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Cliches to Avoid

A cliche is is an expression that was once fresh, became popular, and is now worn-out and does not produce the same impact it used to. It is generally a good idea to avoid cliches in your writing.

A List of Common Cliches

at first glance
at first blush
as a nation
as a society
upon deeper reflection
is not alone
is no exception
pundits say
Critics say
critics are quick to point out
offers a rare window
opens a rare window
begs the question
Be that as it may
If you will.
A cautionary tale
Cautiously optimistic
Needless to say
Suffice it to say
This is not your father's
2.0
At a crossroads
The powers that be
Outside the box
A favorite Washington parlor game
Don't get me wrong
Make no mistake
Yes
Virginia
there is a
Christmas came early for
Chock full
Last-ditch effort
Cue the
Call it luck
Pity the poor
Time will tell if
What a difference a day makes
What a difference a week makes
What a difference a month makes
What a difference a year makes
Palpable sense of relief
Sigh of relief
Plenty of blame to go around
Rorschach test
An object lesson
Turned a blind eye
Underscores
Cycle of violence
Searing indictment
Broken system
system is broken
The Other
table the talks
shuttered the factory
Gestalt
Zeitgeist
Orwellian
Machiavellian
Gladwellian
Oft-cited
Little-noticed
Closely watched
Hastily convened
Much ballyhooed
ill-advised
Shrouded in secrecy
Since time immemorial
Tipping point
Inflection point
Point of no return
If history is any guide
If past is prologue
The devil is in the details
[Somebody] does not suffer fools gladly
A ragtag army
A ragtag militia
A tale of two
Ignominious end
Tightly knit
In the final analysis
Ultimately
At the end of the day
For all intents and purposes
Cooler heads prevailed
Victim of her own success
Victim of his own success
Punditocracy
Twitterati
Commentariat
Chattering classes
Naysayers
Keen observer
Took to Twitter
Tongues wagging
White-shoe law firm
Well-heeled lobbyists
Skittish donors
Byzantine rules
Strange bedfellows
A mass of contradictions
A land of contradictions
Rise of the 24-hour news cycle
In the digital age
Not so fast
Not so much
Remains to be seen
Tenuous at best
Woefully inadequate
Or so it seems
Depending on whom you ask
Burst onto the national political scene
-For now
Tectonic shifts
seismic shifts
Feeding frenzy
feeding the frenzy
Double down
Game-changer
-gate
In the wake of
How I learned to stop worrying and love the
Love it or hate it
we love to hate
Don the mantle of
Usher in an era of
A portrait emerges
In a nutshell
The social fabric
the very fabric of our
Hot-button issue
Hotly contested
Perfect storm
Face-saving compromise
Eye-popping
The argument goes
The thinking goes
Contrary to popular belief
Intoned
The new normal
The new face of
The talk of the town
It couple
power couple
Paradigm shift
Unlikely revolutionary
Unlikely reformer
Grizzled veteran
seasoned veteran
Manicured lawns
Wide-ranging interview
Rose from obscurity
Dizzying array
Withering criticism
Predawn raid
Nondescript office building
Unsung hero
Sparked debate
Raised questions
Raises more questions than answers
Raise the specter of
More often than not
hand-wringing
But reality is more complicated
truth is more complicated
Scarred by war
War-torn
War of words
is heating up
Trading barbs
Shines a spotlight on
is no panacea
is no silver bullet
Political football
Political theater
More than you think
Less than you think
Not as much as you think
You guessed it
Shifting dynamics
The situation is fluid
Partisans on both sides
Charm offensive
Fallen on hard times
On thin ice
A crisis waiting to happen
Poster child
Going forward
Creature of Washington
Official Washington
A modest proposal
Stinging rebuke
goes to Washington
The proverbial
Fevered speculation
Hope filled the air
is all the rage
Iconic
How did we get here?
But first
some background
Growing body of evidence
on steroids
Resists easy classification
Resists easy categorization
Increasingly
Tapped
not unsurprising
Wait for it
There I said it
And here's the kicker
See what I did there?
