(entered for 05.03.06)
Meaning: make me take extreme or dangerous measures
Rewrite 1: force me to do drugs
Rewrite 2: drive me to mainline vitamins
Rewrite 3: make me pinch snuff
Rewrite 4: push me to scarf Pop-Tarts and Tic-Tacs
Comment: The last one is for the really little kids. They’ll appreciate the effort.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• April 05, 2006: “Better investing through 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.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Cliché: get in on the ground floor
(entered for 5.02.06)
Meaning: get in at the very beginning or while the getting in is still good
Rewrite 1: get on while the elevator’s still taking passengers
Rewrite 2: take the stairs at the first floor
Rewrite 3: use the door while the handle still works
Rewrite 4: plant your garden before the ground dries up
Comment: Somehow these all seem silly, but then so does the concept of getting into something “on the ground floor” these days.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• ClicheSite.com: “The largest collection of clichés, phrases, and sayings with definitions and explanations.
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: get in at the very beginning or while the getting in is still good
Rewrite 1: get on while the elevator’s still taking passengers
Rewrite 2: take the stairs at the first floor
Rewrite 3: use the door while the handle still works
Rewrite 4: plant your garden before the ground dries up
Comment: Somehow these all seem silly, but then so does the concept of getting into something “on the ground floor” these days.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• ClicheSite.com: “The largest collection of clichés, phrases, and sayings with definitions and explanations.
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: don’t rain on my parade
(entered for 05.01.06)
Meaning: don’t spoil my celebration
Rewrite 1: don’t sprinkler my yard party
Rewrite 2: don’t sneeze on my cake
Rewrite 3: don’t heckle my thank you speech
Rewrite 4: don’t close the gate as my guests arrive
Comment: I don’t suppose “sprinkler” is a verb, but there also isn’t a very easy way to say, “Don’t turn on the oscillating sprinkler, drag out the hose, and stretch it among the lawn chairs while we party in the yard.”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Ephems of BLB: “Political discourse in this country has surely never been more infested with 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: don’t spoil my celebration
Rewrite 1: don’t sprinkler my yard party
Rewrite 2: don’t sneeze on my cake
Rewrite 3: don’t heckle my thank you speech
Rewrite 4: don’t close the gate as my guests arrive
Comment: I don’t suppose “sprinkler” is a verb, but there also isn’t a very easy way to say, “Don’t turn on the oscillating sprinkler, drag out the hose, and stretch it among the lawn chairs while we party in the yard.”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Ephems of BLB: “Political discourse in this country has surely never been more infested with 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: you do the math
(entered for 04.30.06)
Meaning: you figure it out or do the work. Relatively new.
Rewrite 1: you do the algebra
Rewrite 2: you do the logic
Rewrite 3: you work the gears
Rewrite 4: you add the ones and tens
Comment: I hate this one so much, I hesitate to suggest alternatives – but here goes anyway.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Herbert’s Peak Clichés or New Energy Storm: Nuclear energy lecture, Purdue University (see attachment).
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: you figure it out or do the work. Relatively new.
Rewrite 1: you do the algebra
Rewrite 2: you do the logic
Rewrite 3: you work the gears
Rewrite 4: you add the ones and tens
Comment: I hate this one so much, I hesitate to suggest alternatives – but here goes anyway.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Herbert’s Peak Clichés or New Energy Storm: Nuclear energy lecture, Purdue University (see attachment).
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 29, 2006
Cliché: a watched pot never boils
(entered for 04.29.06)
Meaning: watching something won’t make it happen faster. Idiom and uses.
Rewrite 1: a watched phone never rings
Rewrite 2: a waited job never finishes
Rewrite 3: the hair on my head never grows
Rewrite 4: paint on the wall never fades
Comment: Of course it does – it just doesn’t seem to.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• The Big Fat List of TV Clichés: “The title says it all.”
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: watching something won’t make it happen faster. Idiom and uses.
Rewrite 1: a watched phone never rings
Rewrite 2: a waited job never finishes
Rewrite 3: the hair on my head never grows
Rewrite 4: paint on the wall never fades
Comment: Of course it does – it just doesn’t seem to.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• The Big Fat List of TV Clichés: “The title says it all.”
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: six of one, half dozen of another
(entered for 04.28.06)
Meaning: different name, same thing. Uses.
Rewrite 1: six inches of one, half a foot of another
Rewrite 2: break it in half or divide it into two
Rewrite 3: half off here, 50 percent off there
Rewrite 4: a river, a stream, it’s all water to me
Comment: It’s a nit, but it really bugs me when an ad says “Save 50% off.” You can’t “save 50% off”! You save save 50%, or you can get 50% off, but you can’t do both!
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Tired Clichés: Toronto performance by TJ Dawe.
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: different name, same thing. Uses.
Rewrite 1: six inches of one, half a foot of another
Rewrite 2: break it in half or divide it into two
Rewrite 3: half off here, 50 percent off there
Rewrite 4: a river, a stream, it’s all water to me
Comment: It’s a nit, but it really bugs me when an ad says “Save 50% off.” You can’t “save 50% off”! You save save 50%, or you can get 50% off, but you can’t do both!
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Tired Clichés: Toronto performance by TJ Dawe.
