Cliché

A cliché, in English, is a phrase, idea or concept which is used too much. Originally, the word meant (in French) a stereotype plate, which is a term in printing.

The drawing of a illuminated lightbulb (particularly above a person's head) became a clichéd visual cue to evoke creativity or having a idea

A cliché is a stock concept used again and again. It has "lost its freshness and vigour through overuse, and suggests insincerity, lack of thought or laziness on the part of the writer".^[1]

Examples

Some examples of clichéd expressions:

• eureka
• leave no stone unturned
• none the worse for wear
• explore every avenue
• food for thought
• dead as a doornail
• avoid like the plague
• the name of the game
• the bottom line
• there's no smoke without fire
• from time immemorial

Style guides advise writers to avoid clichés.