(entered for 04.17.06)
(Also, you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.)
Meaning: reaching a goal may require some sacrifice or unpleasantness. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: you have to mess up a pan to fry an omelet
Rewrite 2: you may get an eggshell in the pan to turn an egg into an omelet
Rewrite 3: you have to slip on the ice a few times to learn to skate
Rewrite 4: you may have to sunburn a few times to get a good tan
Comment: There are many unpleasant results from seemingly innocuous causes.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• RPG Cliché List: “…the grand list of cliches and absurdities that occur (and occur, and occur...) in traditional RPGs and LARPs…”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Cliché: tilting at windmills
(entered for 04.16.06)
Meaning: doing battle with an imaginary enemy or going after overly-lofty goals. Origins and mentions.
Rewrite 1: battling griffins and dragons
Rewrite 2: chasing merry men in Sherwood
Rewrite 3: seeking sunsets to ride valiantly into
Rewrite 4: seeking world peace one tyrant at a time
Comment: Rewrite 2 borders on the obscure with its reference to Robin Hood’s merry men, but it can create a sense of going after the difficult to find.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Movie Clichés at The Z Review: “A list of our favourite clichés in the movies.” From the UK.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: doing battle with an imaginary enemy or going after overly-lofty goals. Origins and mentions.
Rewrite 1: battling griffins and dragons
Rewrite 2: chasing merry men in Sherwood
Rewrite 3: seeking sunsets to ride valiantly into
Rewrite 4: seeking world peace one tyrant at a time
Comment: Rewrite 2 borders on the obscure with its reference to Robin Hood’s merry men, but it can create a sense of going after the difficult to find.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Movie Clichés at The Z Review: “A list of our favourite clichés in the movies.” From the UK.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Cliché: one picture is worth a thousand words
Meaning: an image can say something better than can words. Mentions.
Rewrite 1: the picture told me more than a book could describe
Rewrite 2: a single picture can say more than a dozen essays
Rewrite 3: I could write an essay, but printing a picture is quicker
Rewrite 4: better you should draw a map than tell him directions
Comment: These don’t as easily fit into a metaphor, but they express the same idea.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Powell’s Books Death Sentences: Book by Don Watson, “How Clichés, Weasel Words and Management-Speak Are Strangling Public Language.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: the picture told me more than a book could describe
Rewrite 2: a single picture can say more than a dozen essays
Rewrite 3: I could write an essay, but printing a picture is quicker
Rewrite 4: better you should draw a map than tell him directions
Comment: These don’t as easily fit into a metaphor, but they express the same idea.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Powell’s Books Death Sentences: Book by Don Watson, “How Clichés, Weasel Words and Management-Speak Are Strangling Public Language.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Cliché: lay my cards on the table
Meaning: expose all my strengths and weaknesses. Meaning.
Rewrite 1: show you my cash drawer
Rewrite 2: open my books to the public
Rewrite 3: publish my programming code
Rewrite 4: open my medical records
Comment1: Think of secrets you wouldn’t normally show others but that would be meaningful to show to get something in exchange.
Comment2: My thanks to Doug for pointing out an embarrassing spelling error in rewrite 2, which I have corrected.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Magnetic Poetry Clichés: “… the Magnetic Poetry Mixed-Up Clichés kit brings conversational shortcuts into the spotlight, celebrating the world of worn out words.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: show you my cash drawer
Rewrite 2: open my books to the public
Rewrite 3: publish my programming code
Rewrite 4: open my medical records
Comment1: Think of secrets you wouldn’t normally show others but that would be meaningful to show to get something in exchange.
Comment2: My thanks to Doug for pointing out an embarrassing spelling error in rewrite 2, which I have corrected.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Magnetic Poetry Clichés: “… the Magnetic Poetry Mixed-Up Clichés kit brings conversational shortcuts into the spotlight, celebrating the world of worn out words.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Cliché: give the shirt off your back
Meaning: generosity to the point of giving what little you have. Meaning.
