It can happen to the best communicators.
We do our best to write valuable and lively content. We keep our writing to the point, and try to entertain our readers.
And of course we know we should avoid clichés and buzzwords.
But sometimes vapid words creep into our writing, weakening the strength of our messages.
How can you be sure? How can you spot clichés and avoid their destructive power?
To spot tired and faded words, you need to have a solid understanding of clichés first.
What are clichés?
Words can conjure up vivid images. Like an artist’s brush they paint a picture in your reader’s mind. Certain words can make you shiver. The legs of their letters crawl along your spine, tickling and scratching your skin. Brrr. Other words comfort you. They wrap their warmth around you, and with a peck on your cheek they make you smile.
Yet other words are simply words. They express a meaning, but leave you indifferent. No warmth, no vividness, no creepy-crawlies. Just plain words. But that’s not a bad thing. If every word had a strong sensory connotation, reading would become a visual and emotional roller-coaster, making it hard for readers to keep up.
So, what’s the problem with clichés?
Clichés once painted vivid pictures, but they’ve been so overused that their imagery has faded.
For instance, the first time someone used the phrase out of the box it was a vivid metaphor to explain the idea of creative thinking. While being stuck in a box, we can’t come up with wild and crazy ideas. To be creative, we need to crawl out of that box.
But now, the phrase out of the box is so tired, that nobody visualizes a box anymore. The imagery has completely faded, and that’s why it has become a cliché.
This is how George Orwell describes the problem of clichés:
A newly invented metaphor assists thought by evoking a visual image, while on the other hand a metaphor which is technically ‘dead’; (e.g. iron resolution) has in effect reverted to being an ordinary word and can generally be used without loss of vividness. But in between those two classes there is a huge dump of worn-out metaphors which have lost all evocative power and are merely used because they save people the trouble of inventing phrases for themselves.
Metaphors go through a cycle. First, they’re new and exciting. After a while, they lose their impact and become meh. After a period of meh they might become okay again according to Orwell.
Let’s think about some more clichés… raising the bar, leveling up, the home stretch, knocking it out of the park, going back to the drawing board, taking the bull by the horns, being dressed to kill, firing on all cylinders, swimming against the tide, getting the ball rolling, content is king, killer headlines, giving it 110%.
See how all the above clichés have some visual meaning?
That visual meaning has faded over time. Nobody thinks about murderers when reading the phrase killer headlines. Nobody pictures a bull when you mention taking the bull by the horns. Nobody imagines a ball rolling when you start a project.
So how can you spot the clichés lurking in your content?
5 Warning signs you’re using a cliché
Avoiding clichés is not as easy as correcting grammar mistakes.
Grammar is mostly black and white. You either get it right. Or it’s wrong.
But clichés are a sliding scale. Some are worse than others. Some readers find killer content a cliché, while others may still find it okay.
These are the 5 warning signs you must look out for:
- The imagery of your phrase feels faded
- Your phrase feels trendy
- You’ve seen your phrase in Bullshit Bingo
- You’ve not taken the time to think about which phrase to use
- You sound like an MBA graduate trying to impress her peers
Once you’ve spotted a cliché, you have a choice of cures.
Cliché cure #1: Replacement therapy
Communicate stronger with everyday language.
Instead of thinking out of the box, you could think creatively or stimulate wild ideas.
Instead of raising the bar, you can improve the quality of your work. Instead of getting the ball rolling, you can start your project.
Cliché cure #2: Pimp your cliché
That’s pimping as in pimping a bike.
When I bought my bike, it wasn’t 100% fit for purpose, so I’ve pimped it by adding extra details—like a rack for pannier bags, bar ends to prevent sore wrists, toe clips so my feet don’t slide off the pedals, and mudguards to prevent a muddy backside.
You can also pimp a cliché by adding new details. For instance:
Imagine you want to tell someone to raise the bar. It’s a yucky expression, so you can pimp it with details:
Try raising the bar like a pole-vaulter, who polishes each tiny aspect of his performance. He practices his starting position, his acceleration, how to carry his pole, and the actual jump. In the same way, you can improve the quality of your work.
