Inventing Reality: A Guide to Writing Science Fiction
Cliches
A quick way to strengthen your writing is to replace (or just avoid altogether) overused expressions and phrases. Such expressions and phrases are known as clichés. They include terms such as “avoid like the plague”, “beat around the bush” or “kiss of death”.
Such expressions are so overused that they’ve lost their force. While most readers understand the point being made by a cliché, few understand the origin of and meaning behind the expression. In addition, because of their overuse, clichés sound trite.
Rather than rely on clichés, writers who’ve mastered their craft develop more clever ways of expressing an idea or feeling. These clever expressions delight readers. After all, part of the fun of reading is seeing how writers play with words. Putting them together in unique, evocative ways isn’t just fun for the reader – it’s part of the joy of writing.
Here’s a list of common clichés to avoid:
ace in the hole
ace up your sleeve
acid test
airing dirty laundry
all in a day's work
all talk, no action
all thumbs
all wet
all's fair in love and war
almighty dollar
always a bridesmaid
ambulance chaser
another day, another dollar
ants in your pants
apple-pie order
arm and a leg
armchair quarterback
army brat
art imitates life
artsy-craftsy
artsy-fartsy
as luck would have it
as old as time
at loggerheads
babe in the woods
back against the wall
back in the saddle
back to square one
back to the drawing board
bad to the bone
badge of honor
ballpark figure
balls to the wall
baptism of fire
bare bones
bark up the wrong tree
bat out of hell
bats in the belfry
battle royale
beat around the bush
beat the bushes
beats me
behind the eight ball
bent out of shape
best foot forward
bet your bottom dollar
better half
better late than never
better mousetrap
better safe than sorry
better than ever
better the Devil you know
between a rock and a hard place
beyond the pale
big as life
bigger they are (the)
bird in the hand
birds and the bees
birds of the feather
bite the dust
bite your tongue
bitter disappointment
black as coal
blast from the past
bleeding heart
blind as a bat
blood is thicker than water
blood money
blood on your hands
blow this pop stand/joint
blushing bride
boil it down to
booze and broads
bored to tears
born and raised
born with a silver spoon in your mouth
born yesterday
bottom line
brain drain
brass tacks
bring home the bacon
brother's keeper (thy)
bull by the horns
bull in a china shop
bump in the night
busy as a bee
but seriously
by and large
calm before the storm
candle at both ends
case of mistaken identity
cat out of the bag
caught red-handed
chapter and verse
checkered career
chickens come home to roost
cleanliness is next to godliness
clear as a bell
clear as mud
cold shoulder
communist conspiracy
conniption fit
could care less
couldn't care less
couldn't get to first base
countless hours
creature comfort
crime in the street
curry favor
cut a fine figure
cut and dried
cut to the chase
cut to the quick
cute as a button
darkest before the dawn
dead as a doornail
death and destruction
death and taxes
death's doorstep
devil is in the details
dim view
dog days dog in the manger
doubting Thomas
down and dirty
down in the dumps
down to earth
drive you up a wall
dutch uncle
dyed in the wool
ear to the ground
easier said than done
easy as 1-2-3
easy as pie
eat crow
enough already
even money
every dog has its day
every fiber of my being
everything but the kitchen sink
evil twin
experts agree
eye for an eye
facts of life
fair-haired one
fair weather friend
fat slob
favor us with a song
fear and loathing
fellow traveler
few and far between
field this one
fifteen minutes of fame
fish nor fowl
fly by night
for the birds
fox in the henhouse
fun and games
fun in the sun
garbage in, garbage out
gets my goat
gilding the lily
give a damn
give me a break
gives me the creeps
go him one better
goes without saying
good time was had by all
Greek to me
green thumb
green-eyed monster
grist for the mill
guiding light
hair of the dog
hard to believe
have a nice day
head honcho
heart's content
hell-bent for leather
hidden agenda
high and the mighty (the)
high on the hog
hold a candle to
hold your tongue
hook or by crook
horse of a different color
hot knife through butter
I beg to differ
if the shoe fits
in a nutshell
in a pinch
in a wink
in harm's way
in your dreams
inexorably drawn
influence peddling
intents and purposes
it won't fly