Rewrite 1: give your last ounce of water
Rewrite 2: give the shoes off your feet
Rewrite 3: give your last clean shirt
Rewrite 4: give the tien3 from round your neck
Comment: Think “what do I have only one left of” or “what can I least afford to part with,” and you get some idea of the sacrifice that’s implied in this cliché.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Dallas Sports Guide: “…clichés are more noticeable when used by athletes and other people involved in sports…”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: give your last ounce of water
Rewrite 2: give the shoes off your feet
Rewrite 3: give your last clean shirt
Rewrite 4: give the tien3 from round your neck
Comment: Think “what do I have only one left of” or “what can I least afford to part with,” and you get some idea of the sacrifice that’s implied in this cliché.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Dallas Sports Guide: “…clichés are more noticeable when used by athletes and other people involved in sports…”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Cliché: as dense as a London fog
Meaning: very slow to learn or understand. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: as dense5 as the heart of a black hole
Rewrite 2: the density8 of a block of ice
Rewrite 3: denser than marble
Rewrite 4: no smarter than a block of salt
Comment: We should be careful to ensure people understand we’re talking learning curve here, not geophysics.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Baylor University The Lariat Online: “Defining ‘men’ requires thinking outside the cliché.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: as dense5 as the heart of a black hole
Rewrite 2: the density8 of a block of ice
Rewrite 3: denser than marble
Rewrite 4: no smarter than a block of salt
Comment: We should be careful to ensure people understand we’re talking learning curve here, not geophysics.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Baylor University The Lariat Online: “Defining ‘men’ requires thinking outside the cliché.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Cliché: where there's smoke there's fire
(Also: There’s no smoke without fire)
Meaning: find an effect and you’ll usually find its cause. Origins.
Rewrite 1: when I see smoke, I know to look for fire
Rewrite 2: where there’s a burnn1,2 there’s fire
Rewrite 3: where there’s water there’s often a leak1
Rewrite 4: I don’t need to see horizontal rain to know I’m in a hurricane
Rewrite 5: When things look odd and I see smoke, I know mirrors must be nearby
Comment: I tried to vary both the effect and the cause to broaden the scope of this cliché. Rewrite 5 relates to a different use of the word "smoke," in this case we're talking about deception.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Last Holiday: When Old Clichés: Work performance by Queen Latifah, a movie review.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: find an effect and you’ll usually find its cause. Origins.
Rewrite 1: when I see smoke, I know to look for fire
Rewrite 2: where there’s a burnn1,2 there’s fire
Rewrite 3: where there’s water there’s often a leak1
Rewrite 4: I don’t need to see horizontal rain to know I’m in a hurricane
Rewrite 5: When things look odd and I see smoke, I know mirrors must be nearby
Comment: I tried to vary both the effect and the cause to broaden the scope of this cliché. Rewrite 5 relates to a different use of the word "smoke," in this case we're talking about deception.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Last Holiday: When Old Clichés: Work performance by Queen Latifah, a movie review.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Cliché: to sugarcoat something (also candy-coat something)
(entered for 04.10.06)
Meaning: be overly optimistic about something to lessen its impact.
Rewrite 1: coat it with cavity-inducing2b sweetness
Rewrite 2: a ripe lemon coated with sugar
Rewrite 3: sweeten the gruel with optimism
Rewrite 4: coat the medicine with a fine sheen1 of sugar
Comment: I’m optimistic you’ll find more ways to coat the unsavory with sugar.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Movie Clichés: “Software by Tom Crosley and others.” From the Freedownloadscenter.com.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: be overly optimistic about something to lessen its impact.
Rewrite 1: coat it with cavity-inducing2b sweetness
Rewrite 2: a ripe lemon coated with sugar
Rewrite 3: sweeten the gruel with optimism
Rewrite 4: coat the medicine with a fine sheen1 of sugar
Comment: I’m optimistic you’ll find more ways to coat the unsavory with sugar.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Movie Clichés: “Software by Tom Crosley and others.” From the Freedownloadscenter.com.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Cliché: out of gas
(entered for 4.09.06)
Meaning: run out of fuel or energy.
Rewrite 1: gas gauge is on “E”
Rewrite 2: ran out of fumes
Rewrite 3: fire is running on ashes
Rewrite 4: no kindling to fuel the fire
Comment: Rewrite 2 and 3 are plays on the “running on fumes” cliché.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Refuting The Top Ten Most Annoying Anti-War Clichés. From “Right Wing News.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: run out of fuel or energy.
Rewrite 1: gas gauge is on “E”
Rewrite 2: ran out of fumes
Rewrite 3: fire is running on ashes
Rewrite 4: no kindling to fuel the fire
Comment: Rewrite 2 and 3 are plays on the “running on fumes” cliché.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Refuting The Top Ten Most Annoying Anti-War Clichés. From “Right Wing News.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Cliché: knockout blow
Meaning: explosive hitting. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: hammer blow
Rewrite 2: bunker-buster punch
Rewrite 3: slug slam-fest
Rewrite 4: whack attack
Comment: What made this somewhat easier to pull off was to put the emphasis first on “blow” and then pick appropriate adjectives.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Sensitive ‘Hustle & Flow’ resists clichés: movie review from seattlepi.com
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: hammer blow
Rewrite 2: bunker-buster punch
Rewrite 3: slug slam-fest
Rewrite 4: whack attack
Comment: What made this somewhat easier to pull off was to put the emphasis first on “blow” and then pick appropriate adjectives.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Sensitive ‘Hustle & Flow’ resists clichés: movie review from seattlepi.com
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Cliché: hunker down
(entered for 04.07.06)
Meaning: to lower into a defensive posture . Meanings and translations.
