Relationships & Partners and Writing Skills Tips. (A Writing Advice Guide Book

Clichés

Clichés Lesson

Take a minute to study the list of expressions below. What do they have in common? How many have you heard before? Have you ever used any in your own writing?

Lists of Clichés used below often in writing.
1. accidents will happen
2.add insult to injury
3. better late than never
4. busy as a bee
5. calm before the storm
6. cool as a cucumber
7. crazy as a loon
8. down in the dumps
9. few and far between
10. fit as a fiddle
11. fit to be told
12. go fly a kite
13. go jump in a lake
14. green with envy
15. in seventh heaven
16. my cup of tea
17. on cloud nine
18. one in a million
19. quick as a wink
20. safe and sound
21. sick as a dog
22. sink or swim
23. the last straw
24. under the weather

Got it? Each of these expressions is a cliché-an overused, unoriginal saying. Although clichés will surface in your everyday speech, they should almost always be omitted from your writing. Replace them with fresh, concise expressions.

The exception, of course, is if you're using a cliché intentionally. Like dialect, the proper use of clichés can enrich your writing. Because they appear in spoken English, they may have a place in dialogue. They can also be used playfully or self-consciously. Take a look at this passage:

-The '65 Chevy cruised through the summer desert. Heat mirages waved over the highway. The driver, behind the wheel all day, was under the weather.

Writing Prompt Exercise
1. In a small group, brainstorm additions to the list of clichés above.

The Championship Game Clichés In Action Writing Prompt.
This is a two-part assignment that will require a partner.

Using plenty of clichés, write a page describing a championship contest. (Any sport will do.)
Now rewrite each other's stories, replacing the clichés with original expressions. If you want to keep any of the clichés, go ahead. However, you should be ready to justify their use.