Meaning: close your mouth or be quiet
Rewrite 1: snapiv9 your flapn2
Rewrite 2: close your pie hole
Rewrite 3: lock it shut
Rewrite 4: plug your escape hatch
Comment: All of these rewrites would work if you put them in the right context, but they could also be taken as a double entendre if you aren’t careful.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”
• Clichés to say in times of trouble is what The Book of Clichés is all about.
Friday, October 21, 2005
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Cliché: can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
Meaning: can’t make something lovely out of something ugly
Rewrite 1: can’t make a silk purse out of an elephant’s ear
Rewrite 2: can’t make a T-bone out of stew meat
Rewrite 3: can’t turn a hovel into a mansion
Rewrite 4: can’t turn slop3 into cheesecake
Comment: Although there are plenty of ugly things and lots of lovely things, they can't all be related into a metaphor like this. The original comparison had a rural quality to it that can be limiting for some writers. To preserve that quality, the fourth rewrite might be better with something more like "can't turn slop into cake" or "can't turn slop into meat loaf."
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”
• The Movie Clichés List by Giancarlo Cairella. Lots of different categories of movie clichés, like airplanes, alcohol, and nightmares.
Rewrite 1: can’t make a silk purse out of an elephant’s ear
Rewrite 2: can’t make a T-bone out of stew meat
Rewrite 3: can’t turn a hovel into a mansion
Rewrite 4: can’t turn slop3 into cheesecake
Comment: Although there are plenty of ugly things and lots of lovely things, they can't all be related into a metaphor like this. The original comparison had a rural quality to it that can be limiting for some writers. To preserve that quality, the fourth rewrite might be better with something more like "can't turn slop into cake" or "can't turn slop into meat loaf."
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”
• The Movie Clichés List by Giancarlo Cairella. Lots of different categories of movie clichés, like airplanes, alcohol, and nightmares.
From a reader of this blog (thanks for the plug on Twitter!)(Updated 11.11.09)
• See The Loco Diner for reuse of this cliche. Nicely written.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Cliché: a stitch in time saves nine
Meaning: tend to it before it gets much worse
Rewrite 1: a dime in the meter now saves a $20 ticket later
Rewrite 2: a drip patched now avoids a flood4 bailed later
Rewrite 3: leaves1b(1) blown away today avoid piles of leaves raked1 later
Rewrite 4: you can manage it today while it's small or handle it as an emergency tomorrow
Comment: Just ask yourself, "What can I do today while it is a small matter that if I put off until a later time will seem more difficult or unmanageable?"
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”
• The Sports Cliché List by TicketRetriever.com. Lots of different categories of sports clichés, like “factor” clichés – clichés with “factor” in the phrase.
Rewrite 1: a dime in the meter now saves a $20 ticket later
Rewrite 2: a drip patched now avoids a flood4 bailed later
Rewrite 3: leaves1b(1) blown away today avoid piles of leaves raked1 later
Rewrite 4: you can manage it today while it's small or handle it as an emergency tomorrow
Comment: Just ask yourself, "What can I do today while it is a small matter that if I put off until a later time will seem more difficult or unmanageable?"
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”
• The Sports Cliché List by TicketRetriever.com. Lots of different categories of sports clichés, like “factor” clichés – clichés with “factor” in the phrase.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Cliché: not for all the tea in China
Meaning: not for all you could get of something that is in abundance
Rewrite 1: not for all the coffee in Colombia
Rewrite 2: not for all the burkas in Iran
Rewrite 3: not for all the apples in the orchard
Rewrite 4: not for all the steps in the Sears Tower
Comment: There are lots of choices for comparison here. Just think of something of which there is an abundance and you pretty much have a rewrite.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”
Rewrite 1: not for all the coffee in Colombia
Rewrite 2: not for all the burkas in Iran
Rewrite 3: not for all the apples in the orchard
Rewrite 4: not for all the steps in the Sears Tower
Comment: There are lots of choices for comparison here. Just think of something of which there is an abundance and you pretty much have a rewrite.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”
- This has little to do with clichés in the context in which I use them, but it is kind of fun. Read Shoot the Cliché by jheather.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Cliché: know it like the back of my hand
Meaning: intimately known
Rewrite 1: know it like the moles1 on my chest
Rewrite 2: know it like the frown lines on my (spouse's) forehead
Rewrite 3: know it like the scent of my (lover's) favorite perfume
Rewrite 4: could recognize it in a crowd like a mother bird knows a chick's chirp
Rewrite 5: could pick him out of a lineup of identical twins
Comment: In the last rewrite, I wanted to use "look-a-likes" for its alliterative qualities, but isn't it redundantc to say "a lineup of look-a-likes"?