Rewrite 1: squat and shiver in fear
Rewrite 2: roll up into a ball and hope no one notices
Rewrite 3: cower in a corner
Rewrite 4: let the wall cover your back and the floor cover your behind
Comment: Important in this cliché is the “defensive” element, although a case could be made for melting in fear.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Cricinfo: Reversing the Clichés: “This was a very good day for England and a rotten one for some threadbare cricketing clichés” (article about cricket).
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: to lower into a defensive posture . Meanings and translations.
Rewrite 1: squat and shiver in fear
Rewrite 2: roll up into a ball and hope no one notices
Rewrite 3: cower in a corner
Rewrite 4: let the wall cover your back and the floor cover your behind
Comment: Important in this cliché is the “defensive” element, although a case could be made for melting in fear.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Cricinfo: Reversing the Clichés: “This was a very good day for England and a rotten one for some threadbare cricketing clichés” (article about cricket).
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Cliché: a deer in headlights
(entered for 4.06.06)
Meaning: frozen by what surprises you. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: a raccoon in floodlights
Rewrite 2: a thief in security4a lights
Rewrite 3: your teen caught taking money from your wallet
Rewrite 4: a shopper caught stuffing products in his pockets
Comment: There are two examples of this cliché: one is to startle something with a bright light (floodlights, security lights, flash light); the other is to startle someone doing something wrong.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Avoid clichés – like the plague: “Whether you're writing or speaking, clichés will weaken your message and cause your audience to tune out.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: frozen by what surprises you. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: a raccoon in floodlights
Rewrite 2: a thief in security4a lights
Rewrite 3: your teen caught taking money from your wallet
Rewrite 4: a shopper caught stuffing products in his pockets
Comment: There are two examples of this cliché: one is to startle something with a bright light (floodlights, security lights, flash light); the other is to startle someone doing something wrong.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Avoid clichés – like the plague: “Whether you're writing or speaking, clichés will weaken your message and cause your audience to tune out.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Cliché: work your fingers to the bone
(re-entered for 04.05.06)
Meaning: Work extremely hard. Origins and meanings.
Rewrite 1: work the prints off your fingers
Rewrite 2: work the heel off your foot
Rewrite 3: run the treadn3 off your tires
Rewrite 4: work the handsn3a off your clock
Comment: This is about showing definitive results from extreme effort.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• GospelFlava.com: Gospel music (Clichés CD) review.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: Work extremely hard. Origins and meanings.
Rewrite 1: work the prints off your fingers
Rewrite 2: work the heel off your foot
Rewrite 3: run the treadn3 off your tires
Rewrite 4: work the handsn3a off your clock
Comment: This is about showing definitive results from extreme effort.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• GospelFlava.com: Gospel music (Clichés CD) review.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Cliché: rub salt in the wound
(entered for 4.04.06)
Meaning: make something painful worse. Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: rub lemon juice in the wound
Rewrite 2: torchtv the burn
Rewrite 3: icetv the cavity2
Rewrite 4: put pressure on a broken bone
Comment: De we really want to give ideas to torturers?
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Technorati Blog Finder: Clichés. This page shows blogs about cliches in order of authority (most site links). (On the day I looked this up, Cliché-a-Day was in the first spot on this results page.)
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: make something painful worse. Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: rub lemon juice in the wound
Rewrite 2: torchtv the burn
Rewrite 3: icetv the cavity2
Rewrite 4: put pressure on a broken bone
Comment: De we really want to give ideas to torturers?
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Technorati Blog Finder: Clichés. This page shows blogs about cliches in order of authority (most site links). (On the day I looked this up, Cliché-a-Day was in the first spot on this results page.)
