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Get rid of those cliches!

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What is a cliché?

Here are some examples of familiar clichéd expressions:

We're still as sick as a parrot about the result.

When it's all said and done, at the end of the day, I can say I made a difference in the world.

The first comes from a newspaper, the second from the transcript of a television news programme.

Clichés are words and phrases that have been used so often that they're no longer very interesting or effective. They may have started out as a colourful, inventive phrase, like as sick as a parrot, but they've been picked up and used so widely and indiscriminately that they've lost their impact and become stale.

Clichés are part of our everyday speech - we often don't realize that we're using them. They also occur especially frequently in certain types of writing (such as journalism) or areas of activity (such as sport, business, or politics), as demonstrated by the two examples above.

What's wrong with using clichés?

When you're writing on a more formal level, it's better to try to avoid using clichés. They tend to annoy people, especially if they're overused, and they may even create an impression of laziness or a lack of careful thought. Some people just tune out when they hear a cliché and so they may miss the point that you're trying to make.

Here's a list of some common clichés to look out for and avoid:

at the end of the day

back on track

the fact of the matter

few and far between

a level playing field

in this day and age

to all intents and purposes

when all's said and done

in the final analysis

come full circle

par for the course

think outside the box

avoid someone or something like the plague

in the current climate

mass exodus

at this moment in time

the path of least resistance

a baptism of fire

in any way, shape, or form

fit for purpose

Action points

Once you've spotted a cliché in your writing, you need to rephrase your sentence.
Here are some tips and strategies to help you do this.

1. Think about what the cliché actually means

Think about the basic sense of the expression: what does it actually mean? You'll probably find that some key words come to mind either as synonyms or as 'ingredients' of the overall meaning. Now you can:
o use one of these key words to replace the cliché altogether
o look them up in a thesaurus to find other alternatives
If you find it difficult to come up with the basic meaning, try looking the cliché up in a dictionary. Then you can use the words in the dictionary definition as a starting point for finding suitable synonyms in a thesaurus.

2. Decide whether you actually need the expression at all

Quite a lot of clichés are just long-winded 'fillers', i.e. words or groups of words used just to maintain the flow of speech, or to pad out a speech or piece of writing. If you identify a clichéd expression of this sort, you can just remove it altogether. Wordy, overused phrases might increase the length of a piece of writing but they won't improve its general quality.

3. Rewrite your sentence

Here are some examples of how you might go about replacing clichés in your writing. First you'll see a sentence containing a cliché (in bold). The second column gives its meaning, with key words highlighted in bold, the third gives some suggestions for how to take action, and in the final column the original sentence is rewritten without the cliché.

The authorities announced that they would not tolerate drugs within the sport in any way, shape, or form.

under any circumstances

mainly used for emphasis and can be omitted without changing the meaning

The authorities announced that they would not tolerate drugs within the sport.

In the closing scene, the film comes full circle.

return to a previous position or situation

reword along the lines of the meaning

In the closing scenes, the film returns to the ideas with which it began.

Children's services in the city's hospitals were not fit for purpose, according to the report.

meet the required standards

reword using the meaning given, or find synonyms for the key words

Children's services in the city's hospitals were not meeting the required standards, according to the report

The company considers that this requirement is, to all intents and purposes, impossible to achieve.

in all important respects

mainly used for emphasis and can often be omitted

The company considers that this requirement is impossible to achieve.

Key points

While you probably can't avoid clichés altogether, remember:

Clichés can be a barrier to communication and clear expression.

Clichés can often be reduced to just one or two words that convey your meaning in a clearer or more original way.

Clichés can sometimes be removed completely without the meaning of a sentence being affected.

This guide on how and why to avoid cliches is taken from our Writing Skills section on the premium version of Oxford Dictionaries Online. Featuring accurate and clear guidance on grammar, spelling, and punctuation, the Writing Skills section also has indispensable advice on style and usage, including help on selecting the correct level of language for different situations.

Find out more about the premium version of Oxford Dictionaries Online

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Here are some examples of familiar clichéd expressions: We're still as sick as a parrot about the result. When it's all said and done, at the end of the day, I can say I made a difference in the world. The first comes from a newspaper, the second from the transcript of a television news programme.

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Take a few minutes to look around for ONE good source on improving work choice. When you add it to this Padlet, be sure to put your username as the title in RED, and then click the link icon to post the source! Just double click anywhere to open an new box!

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This is a series of short talks from TED on writing

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This is a series of short talks from TED on writing

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Take a look!

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This is from UNC Chapel Hill