New feature:
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled "cliches"
• The New Cliché: "It's the Wikipedia of..." at "loose wire" on September 29, 2005, by WSJ online columnist Jeremy Wagstaff.
Rewrite 1: know it like the moles1 on my chest
Rewrite 2: know it like the frown lines on my (spouse's) forehead
Rewrite 3: know it like the scent of my (lover's) favorite perfume
Rewrite 4: could recognize it in a crowd like a mother bird knows a chick's chirp
Rewrite 5: could pick him out of a lineup of identical twins
Comment: In the last rewrite, I wanted to use "look-a-likes" for its alliterative qualities, but isn't it redundantc to say "a lineup of look-a-likes"?
New feature:
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled "cliches"
• The New Cliché: "It's the Wikipedia of..." at "loose wire" on September 29, 2005, by WSJ online columnist Jeremy Wagstaff.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Cliché: a fish out of water
Meaning: someone or something outside of its natural element
Rewrite 1: a whale out of water
Rewrite 2: a lion out of the wild
Rewrite 3: an igloo out of the arctic
Rewrite 4: a bear in Goldilocks’ house
Rewrite 5: a man in a lingerie store
Comment: In this exercise, I listed things out of their natural element and things in an unnatural element.
Rewrite 1: a whale out of water
Rewrite 2: a lion out of the wild
Rewrite 3: an igloo out of the arctic
Rewrite 4: a bear in Goldilocks’ house
Rewrite 5: a man in a lingerie store
Comment: In this exercise, I listed things out of their natural element and things in an unnatural element.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Cliché: busier than a one-armed paper hanger
Meaning: ridiculously busy
Rewrite 1: busier than a one-handed paper hanger
Rewrite 2: busier than a dog-walker in a yard full of cats
Rewrite 3: busier than a pumpkin-carver on a steep hill
Rewrite 4: more distracted than a cross-dresser in a locker room
Comment: There are a lot of interesting prospects for this cliché. Obviously the more extreme the case the more fun the metaphor. The last one above is a bit weaker than the others, but it still serves as an example of someone busy in very different, if not extremely different, circumstances.
Rewrite 1: busier than a one-handed paper hanger
Rewrite 2: busier than a dog-walker in a yard full of cats
Rewrite 3: busier than a pumpkin-carver on a steep hill
Rewrite 4: more distracted than a cross-dresser in a locker room
Comment: There are a lot of interesting prospects for this cliché. Obviously the more extreme the case the more fun the metaphor. The last one above is a bit weaker than the others, but it still serves as an example of someone busy in very different, if not extremely different, circumstances.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Cliché: cry over spilled milk
Meaning: to get upset over something basic
Rewrite 1: cry over spilled salt
Rewrite 2: cry over a dropped donut
Rewrite 3: lose sleep over losing a dime
Rewrite 4: hyperventilate over a typo
Comment: This cliché is sometimes also used to indicate sorrow over losing something basic when it is hard to come by. For instance, in tough times one might become upset over spilling the last serving of milk that one finds costly to replace.
Rewrite 1: cry over spilled salt
Rewrite 2: cry over a dropped donut
Rewrite 3: lose sleep over losing a dime
Rewrite 4: hyperventilate over a typo
Comment: This cliché is sometimes also used to indicate sorrow over losing something basic when it is hard to come by. For instance, in tough times one might become upset over spilling the last serving of milk that one finds costly to replace.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Cliché: variety is the spice of life
Meaning: diversity is good
Rewrite 1: variety makes life sweet
Rewrite 2: variety makes almost everything better
Rewrite 3: variety is what’s great about life
Rewrite 4: diversity is sweetness itself
Rewrite 5: If variety were a soup, it would be “M-m-m, good!”
Caution: With this sentiment, it’s easy to sound sappy. Keep coming back to the essence of the cliché, which is that variety – diversity – is a great thing.
Rewrite 1: variety makes life sweet
Rewrite 2: variety makes almost everything better
Rewrite 3: variety is what’s great about life
Rewrite 4: diversity is sweetness itself
Rewrite 5: If variety were a soup, it would be “M-m-m, good!”
