias
Rewrite 4: all I get are sunny days and starry nights
Rewrite 5: my garden is nothing but roses
Rewrite 6: everything’s coming up lilies
Rewrite 7: nothing but sunshine and warm breezes
Rewrite 8: it’s all coming in hundred-dollar bills
Comment: There are lots of opportunities to paint pretty, spotless images. This is about trouble-free life, so think about the perfect day and what you’d like to see on that day.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• SparkNotes: Ultimate Style: Cliches: “It’s easy to fill your writing with clichés.”
Meaning: things are turning out wonderfully. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: everything’s coming up aces
Rewrite 2: we’re seeing white linensn2 and no spotsn2c
Rewrite 3: I plant weeds and what I get are petunias
Rewrite 4: all I get are sunny days and starry nights
Rewrite 5: my garden is nothing but roses
Rewrite 6: everything’s coming up lilies
Rewrite 7: nothing but sunshine and warm breezes
Rewrite 8: it’s all coming in hundred-dollar bills
Comment: There are lots of opportunities to paint pretty, spotless images. This is about trouble-free life, so think about the perfect day and what you’d like to see on that day.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• SparkNotes: Ultimate Style: Cliches: “It’s easy to fill your writing with clichés.”
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Cliché: the lights are on but there's nobody home
Meaning: someone who isn’t very smart. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: the lights are running on a weak generator3
Rewrite 2: the door is open but it leads nowhere
Rewrite 3: the draperies are open but no light’s coming in through the window
Rewrite 4: the faucet is open but no water’s coming out
Comment: A parallel rewrite is difficult to do without sounding pretentious, but there are a number of other ways to say “this light’s working on low wattage.”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Dan Schneider on Redeeming Clichés: “…a 10 line poem with at least 8½ seeming clichés…”
Rewrite 1: the lights are running on a weak generator3
Rewrite 2: the door is open but it leads nowhere
Rewrite 3: the draperies are open but no light’s coming in through the window
Rewrite 4: the faucet is open but no water’s coming out
Comment: A parallel rewrite is difficult to do without sounding pretentious, but there are a number of other ways to say “this light’s working on low wattage.”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Dan Schneider on Redeeming Clichés: “…a 10 line poem with at least 8½ seeming clichés…”
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Cliché: the whole enchilada (new entry)
(re-entered at 1:39 pm ET on 12.23.05)
Meaning: the whole package. Multiple clichés for a similar idea.
Rewrite 1: the doughnut and the doughnut hole (also donut)
Rewrite 2: bed, box spring, and mattress
Rewrite 3: the whole car, from the tires to the rag top*
Rewrite 4: the whole car, from headlight to taillight
*Scroll down to rag-top; also applies to American and Canadian English.
Comment: I had to replace my original here because, without intending to, I had repeated a cliché. My apologies to my readers. (I discovered the repeat when I tried to organize the list of clichés alphabetically.)
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés and journalism: “Quickchés: New source of tired writing.”
Meaning: the whole package. Multiple clichés for a similar idea.
Rewrite 1: the doughnut and the doughnut hole (also donut)
Rewrite 2: bed, box spring, and mattress
Rewrite 3: the whole car, from the tires to the rag top*
Rewrite 4: the whole car, from headlight to taillight
*Scroll down to rag-top; also applies to American and Canadian English.
Comment: I had to replace my original here because, without intending to, I had repeated a cliché. My apologies to my readers. (I discovered the repeat when I tried to organize the list of clichés alphabetically.)
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés and journalism: “Quickchés: New source of tired writing.”
Monday, December 19, 2005
Cliché: fall head over heels
Meaning: go all goo-goo over something. Mentions and use examples.
Rewrite 1: danceiv2a around like doing a pirouette in free-fall3
Rewrite 2: do cartwheels on a tightrope
Rewrite 3: frolicvi like a frog on caffeine
Rewrite 4: make like Goofy in love
Comment: Just think about your friends on their first date and how strangely they acted. In using “Goofy” in rewrite 4, I wanted to impart a vision of the Disney character who acts, well, goofy, even more so when he’s in love.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• A fist full of Euros: National Clichés:”…how many of these national touchstones I’ve been completely ignorant about…”
Rewrite 1: danceiv2a around like doing a pirouette in free-fall3
Rewrite 2: do cartwheels on a tightrope
Rewrite 3: frolicvi like a frog on caffeine
Rewrite 4: make like Goofy in love
Comment: Just think about your friends on their first date and how strangely they acted. In using “Goofy” in rewrite 4, I wanted to impart a vision of the Disney character who acts, well, goofy, even more so when he’s in love.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• A fist full of Euros: National Clichés:”…how many of these national touchstones I’ve been completely ignorant about…”
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Cliché: barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: talking to the wrong person; making the wrong choice. Origins.
