Cliche help
What words are called cliche? Could you give some examples so that I can stop using it?
sanjay
Expert
2 answers 
Cliches are metaphors that have become overused and thus stale. "Bat out of hell" is a metaphor for rushing wildly and quickly, barely controlled. If you have ever seen a swarm of bats leaving their nests at dusk, you understand the image. Because so many writers have used the phrase, it has lost its "freshness".
There is no "official" list of cliches, although a number of websites have compiled lists of what their authors believe to be cliches. A Google search will turn up many.
Here are just a few:
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Ace up his sleave
All bent out of shape
He was "all ears"
Ants in his pants
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answered Jun 22 '12 at 11:36
Jeff Pribyl
Grammarly Fellow
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Thanks a lot. But how do we know while writing that the word is a cliche.
Unfortunately, it is just one of those things we all have to learn through practice and experience. Seek fresh ways of saying things. Try not to use phrases you've heard or read over and over again. Remember, every cliche was fresh once. Overuse makes them stale.
Thank you very kindly.
By the way, is it wrong to use these cliches?
add commentSanjay, a cliche is usually a phrase rather than just a word. A cliche can also be more than just a string of words. For instance, if you are watching a movie and you can easily guess a plot devise or the ending, it is considered cliche. It is something that is used repeatedly, generally considered overused. Unfortunately, what we consider cliche here may not be in your country and vice versa. You might use a phrase we think is cliche, but your friends in India might think, "Hey! That's a neat phrase!"
It is not necessarily wrong to use cliches. Sometimes they are specifically chosen to make sure a point is very clearly understood or for emphasis. It depends on the message you are trying to convey and the audience. If you are attempting to grab an audience with fresh, new, or exciting information, the use of cliches will not help.
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answered Jun 22 '12 at 20:36
Patty T
Grammarly Fellow
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In my school days, I wrote an essay on the development of the grain drill, a farm implement used to plant wheat seeds. Before the tool was developed, farmers would broadcast their seeds and then harrow the field. They anticipated that about 50% of their seeds were "for the birds." After the grain drill, they lost less than 25% of their seeds. My teacher was upset that I used the cliche "for the birds" -- even though I had used the phrase in the literal, original sense and not as a metaphor. I had some good teacher, but this one.....
Thank you very much for the explanation.
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