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Definition
 A
cliché is a hackneyed phrase or expression.
The
phrase may once have been fresh or striking, but it has become
tired through over-use.
Examples
"He was over the moon about that goal."
" Yes please. I don't mind if I do."
" Far
be it from me..."
" I
would be the last person to cast aspersions."
We will
leave leave no stone unturned in our search.
Use
Clichés
are often used unconsciously in casual speech.
They
usually suggest mental laziness or the lack of original thought.
They
should be avoided in writing.
Clichés
circulate in the spoken language very readily, because they save
people having to think.
When
written down, they appear even more tired and vacuous than when
spoken.
Traditional
examples are expressions such as it takes the biscuit, back
to square one and a taste of his own medicine.
Current
favourites (in the UK) include the bottom line is ..., a
whole different ball game, living in the real world, a
level playing field, and moving the goalposts.
Clichés
present a temptation, because they often seem to be just what is
required to make an effect. They do the trick. They hit
the nail on the head. They are just what the doctor ordered.
[See what I mean?]
Here
is a stunning compilation, taken from a provincial newspaper. The
example is genuine, but the names have been changed to protect
the innocent. [That's a deliberate example!]
By their very nature cabarets tend to be a bit of a hit
and miss affair. And Manchester's own 'Downtown Cabaret' is ample
proof of that. When it was good it was very good, and when
it was bad it was awful. Holding this curate's egg together
was John Beswick acting as compere and keeping the hotchpotch of
sketches and songs running along smoothly. And his professionalism shone
through as he kept his hand on the tiller and steered
the shown through a difficult audience with his own brand of
witticism. Local playwright Alan Chivers had previously worked
like a Trojan and managed to marshal the talents of a
bevy of Manchester's rising stars.
It
isn't always easy to see where an idiomatic expression
ends and a cliché begins.
The
essential difference between them is that an idiom is not being
offered as original thought. We say 'fish and chips' because people
do not normally say 'chips and fish' (because it's more difficult
to say). But anybody who says he's 'over the moon' about something
has chosen the expression, no doubt thinking that it's impressive.
A vogue
word is very close to the cliché. This is an item of
vocabulary whose
meaning is becoming blurred, distorted, or inflated [that is,
emptied] through over-use.
The
term 'vogue' implies that the word is currently fashionable.
- That's a fantastic dress! [very nice]
- We're in a war situation. [at war]
- It's a brilliant novel. [interesting]
- She'll get paranoid about it. [become worried]
- What a fabulous car! [remarkable]
The
use of these terms is very common in everyday speech.
They should be avoided in formal writing. |