Rewrite 1: planting a weed where you want a flower
Rewrite 2: picking a rotten apple
Rewrite 3: taking home an empty bag
Rewrite 4: ringingiv3 your own doorbell
Rewrite 5: singing in the wrong key
Comment: This rewrite is fun and easy – just think of a creative way of saying, “You’re making a bad choice.”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés” [NOTE: I’m already on page 15 of the results pages!]:
• Not so grand Cliché List: “Modern (sometimes painfully modern) jokes/clichés/conventions of society…”
Rewrite 1: planting a weed where you want a flower
Rewrite 2: picking a rotten apple
Rewrite 3: taking home an empty bag
Rewrite 4: ringingiv3 your own doorbell
Rewrite 5: singing in the wrong key
Comment: This rewrite is fun and easy – just think of a creative way of saying, “You’re making a bad choice.”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés” [NOTE: I’m already on page 15 of the results pages!]:
• Not so grand Cliché List: “Modern (sometimes painfully modern) jokes/clichés/conventions of society…”
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Cliché: in two shakes of a lamb's tail
Meaning: very quickly. Further on meaning.
Rewrite 1: in two heartbeats
Rewrite 2: quicker than you can shake a lamb’s tail
Rewrite 3: quicker than you can say, “lamb’s tail”
Rewrite 4: faster than you can say, “Get it.”
Comment: This one was a little harder that I thought it would be to rewrite. Perhaps because you want it to be short but some things need more language to explain or set up the comparison.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• The 15 most annoying IT-speak clichés: “The 15 most annoying IT-speak clichés, buzzwords ever used…”
Rewrite 1: in two heartbeats
Rewrite 2: quicker than you can shake a lamb’s tail
Rewrite 3: quicker than you can say, “lamb’s tail”
Rewrite 4: faster than you can say, “Get it.”
Comment: This one was a little harder that I thought it would be to rewrite. Perhaps because you want it to be short but some things need more language to explain or set up the comparison.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• The 15 most annoying IT-speak clichés: “The 15 most annoying IT-speak clichés, buzzwords ever used…”
Friday, December 16, 2005
Cliché: hit pay dirt
Meaning: reach a valued goal. Definition and mentions.
Rewrite 1: striketv16a a gold vein6
Rewrite 2: mint silver
Rewrite 3: deliveriv1 coin
Rewrite 4: take downtv3 a piñata full of diamonds
Rewrite 5: hittv6c CEO pay
Rewrite 6: mineiv1a the mother load1
Comment: I overdid myself, but in doing so I hope I demonstrated that there are many ways to say the same thing.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind: “Gimmicks, like cliches, reveal a lack of craft or imagination, or sometimes downright,” by a writer of crime fiction.
Rewrite 1: striketv16a a gold vein6
Rewrite 2: mint silver
Rewrite 3: deliveriv1 coin
Rewrite 4: take downtv3 a piñata full of diamonds
Rewrite 5: hittv6c CEO pay
Rewrite 6: mineiv1a the mother load1
Comment: I overdid myself, but in doing so I hope I demonstrated that there are many ways to say the same thing.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind: “Gimmicks, like cliches, reveal a lack of craft or imagination, or sometimes downright,” by a writer of crime fiction.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Cliché: at the drop of a hat
Meaning: immediately or easily. Origins and mentions.
Rewrite 1: at the drop of a name
Rewrite 2: at the toss of a coin
Rewrite 3: as sudden as a sneeze
Rewrite 4: faster than the snapis3a of a whip
Rewrite 5: easier than licking a stamp
Comment: What else is quick or easy, so quick or easy it will come immediately to mind?
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• John August: “a ton of useful information about screenwriting.” How to avoid clichés in story writing.
Rewrite 1: at the drop of a name
Rewrite 2: at the toss of a coin
Rewrite 3: as sudden as a sneeze
Rewrite 4: faster than the snapis3a of a whip
Rewrite 5: easier than licking a stamp
Comment: What else is quick or easy, so quick or easy it will come immediately to mind?
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• John August: “a ton of useful information about screenwriting.” How to avoid clichés in story writing.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Cliché: when pigs fly
Meaning: when impossible things happen. Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: when trees dance (can you imagine them in Riverdance?)
Rewrite 2: when cats drive
Rewrite 3: when horses skip rope (they can jump but can they skip?)
Rewrite 4: when penguins fly
Rewrite 5: when cars parallel-park themselves
Comment: It sounds awkward when you add many words, as in rewrites 3 and 5, so simpler statements may work better. However, I encourage more imaginative statements, more impossible combinations.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Cheats, Cliches, Cartoons, Anime…: “…many ways to cut corners in creating animation.”
Rewrite 1: when trees dance (can you imagine them in Riverdance?)
Rewrite 2: when cats drive
Rewrite 3: when horses skip rope (they can jump but can they skip?)