Caution: With this sentiment, it’s easy to sound sappy. Keep coming back to the essence of the cliché, which is that variety – diversity – is a great thing.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Cliché: step on your toes
Meaning: get in your way or interfere with your progress
Rewrite 1: step on your heel
Rewrite 2: step on your sandals (or wingtips)
Rewrite 3: pull in front of you
Rewrite 4: rear-end you
Comment: These all describe accidental interference. More intended interference might be “moved ahead of you” or “blocked* you”.
*block -- transitive verb, in the sense of 4a.
Rewrite 1: step on your heel
Rewrite 2: step on your sandals (or wingtips)
Rewrite 3: pull in front of you
Rewrite 4: rear-end you
Comment: These all describe accidental interference. More intended interference might be “moved ahead of you” or “blocked* you”.
*block -- transitive verb, in the sense of 4a.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Cliché: to pull the wool over your eyes
Meaning: to pull something on, or hide something from, you
Rewrite 1: to pull your hat down over your eyes
Rewrite 2: to tint your glasses with whiteout
Rewrite 3: to mask the problem with duct tape
Rewrite 4: pulled the blinds shut and left with the chords
Comment: Most of these can be said with sarcasm, and all of them are audacious; have some fun with these, but also think of some that are more serious.
Rewrite 1: to pull your hat down over your eyes
Rewrite 2: to tint your glasses with whiteout
Rewrite 3: to mask the problem with duct tape
Rewrite 4: pulled the blinds shut and left with the chords
Comment: Most of these can be said with sarcasm, and all of them are audacious; have some fun with these, but also think of some that are more serious.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Cliché: …and the rest is history
Meaning: …and everyone knows the rest of the story
Rewrite 1: …and the rest is in the paper
Rewrite 2: …and the rest is legend
Rewrite 3: …and the media has covered the rest
Rewrite 4: …and you know the rest of the story
Rewrite 5: …and for the rest, consult the history books
Caution: It’s easy to sound flippant with a rewrite of this cliché.
Comment: If it’s “history” because so much has been written about it, you could name other resources, like the encyclopedia, dictionary, Internet, Web, science books, library, reference section, and so on. If it’s “history” because it’s part of recorded history, you could cite those sources, as in history books, History 101, archeology books, anthropology books, pre-history, mythology books, historical records, genealogical records, your grandmother, etc.
Rewrite 1: …and the rest is in the paper
Rewrite 2: …and the rest is legend
Rewrite 3: …and the media has covered the rest
Rewrite 4: …and you know the rest of the story
Rewrite 5: …and for the rest, consult the history books
Caution: It’s easy to sound flippant with a rewrite of this cliché.
Comment: If it’s “history” because so much has been written about it, you could name other resources, like the encyclopedia, dictionary, Internet, Web, science books, library, reference section, and so on. If it’s “history” because it’s part of recorded history, you could cite those sources, as in history books, History 101, archeology books, anthropology books, pre-history, mythology books, historical records, genealogical records, your grandmother, etc.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Cliché: idle hands are the devil's workshop
Meaning: having nothing to do leads to mischief
Rewrite 1: feet with nowhere to go lead to a footpath of trouble
Rewrite 2: twiddling fingers often go hand-in-hand with mischief
Rewrite 3: much evil is due when there’s little else to do (or when there's little to do, much evil is due.)
Rewrite 4: stay busy to stay sane
Comment: I found this one more interesting to rewrite than many others. It almost has a Confucian quality to it. Keep tongue in cheek when it’s wisdom you seek!
Note: I'm linking to www.wordsmyth.net for definitions, which is a service users will very soon need to register for. I don't think there's a cost involved. It offers a very nice set of features beyond what you may find on other online dictionaries. Some of these words are fairly elementary but I wanted to serve a wide audience, which would include children learning some of these words for the first time.
Rewrite 1: feet with nowhere to go lead to a footpath of trouble
Rewrite 2: twiddling fingers often go hand-in-hand with mischief
Rewrite 3: much evil is due when there’s little else to do (or when there's little to do, much evil is due.)
Rewrite 4: stay busy to stay sane
Comment: I found this one more interesting to rewrite than many others. It almost has a Confucian quality to it. Keep tongue in cheek when it’s wisdom you seek!