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 27, 2006
Cliché: nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof
Meaning: dancing around nervously
Rewrite 1: nervous as a dog on a short leash
Rewrite 2: nervous as a canary in a cage full of cats
Rewrite 3: teeth chattering like nervous skeletons
Rewrite 4: toes tapping nervously like boys before recess
Comment: Different kinds of nervousness, different ways of showing it.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
•JRRShop: Eccentric software ZK rhymes and 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: nervous as a dog on a short leash
Rewrite 2: nervous as a canary in a cage full of cats
Rewrite 3: teeth chattering like nervous skeletons
Rewrite 4: toes tapping nervously like boys before recess
Comment: Different kinds of nervousness, different ways of showing it.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
•JRRShop: Eccentric software ZK rhymes and 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.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Cliché: joined at the hip
(entered for 04.26.06)
Meaning: exceedingly close friendship or working relationship. Idiom.
Rewrite 1: coupled at the keyboard
Rewrite 2: attached by the phone line
Rewrite 3: connected at the coffee cup
Rewrite 4: wed at the water cooler
Comment: Alliteration isn’t necessary here, but it aids in the lyrical quality of the metaphor.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Brain Bender: Mixed up 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: exceedingly close friendship or working relationship. Idiom.
Rewrite 1: coupled at the keyboard
Rewrite 2: attached by the phone line
Rewrite 3: connected at the coffee cup
Rewrite 4: wed at the water cooler
Comment: Alliteration isn’t necessary here, but it aids in the lyrical quality of the metaphor.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Brain Bender: Mixed up 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: even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while
(entered for 04.25.06)
Meaning: even the disadvantaged excels on occasion. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: even a deaf pig answers the dinner bell occasionally.
Rewrite 2: even a color-blind man matches socks once in a while.
Rewrite 3: even a man who can’t smell can give beautiful roses.
Rewrite 4: A geek and his girl aren’t forever doomed lovers.
Comment: Rewrite 4 is a stretch, but it can still work in the right circumstance.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Facts on File: Dictionary of 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: even the disadvantaged excels on occasion. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: even a deaf pig answers the dinner bell occasionally.
Rewrite 2: even a color-blind man matches socks once in a while.
Rewrite 3: even a man who can’t smell can give beautiful roses.
Rewrite 4: A geek and his girl aren’t forever doomed lovers.
Comment: Rewrite 4 is a stretch, but it can still work in the right circumstance.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Facts on File: Dictionary of 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.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Cliché: clear as a bell
Meaning: pure sound or clear meaning. Idiom.
Rewrite 1: clear as a pristine glacial lake
Rewrite 2: clear as crisp2 alpine air
Rewrite 3: clear as the sight between towering peaksn2a
Rewrite 4: clarity of a cloudless sky
Comment: I would have liked to see something more about clarity of sound or taste. Perhaps something more like “clarity of a French claret…”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés Gifts: “…gifts from the CartoonStock directory - the world's largest on-line collection of cartoon gifts.”
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: clear as a pristine glacial lake
Rewrite 2: clear as crisp2 alpine air
Rewrite 3: clear as the sight between towering peaksn2a
Rewrite 4: clarity of a cloudless sky
Comment: I would have liked to see something more about clarity of sound or taste. Perhaps something more like “clarity of a French claret…”
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Clichés Gifts: “…gifts from the CartoonStock directory - the world's largest on-line collection of cartoon gifts.”
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 23, 2006
Cliché: when all is said and done
Meaning: when everything possible has been covered. Idiom.
Rewrite 1: when everyone is finished pickingtv3b it to death
Rewrite 2: when you’ve exhausted the last option3
Rewrite 3: when the saying is said and the doing is done
Rewrite 4: in the end3
Comment: This cliché said it pretty well, so coming up with something clever may be difficult. I’d like to see what you can do with it.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Study Skills Writing: “Some examples of common clichés are highlighted below: How would you rewrite the examples to eliminate these 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: when everyone is finished pickingtv3b it to death
Rewrite 2: when you’ve exhausted the last option3
Rewrite 3: when the saying is said and the doing is done
Rewrite 4: in the end3
Comment: This cliché said it pretty well, so coming up with something clever may be difficult. I’d like to see what you can do with it.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Study Skills Writing: “Some examples of common clichés are highlighted below: How would you rewrite the examples to eliminate these 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 22, 2006
Cliché: run circles around
(also, run rings around)
Meaning: easily and quickly surpass you. Origins.
Rewrite 1: do doughnuts around
Rewrite 2: do pretzels around
Rewrite 3: run around you like you’re standing still
Rewrite 4: make like a hare while you make like a snail2
Comment: Rewrites 1 and 2 are more like 3-D versions of the original, while rewrites 3 and 4 try to extend the metaphor to a brag. In the case of the pretzel, it’s a more complicated or intricate pattern to weave around someone or something than simply a circle or ring. In the case of the hare and the snail, I had originally thought to use the hare versus the turtle metaphor, then decided to change the turtle to a snail to avoid a reference to the lesson learned when the slower turtle actually beat the much faster hare.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Why Clichés are so annoying: CorrenteWire (political commentary).
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: easily and quickly surpass you. Origins.
Rewrite 1: do doughnuts around
Rewrite 2: do pretzels around
Rewrite 3: run around you like you’re standing still
Rewrite 4: make like a hare while you make like a snail2
Comment: Rewrites 1 and 2 are more like 3-D versions of the original, while rewrites 3 and 4 try to extend the metaphor to a brag. In the case of the pretzel, it’s a more complicated or intricate pattern to weave around someone or something than simply a circle or ring. In the case of the hare and the snail, I had originally thought to use the hare versus the turtle metaphor, then decided to change the turtle to a snail to avoid a reference to the lesson learned when the slower turtle actually beat the much faster hare.
More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Why Clichés are so annoying: CorrenteWire (political commentary).
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 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.
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.
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.
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: “out”a7 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.
Rewrite 1: “out”a7 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.
(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.
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.
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