Rewrite 4: when penguins fly
Rewrite 5: when cars parallel-park themselves
Comment: It sounds awkward when you add many words, as in rewrites 3 and 5, so simpler statements may work better. However, I encourage more imaginative statements, more impossible combinations.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Cheats, Cliches, Cartoons, Anime…: “…many ways to cut corners in creating animation.”
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Cliché: toot your own horn
(entered for 12.13.05)
Meaning: make a big deal about something that is yours. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: beep your own horn7a or 7b
Rewrite 2: ring2* your own bell
Rewrite 3: gush over your own accomplishments
Rewrite 4: write your own performance review**
Rewrite 5: make much ado*** about your own nothing
Comment: Not to throw accolades my own way, but I really like rewrite 5, which is a play on one of Shakespeare’s great comedies. The further we can get away from the original the better.
Notes: *Scroll down to the second use of ring. **Go to the “p’s” then scroll about a quarter of the way down the page to find “performance review.” ***See “Shakespeare’s Words”, a Shakespeare glossary, by David Crystal, for more meaning on The Bard’s words and phrases.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Sundance Creativity: “Poetic Cliches: …clichés are rampant in poetry today, particularly among new or younger poets.”
Meaning: make a big deal about something that is yours. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: beep your own horn7a or 7b
Rewrite 2: ring2* your own bell
Rewrite 3: gush over your own accomplishments
Rewrite 4: write your own performance review**
Rewrite 5: make much ado*** about your own nothing
Comment: Not to throw accolades my own way, but I really like rewrite 5, which is a play on one of Shakespeare’s great comedies. The further we can get away from the original the better.
Notes: *Scroll down to the second use of ring. **Go to the “p’s” then scroll about a quarter of the way down the page to find “performance review.” ***See “Shakespeare’s Words”, a Shakespeare glossary, by David Crystal, for more meaning on The Bard’s words and phrases.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Sundance Creativity: “Poetic Cliches: …clichés are rampant in poetry today, particularly among new or younger poets.”
Cliché: swim against the tide
(entered for 12.12.05; writer's apology: technical difficulties interfered with posting earlier.)
Meaning: oppose popular thought or trend. Sources.
Rewrite 1: swim out as the tiden2 moves in
Rewrite 2: move against the flow
Rewrite 3: blowis2 against the gale
Rewrite 4: cuttv1 across the grainn6
Comment: I thought this one would be easier to recast, but it was something like climbing up a limp rope.
More reading about clichés:
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Flickr: Monterey Aquarium Clichés: “…pictures from the [Monterey] aquarium should only be posted if they have a very high cliché potential.”
Meaning: oppose popular thought or trend. Sources.
Rewrite 1: swim out as the tiden2 moves in
Rewrite 2: move against the flow
Rewrite 3: blowis2 against the gale
Rewrite 4: cuttv1 across the grainn6
Comment: I thought this one would be easier to recast, but it was something like climbing up a limp rope.
More reading about clichés:
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Flickr: Monterey Aquarium Clichés: “…pictures from the [Monterey] aquarium should only be posted if they have a very high cliché potential.”
Cliché: not the ghost of a chance
(entered for 12.11.05; writer's apology: technical difficulties interfered with posting earlier)
Meaning: not the slimmest possibility. Origins and mentions.
Rewrite 1: not a demon’s hope of heaven
Rewrite 2: not a snow cone’s chance in the ocean
Rewrite 3: not an iceberg’s chance in the Sahara
Rewrite 4: a bat has a better chance in a blinding snowstorm
Comment: Most similarities to ghosts are difficult to parse for a rewrite, so I tended to other, more substantial lost causes.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Chester Novello: “Clichés is a prelude, fugue and blues for jazz sextet and has undergone two bouts of revision since its première by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group in October 2001 (conducted by Pierre-André Valade).”
Meaning: not the slimmest possibility. Origins and mentions.
Rewrite 1: not a demon’s hope of heaven
Rewrite 2: not a snow cone’s chance in the ocean
Rewrite 3: not an iceberg’s chance in the Sahara
Rewrite 4: a bat has a better chance in a blinding snowstorm
Comment: Most similarities to ghosts are difficult to parse for a rewrite, so I tended to other, more substantial lost causes.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Chester Novello: “Clichés is a prelude, fugue and blues for jazz sextet and has undergone two bouts of revision since its première by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group in October 2001 (conducted by Pierre-André Valade).”
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Cliché: like night and day
Meaning: contrast or comparison through opposites3.
Rewrite 1: like black and white
Rewrite 2: like good and evil
Rewrite 3: like shadow and saturation4
Rewrite 4: like war and peace
Rewrite 5: like God and devil
Comment: Do you suppose we soon will run out of opposites? At least meaningful ones?
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Australian World Map (Macquarie Dictionary): “It takes courage to write about clichés, not least because of the fear of turning out more clichés. But here goes.”
Rewrite 1: like black and white
Rewrite 2: like good and evil
Rewrite 3: like shadow and saturation4
Rewrite 4: like war and peace
Rewrite 5: like God and devil
Comment: Do you suppose we soon will run out of opposites? At least meaningful ones?