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Cliché: no strings attached
Meaning: no hidden agendas. Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: no tiny type at the bottom of your screen
Rewrite 2: no legal-speak language
Rewrite 3: no disclaimers1b or footnotes
Rewrite 4: no loopholes2 attached
Comment: When I think of “strings attached,” I think of legal language and footnotes the average person can’t decipher.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Procrastination Clichés: “Overused phrases and often not that funny jokes and clichés about procrastination.” From procrastinationhelp.com.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: no tiny type at the bottom of your screen
Rewrite 2: no legal-speak language
Rewrite 3: no disclaimers1b or footnotes
Rewrite 4: no loopholes2 attached
Comment: When I think of “strings attached,” I think of legal language and footnotes the average person can’t decipher.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Procrastination Clichés: “Overused phrases and often not that funny jokes and clichés about procrastination.” From procrastinationhelp.com.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Cliché: it won't fly
Meaning: it won’t work. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: it’s got no wingsn8b
Rewrite 2: it won’t make it off the ground
Rewrite 3: it might look like a boat, but it won’t float
Rewrite 4: it lacks the means to “get up and go”
Comment: You could give this metaphor a hammer and some nails, but it won’t build a house. I’ve tried to provide several iterations to keep it from being just about flying.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Christian Science Monitor: “Finally: A Sept. 11 story without the clichés.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: it’s got no wingsn8b
Rewrite 2: it won’t make it off the ground
Rewrite 3: it might look like a boat, but it won’t float
Rewrite 4: it lacks the means to “get up and go”
Comment: You could give this metaphor a hammer and some nails, but it won’t build a house. I’ve tried to provide several iterations to keep it from being just about flying.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Christian Science Monitor: “Finally: A Sept. 11 story without the clichés.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Cliché: give them an inch and they'll take a mile
Meaning: people will take advantage of your generosity. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: give them a hand and they’ll take an arm
Rewrite 2: give them a dime and they’ll take a dollar
Rewrite 3: give them what little you have and they’ll take the rest, too
Rewrite 4: for some, a dime in your hand is worth two in their pocket
Comment: The last rewrite is another way of looking at rewrite 2. It’s also kind of a retake on “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” although not a literal rewrite of it.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• GetAmused: “A Funny List of Movie Clichés.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: give them a hand and they’ll take an arm
Rewrite 2: give them a dime and they’ll take a dollar
Rewrite 3: give them what little you have and they’ll take the rest, too
Rewrite 4: for some, a dime in your hand is worth two in their pocket
Comment: The last rewrite is another way of looking at rewrite 2. It’s also kind of a retake on “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” although not a literal rewrite of it.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• GetAmused: “A Funny List of Movie Clichés.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Cliché: cool as a cucumber
Meaning: cool and calm. Meanings and mentions.
Rewrite 1: cool as a frosty mug
Rewrite 2: cool as a springtime morning
Rewrite 3: calm and quiet like a sleeping toddler
Rewrite 4: the calm demeanor of a cucumber
Comment: I’m struggling here between creating metaphors and imagining similes that truly fit the original mind’s image. To restate the cliché with a different vegetable likely won’t improve the comparison.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Dead People Server: Cliché obituary page.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: cool as a frosty mug
Rewrite 2: cool as a springtime morning
Rewrite 3: calm and quiet like a sleeping toddler
Rewrite 4: the calm demeanor of a cucumber
Comment: I’m struggling here between creating metaphors and imagining similes that truly fit the original mind’s image. To restate the cliché with a different vegetable likely won’t improve the comparison.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Dead People Server: Cliché obituary page.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Cliché: you can take that to the bank
Meaning: “that” is authentic or reliable. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: you could swear testimony on it
Rewrite 2: it’s as authentic as a dollar bill
Rewrite 3: it’s as trustworthy as a nun under oath
Rewrite 4: you can trade that on the stock market
Comment: The difficulty in rewriting this suggests that the number of unquestionable institutions is limited.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Jonah Goldberg’s File on National Review: “Remembering the Obvious Clichés of War.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: you could swear testimony on it
Rewrite 2: it’s as authentic as a dollar bill
Rewrite 3: it’s as trustworthy as a nun under oath
Rewrite 4: you can trade that on the stock market
Comment: The difficulty in rewriting this suggests that the number of unquestionable institutions is limited.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Jonah Goldberg’s File on National Review: “Remembering the Obvious Clichés of War.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Cliché: time on your (or my) hands
(entered for 03.29.06)
Meaning: extra time is available. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: minutes are running slow
Rewrite 2: all that time yet, with not much to do
Rewrite 3: the train’s on time but the clock is slow
Rewrite 4: time advances slowly, but my progress does not
Comment: Let’s advance the clock and get beyond this one.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Poynter Online – from “Special” to Substantial: Avoiding clichés as you write about people with disabilities.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: extra time is available. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: minutes are running slow
Rewrite 2: all that time yet, with not much to do
Rewrite 3: the train’s on time but the clock is slow
Rewrite 4: time advances slowly, but my progress does not
Comment: Let’s advance the clock and get beyond this one.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Poynter Online – from “Special” to Substantial: Avoiding clichés as you write about people with disabilities.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Cliché: miss the boat
(entered for 3.28.06)
Meaning: to fail in something, especially understanding. Meanings and mentions.
Rewrite 1: miss the train
Rewrite 2: let the plane take off without you
Rewrite 3: the boat launches and you’re still on the dock
Rewrite 4: took intermission a bit early
Comment: This is a fairly easy metaphor to reconstruct. The key is to say it succinctly.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• UFies.org: Movie Cliches (links to other sites)
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: to fail in something, especially understanding. Meanings and mentions.
Rewrite 1: miss the train
Rewrite 2: let the plane take off without you
Rewrite 3: the boat launches and you’re still on the dock
Rewrite 4: took intermission a bit early
Comment: This is a fairly easy metaphor to reconstruct. The key is to say it succinctly.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• UFies.org: Movie Cliches (links to other sites)
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Cliché: looking for a needle in a haystack
Meaning: looking for the difficult-to-find. Origins and use examples.
