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ExamplesofClichs

ExamplesofClichs
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Clichscomefromallovertheworld.
Theycanbeinterpreteddifferently,
dependingonyourculturalknowledge
andidentity.Often,aclichstartswith
asmartremarkthatendsupbecoming
verywellknown.Eveniftheoriginis
unclear,itscleartoseethatclichs
areapopularformofexpression.

ClichsthatDescribe
Time
Someclichsthatrefertotime
include:
Timewilltell:Thismeansthatsomethingwillrevealedorbecomeclear
overtime
Inthenickoftime:Thismeanssomethinghappenedjustintime
Losttrackoftime:Thismeansyoustoppedpayingattentiontothetime
ortohowlongsomethingwastaking
Lastedaneternity:Thisreferstosomethingthatlastsforaverylong
time(orthatfeelslikeitdoes)
Amatteroftime:Thisreferstosomethingthatwilleventuallyhappenor
eventuallybecomeclear
Awasteoftime:Thisreferstosomethingthatwassillyornotvaluableto
do
Rushedfortime:Thismeansyoudonothavesufficienttimetodo
something
Inajiffy:Thismeanssomethingwillhappensoon
Thetimeofmylife:Thisreferstoareallygreattime
Atthespeedoflight:Thismeanssomethingdoneveryquickly.

ClichsthatDescribePeople
Someclichsthatdescribepeopleinclude:
Asoldasthehills:Thisdescribessomeoneveryold
Fitasafiddle:Thisdescribessomeoneingreatshape
Withoutacareintheworld:Thisdescribessomeonewhoisnotplagued
byproblemsorworries
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Adiamondintherough:Thisdescribessomeonewhohasagreat

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ExamplesofClichs

future.
Braveasalion:Thisdescribesaverybraveperson.
Weakasakitten:Thisdescribesaveryweakperson.

ClichsAboutLife,LoveandEmotions
Oppositesattract:Thismeansthatpeoplewholikedifferentthingsand
havedifferentviewsarelikelytofallinloveortobecomefriends
Scaredoutofmywits:Thisdescribesbeingveryfrightened
Frightenedtodeath:Thisalsodescribesbeingveryfrightened
Allisfairinloveandwar:Thisclichstandsforthepremisethatyoucan
dowhateveryouhavetoinordertocapturetheheartofyourlover
Allswellthatendswell:Thismeansthateveniftherewereproblems
alongtheway,itdoesn'tmatteraslongasthereisahappyending
Everycloudhasasilverlining:Thismeansthatevenwhenbadthings
happen,itmaybepossibletofindsomegoodinthem
Hastemakeswaste:Thisclichstandsforthepremisethatyouwill
makemistakeswhenyoudothingstooquickly
Thewritingonthewall:Thisreferstosomethingthatshouldbeclearor
apparentandthatisessentiallyaforegoneconclusion
Timehealsallwounds:Thismeansthatallpainandsufferingwillget
betterovertime
Whatgoesaroundcomesaround:Thisclichteachesthelessonthat
thewayyoutreatotherswilleventuallybethewayyouaretreated
Whenyouhavelemons,makelemonade:Thisclichencouragesyouto
haveapositiveattitudeevenwhenthingsaregoingbad.
Wantmore?Trythese:
Catgotyourtongue?
Fallheadoverheels
Readbetweenthelines
Laughteristhebestmedicine
Wakinguponthewrongsideofthebed
Thatandaquarterwillgetyouacupofcoffee
Sentashiverdownmyspine
Gutwrenchingpain
Heartstoppingfear
Iloveyoumorethanlifeitself
Andtheyalllivedhappilyeverafter
We'renotlaughingatyouwerelaughingwithyou
Thequietbeforethestorm

FavoriteClichs

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ExamplesofClichs

Therearenumerousexamplesofclichs.Someclichscanbepoetic,such
asShakespeare's,Arosebyanyothernamewouldsmellassweet.This
phrasebecamesopopularandwidelyused,thatShakespearecreateda
newclich.
OtherfavoriteEnglishclichsinclude:
Allthatglittersisnotgold
Dontgetyourknickersinatwist
Allforone,andoneforall
InAmerica,clichsarecommonlyusedaswell.Forexample:
Havingnervesofsteel
Tomakeup
Tailbetweenhislegs
Canit