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Australian World Map (Macquarie Dictionary): “It takes courage to write about clichés, not least because of the fear of turning out more clichés. But here goes.”
Friday, December 09, 2005
Cliché: knee-high to a grasshopper
Meaning: something very small, short, or young. Use examples. Origins.
Rewrite 1: knee-high to a cricket
Rewrite 2: no taller than a gnome’s knees
Rewrite 3: no higher than putting green grass
Rewrite 4: no bigger than a barrel full of fleas
Rewrite 5: he’d grown no bigger than a chipmunk’s left thumb
Comment: I’ve always wanted to use rewrite 2, it’s so vivid.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés Exercise: “To illustrate how dull and predictable clichés are, see how easy it is to fill in the missing words in the last half of the examples below.”
Rewrite 1: knee-high to a cricket
Rewrite 2: no taller than a gnome’s knees
Rewrite 3: no higher than putting green grass
Rewrite 4: no bigger than a barrel full of fleas
Rewrite 5: he’d grown no bigger than a chipmunk’s left thumb
Comment: I’ve always wanted to use rewrite 2, it’s so vivid.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés Exercise: “To illustrate how dull and predictable clichés are, see how easy it is to fill in the missing words in the last half of the examples below.”
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Cliché: the 800-pound gorilla
Meaning: something of great (exaggerated) weight or size. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: the 500-pound canary
Rewrite 2: the 6-ton birthday cake
Rewrite 3: the eight-story bungalow
Rewrite 4: a gorilla with enough muscle to lift a tree house
Comment: I can’t resist telling a couple of jokes here: What does a 500-pound canary say? “Here kitty-kitty…” Where does an 800-pound cat sleep? Anywhere he wants to. What don’t you tell a centipede to hurry it up? Shake a leg. (You’d want it to shake all of its legs.) You can have a lot of fun with this one, and I encourage you to do so.
Note: "800-pound" (and similar constructions) is often written out as "eight-hundred pound."
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• CISAB Animal Proverbs and Cliches: Animal Proverbs and Clichés from the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, USA.
Rewrite 1: the 500-pound canary
Rewrite 2: the 6-ton birthday cake
Rewrite 3: the eight-story bungalow
Rewrite 4: a gorilla with enough muscle to lift a tree house
Comment: I can’t resist telling a couple of jokes here: What does a 500-pound canary say? “Here kitty-kitty…” Where does an 800-pound cat sleep? Anywhere he wants to. What don’t you tell a centipede to hurry it up? Shake a leg. (You’d want it to shake all of its legs.) You can have a lot of fun with this one, and I encourage you to do so.
Note: "800-pound" (and similar constructions) is often written out as "eight-hundred pound."
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• CISAB Animal Proverbs and Cliches: Animal Proverbs and Clichés from the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, USA.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Cliché: born with a silver spoon in his mouth
Meaning: born into wealth2 or great luck. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: born with a silver dollar under his tongue
Rewrite 2: conceived in a mansion and delivered in a Rolls-Royce
Rewrite 3: gave birth to a bouncing baby billionaire
Rewrite 4: never had to worry from the moment he came out of the womb
Comment: The third rewrite is stretching the metaphor in that it doesn’t talk about the person being born but rather to the mother giving birth. However, it still works to convey the life of privilege the baby is born into.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés: The Sleeping Puppies. “These viruses infect songs, television, movies, and commercials, not to mention everyday conversations.”
Rewrite 1: born with a silver dollar under his tongue
Rewrite 2: conceived in a mansion and delivered in a Rolls-Royce
Rewrite 3: gave birth to a bouncing baby billionaire
Rewrite 4: never had to worry from the moment he came out of the womb
Comment: The third rewrite is stretching the metaphor in that it doesn’t talk about the person being born but rather to the mother giving birth. However, it still works to convey the life of privilege the baby is born into.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés: The Sleeping Puppies. “These viruses infect songs, television, movies, and commercials, not to mention everyday conversations.”
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Cliché: you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink
Meaning: you can help someone find something but you can’t make him take advantage of it. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: you can take a horse to the hay, but you can’t make him eat it
Rewrite 2: you can lead a cat to the litter box, but you can’t make her use it
Rewrite 3: even a dog on a leash doesn’t always want to walk
Rewrite 4: you can make some people leaders but they still want to follow
Comment: Rewriting this cliché can open a slew of different possibilities, and they don’t all have to follow the logical course. Rewrites 3 and 4 are good examples.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Business phrases, jargon and business clichés, “Said what is an online database of quotes and quotations, covering politics, celebrities, models, famous quotations and topical articles, competitions.”