Rewrite 1: looking for a thread in a ball of string
Rewrite 2: looking for a bullet in a lump of leadn3
Rewrite 3: finding a sugar crystal in a salt shaker
Rewrite 4: finding a tear in an ocean
Comment: You might go for something less obvious, like finding a straw in a haystack. Some might think they’re one in the same, but they aren’t. Hay is a grass while straw is a grain.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Berklee Shares: “Learn how to use line clichés to harmonize melodic phrases that are largely diatonic to a single key.” (music)
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: looking for a thread in a ball of string
Rewrite 2: looking for a bullet in a lump of leadn3
Rewrite 3: finding a sugar crystal in a salt shaker
Rewrite 4: finding a tear in an ocean
Comment: You might go for something less obvious, like finding a straw in a haystack. Some might think they’re one in the same, but they aren’t. Hay is a grass while straw is a grain.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Berklee Shares: “Learn how to use line clichés to harmonize melodic phrases that are largely diatonic to a single key.” (music)
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Cliché: fits like a hand in a glove
(also: fits like a glove)
Meaning: well fit. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: fits like an arm in a sleeve
Rewrite 2: fits like a noose
Rewrite 3: fits like pea in a pod
Rewrite 4: snug4 as a nail in a stud5 wall
Comment: This is about fitting snugly.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Design Clichés: “(Ifelse hand crafted geekery). A run through the most tired and overused cliches [sic] in LOGO DESIGNS.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: well fit. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: fits like an arm in a sleeve
Rewrite 2: fits like a noose
Rewrite 3: fits like pea in a pod
Rewrite 4: snug4 as a nail in a stud5 wall
Comment: This is about fitting snugly.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Design Clichés: “(Ifelse hand crafted geekery). A run through the most tired and overused cliches [sic] in LOGO DESIGNS.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Cliché: beat a dead horse
Meaning: keep at something that’s lost or hopeless. Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: flail a dead cat
Rewrite 2: pump a dry well
Rewrite 3: hammerv a buried nail
Rewrite 4: paint a red wall orange
Comment: This may mean something that’s hopeless or an act that’s already finished. I tried to cover both in these rewrites.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Odd Thinking: “Treating cliches [sic] like the plague.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: flail a dead cat
Rewrite 2: pump a dry well
Rewrite 3: hammerv a buried nail
Rewrite 4: paint a red wall orange
Comment: This may mean something that’s hopeless or an act that’s already finished. I tried to cover both in these rewrites.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Odd Thinking: “Treating cliches [sic] like the plague.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Cliché: waiting for your ship to come in
(entered for 03.24.06)
Meaning: anticipation. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: waiting for your plane to come in
Rewrite 2: watching the docks for your ship
Rewrite 3: waiting for your package to arrive
Rewrite 4: standing at the taxi stand
Rewrite 5: hailing a ride to tomorrow
Comment: This can also be somewhat whimsical, like rewrite 5.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Corrent Wire: “Why Cliches [sic] Are So Annoying.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: anticipation. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: waiting for your plane to come in
Rewrite 2: watching the docks for your ship
Rewrite 3: waiting for your package to arrive
Rewrite 4: standing at the taxi stand
Rewrite 5: hailing a ride to tomorrow
Comment: This can also be somewhat whimsical, like rewrite 5.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Corrent Wire: “Why Cliches [sic] Are So Annoying.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Cliché: same song and dance
(entered for 03.23.06)
Meaning: nothing new; same thing you see all the time. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: same worn out stage performance
Rewrite 2: Ringling Brothers was doing that act decades ago
Rewrite 3: same old leading lady, same leading man – no longer leading
Rewrite 4: instead of singing and dancing, how about whistling and waving
Comment: A lot of this is about stage performance, but you could easily apply it to circus performances and sales pitches.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Macsimum News: “’Hustle and Flow’ offers gritty clichés.” [Movie review]
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: nothing new; same thing you see all the time. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: same worn out stage performance
Rewrite 2: Ringling Brothers was doing that act decades ago
Rewrite 3: same old leading lady, same leading man – no longer leading
Rewrite 4: instead of singing and dancing, how about whistling and waving
Comment: A lot of this is about stage performance, but you could easily apply it to circus performances and sales pitches.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Macsimum News: “’Hustle and Flow’ offers gritty clichés.” [Movie review]
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Cliché: a penny for your thoughts
(entered for 03.22.06)
Meaning: what’s on your mind? Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: a buck for a piece of your mind
Rewrite 2: the going rate for what’s on your mind is a penny, and I’m buying
Rewrite 3: a penny5 a thought, and I’m in the market
Rewrite 4: it’s a seller’s market – a nickel2b a thought
Rewrite 5: I’d pay a nickel to know what you’re thinking
Comment: These comparisons are a dime a piece in today’s parlance, but I think I’ve taken the metaphor beyond its more modest beginnings.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• GriefworksBC: “The Dreaded Cliché. How Using Those Worn Out Phrases Can Be Quite Hurtful.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: what’s on your mind? Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: a buck for a piece of your mind
