The Writing-Practice Journal

Clich�s

         A cliché is a tired expression which has been and is being used over and over. Usually it is a metaphor or a simile that someone once uttered and it rooted itself into the vocabulary of the masses. Just for the fun of it, let me write down a few of them:

          “starving to death” “I love him to death” “ a sitting duck” “crying one’s eyes out” “the spur of the moment” “blowing one’s top” “spread like wildfire” “work like a horse” “a place like a pigsty” “monkey business” “fate dealing a card” “lose track of time” “population explosion” “wearing one’s heart on one’s sleeves” “hit the ceiling” “drop like a ton of bricks” “bend over backwards” “when it rains, it pours” “he’s a dead duck” “money talks”

         A cliché, because of its colloquial nature, is sometimes functional if used to give color to a character’s dialogue.

         “Don’t follow me like a puppy, please, John,” she said.
         “Man! The boy’s a freakin’ pig, I say!”

         A cliché can be used wisely if the dead metaphor in it can be revived. Let me try to revive “money talks” if I may.

         “He saw the young teller behind the glass partition count a stack of bills. As he waited and stared, the enticing whisper of the green begged and cajoled him into a romantic fascination. From then on, he knew he would follow that voice.”

         In general, clichés are dangerous for amateurs and are used sparingly or avoided totally by serious writers. If I catch myself using clichés during a free-flow or a first draft, I later replace them or try to revive them in some way.

Today’s tip:
Writers read; readers write. :)

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Joy
"A witty saying proves nothing."