Our writers are full of cliches just as old barns are full of bats. There is obviously no rule about this, except that anything that you suspect of being a cliche undoubtedly is one and had better be removed. ~Wolcott Gibbs

As the crow flies.

Lay your cards on the table.

The apple doesn’t fall to far from the tree.

The Nature of a Cliche

Recently my editor let me know that I had used a cliche (her notes are in red), “‘Call Elementary Personal Training today, (you’ll be glad you did).  this is a bit cliche’, maybe, “and begin the transformation you’ve always wanted.” ‘ As soon as I read it I thought, duh, of course. Why is it so easy to write a cliche when, as a writer, we know we shouldn’t? The nature of a cliche gives a hint as to why,

• a cliche is saying, expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning
• a cliche is a stereotype,
• a cliche is frequently used in modern culture for an action or idea which is expected or predictable, based on a prior event.

from Wikipedia, cliche.

Overused ideas, stereotypes, and expected actions or ideas dominate the cloud of noise going on around us at all time. Our brain expects these phrases and as such they are assimilated easily. For a writer, these phrases are a quick fix for expressing an idea or getting a point across. I am more likely to write cliches if I am tired, experiencing a bit of writers block, or bored with the subject matter. Thankfully I have a good editor who will catch me every time.

Are cliche’s ever ok? I think you can stray so far from a cliche that the idea gets warped and too high-brow.

Panagram, not cliche.

the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog (not a true cliche by-the-way as it is a panagram (a phrase that uses all the letters of the alphabet).

the accelerated mahogany Vulpes canters overtop the somnolent canine <<what?

but this might pass>>the speedy amber pup hops atop the drowsy pooch

It’s all hunky dory. Don’t tear your hair out trying to avoid cliches. Write what you know and know what you write and you’ll go from rags to riches in a flash. Pretty soon it will all be clear as mud, right as rain. If you do happen to write a cliche, start from scratch and realize that when all is said and done, you can’t win ‘em all. Believe in yourself!  Life really is just a bowl of cherries.

Thanks to www.westegg.com for the random cliche finder!