Cliches and Overused Phrases by Diana Flegal

In preparation of a workshop on self editing for the 2014 conference season, I got to thinking of the cliché.


Webster defines a cliché as:

cli·ché

noun \klē-ˈshā, ˈklē-ˌ, kli-ˈ\

: a phrase or expression that has been used so often that it is no longer original or interesting

: something that is so commonly used in books, stories, etc., that it is no longer effective

 

When we see multiple cliché's in a submission, it tells me either the writer is a novice or being a lazy writer. Even a well published author slips an occasional cliché into their story, thinking it works, but I suggest cliché's are to be avoided at all costs.

 

It was a dark and stormy night, he was weak as a new born kitten, high as a kite, straight as an arrow, fat as a cow.

 

When writing your first draft- allow the cliché and write on. When you come back for your rewrite, take the time to find a more creative way to express what your trying to say.

 

One of my favorite lines from The Help; is how the author, Kathryn Stockett, describes Mae Mobley's mothers thin legs. "they looked like she done growed 'em last week". How much better is that than saying she had string-bean thin legs.

 

Authors might want to consider these cliché's as well:

• a speech filled with clichés about “finding your way” and “keeping the faith”
• The macho cop of Hollywood movies has become a cliché.

What are a few cliché's you recall? Have you run across any cliché's recently in a blog or book you have recently read that caused you to moan? Please share them with us if you can without hurting or exposing the source.

Fresh Expressions by Andy Scheer

“My man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea ...”

The opening line from W. C. Handy's “St. Louis Blues” grabbed me last week as a watched an installment of the Ken Burns film Jazz. Whether those words are sung by Bessie Smith, Billie Holliday, or Ella Fitzgerald, they grab me every time. I'm not quite sure what they mean, but they carry an emotional punch.

Last week I was editing a lengthy nonfiction book by a writer who never met a cliché he didn't like. Page after page I encountered worn-out figures of speech.

Not having the assignment to rewrite the book, I could only apply Sol Stein's advice that “one plus one equals one-half.” So when the cliché pared two terms (above and beyond) I picked one. While the resulting expression wasn't fresh, at least it was no longer stale.

Listening to W. C. Handy's lyrics reminded me how much more effectively we can communicate when we make the effort to craft an original word picture.

A later line in “St. Louis Blues” says, “I love that man like a schoolboy loves his pie.” Nothing exotic, but certainly evocative. Perhaps even on the same wavelength with Jesus' parables, drawing on a distinctive but common experience.

Would that more writers craft phrases that make daisies seem stale.