Hey, SE Readers. Joan here today. In a recent post, I wrote about overusing similes and metaphors. Today I’m going to talk about other overused phrases in writing—clichés. Unlike similes and metaphors, which can be skillfully used, we should avoid clichés like the plague.
So, what is a cliché? They are trite, stereotyped expressions, sentences, or phrases that usually express a popular thought or idea. However, these expressions have been overused to the extent they have lost their original meaning or novelty.
Let’s look at a few examples.
- At the speed of light
- Lasted an eternity
Describing people or things:
- As clever as a fox
- As old as the hills
- Frightened to death
- Scared out of my wits
- I’m like a kid in a candy store
- The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Why should we avoid them? Using clichés can send the reader a message you lack originality or skills. Why would someone want to read something that has been written countless times? When a book is sprinkled with these overused and redundant phrases, it can drive readers away.
Clichés can give the impression you’re a lazy writer. I’m going back to that old expression, “show, don’t tell.” (That in itself can become a cliché.) Whenever possible, show your reader a scene, an emotion, a reaction. Don’t tell them.
Yes, showing takes more words. Let’s look at an example from one of the above clichés.
“Noah Macdonald was as old as the hills.” Okay, that tells me the person is probably over the age of eighty. However, another reader might think of someone in their nineties or even a centenarian. A teenager might think anyone over the age of thirty is old!
Instead, we can say something like this: Noah Macdonald leaned heavily on his cane as he shuffled along the sidewalk. His face was creased with wrinkles, and the thin skin of his forearms was marked by numerous bruises. Iron gray hair… While I could (and should) write this description better, you get the idea.
A third reason for avoiding the use of clichés is they have lost their meaning or novelty as stated in the definition.
“Lasted an eternity.” None of us have lived into eternity. How would we know something has lasted that long?
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” What are we really saying? Can your reader visualize what you’re trying to say or will they be too focused on seeing an apple lying on the ground?
Again, show me. Don’t tell me.
I purposely used a cliché on in my opening paragraph. “Avoid like the plague.” I always assumed the saying came about because of the Bubonic plague when the “Black Death” spread across Europe in the fourteenth century.
But would you believe it originated much earlier? The original quote was from St. Jerome (a.d. 345- 420). He said, “Avoid, as you would the plague, a clergyman who is also a man of business.” You can see this one has been widely overused.
One exception when avoiding clichés in fiction. It’s okay to use them sparingly in dialogue. We often use clichés in our speech. Having a character who says one now and then can give the reader insight the character’s personality.
Do you use clichés in your writing? If so, how and why? As a reader, do they distract you? Share in the comments.