Rewrite 1: you can take a horse to the hay, but you can’t make him eat it
Rewrite 2: you can lead a cat to the litter box, but you can’t make her use it
Rewrite 3: even a dog on a leash doesn’t always want to walk
Rewrite 4: you can make some people leaders but they still want to follow
Comment: Rewriting this cliché can open a slew of different possibilities, and they don’t all have to follow the logical course. Rewrites 3 and 4 are good examples.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Business phrases, jargon and business clichés, “Said what is an online database of quotes and quotations, covering politics, celebrities, models, famous quotations and topical articles, competitions.”
Monday, December 05, 2005
Cliché: something to sink your teeth into
Meaning: something big and “meaty2” to get a hold of. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: something to grab a hold of
Rewrite 2: something you can set a trap onto
Rewrite 3: that one’s got some meat3 to it
Rewrite 4: that’s got the quality of a good thick steak
Comment: On the one hand, you want to associate it with something hardy to eat. On the other, you want to move over to something of substantial quality.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Business Buylines, an “extensive collection of advertising clichés, mottos and slogans may help get you out of a creative slump!”
Rewrite 1: something to grab a hold of
Rewrite 2: something you can set a trap onto
Rewrite 3: that one’s got some meat3 to it
Rewrite 4: that’s got the quality of a good thick steak
Comment: On the one hand, you want to associate it with something hardy to eat. On the other, you want to move over to something of substantial quality.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Business Buylines, an “extensive collection of advertising clichés, mottos and slogans may help get you out of a creative slump!”
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Cliché: play with the big boys (or girls)
Meaning: move up to bigger or better things. Usage examples.
Rewrite 1: play with the big kids
Rewrite 2: sit at the adult table
Rewrite 3: work with the pros2a
Rewrite 4: get a job with real payn2
Comment: This one can easily be tied to specific jobs or professions.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Nerd clichés, “a sad page from weirdity.com”
Rewrite 1: play with the big kids
Rewrite 2: sit at the adult table
Rewrite 3: work with the pros2a
Rewrite 4: get a job with real payn2
Comment: This one can easily be tied to specific jobs or professions.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Nerd clichés, “a sad page from weirdity.com”
Cliché: don’t reinvent the wheel
(entered for 12.03.05)
Meaning: don’t remake something so simple and so successful. Usage examples.
Rewrite 1: don’t squaretv1 the circle
Rewrite 2: don’t reinvent the flame1
Rewrite 3: you can only replace a wheel with another wheel
Rewrite 4: a wheel is a wheel is a wheel; to redesign it is redundant1c
Rewrite 5: a “better” window is still a window
Comment: It’s easy to get sidetracked by this rewrite. Keep it simple … and don’t reinvent the wheel.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Not-so-grand List of Overused Fantasy Cliches, “a special subset of cliches I like to call the Van Helsing Rules”.
Meaning: don’t remake something so simple and so successful. Usage examples.
Rewrite 1: don’t squaretv1 the circle
Rewrite 2: don’t reinvent the flame1
Rewrite 3: you can only replace a wheel with another wheel
Rewrite 4: a wheel is a wheel is a wheel; to redesign it is redundant1c
Rewrite 5: a “better” window is still a window
Comment: It’s easy to get sidetracked by this rewrite. Keep it simple … and don’t reinvent the wheel.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Not-so-grand List of Overused Fantasy Cliches, “a special subset of cliches I like to call the Van Helsing Rules”.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Cliché: I could whip you with one arm tied behind my back.
Meaning: I can beat you even with disadvantages. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: I could whip you even with my arm in a sling.
Rewrite 2: I could whip you while hopping on one leg.
Rewrite 3: I could whip you with both arms tied behind my back.
Rewrite 4: you couldn’t beat me if I had my back turned toward to you.
Comment: This is something most often recited by children, so you can afford to be extravagant with your claims, even a bit adventurous.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• In Cliches in Action Scenes, “Author Network offers a number of helpful articles on the business of writing - Clichés in Action Scenes by Linda Adams.”
Rewrite 1: I could whip you even with my arm in a sling.
Rewrite 2: I could whip you while hopping on one leg.
Rewrite 3: I could whip you with both arms tied behind my back.
Rewrite 4: you couldn’t beat me if I had my back turned toward to you.
Comment: This is something most often recited by children, so you can afford to be extravagant with your claims, even a bit adventurous.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• In Cliches in Action Scenes, “Author Network offers a number of helpful articles on the business of writing - Clichés in Action Scenes by Linda Adams.”
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Cliché: got off on the wrong foot
Meaning: got started badly. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: got off on somebody else's foot
Rewrite 2: put my worst foot forward
Rewrite 3: restart on the right foot
Rewrite 4: point me to the better foot
Rewrite 5: Right foot but wrong hand still gave me a bad start
Comment: Not much variety here, but you can get the idea across without going too far astray of the original metaphor.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled "clichés":
Common film music clichés, "A lighthearted look at some of the clichés used in film music and sometimes classical music too."
