CLICHé

A '''cliché''' (from French, ) is a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or novelty, especially when at some time it was considered distinctively forceful or novel. The term is generally used in a negative context.

Contents

Identification

Other meanings

See also

References

External links

Identification

"Cliché" applies also to almost any situation, subject, characterization, figure of speech, or object—in short, any sign—that has become overly familiar or commonplace.
Because the novelty or frequency of an expression's use varies across different times and places, whether or not it is a cliché depends largely on who uses it, the context in which it is used, and who is making the judgment.
The meaning of a particular cliché may shift over time, often leading to confusion or misuse. An example of a cliché is "It takes one to know one..."
In the meaning "Are you thinking to use the same tactic that I was thinking about?" the cliché would be "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Other meanings

A cliché is also a term historically used in printing, for a printing plate cast from movable type. This is also called a stereotype.^[1]

See also

★ Anti-cliché

★ Archetype

★ Idiom

★ Lists of clichés

★ Simile

★ Snowclone

★ Stock character

★ Stereotype

References

1. Museum of printing: discussion of stereotype/cliché.

External links

★ ClichéSite.com For Cliche Expressions

★ A list of Clichés in films

★ Figures of Speech

★ Clichés: Avoid Them Like the Plague