Friday, April 21, 2006

Cliché: money doesn't grow on trees

Meaning: money is earned, not picked. Use examples and meanings.
Rewrite 1: money doesn’t pop out as leaves in the garden
Rewrite 2: you can’t hand-pick money like fruit on a tree
Rewrite 3: money may seem like bulbs on a
marquee, but it isn’t
Rewrite 4: money doesn’t flow like water from a
faucet

Comment: There are lots of other metaphors to pick from – books from a shelf, cans from a grocery store shelf, toys from a chest, bolts from a bin,
photons2 from the sun, etc…

More reading about clichés
What I found when I
googled “clichés”:
AlterNet MediaCulture Please Pass the Clichés: “Pro sports are still fun to watch, but press conferences and players' remarks have become dry and inauthentic.”

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 20, 2006

Cliché: if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen

Meaning: if it’s too much for you, leave or quit. Origins.
Rewrite 1: if you can’t stand the heat,
douse the flame
Rewrite 2: if the handle’s too hot, let go of the
skillet
Rewrite 3: if you don’t like the smell, move to a different garden
Rewrite 4: most cooks who don’t like the taste use a different recipe

Comment: One way to rewrite or recast this metaphor is to stick to the senses. When even that fails to excite you, think of other extremes.

More reading about clichés
What I found when I
googled “clichés”:
Sarah’s Bookarama: “All of us who joined in this discussion had great fun satirising these cliches, but as with all satire, there is a serious, morally-improving lesson here…”

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 19, 2006

Cliché: his bark is worse than his bite

Meaning: he isn’t as dangerous as he sounds. Mentions and use examples.
Rewrite 1: his bark has no teeth
Rewrite 2: he’s all bark and no bite
Rewrite 3: he barks a good game, but he’s toothless
Rewrite 4: she
yowls better than she maulstv1

Comment: This one was fairly easy, and I was able to keep a lot of the “bite” of the original. Don’t be afraid to explore more synonyms for “bark” and “bite.”

More reading about clichés
What I found when I
googled “clichés”:
Tazlure Background Clichés: “There are some ideas for character backgrounds that have been done to death. These are the dreaded ‘background 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.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Cliché: back from the dead

Meaning: sleepy or way "out of it"
Rewrite 1:
outa7 like the dead
Rewrite 2: still
cold10 from the grave
Rewrite 3: walking like he’s wandering from the
cryptn1
Rewrite 4: missed the right turn to heaven

Comment: Usually used to describe someone who is “dead tired” or who walks around in a zombie-like state.

More reading about clichés
What I found when I
googled “clichés”:
Words and Wordplay from Yahoo! UK & Ireland: “Phrases to say (to yourself or to others) in times of trouble.”

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: you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet

(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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.