Rewrite 1: got off on somebody else's foot
Rewrite 2: put my worst foot forward
Rewrite 3: restart on the right foot
Rewrite 4: point me to the better foot
Rewrite 5: Right foot but wrong hand still gave me a bad start
Comment: Not much variety here, but you can get the idea across without going too far astray of the original metaphor.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled "clichés":
Common film music clichés, "A lighthearted look at some of the clichés used in film music and sometimes classical music too."
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Cliché: a cash cow
Meaning: dependable source for value. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: a walking ATM
Rewrite 2: your own personal money machine
Rewrite 3: a domesticated2 drive-thru bank
Rewrite 4: the family cat made of rolledvt11 coins
Rewrite 5: a dog that eats scraps but craps cash
Comment: There are some interesting possibilities here for rewrites. Watch that last one – it might offend some.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• “25 Cinematic Clichés I Never Wanna See Again,” by Robin Bougie, The Cultural Gutter.
Rewrite 1: a walking ATM
Rewrite 2: your own personal money machine
Rewrite 3: a domesticated2 drive-thru bank
Rewrite 4: the family cat made of rolledvt11 coins
Rewrite 5: a dog that eats scraps but craps cash
Comment: There are some interesting possibilities here for rewrites. Watch that last one – it might offend some.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• “25 Cinematic Clichés I Never Wanna See Again,” by Robin Bougie, The Cultural Gutter.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Cliché: works like a dog
Meaning: hard, diligent worker
Rewrite 1: works like a rottweiler gnawing on a leg
Rewrite 2: digging with all four legs and a tail
Rewrite 3: more dogged than a terrier after a rat
Rewrite 4: focused like a pointern2 on a pheasant
Rewrite 5: after a job like a sheppard on a drug bust
Comment: I don’t know many dogs that actually do “work,” so maybe it’s the right time to rewrite this dog of a cliché. I tried to stick with dogisms for this cliché, focusing on breeds that work hard at their specialty.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Boing Boing: TV clichés catalogued by BoingBoing, “a directory of wonderful things.”
Rewrite 1: works like a rottweiler gnawing on a leg
Rewrite 2: digging with all four legs and a tail
Rewrite 3: more dogged than a terrier after a rat
Rewrite 4: focused like a pointern2 on a pheasant
Rewrite 5: after a job like a sheppard on a drug bust
Comment: I don’t know many dogs that actually do “work,” so maybe it’s the right time to rewrite this dog of a cliché. I tried to stick with dogisms for this cliché, focusing on breeds that work hard at their specialty.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Boing Boing: TV clichés catalogued by BoingBoing, “a directory of wonderful things.”
Monday, November 28, 2005
Cliché: on the same page
(entered for 11.28.05)
Meaning: in the same frame of reference or starting point. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: on the same map
Rewrite 2: using the same page
Rewrite 3: looking at the same data
Rewrite 4: looking through the same window
Rewrite 5: standing in the same boat or on the same dock
Comment: The difficulty here is finding ample general reference points.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Sucker Swallows Clichés, October 2005 review of “Thumbsucker” (film) by the Yale Daily News, by Makda Asrat
Meaning: in the same frame of reference or starting point. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: on the same map
Rewrite 2: using the same page
Rewrite 3: looking at the same data
Rewrite 4: looking through the same window
Rewrite 5: standing in the same boat or on the same dock
Comment: The difficulty here is finding ample general reference points.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Sucker Swallows Clichés, October 2005 review of “Thumbsucker” (film) by the Yale Daily News, by Makda Asrat
Cliché: stuck out like a sore thumb
(entered for 11.27.05)
Meaning: very evident or easily seen. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: stuck out1b like a missing tooth
Rewrite 2: stuck out like an extra thumb
Rewrite 3: as noticeable as a third leg
Rewrite 4: as easy to miss as a building with no windows
Comment: Lots of imaginative possibilities makes this a fun rewrite, especially if you’re looking at appendages or things on the face. It’s not quite so easy to rewrite based on other missing or excessive things.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Cliches: The Great Ear closers from The Playwriting Seminars. “…you had better change the words if you can't change actors.”
Meaning: very evident or easily seen. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: stuck out1b like a missing tooth
Rewrite 2: stuck out like an extra thumb
Rewrite 3: as noticeable as a third leg
Rewrite 4: as easy to miss as a building with no windows
Comment: Lots of imaginative possibilities makes this a fun rewrite, especially if you’re looking at appendages or things on the face. It’s not quite so easy to rewrite based on other missing or excessive things.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Cliches: The Great Ear closers from The Playwriting Seminars. “…you had better change the words if you can't change actors.”
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Cliché: like a kid in a candy store
Meaning: like someone let loose where their desires can run wild. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: like a dad in a hardware store
Rewrite 2: like a mom in a department store
Rewrite 3: like a kid in a Disney store
Rewrite 4: like a lion loose in a zoo
Comment: We need to be careful about reinforcing stereotypes, which is all too easy to fall prey to in this cliché.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Thundering Cliches: “By the fiction editors of the Thrilling Detective Web Site… …here's the kinda stuff we'd be just as happy not seeing ever again.”
