Meaning: resort to an irreversible decision or sever your attachments. Definitions.
Rewrite 1: nail your doors shut
Rewrite 2: flatten the tires to your ride home
Rewrite 3: leave yourself without options
Rewrite 4: destroy your maps back
Comment: This cliché also has a component of severing relationships.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Literary Voice: Don’t Panic Cliches, but Do Read, Read, Read: “So trying to become aware of the cliches in the language and the ones you use yourself.”
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Cliché: when hell freezes over
Meaning: when the impossible or improbable happens
Rewrite 1: when hell floods out
Rewrite 2: when heaven welcomes Satan
Rewrite 3: when the sun shuts down
Rewrite 4: when ice flows in the Amazon
Comment: You can be creative here, but it becomes unbelievable if you push the boundaries too far. Also, heaven and hell are often but not always capitalized.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés – English (ESL) Weblog: “A cliché is a group of words that have special meaning…”
Rewrite 1: when hell floods out
Rewrite 2: when heaven welcomes Satan
Rewrite 3: when the sun shuts down
Rewrite 4: when ice flows in the Amazon
Comment: You can be creative here, but it becomes unbelievable if you push the boundaries too far. Also, heaven and hell are often but not always capitalized.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés – English (ESL) Weblog: “A cliché is a group of words that have special meaning…”
Monday, January 09, 2006
Cliché: sweep it under the rug
(entered for 1-09-06)
Meaning: hide something for nefarious reasons. Definitions and uses.
Rewrite 1: sweeptv2 it under the sofa
Rewrite 2: drop it into a heating grate
Rewrite 3: take it AWOL
Rewrite 4: sweep it into a black hole
Comment 1: The hard part of this rewrite is to keep the cliché’s sense of intrigue.
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• CISAB Animal Proverbs & Cliches: “…from the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior…”
Meaning: hide something for nefarious reasons. Definitions and uses.
Rewrite 1: sweeptv2 it under the sofa
Rewrite 2: drop it into a heating grate
Rewrite 3: take it AWOL
Rewrite 4: sweep it into a black hole
Comment 1: The hard part of this rewrite is to keep the cliché’s sense of intrigue.
Comment 2: When I tried to find a link to a definition for "black hole" for rewrite 4, I went to the California Space Institute website, the link provided by www.answers.com. The results page I received was "Object not found!" How ironic.
More reading about clichésWhat I found when I googled “clichés”:
• CISAB Animal Proverbs & Cliches: “…from the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior…”
Cliché: making money hand over fist
(entered for 01.08.06)
Meaning: earning cash fast. Meaning and examples.
Rewrite 1: making changen4 with a magnet
Rewrite 2: taking in money with a vacuum cleaner
Rewrite 3: making money faster than the mint can print it
Rewrite 4: raking in cash faster than a pickpocket at a charity event
Comment: Think dollar signs and think speed, then be creative.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés in Advertising: “BBC News provide a list of some of the more common clichés in television.”
Meaning: earning cash fast. Meaning and examples.
Rewrite 1: making changen4 with a magnet
Rewrite 2: taking in money with a vacuum cleaner
Rewrite 3: making money faster than the mint can print it
Rewrite 4: raking in cash faster than a pickpocket at a charity event
Comment: Think dollar signs and think speed, then be creative.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés in Advertising: “BBC News provide a list of some of the more common clichés in television.”
Cliché: like a knife through hot butter
(for 01.07.06)
Meaning: acts with little resistance.
Rewrite 1: like a prow through the water
Rewrite 2: like a spoon through hot soup*
Rewrite 3: like a squeal amid silence
Rewrite 4: like scissors through fabric
Comment: Nothing cuts through baloney like a hot metaphor.
*Updated 5-27-17 with thanks to William Phillips.
Meaning: acts with little resistance.
Rewrite 1: like a prow through the water
Rewrite 2: like a spoon through hot soup*
Rewrite 3: like a squeal amid silence
Rewrite 4: like scissors through fabric
Comment: Nothing cuts through baloney like a hot metaphor.