American as apple pie
I beg to differ
Jack of all trades
Johnny-come-lately
V for victory
a chip off the old block
a clean slate
a dark and stormy night
a diamond in the rough
a far cry
a fine kettle of fish
a good soul
a kind soul
a loose cannon
a matter of time
a pain in the butt
a pain in the neck
a penny saved is a penny earned
a tough row to hoe
a waste of time
a word to the wise
ace in the hole
ace up his sleeve
add insult to injury
afraid of his own shadow
against all odds
air your dirty laundry
all fun and games
all in a day's work
all is fair in love and war
all is well that ends well
all talk
all thumbs
all your eggs in one basket
all's fair in love and war
all's well that ends well
all's well that ends well
almighty dollar
an arm and a leg
an axe to grind
and they all lived happily ever after
another day
another dollar
armed to the teeth
as brave as a lion
as clever as a fox
as luck would have it
as meek as a lamb
as old as the hills
as old as the hills:
as old as time
as the crow flies
at my wits end
at the speed of light
avoid it like the plague
avoid like the plague
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
bald faced liar
ballpark figure
banging your head against a brick wall
baptism by fire
bark is worse than her bite
barking up the wrong tree
bat out of hell
be all and end all
beat a dead horse
beat around the bush
bee in her bonnet
beggars can't be choosers
behind the eight ball
bend over backwards
benefit of the doubt
bent out of shape
best thing since sliced bread
bet your bottom dollar
better half
better late than never
better mousetrap
better safe than sorry
between a rock and a hard place
between the devil and the deep blue sea
beyond the pale
bide your time
big as life
big cheese
big fish in a small pond
big man on campus
bigger they are the harder they fall
bird in the hand
bird's eye view
birds and the bees
birds of a feather flock together
bit the hand that feeds you
bite the bullet
bite the dust
bitten off more than he can chew
black as coal
black as pitch
black as the ace of spades
blast from the past
bleeding heart
blessing in disguise
blind ambition
blind as a bat
blind leading the blind
blood is thicker than water
blood sweat and tears
blow off steam
blow your own horn
blushing bride
boils down to
bone to pick
bored stiff
bored to tears
bottomless pit
boys will be boys
brave as a lion
bright and early
brings home the bacon
broad across the beam
broken record
bull by the horns
bull in a china shop
burn the midnight oil
burning question
burning the candle at both ends
burst your bubble
bury the hatchet
busy as a bee
but at the end of the day
but you can't hide
by hook or by crook
call a spade a spade
called onto the carpet
calm before the storm
can of worms
can't cut the mustard
can't hold a candle to
case of mistaken identity
cat got your tongue
caught in the crossfire
caught red-handed
caught with her pants down
caught with his pants down
caught with their pants down
checkered past
chip on her shoulder
chip on his shoulder
chomping at the bit
cleanliness is next to godliness
clear as a bell
clear as mud
close to the vest
cock and bull story
cold shoulder
come hell or high water
cost a king's ransom
count your blessings
crack of dawn
crash course
creature comforts
cross that bridge when you come to it
cry her eyes out
cry like a baby
cry me a river
crystal clear
curiosity killed the cat
cut and dried
cut through the red tape
cut to the chase
cute as a bugs ear
cute as a button
cute as a puppy
cuts to the quick
dark before the dawn
day out day
dead as a doornail
devil is in the details
dime a dozen
divide and conquer
dog and pony show
dog days
dog eat dog
dog tired
don't burn your bridges
don't count your chickens before they're hatched
don't look a gift horse in the mouth
don't rock the boat
don't step on anyone's toes
don't take any wooden nickels
done that been
down and out
down at the heels
down in the dumps
down on her luck
down on his luck
down on their luck
down the hatch
down to earth
draw the line
dressed to kill
dressed to the nines
drives me up the wall
dull as dishwater
dyed in the wool
eagle eye
ear to the ground
early bird catches the worm
earn her keep
earn his keep
earn their keep
easier said than done
easy as 1-2-3
easy as pie
eat your heart out
eat your words
eleventh hour
enough to piss off the Pope
even the playing field
every cloud has a silver lining
every dog has its day
every fiber of my being
everything but the kitchen sink
eye for an eye
eyes in the back of her head
facts of life
fair weather friend
fall by the wayside
fall head over heals
fall head over heels
fan the flames
feast or famine
feather in his cap
feather your nest
few and far between
fifteen minutes of fame
filthy vermin
fine kettle of fish
fish out of water
fishing for a compliment
fit as a fiddle