Rewrite 1: like a dad in a hardware store
Rewrite 2: like a mom in a department store
Rewrite 3: like a kid in a Disney store
Rewrite 4: like a lion loose in a zoo
Comment: We need to be careful about reinforcing stereotypes, which is all too easy to fall prey to in this cliché.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Thundering Cliches: “By the fiction editors of the Thrilling Detective Web Site… …here's the kinda stuff we'd be just as happy not seeing ever again.”
Friday, November 25, 2005
Cliché: flat as a pancake
Meaning: especially flat or thin. Origin and uses.
Rewrite 1: flat as a lid
Rewrite 2: flat as a snowflake
Rewrite 3: flat as a stamp
Rewrite 4: thin as the space between two dimes
Comment: There are a lot of flat, thin things, making this metaphor rife with opportunities for comparison. Have some fun with it.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• “All Eyes Are On…” Broadcast Writing Cliches – Using a tired cliché can give viewers eye strain.
Rewrite 1: flat as a lid
Rewrite 2: flat as a snowflake
Rewrite 3: flat as a stamp
Rewrite 4: thin as the space between two dimes
Comment: There are a lot of flat, thin things, making this metaphor rife with opportunities for comparison. Have some fun with it.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• “All Eyes Are On…” Broadcast Writing Cliches – Using a tired cliché can give viewers eye strain.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Cliché: rock the boat
Happy Thanksgiving!
Cliché Meaning: upsetting the status quo. Origins and uses.
Rewrite 1: tilttv1* the game
Rewrite 2: jiggle the pitcher
Rewrite 3: juggle the glass
Rewrite 4: splittv2a the plank
Comment: Answers.com gives “disturb a stable situation” for meaning, but I see a wider application here in terms of the effects of disturbing the situation.
*Note: In rewrite 1 above, in addition to inclining the game, I meant the sense of “tilt” in which you cause the game to freeze up during play because you inclined or jiggled it too much. This denotation was more in-use with arcade games back in the 20th century.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• List of movie clichés by genre. “Each cinematic genre generally has its own litany of clichés”
Cliché Meaning: upsetting the status quo. Origins and uses.
Rewrite 1: tilttv1* the game
Rewrite 2: jiggle the pitcher
Rewrite 3: juggle the glass
Rewrite 4: splittv2a the plank
Comment: Answers.com gives “disturb a stable situation” for meaning, but I see a wider application here in terms of the effects of disturbing the situation.
*Note: In rewrite 1 above, in addition to inclining the game, I meant the sense of “tilt” in which you cause the game to freeze up during play because you inclined or jiggled it too much. This denotation was more in-use with arcade games back in the 20th century.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• List of movie clichés by genre. “Each cinematic genre generally has its own litany of clichés”
Cliché: another nail in the coffin
Meaning: one more thing to ensure something. Origins and uses.
Rewrite 1: another lock on the door
Rewrite 2: one more knot1nb in the noose
Rewrite 3: one more second off the recordn4
Rewrite 4: another quarter in the meter
Comment: Although some would attribute this cliché to ensuring death, it can apply to many more situations. Thus, I’ve tried to broaden the examples.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Cliché Challenge: “How various clichés of our times are faring based on the number of references on Google.”
Rewrite 1: another lock on the door
Rewrite 2: one more knot1nb in the noose
Rewrite 3: one more second off the recordn4
Rewrite 4: another quarter in the meter
Comment: Although some would attribute this cliché to ensuring death, it can apply to many more situations. Thus, I’ve tried to broaden the examples.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Cliché Challenge: “How various clichés of our times are faring based on the number of references on Google.”
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Cliché: under a microscope
Meaning: a very close look. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: at the atomica4 level
Rewrite 2: under a watchmaker’s eye
Rewrite 3: with a proofreader’s eye
Rewrite 4: at the printer-dotn1c level
Comment: Here, we are trying to convey a very minute or highly magnified level to look deeply into something.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Explain this cartoon. “Use examples from your own writing.” (A class exercise.)
Rewrite 1: at the atomica4 level
Rewrite 2: under a watchmaker’s eye
Rewrite 3: with a proofreader’s eye
Rewrite 4: at the printer-dotn1c level
Comment: Here, we are trying to convey a very minute or highly magnified level to look deeply into something.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Explain this cartoon. “Use examples from your own writing.” (A class exercise.)
Monday, November 21, 2005
Clické: send up a trial balloon
Meaning: to try something out to test it. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: shove it off a cliff and see if it fliesvis6
Rewrite 2: windvt6 it up and see if it runs
Rewrite 3: see how it fares in some market research
Rewrite 4: plug it in and see if it goes10a
Comment: You should be able to come up with plenty of “trial balloons” to test.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés about the French language.