Rewrite 2: the going rate for what’s on your mind is a penny, and I’m buying
Rewrite 3: a penny5 a thought, and I’m in the market
Rewrite 4: it’s a seller’s market – a nickel2b a thought
Rewrite 5: I’d pay a nickel to know what you’re thinking
Comment: These comparisons are a dime a piece in today’s parlance, but I think I’ve taken the metaphor beyond its more modest beginnings.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• GriefworksBC: “The Dreaded Cliché. How Using Those Worn Out Phrases Can Be Quite Hurtful.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Cliché: leave no stone unturned
(entered for 03.21.06)
Meaning: consider every resource. Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: leave no leaf unturned
Rewrite 2: keep looking, though you’ve consulted every stone
Rewrite 3: consult every spacen3 and crevice
Rewrite 4: search till you’ve illuminated even every dark place
Comment: This is as much about exhausting every resource as it is about not giving up.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Australian Media Clichés: “This page is devoted to those expressions so hackneyed and insufferable that they should be forever banned from the nation's news reports.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: consider every resource. Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: leave no leaf unturned
Rewrite 2: keep looking, though you’ve consulted every stone
Rewrite 3: consult every spacen3 and crevice
Rewrite 4: search till you’ve illuminated even every dark place
Comment: This is as much about exhausting every resource as it is about not giving up.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Australian Media Clichés: “This page is devoted to those expressions so hackneyed and insufferable that they should be forever banned from the nation's news reports.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Cliché: ace in the hole or ace up his sleeve (new entry)
(re-entered on 04.02.06) (Happy first day of spring 2006!)
Meaning: hidden resource save until needed.
Rewrite 1: a gold coin sewn in his pocket
Rewrite 2: an extra key under the solen2 of his shoe
Rewrite 3: the answers up his sleeve
Rewrite 4: a picklockn2 pinned in her hair
Comment1: 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.)
Comment2: Careful here: You don’t want to get too wild with examples, yet you also don’t want to resort to other clichés like a key under the mat.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Invent Your Own Investment Clichés: “To succeed in the share market, it helps to think and act differently from the herd.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: hidden resource save until needed.
Rewrite 1: a gold coin sewn in his pocket
Rewrite 2: an extra key under the solen2 of his shoe
Rewrite 3: the answers up his sleeve
Rewrite 4: a picklockn2 pinned in her hair
Comment1: 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.)
Comment2: Careful here: You don’t want to get too wild with examples, yet you also don’t want to resort to other clichés like a key under the mat.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Invent Your Own Investment Clichés: “To succeed in the share market, it helps to think and act differently from the herd.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Cliché: airing dirty laundry
(entered for 03.19.06)
Meaning: publicizing your troubles. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: parading in town in your dirty laundry
Rewrite 2: taking out an ad on your dirty knickers
Rewrite 3: dirty laundry exposed – tonight’s big story at 11
Rewrite 4: taking your ugly problems to the streets
Comment: This is about baring all your faults to public witness, so the language is about various forms of “broadcasting”, although not necessarily about the airwaves. It would be nice to get beyond the concept of “dirty laundry” as a metaphor for problems.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Anu(e)scape: Clichés: 2003 list of banished words from Lake Superior State University.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: publicizing your troubles. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: parading in town in your dirty laundry
Rewrite 2: taking out an ad on your dirty knickers
Rewrite 3: dirty laundry exposed – tonight’s big story at 11
Rewrite 4: taking your ugly problems to the streets
Comment: This is about baring all your faults to public witness, so the language is about various forms of “broadcasting”, although not necessarily about the airwaves. It would be nice to get beyond the concept of “dirty laundry” as a metaphor for problems.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Anu(e)scape: Clichés: 2003 list of banished words from Lake Superior State University.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Cliché: you snooze, you loose
Meaning: stay alert or you’ll loose your edge. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: fall sleep, miss the joke
Rewrite 2: doze at the wheel, miss the curven2
Rewrite 3: look away, lose your way
Rewrite 4: close your lids, lose your kids
Comment: Since this is a metaphor, we can consider other ways of “snoozing,” like becoming distracted, resting your eyes, looking away, and so on.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Fly Fishing Clichés: “Things to say and know to be a fly fisherman!”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: fall sleep, miss the joke
Rewrite 2: doze at the wheel, miss the curven2
Rewrite 3: look away, lose your way
Rewrite 4: close your lids, lose your kids
Comment: Since this is a metaphor, we can consider other ways of “snoozing,” like becoming distracted, resting your eyes, looking away, and so on.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Fly Fishing Clichés: “Things to say and know to be a fly fisherman!”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Cliché: the red carpet treatment
(entered for 03.17.06) (Happy St. Patrick's Day!)
