Clichés - Week 2, Lesson 3 | Grade 10

 

What is a Cliché?

A cliché is a word or phrase that has been overused in writing.

Clichés such as “leave no stone unturned” have been used so much in writing that they have lost all their effectiveness. These phrases have become weak and meaningless. They usually contribute nothing to the message you are trying to convey and will be viewed, by the reader, simply as padding. A text full of clichés makes the writer appear lazy and uncreative and will, for many readers, kill the significance of the writing.

As a young person reading through textbooks or stories, you'll come across certain old, almost meaningless phrases, that are used in an effort to express the writer's ideas.

"Time heals all wounds." - This is a true statement, but it's been used so many times in books, movies, articles, etc - that it becomes boring and tired. 

"Don't put all of your eggs in one basket." - You have probably heard this one before from your mother or grandmother. It is a really old saying that basically tells you to not risk everything by committing to one plan or idea - always have a plan 'B'.

"Take a chill pill." - This is a more recent saying that has become a cliché. It was really popular in the 1990's to 2010's period and it was used so much, by so many people that I became a cliché.

"They lived happily ever after." - You should definitely know this cliché: It's the end of every regular, old, fairy-tale. So many stories have used the "happily ever after" ending that it has become boring and stale.

You can usually pick out a cliché from a passage fairly easily: it's that old-sounding phrase or metaphor that feels out-of-place. In the exercise on your worksheet there is a passage that has many clichés that you will have to identify. Let me show you one of them:

In the 5th sentence there is one that goes, "Bang, like a bolt from the blue...". This old phrase sounds a bit like a rhyme, and it is used to express something that happens suddenly, loudly, and takes you by surprise.

Why shouldn’t you use clichés?

Clichés are usually not acceptable in formal writing, although some may be effective in daily conversation and less formal writing. Evaluate the context of your writing and be aware that you’re making a choice when you use them.

• Clichés make you seem boring. By using a cliché, you’re telling your reader that you lack originality, making them want to yawn and stop reading your paper.
• Clichés make your writing and argument interchangeable with anybody else’s. Make sure that your argument and writing are specific to you and your writing task.
• Clichés are vague. It is best to use the most precise wording in order to present evidence and support your arguments as clearly as possible. Specific details and explanations make better evidence than generalizations and trite phrases.
• Clichés make you seem lazy. They are a hedge when you don’t want to do creative work.
• Clichés make you lose credibility. Your reader will not trust you as an authoritative source if you can’t come up with a better description than a cliché.
• Clichés are poor substitutes for actual evidence. Because clichés are not specific, they do not offer strong enough commentary to prove your point. Make sure that every sentence of your paper is working toward a goal by eliminating meaningless phrases.