Don’t judge a book by its cover”. You must have come across this phrase a thousand times, but have you ever wondered why? In the English language, there is an array of examples of common phrases that are overused by people, whether in writing or daily conversations. Such phrases or expressions are called cliches- meaningless words, and phrases that have lost their essence and original meaning due to excessive usage in various contexts.
If you are a content writer, an editor, or a marketer, using cliches is the worst idea as they are present everywhere, making them lose their impact as well as literal meaning. Using these fancy phrases depicts a lack of research and effort before writing, which causes a negative impression of the brand or business. Therefore, avoiding clichés in your writing is crucial to present your writing as well-researched, creative, engaging, and inspiring.
To do that, it’s important to learn what some common cliches are and how to avoid them. Avoiding cliches requires a deliberate balance of a creative mindset, context awareness, complete knowledge, and a researchful mind. In this blog, we will navigate what are cliches in writing, examples of common cliches, ways to avoid them, how to creatively use clichés and the impact of clichés on storytelling.
What are Clichés in Writing?
A cliche is a word, phrase, or an idiom that has lost its meaning, essence, and impact due to overuse in multiple contexts. They are like worn-out shoes that provide comfort and reliability while new, but as they age and wear down, their usefulness reduces, and they become ineffective and uncomfortable. The cliches do not convey any literal meaning and are generally unhelpful for the majority of readers.
For example – Out of the blue, this cliche is used to describe an unexpected event or situation, but readers remain confused about what the unexpected event is and how it happened. Other examples of common clichés are as red as a rose, at the speed of light, think outside the box, on cloud nine, and many more. Cliches are associated with lazy writing, the things you write when you don’t have the inspiration or energy to find some creative or innovative way of expressing the idea or situation.
Examples of Common Clichés: What to avoid while writing?
To help you avoid the common cliches and add freshness to your writing, we have compiled a list of Examples of common clichés that have lost their essence and impact:
- Time heals all wounds
- In the nick of time
- Think outside the box
- It’s not rocket science
- Every rose has its thorn
- All is fair in love and war
- Better late than never
- Little did I know
- Actions speak louder than words.
- What goes around comes around
- Frightened to death
- Curiosity killed the cat
- Time flies
- When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
- Bring to the table
- Don’t cry over spilled milk
- All that glitters isn’t gold
- You can’t judge a book by its cover
- To be honest
- Every cloud has a silver lining
- Only time will tell
- Take the tiger by the tail
- All’s well that ends well
- Avoid like the plague
- The early bird catches the worm
- In a nutshell
- Do or die
- Ignorance is bliss
- You can’t judge a book by its cover
Embracing Originality: Avoiding clichés in your writing
It’s important to avoid clichés in your writing to make your content look fresh, engaging, and captivating. Suppose you are describing a travel destination using the cliche “a slice of paradise”. This phrase is used to describe the beauty and tranquility of nature, but its overuse can make the audience feel that the writer is lazy, unoriginal, and disinterested in delivering something new and extraordinary. Therefore, you need to paint a vivid picture of the place through descriptive language, fresh phrases or idioms, and personal experiences to captivate the audience and hook their interest. Avoiding cliches in your writing helps you connect with the audience better, deliver your message properly, enhance brand reputation, and show the audience that you value their interest and preferences. Here are some basic ways of avoiding clichés in your writing:
Be aware of cliches: Recognize the common cliches you encounter in your daily life, whether in conversations, others’ blogs, social media, or any other place. Awareness is the first step in avoiding using them.
Keep a draft of common cliches: Take out a day every month, make a list of common cliches, and keep it with you while writing. Simply avoid the phrases, idioms, and words that are present in your list.
Check for unnecessary padding: Cliches are sometimes unnecessary padding that you use to make your content fancy or simply increase the word count. It’s better to delete the whole phrase as it will not have any impact on the context of your content.
Be specific and concrete: Cliches even arise from a lack of specificity. Therefore, rather than using vague and generic cliches, be specific in your writing and provide clear and concrete details for your readers to add depth to your writing.
Use Creative Writing: Rather than stating something with the help of cliches, show it through creative writing, including vivid descriptions, situations, examples, facts, statistics, and sensory details. This can help readers to understand the context better than through cliche.
Use Synonyms: The simplest way to reduce cliches is by using synonyms that can give the same meaning to the context. For example, instead of using the cliche once in a blue moon, you can simply use “rarely,” “infrequently,” “hardly,” etc.
Create your own comparisons: Using existing similes and metaphors can enhance your writing, but they are also examples of common cliches. Instead, create your own unique comparisons that can convey the same meaning but with different words.
Ask someone else to proofread: Asking someone else can help you conclude if you have used excessive cliches in the content or if they are reasonable. Other people can add a different vision to your content and give you suggestions that can reduce cliches.
How to creatively use clichés in writing?
Although using cliches is a big NO for writers, using them in a creative way with some fresh perspectives, innovative applications, and unexpected twists can make your content interesting and captivating. Here are some approaches to do so:
Use them sparingly
Cliches are the problem only when they are overused and overloaded in your writing. To keep their essence and impact intact, use them sparingly and only when they add depth and meaning to your content. They should not be used just to increase the word length or make the content fancy.
Embrace clichés as catalysts for creativity
Some cliches can be used to ignite creativity or inspiration and make your content more relatable, familiar, and engaging. When cliches are used strategically, and in the right place, they enhance readability. For example, the common cliche “action speaks louder than words” can help you depict a character’s silent gestures, adding depth and nuisance to your content.
Turn cliches inside out
Another way of “how to creatively use clichés and make them interesting” is by turning them on their head, making them go against the expected meaning. For example, the cliche “The early bird catches the worm” usually emphasizes the benefits of being proactive, but you can use it to highlight the importance of timing and seizing opportunities.
Reinvent clichés to spark intrigue
Reinventing cliches and giving a new spin to them can help you use the cliche in an interesting and captivating manner. For example, use “good things come to those who dare” rather than using it in its traditional way: “good thighs come to those who wait.” This reinvention can help you present your message that aims to highlight the importance of boldly taking proactive steps towards a goal in a creative way with the help of a cliche.
Combine with originality
Combining clichés with creative language or thoughts can give them new life and depth, adding flavor to the familiar. With a twist, you can bring life to outdated phrases, transforming ordinary situations into a canvas for creativity. For example, use a well-known cliche, “love conquers all,” and then offer a startling twist at the end that challenges expectations and provides a new finish.
The Impact of Clichés on Storytelling
The impact of clichés on storytelling is like a seasoning in a dish. A pinch can enhance the flavor, adding familiarity and making it more relatable, but if used in excess, can dilute the originality, resulting in a less satisfying and unoriginal experience.
On the positive side, cliches evoke a sense of nostalgia and familiarity, transporting readers to an imaginative world of the past and making them resonate better with the content. They can help you convey a complex message in an easy and understandable manner by establishing the context.
Contrary to that, cliches are a symbol of laziness, lack of research, and originality. Their excessive use can make the story predictable, which bores the audience and eliminates their interest. Moreover, it depicts a lack of originality, fresh perspectives, and creative ideas, which can diminish its relevance and impact.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say that cliches are words or phrases that have lost their originality and importance due to excessive usage. Writers and marketers should avoid using common cliches in their content to maintain freshness and creativity. We have discussed what cliches are, examples of common cliches, how to avoid them as well as their impact on storytelling. With how to use cliches creatively, you can try minimizing their typical usage and use them in a unique yet relevant and accepted manner.