Meaning: extra special treatment. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: greeted with splendor and celebrity
Rewrite 2: celebrated and pampered2a with star-struck devotion
Rewrite 3: treatment renowned for its flourishesn2
Rewrite 4: adored and pampered like royalty
Comment: I was looking for a structure like the original. What is like “red carpet” that upon seeing it immediately says special treatment?
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• WCFrancis/Cliches: “Examples of elderly martial arts masters.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: extra special treatment. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: greeted with splendor and celebrity
Rewrite 2: celebrated and pampered2a with star-struck devotion
Rewrite 3: treatment renowned for its flourishesn2
Rewrite 4: adored and pampered like royalty
Comment: I was looking for a structure like the original. What is like “red carpet” that upon seeing it immediately says special treatment?
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• WCFrancis/Cliches: “Examples of elderly martial arts masters.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Cliché: the old ball and chain
(entered for 03.16.06)
Meaning: something or someone who keeps you in check. Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: the old wrist and ankle restraint
Rewrite 2: the old warden and executioner
Rewrite 3: my old freedom-restraint system
Rewrite 4: my personal lockdown guard
Rewrite 5: The old work-gang chain
Comment: Some of these rewrites may work better than others, depending on your circumstances. Certainly, they raise the specter of Southern prison hospitality.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• "Boy Gets Girl," But Not Without Clichés : Reviews: Theatre and the Performing Arts.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: something or someone who keeps you in check. Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: the old wrist and ankle restraint
Rewrite 2: the old warden and executioner
Rewrite 3: my old freedom-restraint system
Rewrite 4: my personal lockdown guard
Rewrite 5: The old work-gang chain
Comment: Some of these rewrites may work better than others, depending on your circumstances. Certainly, they raise the specter of Southern prison hospitality.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• "Boy Gets Girl," But Not Without Clichés : Reviews: Theatre and the Performing Arts.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Cliché: keeping up with the Joneses
Meaning: keep pace with more affluent neighbors. Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: keeping up with the Rockefellers
Rewrite 2: keeping up with “the Donald”
Rewrite 3: buying high-end to stay up with the high-enders
Rewrite 4: follow the Joneses on a buying spree
Comment: The trouble with this rewrite is naming affluent families people will know. You can localize it if your readership is strictly local. Otherwise, you have to pick on the same families, which can make whatever you write sound redundant.
Comment2: There is also, I believe, a part of this cliche that refers not to keeping up with the affluent but to keeping up with the next door neighbor. Rewrite 4 should serve that comparison, too.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Oblique Clichés Or Idiom: Sudden left turns in the middles of clichés. Clever references to clichés or idioms.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: keeping up with the Rockefellers
Rewrite 2: keeping up with “the Donald”
Rewrite 3: buying high-end to stay up with the high-enders
Rewrite 4: follow the Joneses on a buying spree
Comment: The trouble with this rewrite is naming affluent families people will know. You can localize it if your readership is strictly local. Otherwise, you have to pick on the same families, which can make whatever you write sound redundant.
Comment2: There is also, I believe, a part of this cliche that refers not to keeping up with the affluent but to keeping up with the next door neighbor. Rewrite 4 should serve that comparison, too.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Oblique Clichés Or Idiom: Sudden left turns in the middles of clichés. Clever references to clichés or idioms.
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Cliché: get a word in edgewise
Meaning: have a chance to say something. Meaning and uses.
Rewrite 1: get a word in between syllables
Rewrite 2: shove a word in while you take a breath
Rewrite 3: work a word in here or there
Rewrite 4: it’s time you took an intermission so I can say something
Comment: The emphasis here should be on interrupting a non-stop speaker, assertively and politely if possible but aggressively if not.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• CISAB Animal Proverbs & Clichés: Animal Proverbs and Clichés from the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, USA
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: get a word in between syllables
Rewrite 2: shove a word in while you take a breath
Rewrite 3: work a word in here or there
Rewrite 4: it’s time you took an intermission so I can say something
Comment: The emphasis here should be on interrupting a non-stop speaker, assertively and politely if possible but aggressively if not.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• CISAB Animal Proverbs & Clichés: Animal Proverbs and Clichés from the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, USA
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Cliché: dig yourself into a hole
Meaning: create deep trouble for yourself. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: dig yourself into a mound2 of trouble
Rewrite 2: dig a hole under yourself
Rewrite 3: bury yourself in a hole
Rewrite 4: dig a hole and trap yourself inside
Comment: These are disturbing thoughts, but perhaps apropos for the metaphor.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Ford vehicle rusty with clichés: Firewall is a reveting suspense thriller. [Movie review.]
