| Exemplary Prose: |
| Essential Writing Skills in Context |
Clichés
A cliché is an aspect of writing that's been done to death; they aren't necessarily wrong, but instead, worn out.. A cliché is defined as a hackneyed (made commonplace or trite from overuse) phrase or opinion. Clichés have been the victim of overexposure. At one time, when they were first created, they were fresh and vibrant, but after working so hard in the hands of so many writers, they lost their value. Avoid clichés at all costs (even if I use them regularly). As Robert Louis Stevenson said, "Man is a creature who lives not upon bread alone, but principally by catchwords."
Have you ever uttered (or wrote) any of these?
white as snow busy as a beaver
sleeping like a baby Father Time
blind as a bat cool as a cucumber
happy as a clam hungry as a bear
in a flash eat like a pig
like a bat out of hell not a soul to be seen
something fishy going on as plain as the nose on your face
for the duration room to spare
up to my ears believe it or not
sick as a dog just goes to show you
nice and easy your eyes bigger than your stomach
drank like a fish the moral of the story
ripe old age rock the boat loose as a goose easy as pie
skinny as a rail smart as a whip
naked as a jay bird muddy the water
have time to kill strong as an ox
fresh as a daisy thick as thieves
tight as a drum raining cats and dogs
down in the dumps heart-to-heart talk
on the tip of my tongue for crying out loud
eat your heart out for Heaven's sake