Thursday, May 06, 2004
Why I Love Cliché Phrases
They are imaginative. They are clever. They are abstract and almost entertaining. Cliché phrases demonstrate how creative language can be. Just as a picture can be worth a thousand words, a cliché phrase can be worth a thousand images.
Many people don't like cliché phrases because it is, oh so cheesy to use them. People who don't like clichés say "I've heard that phrase a thousand times before" or "why would you use a cliché? You're borrowing someone else's saying." Well, cliché phrases are almost like music hits. People have heard them a million times before, but they still sound good. The first time you hear a cliché phrase, your imagination goes wild, you "get it", and you go "Cool! That's a great way to illustrate a point!" Next time you hear it, you replay that image in your head and feel comfortable knowing what the message is.
It's a better way to communicate using cliché phrases than to use plain and simple boring language. People say "Don't use clichés because we've heard them a thousand times before." The fact of the matter is that if you don't use a cliché but a plain phrase instead, that plain phrase you have heard a million times before.
So if a child asks you "What are cliché phrases?" Don't answer "They are popular phrases that everyone knows and have become overly familiar" but rather say "They are phrases that were old when God was a kid."
So please, don't refrain from using clichés because they are gems of not only language but also of social imagination that are worth passing on to the next generation. Use of cliché phrases don't only spark imaginative thinking but can also inspire for creative thinking. Who knows - in a few years maybe one of your favorite expressions that you share with friends might become a cliché phrase. Your time!
My favorite clichés? Here:
Read between the lines
Let the cat out of the bag
Read him like an open book
What goes around comes around
Easy come, easy go
I need your help like a kangaroo needs a purse
His elevator doesn't reach the top floor
Better safe than sorry
Bite the bullet
Put the cart before the horse
I see the light at the end of the tunnel
The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of a train
Your Time
Looking for a cliché? Try Cliché Finder.
Krassy Can Listen To It: "Storm Warning" by I Am Kloot
Many people don't like cliché phrases because it is, oh so cheesy to use them. People who don't like clichés say "I've heard that phrase a thousand times before" or "why would you use a cliché? You're borrowing someone else's saying." Well, cliché phrases are almost like music hits. People have heard them a million times before, but they still sound good. The first time you hear a cliché phrase, your imagination goes wild, you "get it", and you go "Cool! That's a great way to illustrate a point!" Next time you hear it, you replay that image in your head and feel comfortable knowing what the message is.
It's a better way to communicate using cliché phrases than to use plain and simple boring language. People say "Don't use clichés because we've heard them a thousand times before." The fact of the matter is that if you don't use a cliché but a plain phrase instead, that plain phrase you have heard a million times before.
So if a child asks you "What are cliché phrases?" Don't answer "They are popular phrases that everyone knows and have become overly familiar" but rather say "They are phrases that were old when God was a kid."
So please, don't refrain from using clichés because they are gems of not only language but also of social imagination that are worth passing on to the next generation. Use of cliché phrases don't only spark imaginative thinking but can also inspire for creative thinking. Who knows - in a few years maybe one of your favorite expressions that you share with friends might become a cliché phrase. Your time!
My favorite clichés? Here:
Read between the lines
Let the cat out of the bag
Read him like an open book
What goes around comes around
Easy come, easy go
I need your help like a kangaroo needs a purse
His elevator doesn't reach the top floor
Better safe than sorry
Bite the bullet
Put the cart before the horse
I see the light at the end of the tunnel
The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of a train
Your Time
Looking for a cliché? Try Cliché Finder.
Krassy Can Listen To It: "Storm Warning" by I Am Kloot