HiddenMeaningsinClichs
Therearethousandsofclichsintheworld.Manyofthemhavemeanings
thatyoucanobviouslysee,butsomehavemeaningsthatareonlyclearif
youknowthecontext.Forexample,theclich,anyportinastorm"hasa
hiddenmeaning.Theobviousmeaningisthat,inabadsituation,anything
willdo.Howeverthisclichcanalsobeusedtosaythatamanhasmany
friendsorlovers.

ContextDrivenMeanings
Someclichscanbeinterpreteddifferentlybasedonthecontext.
Forexample:
DoyouthinkIammadeofmoney?impliesthatyoudon'thaveany
money.
IfeelasifIammadeofmoneysuggestsjusttheopposite.

InterpretationDrivenMeanings
Notallclichsarenecessarilytrueeither.Someareamatterof
interpretation.
Forexample:
"Inexperiencecomeswisdomandwithwisdomcomesexperience"is
notnecessarilyaccurateineverycase.
Tisbettertohavelovedandlost,thentohaveneverlovedatallisa
commonlyusedclich,butyoumightdisagreeandsayitsbettertonot
havelovedandlost.
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ExamplesofClichs

Sotherearemanyexamplesofclichs,anddifferentmeaningsand
interpretationscomeintoplaywitheveryclich.Astimegoeson,youmay
interpretthemdifferently,andevencreatesomeclichsofyourown.

DefiningaClich
Aclichcanbetwothings:
1.Anoverusedexpression,somethingthatissaidalotthathas
becomesomecommon,itnolongerreallyhasanyrelevanceoris
evennoticedinconversation.Phrasessuchastothisdayornext
thingIknewareexamplesofsuchaclich,andyouoftensaythese
phraseswithoutnoticingyouaredoingso.
2.Anideawithadifferentmeaningfromitsliteralmeaning.For
example,thephrasessweatypalmsortwinklingeyeshavecometo
meanmorethanthefactthatyourpalmsarejustsweatyorthatyour
eye'shaveatwinkle.Whenyousaysomeonehassweatypalms,
everyoneknowsyoumean"heisnervous"becausetheexpression
hasbecomeaclich.

OriginoftheWordClich
Thewordclichcomesfromtwoorigins:
AsoundTheFrenchusedthewordtodescribethesoundthata
matrix,oramoldwithlettersonit,madewhenitwasbeingdroppedinto
moltenmetaltomakeaprintingplate.
AprintingplateOddlyenough,theprintingplateitselfwascalleda
clichorastereotypeanditwasoneofthefirstmovabletypesinthe
world.

ClichsandIdioms
Clichsareoftenidioms.Idiomsarefigurativephraseswithanimplied
meaningthephraseisnottobetakenliterally.Thiscausesdifficultywhen
translatingtoanotherlanguagebecausethemeaningmaynotbe
understoodbypeoplewithinthatculture.
Idiomsareeitheropaqueortransparent:
OpaqueWhenyoutranslateanopaqueidiom,itwillnotmakesense
becausetheliteralmeaningisnothingliketherealmeaning.An
exampleofanopaqueidiomisbagofbones,whichmeanssomeoneis
veryunderweight.
TransparentAtransparentidiomhassimilaritiesbetweentheliteraland
theexpression.Forexample,playingyourcardsrightisanexpression
thatactuallycamefromcardgamesbutthatcanapplytoother
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situations.

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ExamplesofClichs

Clichscanbetrueornotandsomearestereotypes.Clichscanbe
figurativeorliteralandareoverused.
Anexampleofafigurativeclichisrainingcatsanddogs,meaningitis
rainingheavily.
Aliteralclichwouldbetotellthetruthbecauseyouaregoingtodo
justthat.
Afigurativeidiomcanbecomeaclichifitisusedoftenenoughinour
language.

Doyouhaveagoodexampletoshare?Add
yourexamplehere.

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