Jack of all trades
jockey for position
joined at the hip
jump down your throat
jump in with both feet
jump on the bandwagon
jump the gun
jury is still out
justice is blind
keep an eye on you
keep it down
keep it simple, stupid
keep up with the Joneses
keep your cards close to vest
keep your chin up
keep your fingers crossed
keep your powder dry
kickb butt
kick the bucket
kick up your heels
kick you to the curb
kick your feet up
kid in a candy store
king's English
king's ransomkiss and tell
kiss ass
kiss of death
kit and kaboodle
knee-high to a grasshopper
knock it out of the park
knock on wood
knock your socks off
knocked up
know him from Adam
know the ropes
know the score
knuckle down
knuckle sandwich
knuckle under
labor of love
lap of luxury
last but not least
last-ditch effort
last hurrah
law of the jungle
law of the land
lay down the law
leaps and bounds
let sleeping dogs lie
let the cat out of the bag
let's split
liberal media
lie like a rug
life and limb
life imitates art
make my day
male chauvinist
man's best friend
many moons
many-splendored thing
mark my words
meaningful relationship
mellow out
moment of glory
moment's respite
Monday morning quarterback
monkey suit
motherhood and apple pie
movers and shakers
moving experience
my two cents
neat as a pin
nip it in the bud
no guts, no glory
no love lost
no pain, no gain
no stone unturned
no time like the present
nose to the grindstone
not in my back yard
not on your tintype
number one fan
numerous to mention
off the wagon
old college try
old meets new
older and wiser
older than dirt
on the bandwagon
on the nose
on the wagon
on thin ice
one born every minute
one foot in the grave
one in a million
only game in town
out of the frying pan
out on a limb
p's and q's
pain and suffering
panic button
party pooper
patter of little feet
pay through the nose
peas in a pod
pig in a poke
pillar of society
poison pen
poor excuse for
proud possessor
quick and the dead
radical chic
rags to riches
raining cats and dogs
rank and file
read my lips
redheaded stepchild
reign supreme
road to hell is paved with good intentions
rob Peter to pay Paul
rock and a hard place
running dog lackey
safe than sorry
salt of the earth
save face
scared stiff
scared to death
senses reel
set the record straight
shake a stick at
shoulder to the wheel
shouldered his way
sigh of relief
silence is golden
slept like a log
small world
snake in the grass
snow job
snug as a bug
some of my best friends
something the cat dragged in
spade a spade
spare the rod
spitting image
spring to life
squeaky wheel gets the grease/oil
start from scratch
stick in the mud
still waters run deep
stop and smell the roses
stubborn as a mule
stuff that dreams are made of
stuffed shirt
take one for the team
take the plunge
takes one to know one
talk turkey
ten foot pole
the earth moved
the final analysis
the real McCoy
the same old story
these things happen
think outside of the box
third time's the charm
this day and age
this point in time
three strikes and you're out
through the grapevine
throw in the towel
tiger by the tail
till the fat lady sings
time and time again
tip of the iceberg
to err is human
to the best of my knowledge
tongue-in-cheek
touch of blarney
tough as nails
tough luck
traditional family values
trials and tribulations
tried and true
true blue
turn your smile upside-down
twist of fate
twists and turns
under the gun
under the same roof
understated elegance
unexpected twist up his sleeve
up the creek
up the wrong tree
very real concern
view with alarm
was my face red
web of intrigue
week of Sundays
what a bummer
what comes around goes around
what the dickens
what the heck/hell
what you see is what you get
what's not to like
wheeler-dealer
when in doubt, punt
when rubber meets the road
when the going gets tough, the tough get going
who has everything
whole ball of wax
whole hog
whole nine yards
whole other story
wild oats wimp
win friends and influence people
win one for the Gipper
winning is everything
wisdom of the ages
without benefit of clergy
wolf at the door
words fail
work like a dog
worst nightmare
wrong side of the bed
you are what you eat
you can run, but you can't hide
you know what they say
young and foolish
young and restless
You Do It
Turn five clichés from the above list into unique expressions. You can do this by thinking of an analogy for the cliché. For example, instead of “airing dity laundry”, you might say “He dumped a trash can full of his problems over me.