When is something “clichéd” or “trite”?: Difference between revisions

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A cliché is an expression that used to be clever, but became worn-out with too much use, like an over-played pop song. Clichés show laziness in composition, a return to the same expressions that your grandfather used to dazzle his friends with. Leave these expressions alone; instead, come up with another way of saying what you want to say — something fresh and creative. Here are some examples, as if you need them:
A cliché is an expression that used to be clever, but became worn-out with too much use. Clichés show laziness in composition, a return to the same expressions that have been used by people for generations. Leave these expressions alone; instead, come up with another way of saying what you want to say — something fresh and creative.
 
Here are some examples of cliches to be avoided:  


* beat around the bush
* beat around the bush
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* bite the bullet
* bite the bullet


Often clichés are so old, they have lost their original significance, like “dead as a doornail.” Clichés are to be avoided like the plague, and never put quotation marks around them.
Often clichés are so old, they have lost their original significance, like “dead as a doornail.” Clichés can be detrimental to your writing and should be avoided if at all possible.
 
Like clichés, trite expressions are so familiar in popular vernacular (“marketing speek”) that they have become dull to read and hear. Avoid trite expressions and clichés in your writing: they are inappropriate, tired, and predictable.


Like clichés, trite expressions are so familiar in popular vernacular (“marketing speek”) that they have become tired, like a those overly baggy jeans. Like wearing those once-cool jeans, avoid trite expressions and clichés in your writing: they are inappropriate, tired, and predictable:
Here are some trite expressions to be avoided:  


* startling new developments
* startling new developments
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: Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” is a very interesting piece of literature that is often analyzed.
: Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” is a very interesting piece of literature that is often analyzed.


If you can answer it with a “duh!” then you should leave it out of your paper.
If you can respond to the statement with "Duh!", you should leave it out of your writing.  


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