Or let’s say you want to mention that writing a blog is like running a marathon. That feels like a tired expression, so you can pimp it:
Preparing to write a blog post is like preparing for the marathon. Before you start, make sure you wear your lucky underpants and listen to your favorite music to get in the right mood. Then pour all your energy into your writing, before rewarding yourself with a rest, a cup of tea, and piece of chocolate. Your mind needs a rest—just like your body.
Cliché cure #4: The contrarian’s medicine
Instead of pointing out what’s similar, stress the difference:
Have you noticed how often sports analogies are used to explain how to run your business?
There’s a huge problem.
When you start running your own business, you’re unprepared for what’s coming. You don’t know the track. You haven’t completed the proper training. You might not even know what the finish line looks like. Let alone understanding how you get there.
Cliché cure #4: Acceptance
In rare cases, you might not be able to find a cure. The cliché is a cliché but you can’t replace or pimp it. So, you might as well accept it:
People do business with people. We know it’s a cliché but it’s true.
Clichés are for lazy business writers
Fine-tune your inner cliché detector by reading more. Spot the fading phrases. Note the buzzwords everyone is starting to use.
And then… become a language rebel.
Find phrases nobody uses. Add fascinating details. Use everyday language instead of jargon.
That’s how you develop your own voice. That’s how you become an enchanting business writer. And that’s how you can seduce your readers with your words.
PS Thank you to Lisa Esile who inspired the idea for this post when she left a comment about clichés a few weeks ago.
Recommended reading on choosing your words:
How to write gobbledygook-free content
How to choose the right words to engage and sell
How word choice shapes your voice
I’m so glad I came across your website, I love your articles! 🙂
Welcome, Marta 🙂 Nice to meet you!
Awesome post Ms. Henneke, I never thought before about this use and abuse of cliché phrases in blog posts and how it can affect our audience. Thanks for opening my eyes on this.
Hi Isabel, Nice to “meet” 🙂 Glad to hear you enjoyed this post!
Good reminder. I fall into this trap from time to time, but I think I’m usually pretty good at catching it before I go too far down the maelstrom. I was about to say rabbit hole. Is that a cliche? 🙂 But it’s good to keep our writing fresh and watching out for tired phrases is a great way to do it. Thanks!
Yes, we all rely on tired phrases from time to time! I like the word maelstrom 🙂
Me too! 🙂
Hi Henneke,
Thanks for another great tip. Your timing is perfect, my editor was commenting that my copy had some gobblygoop in my latest draft, a few too many clichés. I will use your tips on my re-write.
Your post reminded me of how network news can drive a cliché into a wall. First, there was a “perfect storm” after the ’97 hurricanes (and the book which popularized the term) in the NE U.S. Then there was “a tipping point” after Malcolm Gladwell’s very successful book.
I believe that a good indication not to use a cliché is when you hear it on the evening news.
Yes, that’s a great suggestion, Chuck!
And I agree with you about “tipping point” and “perfect storm.” They’re pretty overused, too.
You might find this post useful, too: http://unbounce.com/landing-page-copywriting/17-words-to-stop-using-on-landing-pages/ (it’s about landing pages, but same applies to other writing, too)
Hello Henneke,
This is the first blog post i’ve read from you and it’s spectacular 🙂
Clichés can make readers brains go on standby mode, while a self-created metaphor or analogy can make the point in new exciting ways that allows the reader to digest the information a lot more effectively.
By the way, i read a book called “The Tall Lady With The Iceberg” on this subject, and i would recommend it to anyone that wants to write better metaphors and analogies.
Looking forward to reading more of your posts and (eventually) buying your books and read those as well. I still have a couple of Joanne’s CopyHackers books to study first though!
Talk soon,
Jasper
Hi Jasper, Welcome. Nice to “meet”! 🙂
Yes, Anne Miller’s book is great. It’s also on my list of recommendations for anyone who want to improve their communication skills.
Hi Henneke,
Great post. I’ve saved it in Evernote for frequent reference.
I especially like your idea of keeping a list of overused cliches. I created a list of power words in Evernote as part of your Enchanted Blogging course. Adding cliches makes perfect sense.
Thanks for the great tips.
