10 Clichés That Need to Die Already

 

Alright, strap in. Last time we talked about why clichés are the intellectual equivalent of Styrofoam packing peanuts. This time we’re naming names. I’m dragging the usual suspects out into the daylight. And I’m not giving them a cigarette and a blindfold. They’re going down.

Here are 10 of the most overused, overbaked, and underwhelming clichés clogging up American English writing:

1. “At the end of the day”
   No one has ever said this phrase and then followed it with anything profound. Spoiler alert: the end of the day is usually just you eating cereal in your underwear.
   
   
2. “Only time will tell”
   Wow. How brave of you to put all your narrative chips on the single least helpful concept in existence. Next time, just write: I’ve got nothing.
   
   
3. “The calm before the storm”
   Oh really? Did you think of that all by yourself, Captain Barometer?
   
   
4. “Avoid it like the plague”
   The problem here is that people don’t avoid plagues. We’ve seen the news. They argue about them on Facebook.
   
   
5. “Every cloud has a silver lining”
   Except when it doesn’t. Sometimes a cloud is just a big wet bastard that ruins your picnic.
   
   
6. “The tip of the iceberg”
   So majestic. So Titanic. So played out. Stop acting like you’re Leonardo DiCaprio dangling off a door.
   
   
7. “Plenty of fish in the sea”
   There aren’t. We overfished. Have you seen the state of the oceans? Maybe just tell your heartbroken friend, Yeah, dating sucks.
   
   
8. “Low-hanging fruit”
   Congratulations, you’ve turned laziness into an agricultural metaphor. Just admit you wanted the easy option and move on.
   
   
9. “The writing on the wall”
   Here’s the writing on the wall: stop using this phrase.
   
   
10. “It is what it is”
    This is the king of useless clichés. The linguistic equivalent of shrugging until your shoulders fall off.

Clichés are linguistic zombies. They look like words, they shuffle along, but they’re already dead. If you find one in your writing, don’t pet it. Don’t feed it. Put it down.

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Up Next → Clichés—Sometimes the Joke’s on Them

Plot twist: I don’t hate all clichés. But you’re going to have to read this one to find out why.

← Back to Part 1 Why Writers Should Avoid Using Clichés

Start at the beginning if you want to hear me rant about why clichés are literary twaddle.