The UVic Writer's Guide
Clichˇs
All clichˇs were once pithy, clever sayings in which someone encapsulated
an idea or feeling. Unfortunately, thousands of other people used
and reused those sayings, until they became trite and tiresome.
Because they are catchy and concise, clichˇs stick in the brain
and immediately occur to the stymied writer. However, using a
worn-out phrase is tantamount to admitting that you have not been
able to think of anything more interesting to say.
Don't be deceived into thinking that if you put quotation marks
around a clichˇ it suddely becomes respectable. On the contrary,
you will simply ensure that your reader notices that you ran out
of ideas. Some clichˇs to avoid like the plague:
- avoid like the plague
- better late than never
- bleeding like a stuck pig
- bright and early
- butterflies in my stomach
- cool as a cucumber
- death warmed over
- easier said than done
- few and far between
- green with envy
- hotter than hell
- in this day and age
- last but not least
- laughing like a hyena
- like water off a duck's back
- long-lost
- love at first sight
- proud as a peacock
- selling like hotcakes
- sleep like a log
- slowly but surely
- sweating like a pig
- white as a sheet/ghost
- work like a dog
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Copyright, The Department of English, University of Victoria,
1995
This page updated September 21, 1995