Valuing the Cliche

Watch out for banality. It sneaks up on you. It is the encroachment of the cliché. You might not even know you are saying them. They are sly, devious and manipulative. They are linguistic weeds that need to be extracted at the roots to ensure that they have no basis for returning.

And yet they are stubborn, persistent things that are hard to remove.

I, like most writers, tend to have both a disapproving aversion and a fear of them.

The word “cliché” comes from the French for printing plate – that which reproduces the same thing repeatedly. It is, in effect, an overused, overly familiar phrase that tends to be frowned upon as it is seen as betraying a lack of original thought.

There are many examples:

“Play your cards right.”

“It’s an uphill battle.”

“Better to be safe than sorry.”

“Reading between the lines…”

“He lost track of time.”

“There’s plenty of fish in the sea.”

Some are more common than others. Some are so drab that they only offer inanity and dullness. Some are so habitual that they can make conversational dialogue predictable. Some get so overused that they can become tedious and irritating.

With such a wealth of language, it just seems wrong to use these hackneyed expressions. We could do so much better. Why can’t we think of something original to say? Why do we choose to limit ourselves?

In my efforts to avoid clichés, it can come across as rude, odd, or distant. When others would say something, albeit a cliché, I remain silent, not wanting to use any clichéd expression. And yet, even with a lot of painstaking effort, sometimes I can’t help myself. Sometimes I hear myself saying them. I wince, a cliché cringe. I feel that I have succumbed to weakness.

In the writing of this article, I am suddenly aware that I might have slipped in the odd cliché. It’s so easy to do. Sometimes you just don’t know you’re doing it. Sometimes you just can’t help yourself.

This fallibility makes me wonder whether my criticism and disapproval of a cliché is perhaps nothing more than some deep-rooted intellectual snobbery. Perhaps I should be more willing to embrace the cliché. Perhaps I should accept that their presence, pervasiveness and persistence are for a reason. Given our general readiness to use a cliché, we must find some value in them.

This could be for a number of reasons:

• They are safe and reliable. They are expressions that have been used before. We know they work, that they can serve a purpose. They have become a part of our everyday conversation because – like a crutch or support – we can rely on them.
• They are a part of our bonding rituals. Their familiarity can help to put people at ease – like a comfort blanket. They give both the person saying them and the person listening confidence and assurance. The use of well-known expressions – ones that others would also use – suggests an affinity and shared understanding. As such, they have become a symbol of our connection and engagement with others.
• Clichés facilitate interaction. They are like talking about the weather – a convenient fallback. Quite often, they serve as a way to fill a conversational gap when there might not be anything better to say. Their use may even be considered as a matter of social politeness – in certain circumstances, the clichéd expression might just be the right and necessary thing to say.
• It may be that clichés are so much a part of our upbringing and environment that we can’t help but use them. Although the rise of the cliché may have been fuelled by television (particularly soap operas) and social media, its presence is much more pervasive than that. We can observe this in the rise and power of the marketed brand, which essentially has a repeating message that drives its main selling proposition. For example, Coke’s identity is “It’s the real thing”. This branding gives legitimacy and approval to the use of repetitive language, making it much more acceptable for its usage in our personal interactions – if it’s alright for these communicative giants to fashion and feature clichés, then it must be okay for us as well.
• Clichés may have a cultural value, helping to support and maintain societal norms and discipline. In China, for instance, where tradition is upheld, clichés are much more highly regarded and appreciated than in other societies, which might attach greater importance to creativity, originality, and individuality.
• Clichés are also easy to use. Why make life difficult for yourself by trying to think up fresh things to say when there are phrases that are readily at hand?

Clichés feed off their own success. The more they get used to them, the more accepting people are of them, and the more people will defer to them.

Of course, at one point every cliché was an original expression – fresh, poignant and well-founded. In their early days, a newly established or up-and-coming cliché may even have a coolness or trendiness to it.

But clichés can become dated and unfashionable. This can make their users seem out of touch. Different age groups will also have their own clichés. You may say them if you belong, but if you are outside the group, then saying them will feel and sound alien and unnatural.

The truth is that clichés do have value and validity. If some words go well together, why should we be so reluctant to use them? We’re not so fussy when it comes to our eating habits: strawberries and cream, fish and chips, sausages and mash. These are considered classic combinations rather than tired and boring.

The trouble is that as a writer, as somebody who prides themselves on having original ideas and a flair with words, clichés are an anathema. But also, as a writer, I have to admit to having an aspirational admiration for a cliché. If somebody writes something that others take up – copying or quoting – then it’s a compliment. We would all love for our expressions to become a part of the wider conversational fabric. It gives credence to our work. It is evidence that our writing is valued, understood and appreciated.

In fact, many daily-used clichés were created by great writers. For instance, some of Shakespeare’s lines have become clichéd:

“A rose by any other name.” (Romeo and Juliet.)

“Forever and a day.” (Taming of the Shrew.)

“All that glitters is not gold.” (The Merchant of Venice.)

Similarly, in films, great lines get repeated elsewhere.

“I’ll be back.” (The Terminator.)

“Houston. We have a problem.” (Apollo 13.)

If it’s a good line, if it’s an appropriate line, if it’s the right line, then why not use it?

For individuals, clichés can also become part of their personality. They help create their character, just as many television personalities have their own catchphrase.

The trouble is that there’s a fine line between familiarity and tedium. Overused phrases can become boring, unstimulating and unexciting. They are a sign of mental laziness, that their user has not really given any thought to their expression.

The use of clichés has to be a matter of balance. To rigidly and adamantly refuse to use them is to exclude ourselves from being in touch with large swathes of the population. Clichés do have a value. We just have to make sure we use them appropriately -“at the right time, in the right place”.

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For more thoughts, go to the Oxthink Home page or check out the different sections on Health and Well-being, Lifestyle Choices, Parenting Advice, Understanding Society and General pages.

Alternatively, for articles on genetics and evolution, visit this author’s dedicated site at Genetically Wrapped.