*Updated 5-27-17 with thanks to William Phillips.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Cliché: waiting for the other shoe to drop
Meaning: expecting the next step to occur, usually with negative consequences. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: waiting for the other door to slam
Rewrite 2: waiting for the over-weighted shelf to fall
Rewrite 3: waiting to see where lightning strikes next
Rewrite 4: waiting in line at the will-call window, but hoping they're sold out
Comment 1: The more explanation you have to build into the phrase for it to make sense the less effective it is as a metaphor. Rewrite 2 above is close to being too long, although I think it still works.
Comment 2: This cliché has shown up most recently in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal. It was frequently used to describe the fear members of the U.S. Congress and many of their staff feel as a result of Mr. Abramoff’s plea bargain with prosecutors. It was used so frequently, I decided it was an appropriate time to offer some alternative phrases. Thus, this entry.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Cliché Quotes: “Clichés quotes and quotations from BrainyQuote.”
Rewrite 1: waiting for the other door to slam
Rewrite 2: waiting for the over-weighted shelf to fall
Rewrite 3: waiting to see where lightning strikes next
Rewrite 4: waiting in line at the will-call window, but hoping they're sold out
Comment 1: The more explanation you have to build into the phrase for it to make sense the less effective it is as a metaphor. Rewrite 2 above is close to being too long, although I think it still works.
Comment 2: This cliché has shown up most recently in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal. It was frequently used to describe the fear members of the U.S. Congress and many of their staff feel as a result of Mr. Abramoff’s plea bargain with prosecutors. It was used so frequently, I decided it was an appropriate time to offer some alternative phrases. Thus, this entry.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Cliché Quotes: “Clichés quotes and quotations from BrainyQuote.”
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Cliché: stop on a dime
Meaning: stop short or suddenly. Definition and uses.
Rewrite 1: stop on a chip
Rewrite 2: stop on the head of a flea
Rewrite 3: stop on the tip of a straight pin
Rewrite 4: stop on a crackn2a
Comment: Think very small, but also think simple and imaginable.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Steve’s Clichés: “Steve’s mixed cliché list.”
Rewrite 1: stop on a chip
Rewrite 2: stop on the head of a flea
Rewrite 3: stop on the tip of a straight pin
Rewrite 4: stop on a crackn2a
Comment: Think very small, but also think simple and imaginable.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Steve’s Clichés: “Steve’s mixed cliché list.”
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Cliché: not playing with a full deck
(entered for 01.04.06)
Meaning: mentally deficient. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: working short a tool or two
Rewrite 2: shuffling with only half a deck
Rewrite 3: walking on legs with no feet
Rewrite 4: powered by half a battery
Comment: You can have a lot of fun with this one, imagining all the ways someone could be working without a full deck.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Statistical Modeling: “Seven statistical clichés used by baseball announcers.”
Meaning: mentally deficient. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: working short a tool or two
Rewrite 2: shuffling with only half a deck
Rewrite 3: walking on legs with no feet
Rewrite 4: powered by half a battery
Comment: You can have a lot of fun with this one, imagining all the ways someone could be working without a full deck.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Statistical Modeling: “Seven statistical clichés used by baseball announcers.”
Cliché: madder than a wet hen
(entered for 01.03.06)
Meaning: extremely upset. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: madder than a pig in dry mud
Rewrite 2: madder than a politician with no pork2
Rewrite 3: more upset than a cook without a stove
Rewrite 4: more distressed than a dog with no bark
Comment: I tried to stay away from strictly animals, but they make some of the more imaginative metaphors.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• ESL (English as a Second Language) Test: Clichés: test your knowledge of clichés of the English language.
Meaning: extremely upset. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: madder than a pig in dry mud
Rewrite 2: madder than a politician with no pork2
Rewrite 3: more upset than a cook without a stove
Rewrite 4: more distressed than a dog with no bark
Comment: I tried to stay away from strictly animals, but they make some of the more imaginative metaphors.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• ESL (English as a Second Language) Test: Clichés: test your knowledge of clichés of the English language.