I’ve been keeping a list of banned words for a long time. It’s always good to stay vigilant 🙂
Yes Henneke, I do agree about cliches, and try to be aware of them in my writings…not that I’ve been doing a lot recently; must get a move on. However, in my memoir, which is already self-published so it’s too late now, I found on my final edits, one…maybe two, that had snuck in. After a lot of will I, won’t I, I finally let them stay. Most of my story is written in the present tense, and in the 60s when most of the story takes place it is exactly how I, and others would speak.It seemed to go with the ‘voice’. Maybe I got away with it?? or do you think there is absolutely no place for such things? Love reading your blog, and tidbits.
I wouldn’t worry about a couple of clichés here and there. And as you say memoirs and fiction are often different if you want to convey how a person speaks – and clichés are part of our language.
Thank you for commenting, Margaret.
I’ve often wondered if it is possible for the sound or “voice ” to become cliched? i.e. Twitter bios. I concocted the following:
“Hi, I’m Parnelly. I travel the world. Eat spiniach bagels and love hearing a clock tick.”
If the sound is not yet cliched, it sure seems redundant.
I’m not sure a voice can become cliched (unless you’re using a lot of clichés when talking or writing). I think the Twitter bio feels a little flat. All the phrases are fine, but the total doesn’t give the reader an incentive to follow you. What’s your mission? How will you inspire your readers?
“Flat” is a much better description. I see Twitter bios like the example I did off the top of my head all the time. Instead of sounding with it, as you said, there is no “incentive to follow…” Thanks.
Yeah, I guess social media makes us a little more me-me focused rather than think about our readers and followers 😉
I try and avoid clichés on my blog but once in a while one will sneak in like a bad penny, or ill wind…or never mind. You get the idea.
Ha yes! Those naughty pennies 😉
Great post, as expected, Henneke. Pimping your cliche is awesome. As played out as most cliches are, they are still acceptable to many because people can relate to them. So pimpin’ tired cliches allows writers to give a nod to the cliche but create imagery around them that give the reader a fresh perspective and appreciation for them. Brilliant!
Yep, exactly. It’s as if the details add a fresh layer of paint to tired images, making them look good again.
Thank you for stopping by, Jacqueline!
Henneke,
You’re a breath of fresh air with regards to everything writing. Many phrases and cliche’s are played out too much and you’re solution to expand on it and pimp it out, is perfect. That tip alone does wonders for any type of cliche you could think of.
Excellent stuff as always. Now I need to just take action and apply this.
– Andrew
Pimping always works. Have fun! 🙂
Thank you Henneke for pointing out the warning signs of ‘cliché creep’ – also found lurking in HR communications like policies, training and even dismissal letters, meh!
Oh yes, HR professionals have their own collection of clichés they love using!
Thank you, Henneke! Yay, a whole article on cliches! They really do make things sound drab, don’t they, yet they can be so hard to spot when editing. LOVE the George Orwell point—hadn’t thought of this. And your point about trendy words also being slippery. I really need to watch this. The book I’m working on at the moment has a character in her mid twenties. She chats away, yet I want her to sound fresh in years to come. Thanks again. Your articles are a wonderful boost and inspiration. And fabulous to hear that my comment sparked the idea for this article.
And I’m lucky to have you as a reader and regular commenter. Thank you for the inspiration, Lisa!
Love this one, Henneke! Your Power Advantage is showing 😉
Hopefully the gentle version of Power! 😉
Thank you, Kara
Sports analogies are used in the field of business. And sports analogies come from war analogies. Now where would those come from, I wonder.. 😉
I’m pretty sick of the war analogies. They use them for elections, too. I feel it often sets the wrong tone. .
I wonder whether the war analogies originate from Sun Tzu’s War of Art? This book seem to be referred to a lot by marketers and entrepreneurs.
Nah, must have a prehistorical origin. Boys will be boys.
Sun Tzu is from the 5th century BC. Not quite prehistoric. But pretty old.
Thank you so much. I will read and re-read this (have bookmarked it) . Sometimes I use cliches and don’t even know it.
You’re not the only one! They sometimes sneak into my writing, too.
Didn’t think there was a cure for worn out cliches, Henneke though I love the thought that one can cure ‘out of the box’ and ‘world class’, especially on LinkedIn!
I’ve recently started checking on my Word Doc Thesaurus for alternative words to the key word for my blog posts. Might just use it for cliche cure as well where possible.
Yes, LinkedIn seems to attract a lot of cliché-spewers, doesn’t it? It’s a tough task to rid LinkedIn from clichés, but we can start with curing our own content 🙂