Rewrite 1: shove it off a cliff and see if it fliesvis6
Rewrite 2: windvt6 it up and see if it runs
Rewrite 3: see how it fares in some market research
Rewrite 4: plug it in and see if it goes10a
Comment: You should be able to come up with plenty of “trial balloons” to test.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés about the French language.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Cliché: play the hand you're dealt
Meaning: use what you have or are given. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: play the cards in your hands
Rewrite 2: play the dice you’ve rolled
Rewrite 3: play your position on the gameboard
Rewrite 4: stick with the gifts under your tree
Comment: You might be tempted to stay with game metaphors, but there are plenty of other situations in life where you must use what is at hand, like “use every advantage life deals you.”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• BusinessBalls: Etymology of Cliches: “free expressions, words, phrases, origins and derivations…”
More reading about cards
• Idioms that use “cards”
Rewrite 1: play the cards in your hands
Rewrite 2: play the dice you’ve rolled
Rewrite 3: play your position on the gameboard
Rewrite 4: stick with the gifts under your tree
Comment: You might be tempted to stay with game metaphors, but there are plenty of other situations in life where you must use what is at hand, like “use every advantage life deals you.”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• BusinessBalls: Etymology of Cliches: “free expressions, words, phrases, origins and derivations…”
More reading about cards
• Idioms that use “cards”
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Cliché: last but not least
Meaning: my last example but not the least-important one. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: finally, and just as important,
Rewrite 2: bringing up the end and equally important
Rewrite 3: lastly, but not as least on the list,
Rewrite 4: of equal importance even if it’s the last on the list,
Comment: Here is a cliché that at its inception was probably the best it could be expressed, which makes rewriting or recasting more difficult. There is an equally effective alternative to place the “not least” statement at the beginning of the statement. For instance, you might say: “Here is my list, offered in no particular order of importance. First…” or “I offer the following not in order of importance. First…”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• A Crop of Clichés: “Clichés, phrases, one liners, sayings, similes, adages, proverbs in gardening and farming.” [Author revised from original entry to better reflect what you will find here.]
Rewrite 1: finally, and just as important,
Rewrite 2: bringing up the end and equally important
Rewrite 3: lastly, but not as least on the list,
Rewrite 4: of equal importance even if it’s the last on the list,
Comment: Here is a cliché that at its inception was probably the best it could be expressed, which makes rewriting or recasting more difficult. There is an equally effective alternative to place the “not least” statement at the beginning of the statement. For instance, you might say: “Here is my list, offered in no particular order of importance. First…” or “I offer the following not in order of importance. First…”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• A Crop of Clichés: “Clichés, phrases, one liners, sayings, similes, adages, proverbs in gardening and farming.” [Author revised from original entry to better reflect what you will find here.]
Friday, November 18, 2005
Cliché: off kilter
Meaning: off form or condition; missing the mark. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: off his keen edge or his edge has gone softa5
Rewrite 2: off her guidesn4
Rewrite 3: he’s wide of his goalposts
Rewrite 4: she’s working from the wrong recipe
Comment: Ever wonder what “kilter” is in other countries? Go to Answers.com and scroll down to “Translations” to see the word in 14 languages.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Judicial Cliches on Terrorism: Washington Post article on what “have become judicial cliches to be invoked in arguments about how the global struggle against terrorism is to be prosecuted.”
Rewrite 1: off his keen edge or his edge has gone softa5
Rewrite 2: off her guidesn4
Rewrite 3: he’s wide of his goalposts
Rewrite 4: she’s working from the wrong recipe
Comment: Ever wonder what “kilter” is in other countries? Go to Answers.com and scroll down to “Translations” to see the word in 14 languages.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Judicial Cliches on Terrorism: Washington Post article on what “have become judicial cliches to be invoked in arguments about how the global struggle against terrorism is to be prosecuted.”
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Cliché: jump the gun
Meaning: get out ahead of the official start. Origins and uses.
Rewrite 1: beat the whistlen5
Rewrite 2: lead the starting pistol
Rewrite 3: start without the refereen2
Rewrite 4: push the stopwatch*
*This one is a little less clear since it's a "stop" watch and not a "start" watch. You could use "timer" or "official clock" but you would probably have a similar challenge.
Comment: This one needs some sense that you are launching or starting ahead of the agreed official start time. It isn’t about being "ahead of your time."
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Book of Cliches – “Phrases to say in times of trouble.”
Rewrite 1: beat the whistlen5
Rewrite 2: lead the starting pistol
Rewrite 3: start without the refereen2
Rewrite 4: push the stopwatch*
*This one is a little less clear since it's a "stop" watch and not a "start" watch. You could use "timer" or "official clock" but you would probably have a similar challenge.
Comment: This one needs some sense that you are launching or starting ahead of the agreed official start time. It isn’t about being "ahead of your time."
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Book of Cliches – “Phrases to say in times of trouble.”
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