Cliché: get over the hump
(entered for 01.02.06) (Sorry, I was sick over New Years and missed some entries.)
Meaning: get past the hardest part. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: get beyond Wednesday
Rewrite 2: make it past payday
Rewrite 3: get over the mountain
Rewrite 4: clear the construction and get to the open road
Comment: There are lots of things with humps, some of which are harder to get over than others. A camel, or instance, has a hump, but you really need to ride the hump rather than get over it.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Literary Voice: Don’t Panic Cliches, but Do Read, Read, Read: “So trying to become aware of the cliches in the language and the ones you use yourself.”
Meaning: get past the hardest part. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: get beyond Wednesday
Rewrite 2: make it past payday
Rewrite 3: get over the mountain
Rewrite 4: clear the construction and get to the open road
Comment: There are lots of things with humps, some of which are harder to get over than others. A camel, or instance, has a hump, but you really need to ride the hump rather than get over it.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Literary Voice: Don’t Panic Cliches, but Do Read, Read, Read: “So trying to become aware of the cliches in the language and the ones you use yourself.”
Cliché: a fly in the ointment
(entered for 01.01.06) (Sorry, I was sick over New Years and missed some entries.)
Meaning: something that detracts from something else. Definitions and uses.
Rewrite 1: a fly in the omelet
Rewrite 2: a mark on the page
Rewrite 3: a scratchn1a on the bumper
Rewrite 4: too much salt in the pudding
Comment: This cliché replaces a duplicate that I just discovered. It had become a fly in the ointment of this weblog, so I expunged it.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Downpour of Media Cliches Threatens to Flood Nation: (1995) “Once you decode the main cliches, the torrents of media blather will roll off you like water off a duck's back.”
Meaning: something that detracts from something else. Definitions and uses.
Rewrite 1: a fly in the omelet
Rewrite 2: a mark on the page
Rewrite 3: a scratchn1a on the bumper
Rewrite 4: too much salt in the pudding
Comment: This cliché replaces a duplicate that I just discovered. It had become a fly in the ointment of this weblog, so I expunged it.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Downpour of Media Cliches Threatens to Flood Nation: (1995) “Once you decode the main cliches, the torrents of media blather will roll off you like water off a duck's back.”
Cliché: a diamond in the rough
(entered for 12.31.05) (Sorry, I was sick over New Years and missed some entries.)
Meaning: not refined or just formed. Definition and use examples.
Rewrite 1: a plank badly needing some sanding
Rewrite 2: a gem with no sparkle1b
Rewrite 3: a tree with its roots still in a ball
Rewrite 4: a road full of potholes
Comment: The challenge here is to recast about things that aren’t simply broken.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Diana Hacker: Language Debates: Cliches: The Bedford Handbook “On the matter of clichés, usage experts take a moderate stance.”
Meaning: not refined or just formed. Definition and use examples.
Rewrite 1: a plank badly needing some sanding
Rewrite 2: a gem with no sparkle1b
Rewrite 3: a tree with its roots still in a ball
Rewrite 4: a road full of potholes
Comment: The challenge here is to recast about things that aren’t simply broken.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Diana Hacker: Language Debates: Cliches: The Bedford Handbook “On the matter of clichés, usage experts take a moderate stance.”
Friday, December 30, 2005
Cliché: one man's garbage is another man's treasure
Meaning: value is in the eye of the beholder. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: one man’s garbage is another man’s four-star meal
Rewrite 2: one man’s treasure is another man’s trash
Rewrite 3: what is junk to you may be treasure to me
Rewrite 4: you see junk I see jonque (“dressed-up” version of junk)
Rewrite 5: junk by any other name is treasure by another
Comment 1: You may be familiar with this cliché using "trash" or "junk" instead of "garbage."
Comment 2 : There are lots of ways to position both “garbage” and “treasure.” There are also lots of ways to twist and turn the phrase to praise either trash or treasure.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• This is Broken – Advertising Cliches: “This Is Broken is a project to make companies more aware of their customer experience. Submit your own entry.”
