I ’ve always been fond of the ordinary, homespun cliché. But I chafe at its more rarefied cousins, the catchphrases of critical theory as they mellow into middle age: “the male gaze,” “Orientalism,” ...

Source: “Thinking It Over,” by Thomas Waterman Wood, 1884, FP - XIX - W8792, no. 2, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. Much of the advice we receive consists of ...

If that seems harsh, think of how clichés harm writing, draw unwelcome attention, replace freshness with staleness and rob readers of the pleasure of original expressions that make writing memorable.

Where would we be without the timeless lessons of cliches? Shakespeare -- as taught by my seventh grade English teacher, Mrs. Werther -- is perhaps the best example of the art. His gift of language, ...

Did you find all the cliches embedded in To Be Or Not To Be? Either Way, It's A Cliche? Test your cliche-sleuthing skills against the answers below: ...

My wife, Becky, expressed surprise to hear that last week’s column, “Clichés of An Unhealthy Faith,” (posted at www.thechaplain.net) brought more responses than probably anything I’ve written in 20 ...

Try this: Search your inbox for the word “landscape.” Unless you enjoy discussing your gardening with coworkers, you’ll likely find an assortment of AI-generated newsletters and emails stuffed with ...

In their abecedarian days, all writers are taught to abhor clichés. (Of course, this hasn't stopped them from using clichés like there was no tomorrow.) "Exhausted tropes, numb descriptors, zombie ...