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: dig yourself into a mound2 of trouble
Rewrite 2: dig a hole under yourself
Rewrite 3: bury yourself in a hole
Rewrite 4: dig a hole and trap yourself inside
Comment: These are disturbing thoughts, but perhaps apropos for the metaphor.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Ford vehicle rusty with clichés: Firewall is a reveting suspense thriller. [Movie review.]
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Cliché: clean your clock
(entered for 03.12.06)
Meaning: beat you soundly. Origin and uses.
Rewrite 1: reset your clock
Rewrite 2: knock the cuckoo out of your clock
Rewrite 3: scrub the table with your face
Rewrite 4: dust your doilies
Comment: Rewrite 4 is stretching it, but if you’ve ever seen a doily in someone’s home, it’s often dusty because it’s hard to “dust.”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Varaces: “Over the decades of films showcasing car chases, a few reoccurring situations seem to pop up. Here are some of the most often used car chase clichés.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Meaning: beat you soundly. Origin and uses.
Rewrite 1: reset your clock
Rewrite 2: knock the cuckoo out of your clock
Rewrite 3: scrub the table with your face
Rewrite 4: dust your doilies
Comment: Rewrite 4 is stretching it, but if you’ve ever seen a doily in someone’s home, it’s often dusty because it’s hard to “dust.”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Varaces: “Over the decades of films showcasing car chases, a few reoccurring situations seem to pop up. Here are some of the most often used car chase clichés.”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Cliché: were you born in a barn?
(entered for 03.11.06)
Also: were you raised in a barn?
Meaning: implies you are uncouth. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: were you born (raised) in a stable?
Rewrite 2: did you get your learnin’ in a barn?
Rewrite 3: where did you learn your manners, in a barnyard?
Rewrite 4: where’d you learn that, in a pig pen?
Rewrite 5: didn’t your mom ever teach you how to close the door?
Comment: This is often said of someone who doesn’t think to close the door behind him when coming into or going out of a house or other building, so I included rewrite 5 to suit that situation.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Bestsports: “Dr. Don Powell, aka Dr. Cliché, has stepped up to the plate and created a library of the "best and brightest [sports] clichés.” (Book review.)
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Also: were you raised in a barn?
Meaning: implies you are uncouth. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: were you born (raised) in a stable?
Rewrite 2: did you get your learnin’ in a barn?
Rewrite 3: where did you learn your manners, in a barnyard?
Rewrite 4: where’d you learn that, in a pig pen?
Rewrite 5: didn’t your mom ever teach you how to close the door?
Comment: This is often said of someone who doesn’t think to close the door behind him when coming into or going out of a house or other building, so I included rewrite 5 to suit that situation.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Bestsports: “Dr. Don Powell, aka Dr. Cliché, has stepped up to the plate and created a library of the "best and brightest [sports] clichés.” (Book review.)
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Cliché: test the waters
Meaning: try it. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: see if it holds up in a gale
Rewrite 2: see if it holds water
Rewrite 3: see if it floats
Rewrite 4: see if it flies
Comment: See if it can drive me crazy trying to find another way to say it. I had a hard time rewriting this one. Nothing seems to work as well.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Democratic Underground: “I fear that some cliches may be right… it looks like Command and Conquer: Generals is the video game equivalent of the near future that we will see.” [edited for brevity]
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: see if it holds up in a gale
Rewrite 2: see if it holds water
Rewrite 3: see if it floats
Rewrite 4: see if it flies
Comment: See if it can drive me crazy trying to find another way to say it. I had a hard time rewriting this one. Nothing seems to work as well.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Democratic Underground: “I fear that some cliches may be right… it looks like Command and Conquer: Generals is the video game equivalent of the near future that we will see.” [edited for brevity]
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Cliché: nailed it
Meaning: got it done well. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: spikedtv1a it
Rewrite 2: hammered it home
Rewrite 3: hit it square on the mark
Rewrite 4: dotted the bull’s eye
Comment: Similar to “aced it.” Rewrite 1 can relate to sports (e.g., volleyball), so watch where you use it. Rewrite 4 may be a little more obscure, but I think it gets across the idea of spiking or nailing the target dead center.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Like Clichés to the Seas: “Into which sci-fi crew would I best fit?”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
Rewrite 1: spikedtv1a it
Rewrite 2: hammered it home
Rewrite 3: hit it square on the mark
Rewrite 4: dotted the bull’s eye
Comment: Similar to “aced it.” Rewrite 1 can relate to sports (e.g., volleyball), so watch where you use it. Rewrite 4 may be a little more obscure, but I think it gets across the idea of spiking or nailing the target dead center.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Like Clichés to the Seas: “Into which sci-fi crew would I best fit?”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
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