They exist for a reason: What are cliches and are they bad?

What is a cliché?

A cliché is a phrase that once was new and clever but has become overused. The word itself comes from French, which explains the acute accent. It once referred to a printer’s plate that could reproduce the same ready-made phrases quickly. (The term “stereotype,” which also refers to clichés, has similar origins.) Allegedly, printmakers thought that the sounds of striking plates made a sound like “cliché.” Over time, “cliché” went from the printing press to a negative concept overall.

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A phrase becomes a cliché because it once had an impact. It relies on the vividness of its imagery through exaggeration and analogy. By comparing the situation at hand to an abstract item or metaphor, it emphasizes how strong the writer or speaker feels. Consider the strength and impact of the following cliches:

• sick as a dog
• a drop in the bucket
• dead as a doornail
• think outside the box

Notice how many of these clichés rely on “like” or “as” comparisons, as well as abstract definitions: do dogs get particularly sick? Can an inanimate object like a doornail be considered “dead?” And how terrible is something to be avoided that it can be compared to the Black Death? This is how a cliché that was once impactful gets overused to the point of boredom.

Shakespeare coined many phrases among his many plays, and there was no doubt that they were once clever, but it’s precisely because of this cleverness that their impact has become worn down over hundreds of years. Here are some phrases that you’ve no doubt seen but might not know originated from Shakespeare:

• in a pickle (The Tempest)
• wild goose chase (Romeo and Juliet)
• love is blind (The Merchant of Venice)
• salad days (Anthony and Cleopatra)
• wear my heart on my sleeve (Othello)

Why you should avoid clichés

“Tell me if you’ve heard of this one before” — which, of course, is a cliché. At best, using a cliché can deflate the impact of your writing or your argument; at worst, it can smack of laziness and a lack of creativity and thought. No matter what the project, a writer aims for a distinctive voice, and the use or overuse of clichés will stymie that.

A common quote that has been attributed to Voltaire, Salvador Dali, and the French poet Gérard de Nerval reads, in essence: “The first man who compared woman to a rose was a poet, the second, an imbecile.” No matter who said it, the sentiment is the same: a cliché’s unoriginality can become a detriment.

A cliché can slip into your work subconsciously. They may just seem like the most succinct way to describe something in a sentence. To see if any clichés have popped into your writing, you can reread your draft out loud, have another person look it over, and keep an eye out for generalizations, replacing with specific information that are resistant to clichés.

When to use a cliché

However, sometimes a cliché can’t be avoided — it can even prove useful. Instead of trying to “reinvent the wheel” by coming up with a new turn of phrase, you can reach your audience with phrases they’re familiar with. For example, there might not be a better way to tap into nostalgia than the phrase “back in the day.”

Sometimes a cliché is simply true. If you can sum up a sentiment in just a few words, you can avoid needless over explanation. The impact of a phrase such as “a force to be reckoned with” speaks to power, indestructibility, and toughness. “Three sheets to the wind” stems from a nautical phrase, and its meaning (though evolved) is still immediately clear to English-language speakers.

Clichés can also take the form of mantra. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is a positive affirmation in tough times, while “a penny saved is a penny earned” imparts advice. These can be empowering to writer and reader alike.

Clichés should be avoided in creative writing, but they can also draw attention to or poke fun at characters or entities that reflect unoriginality. This is particularly effective for satire. Advertising slogans are a strong form of cliché, and deploying these with an intent to critique or parody can say much more than a thorough explanation.

Writing is built up of thousands of years of rules, both formal and informal; the use of clichés is no different. Once you understand a writing concept, you have the tools to avoid them or to break the rules. For more writing tips, check out Microsoft 365 to round out your writing with confidence.