Clichés are so … well … cliché, but that’s a cliché way of saying you lack any shred of original thought. Stop thinking in stereotypes. Stop repeating what others have already said.
Before another cliché slips through your lips, stop and think.
Ask yourself these 3 questions:
What does the cliché actually mean?
Does it really apply to my situation?
If it does, how can I communicate the same emotion, intention, or information in my own words?
Here are 13 of the most overused clichés that we need to stop using immediately.
#1 – “Throwing someone under the bus”
Are you grabbing someone and tossing them under the tires of an actual bus?
Or are you, perhaps, betraying them in some way that gains you favor? This is selfish behavior no matter how you describe it.
#2 – “Low hanging fruit”
Simple things are the easiest to do and, in most cases, should be done first to see success.
The only time this phrase should be used is if you’re picking apples or another fruit that hangs low on a tree, plant, or vine. Maybe the mighty tomato?
#3 – “Bite the bullet”
Are you Superman stopping gunfire with your teeth? If not, what bullet are you biting exactly?
You probably mean that there’s something you don’t want to do but are deciding to do it after all, right? It’s best to stop putting things off anyway.
#4 – “At the end of the day”
At the end of the day, our majestic Sun sets in the west. That’s it. Period.
If, however, you’re finishing up a big project or completing your analysis of the facts (whatever they might be), then go ahead and say exactly that.
#5 – “Think outside the box”
My first question to this one is, what box? Is there a special box people tend to think in? Nah. There’s no actual box, just mainstream thinking.
Replace with what you actually mean. In essence, leave the old ideas behind and think of new ones.
#6 – “When push comes to shove”
Somewhat similar to #3 above, this one is when you finally have to do something because of circumstances. Again, procrastination is never good, though I myself have been guilty of it at times.
#7 – “Taking it to the next level”
This one is funny to me. It’s all about making something better, but when you utter the words of this cliché, it’s pure irony.
#8 – “Now more than ever”
If something is important now, chances are it’s been important for a long while, but you never took the time to notice.
This cliché is akin to the old “you never know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone” phrase. Sad and a little depressing.
#9 – “I could care less”
This one is just plain confusing. It means you care, which is the opposite of what the speaker intends to convey.
#10 – “The smoking gun”
Key evidence in a crime. In this case, you better be prepared to explain the evidence or else. The cliché just isn’t good enough.
#11 – “Cat got your tongue?”
Does a cat really have your tongue? If so, it’s probably painful.
If there’s no cat in your vicinity, then maybe you’re speechless because of something that happened or something that someone else said.
It’s a funny one, though. I’ll give you that.
#12 – “Read between the lines”
Unless you’re a detective and your job is to uncover the truth from people who don’t want you to figure it out, you’d benefit from clarity here.
Try to describe what leads you to a certain conclusion. If you can’t, then what you’re speculating on may not be true.
#13 – “Frightened to death”
Really? I mean, I’m sure it’s happened before. Someone sees something scary and they die. Maybe they have a bad heart? Maybe they’re in a horror movie?
In reality, very few are frightened to death. They might have been so scared they peed their pants, but death … nah.
Anyway, if you’ve read all the way down to the bottom of this post, THANK YOU.
What have we learned today?
Clichés are trite and banal. Improve your speech and your writing by forgoing the cliché.
When you use your own words, whatever ideas you’re expressing are much more powerful.
What are the clichés that annoy you?