Rewrite 1: one man’s garbage is another man’s four-star meal
Rewrite 2: one man’s treasure is another man’s trash
Rewrite 3: what is junk to you may be treasure to me
Rewrite 4: you see junk I see jonque (“dressed-up” version of junk)
Rewrite 5: junk by any other name is treasure by another
Comment 1: You may be familiar with this cliché using "trash" or "junk" instead of "garbage."
Comment 2 : There are lots of ways to position both “garbage” and “treasure.” There are also lots of ways to twist and turn the phrase to praise either trash or treasure.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• This is Broken – Advertising Cliches: “This Is Broken is a project to make companies more aware of their customer experience. Submit your own entry.”
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Cliché: just the tip of the iceberg
(entered for 12.29.05)
Meaning: only the most visible part of a much bigger whole. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: just a jewel of a buried treasure
Rewrite 2: only a penny of a pocketful of change
Rewrite 3: just the street entrance of a 40-storynoun3 building
Rewrite 4: but the flower of a long-rooted dandelion
Comment: I first established a larger whole then decribed on a smaller part; it helps to stick with something most people would recognize rather than something more obscure, although if you’re addressing a special audience you can most certainly pick an object perhaps known mostly or only to them.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Colonial Clichés in a German Zoo? “Many zoos put on special exhibits in order to attract visitors. Most also attract little notice much less controversy. But one zoo in southern Germany is…”
Meaning: only the most visible part of a much bigger whole. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: just a jewel of a buried treasure
Rewrite 2: only a penny of a pocketful of change
Rewrite 3: just the street entrance of a 40-storynoun3 building
Rewrite 4: but the flower of a long-rooted dandelion
Comment: I first established a larger whole then decribed on a smaller part; it helps to stick with something most people would recognize rather than something more obscure, although if you’re addressing a special audience you can most certainly pick an object perhaps known mostly or only to them.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Colonial Clichés in a German Zoo? “Many zoos put on special exhibits in order to attract visitors. Most also attract little notice much less controversy. But one zoo in southern Germany is…”
Cliché: go against the grain
(entered for 12.28.05)
Meaning: do something opposite to the established or accepted way. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: row against the tide
Rewrite 2: steer against the curve
Rewrite 3: walk against the flow
Rewrite 4: talk over the conversation
Comment: Think of going against something that everyone does automatically, like walking up the downstairs or driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Great Movie Clichés: 'Auteur Movie Clichés'. “'Broadway Movie Musical Clichés'. 'Television Drama Cliches'”
Meaning: do something opposite to the established or accepted way. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: row against the tide
Rewrite 2: steer against the curve
Rewrite 3: walk against the flow
Rewrite 4: talk over the conversation
Comment: Think of going against something that everyone does automatically, like walking up the downstairs or driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Great Movie Clichés: 'Auteur Movie Clichés'. “'Broadway Movie Musical Clichés'. 'Television Drama Cliches'”
Cliché: ants in his pants
(entered for 12.27.05)
Meaning: excited or energized. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: statica3 in his shorts
Rewrite 2: an itch on his spine
Rewrite 3: a scorpion in his shoe
Rewrite 4: a spider dangling in front of his face
Comment: I thought of things that might make me jump around excitedly or make me get up quickly and run away.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Leadership & Practical Theology: “Tom Payne's guide to the words that reviewers and publishers love too much…”
Meaning: excited or energized. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: statica3 in his shorts
Rewrite 2: an itch on his spine
Rewrite 3: a scorpion in his shoe
Rewrite 4: a spider dangling in front of his face
Comment: I thought of things that might make me jump around excitedly or make me get up quickly and run away.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Leadership & Practical Theology: “Tom Payne's guide to the words that reviewers and publishers love too much…”
Monday, December 26, 2005
Cliché: you could have knocked me over with a feather
Meaning: extremely weak. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: you could have knocked me over with a leaf
Rewrite 2: so beat, a feather could have knocked me out
Rewrite 3: such a wuss I was afraid a dandelion seed would push me over
Rewrite 4: so weak, I couldn’t stand straight on a windless day
Comment: This is really a metaphor about weakness, whether it’s physical or mental.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Web Design Tips, “The purpose of this web site is to help out new web developers by going over some of the tips of how to put together a top-quality, professional web site.”