fit the bill
fit to be tied
flat as a pancake
flip your lid
flog a dead horse
fly by night
fly the coop
follow your heart
for all intents and purposes
for the birds
for what it's worth
force of nature
force to be reckoned with
forgive and forget
fox in the henhouse
free and easy
free as a bird
fresh as a daisy
frightened to death
full steam ahead
fun in the sun
garbage out garbage
get a kick out of
get a leg up
get down and dirty
get her back up
get his back up
get the lead out
get their backs up
get to the bottom of
get your feet wet
gets my goat
gilding the lily
give and take
go against the grain
go for broke
go him one better
go the extra mile
go with the flow
goes without saying
good as gold
good deed for the day
good things come to those who wait
good time was had by all
greek to me
green thumb
green-eyed monster
grist for the mill
growing like a weed
gut wrenching pain
hair of the dog
half a dozen of another
hand to mouth
happy as a clam
hasn't a clue
haste makes waste
have a nice day
have high hopes
have the last laugh
haven't got a row to hoe
head honcho
hear a pin drop
heard it through the grapevine
heart's content
heart-stopping fear
hem and haw
high and dry
high and mighty
high as a kite
hit paydirt
hold your head up high
hold your horses
hold your own
hold your tongue
honest as the day is long
horse of a different color
hot under the collar
i love you more than life itself
icing on the cake
if only the walls could talk
if only walls could talk
if the shoe fits
if the shoe were on the other foot
in a jam
in a jiffy
in a nutshell
in a pig's eye
in a pinch
in a word
in her element
in his element
in hot water
in over her head
in over his head
in the gutter
in the nick of time
in the thick of it
in their element
in this day and age
in your dreams
it ain't over till the fat lady sings
it goes without saying
it takes all kinds
it takes one to know one
it's a small world
it's only a matter of time
ivory tower
jockey for position
jog your memory
joined at the hip
judge a book by its cover
jump down your throat
jump in with both feet
jump on the bandwagon
jump the gun
jump to conclusions
just the ticket
justice is blind
keep a stiff upper lip
keep an eye on
keep it simple
keep the home fires burning
keep up with the Joneses
keep your chin up
keep your fingers crossed
kick his lights out
kick the bucket
kick up your heels
kick your feet up
kid in a candy store
kill two birds with one stone
kiss of death
knock his block off
knock it out of the park
knock on wood
knock your socks off
know him from Adam
know the ropes
know the score
knuckle down
knuckle sandwich
knuckle under
labor of love
land on your feet
lap of luxury
last but not least
last hurrah
last-ditch effort
lasted an eternity
laughter is the best medicine
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 the good times roll
let your hair down
let's talk turkey
letter perfect
lick your wounds
lies like a rug
life's a bitch
life's a grind
light at the end of the tunnel
lighter than a feather
lighter than air
like clockwork
like father like son
like taking candy from a baby
like there's no tomorrow
lion's share
live and learn
live and let live
long and short of it
long lost love
look before you leap
look down your nose
look what the cat dragged in
looks like death warmed over
loose cannon
lose your head
lose your temper
lost track of time
loud as a horn
lounge lizard
loved and lost
low hanging fruit
low man on the totem pole
luck of the Irish
luck of the draw
make hay while the sun shines
make lemonade
make money hand over fist
make my day
make the best of a bad situation
make the best of it
make your blood boil
man of few words
man's best friend
mark my words
missed the boat on that one
moment in the sun
moment of glory
moment of truth
money to burn
more power to you
more than one way to skin a cat
movers and shakers
n
naked as a jaybird
naked truth
neat as a pin
needless to say
neither here nor there
never look back
never say never
nip and tuck
nip it in the bud
no action
no gain
no glory
no guts
no love lost
no pain
no skin off my back
no stone unturned
no time like the present
no use crying over spilled milk
nose to the grindstone
not a hope in hell
not a minute's peace
not in my backyard
not playing with a full deck
not the end of the world
not written in stone
nothing to sneeze at
nothing ventured nothing gained
now we're cooking
off the top of my head
off the wagon
off the wall
old hat
older and wiser
older than Methuselah
older than dirt
on a roll
on cloud nine
on her high horse
on his high horse
on pins and needles
on the bandwagon
on the money
on the nose
on the rocks
on the spot
on the tip of my tongue
on the wagon
on their high horse
on thin ice
once bitten
one bad apple
one born every minute
one brick short
one foot in the grave
one in a million