Note: I'm linking to www.wordsmyth.net for definitions, which is a service users will very soon need to register for. I don't think there's a cost involved. It offers a very nice set of features beyond what you may find on other online dictionaries. Some of these words are fairly elementary but I wanted to serve a wide audience, which would include children learning some of these words for the first time.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Cliché: the grass is always greener on the other side
Meaning: what you don’t have always looks better than what you do have
Rewrite 1: the grass is always greener in your neighbor’s yard
Rewrite 2: the alternate route is always quicker
Rewrite 3: the other waiting line always goes faster
Rewrite 4: I knew I should have chosen the pecan pie instead of pumpkin!
Comment: There are probably no statistics to prove it, but we seem to always make the wrong choices. At the store, the cashier line you didn’t take always goes faster. At the drive-in bank, the line you choose is always slower. At the clothier, you knew you should have bought the green shirt instead of the blue one. No matter how well you water your lawn, the next door neighbor’s grass is always thicker and greener. We are so sure we could have made a better choice, we are never satisfied, so there are lots of choices for rewriting this cliché.
Rewrite 1: the grass is always greener in your neighbor’s yard
Rewrite 2: the alternate route is always quicker
Rewrite 3: the other waiting line always goes faster
Rewrite 4: I knew I should have chosen the pecan pie instead of pumpkin!
Comment: There are probably no statistics to prove it, but we seem to always make the wrong choices. At the store, the cashier line you didn’t take always goes faster. At the drive-in bank, the line you choose is always slower. At the clothier, you knew you should have bought the green shirt instead of the blue one. No matter how well you water your lawn, the next door neighbor’s grass is always thicker and greener. We are so sure we could have made a better choice, we are never satisfied, so there are lots of choices for rewriting this cliché.
Friday, October 07, 2005
Cliché: with a fine tooth comb
Meaning: in exceptional detail
Rewrite 1: with a fine-bristled brush
Rewrite 2: with an electron microscope
Rewrite 3: with a hefty magnifying lens
Rewrite 4: with the eyes of a tax auditor
Comment: It is easy to quickly use up instruments that can bring matters close at hand, so to recast this one you need to go well beyond the obvious methods. In this case, I went for an occupation known for its use of intense scrutiny. What other occupations might you tap for your metaphor? A jeweler? A watchmaker? An attorney? A fine art restorer?
Note: See definitions in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. (www.bartleby.com)
Rewrite 1: with a fine-bristled brush
Rewrite 2: with an electron microscope
Rewrite 3: with a hefty magnifying lens
Rewrite 4: with the eyes of a tax auditor
Comment: It is easy to quickly use up instruments that can bring matters close at hand, so to recast this one you need to go well beyond the obvious methods. In this case, I went for an occupation known for its use of intense scrutiny. What other occupations might you tap for your metaphor? A jeweler? A watchmaker? An attorney? A fine art restorer?
Note: See definitions in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. (www.bartleby.com)
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Cliché: a horse of a different color
Meaning: different than originally envisioned
Rewrite 1: a house of a different color
Rewrite 2: a cat of a different stripe
Rewrite 3: a dog of a different breed
Rewrite 4: funny how looking at it in a different way casts in it a different light
Comment: This cliché was used effectively in the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, turning it from a cliché about differences in perception to an actual horse of a different color. You have a large palette to work with here, using differences in color, material, texture, quality, and more.
Rewrite 1: a house of a different color
Rewrite 2: a cat of a different stripe
Rewrite 3: a dog of a different breed
Rewrite 4: funny how looking at it in a different way casts in it a different light
Comment: This cliché was used effectively in the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, turning it from a cliché about differences in perception to an actual horse of a different color. You have a large palette to work with here, using differences in color, material, texture, quality, and more.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Cliché: come hell or high water
Meaning: come whatever the worst you can imagine
Rewrite 1: come flood or ice storm
Rewrite 2: come my mother-in-law or the IRS
Rewrite 3: come tax time or bankruptcy
Rewrite 4: even with the threat of prison or cleaning the toilet
Comment: I had a wonderful relationship with my mother-in-law, so that example might not be all that terrible for some people. In general, come up with a list of the worst things you can imagine and try to play them off each other; for instance, bad visits would be from your mother-in-law and the IRS; bad weather could be floods and ice storms, and so on.
Note on capitalization of "hell": I thought it was standard to capitalize "hell," but in looking at various online dictionaries, and even the Associated Press Stylebook, it is standard to use lower-case "h" with capitalization secondary. However, the Associated Press Stylebook and many (not all) online dictionaries say to capitalize Hades.