Rewrite 1: you could have knocked me over with a leaf
Rewrite 2: so beat, a feather could have knocked me out
Rewrite 3: such a wuss I was afraid a dandelion seed would push me over
Rewrite 4: so weak, I couldn’t stand straight on a windless day
Comment: This is really a metaphor about weakness, whether it’s physical or mental.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Web Design Tips, “The purpose of this web site is to help out new web developers by going over some of the tips of how to put together a top-quality, professional web site.”
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Cliché: season’s greetings
Meaning: best wishes for the holiday. More on the greeting.
Rewrite 1: wishing you the most wonderful time of the year
Rewrite 2: wishing you many cheerful holiday moments
Rewrite 3: here's hoping your holiday is full of cherished memories
Rewrite 4: may your holiday stocking be full of wonderful surprises
Rewrite 5: may all that you desire come true this joyous holiday
Comment: More to the point, however, it may be more sincere to say "Merry Christmas!", "Happy Hanukah!", or "Happy Kwanzaa!" if that's what you really mean. And so, I wish you the merriest of Christmases, the most happy of Hanukahs, and the most splendid of Kwanzaas.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “holiday clichés”:
• Poynter Online – Forums, holiday clichés.
Rewrite 1: wishing you the most wonderful time of the year
Rewrite 2: wishing you many cheerful holiday moments
Rewrite 3: here's hoping your holiday is full of cherished memories
Rewrite 4: may your holiday stocking be full of wonderful surprises
Rewrite 5: may all that you desire come true this joyous holiday
Comment: More to the point, however, it may be more sincere to say "Merry Christmas!", "Happy Hanukah!", or "Happy Kwanzaa!" if that's what you really mean. And so, I wish you the merriest of Christmases, the most happy of Hanukahs, and the most splendid of Kwanzaas.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “holiday clichés”:
• Poynter Online – Forums, holiday clichés.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Cliché: rotten to the core
Meaning: bad throughout. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: rotten4 through to the center
Rewrite 2: bad, bad, really bad
Rewrite 3: a core made of rotted heart
Rewrite 4: so full of corruptionn1b there's no room for a soul
Comment: Just think of Dr. Seuss's "Grinch" (the nasty green fellow who stole Christmas) before his conversion. Which reminds me! Happy holidays to all: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa!
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Some past and future clichés regarding GNU/Linux: “Some past and future clichés regarding (GNU/) LINUX. Originally printed in Mute Magazine.”
Rewrite 1: rotten4 through to the center
Rewrite 2: bad, bad, really bad
Rewrite 3: a core made of rotted heart
Rewrite 4: so full of corruptionn1b there's no room for a soul
Comment: Just think of Dr. Seuss's "Grinch" (the nasty green fellow who stole Christmas) before his conversion. Which reminds me! Happy holidays to all: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa!
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Some past and future clichés regarding GNU/Linux: “Some past and future clichés regarding (GNU/) LINUX. Originally printed in Mute Magazine.”
Friday, December 23, 2005
Cliché: firing on all cylinders
Meaning: maximum performance. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: using all 10 fingers
Rewrite 2: counting on all 10 toes
Rewrite 3: using both sides of the brain
Rewrite 4: playing all 88 keys
Comment: Metaphors with numbers enhance the essence of this statement.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Sport clichés press: “As featured in Sports Illustrated, ESPN, USA Today, Fox & Friends.”
Rewrite 1: using all 10 fingers
Rewrite 2: counting on all 10 toes
Rewrite 3: using both sides of the brain
Rewrite 4: playing all 88 keys
Comment: Metaphors with numbers enhance the essence of this statement.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Sport clichés press: “As featured in Sports Illustrated, ESPN, USA Today, Fox & Friends.”
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