one red cent
only game in town
only time will tell
open a can of worms
open the flood gates
opportunity doesn't knock twice
opposites attract
out of mind
out of pocket
out of sight
out of the frying pan into the fire
out of the woods
out on a limb
over a barrel
over the hump
pain and suffering
panic button
par for the course
part and parcel
party pooper
pass the buck
patience is a virtue
pay through the nose
penny pincher
perfect storm
pig in a poke
pile it on
pillar of the community
pin your hopes on
pitter patter of little feet
plain as day
plain as the nose on your face
play by the rules
play your cards right
playing the field
playing with fire
pleased as punch
plenty of fish in the sea
poor as a church mouse
pot calling the kettle black
pull a fast one
pull your punches
pulling your leg
pure as the driven snow
put one over on you
put the cart before the horse
put the pedal to the metal
put your best foot forward
put your foot down
quick as a bunny
quick as a lick
quick as a wink
quick as lightning
quiet as a dormouse
rags to riches
raining buckets
raining cats and dogs
rank and file
read between the lines
reap what you sow
red as a beet
red herring
reinvent the wheel
rich and famous
rings a bell
ripped me off
rise and shine
road to hell is paved with good intentions
rob Peter to pay Paul
roll over in the grave
rub the wrong way
running in circles
rushed for time
salt of the earth
scared out of her wits
scared out of his wits
scared out of my wits
scared out of one's wits
scared out of their wits
scared stiff
scared to death
sealed with a kiss
second to none
see eye to eye
seen the light
seize the day
sent a shiver down my spine
set the record straight
set your teeth on edge
sharp as a tack
shoot for the moon
shoot the breeze
shot in the dark
shoulder to the wheel
sick as a dog
sigh of relief
sink or swim
skating on thin ice
slept like a log
slinging mud
slippery as an eel
slow as molasses in January
smooth as a baby's bottom
snug as a bug in a rug
sow wild oats
spare the rod
speak of the devil
spilled the beans
spinning your wheels
spitting image of
spoil the child
spoke with relish
spring to life
squeaky wheel gets the grease
stands out like a sore thumb
start from scratch
stick in the mud
still waters run deep
stitch in time
stop and smell the roses
straw that broke the camel's back
strong as an ox
stubborn as a mule
stuff that dreams are made of
stuffed shirt
sweating blood
sweating bullets
take a load off
take one for the team
take the bait
take the bull by the horns
take the plunge
take the tiger by the tail
takes one to know one
takes two to tango
that and a quarter will get you a cup of coffee
the more the merrier
the quiet before the storm
the real McCoy
the real deal
the red carpet treatment
the same old story
the time of my life
the tough get going
the wool over her eyes
the wool over his eyes
the wool over their eyes
the writing on the wall
there is no accounting for taste
they all lived happily ever after
thick as a brick
thick as thieves
think outside of the box
think outside the box
third time's the charm
this day and age
this hurts me worse than it hurts you
this point in time
three sheets to the wind
three strikes against
throw in the towel
tie one on
tighter than a drum
time and time again
time heals all wounds
time is of the essence
time will tell
tip of the iceberg
to each his own
to the best of my knowledge
toe the line
tongue-in-cheek
too good to be true
too hot to handle
too numerous to mention
touch with a ten foot pole
tough as nails
trials and tribulations
tried and true
trip down memory lane
twice shy
twist of fate
two cents worth
two peas in a pod
ugly as sin
under her thumb
under his thumb
under the counter
under the gun
under the same roof
until the cows come home
unvarnished truth
up his sleeve
up the creek
up to his ears in trouble
uphill battle
upper crust
upset the applecart
vain attempt
vain effort
vanquish the enemy
vested interest
waiting for the other shoe to drop
wakeup call
warm welcome
watch your p's and q's
watch your tongue
watching the clock
water under the bridge
we're not laughing at you we're laughing with you
weak as a kitten
weather the storm
weed them out
week of Sundays
went belly up
wet behind the ears
what goes around comes around
what you see is what you get
when it rains it pours
when push comes to shove
when the cat's away
when the going gets tough
when you have lemons
white as a sheet
whole ball of wax
whole hog
whole nine yards
wild goose chase
will wonders never cease
wisdom of the ages
without a care in the world
wolf at the door
words fail me
work like a dog
world weary
worst nightmare
wrong side of the bed
yanking your chain
yappy as a dog
years young
you are what you eat
you only live once
you're the boss
young and foolish
young and vibrant
only half the battle