Rewrite 1: come flood or ice storm
Rewrite 2: come my mother-in-law or the IRS
Rewrite 3: come tax time or bankruptcy
Rewrite 4: even with the threat of prison or cleaning the toilet
Comment: I had a wonderful relationship with my mother-in-law, so that example might not be all that terrible for some people. In general, come up with a list of the worst things you can imagine and try to play them off each other; for instance, bad visits would be from your mother-in-law and the IRS; bad weather could be floods and ice storms, and so on.
Note on capitalization of "hell": I thought it was standard to capitalize "hell," but in looking at various online dictionaries, and even the Associated Press Stylebook, it is standard to use lower-case "h" with capitalization secondary. However, the Associated Press Stylebook and many (not all) online dictionaries say to capitalize Hades.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Cliché: everything but the kitchen sink
Meaning: everything but what they couldn’t grab and haul
Rewrite 1: everything but the front door
Rewrite 2: everything but the walk-in closet
Rewrite 3: all they left was the floor and a few walls
Rewrite 4: they took everything but the wall sockets and switches
Comment: There are a couple of ways to look at this cliché: One is, “they took everything but what they couldn’t physically haul” and another is, “they left everything but the essentials.” They both narrow down your choices.
Rewriting tips: What besides the kitchen sink couldn't you grab and haul? Built-in appliances like stoves and microwaves; plumbing fixtures like sinks, toilets, bidets, and tubs/showers; walls, doors, windows, floors, fireplaces, cabinets and countertops; ceilings like lighting fixtures, fans, and attic doors; basement stairs; furnace; water heater; water softener; built-in speakers; and so on.
What about other places or things where you could broaden the sense of the cliché: in the office, store, or school; in a vehicle like the car, van, truck, or SUV; in a town like city hall, cop shop, or library; or even in the sky like clouds, the moon, or the sun?
Rewrite 1: everything but the front door
Rewrite 2: everything but the walk-in closet
Rewrite 3: all they left was the floor and a few walls
Rewrite 4: they took everything but the wall sockets and switches
Comment: There are a couple of ways to look at this cliché: One is, “they took everything but what they couldn’t physically haul” and another is, “they left everything but the essentials.” They both narrow down your choices.
Rewriting tips: What besides the kitchen sink couldn't you grab and haul? Built-in appliances like stoves and microwaves; plumbing fixtures like sinks, toilets, bidets, and tubs/showers; walls, doors, windows, floors, fireplaces, cabinets and countertops; ceilings like lighting fixtures, fans, and attic doors; basement stairs; furnace; water heater; water softener; built-in speakers; and so on.
What about other places or things where you could broaden the sense of the cliché: in the office, store, or school; in a vehicle like the car, van, truck, or SUV; in a town like city hall, cop shop, or library; or even in the sky like clouds, the moon, or the sun?
Monday, October 03, 2005
Cliché: welcome to the club
Meaning: you aren’t alone
Rewrite 1: welcome to our side
Rewrite 2: you’re part of a crowd
Rewrite 3: membership to that club isn’t exclusive
Comment: I wrote these on a Monday morning after a long weekend, so my brain is operating on small wattage. Maybe you have some more suggestions?
Rewrite 1: welcome to our side
Rewrite 2: you’re part of a crowd
Rewrite 3: membership to that club isn’t exclusive
Comment: I wrote these on a Monday morning after a long weekend, so my brain is operating on small wattage. Maybe you have some more suggestions?
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Cliché: Rome wasn't built in a day
Meaning: large projects take time
Rewrite 1: Chicago didn’t go up overnight
Rewrite 2: the city didn’t just show up
Rewrite 3: even the smallest building takes time to erect
Rewrite 4: last time I looked, there was no magic bean for sprouting a house
Comment: At first, rewriting this cliché was easy. I just substituted cities or buildings and I was finished. Then I tried to go beyond construction, and it wasn't easy anymore. What kinds of non-construction metaphors can you draw for this cliché?
Rewrite 1: Chicago didn’t go up overnight
Rewrite 2: the city didn’t just show up
Rewrite 3: even the smallest building takes time to erect
Rewrite 4: last time I looked, there was no magic bean for sprouting a house
Comment: At first, rewriting this cliché was easy. I just substituted cities or buildings and I was finished. Then I tried to go beyond construction, and it wasn't easy anymore. What kinds of non-construction metaphors can you draw for this cliché?
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