Cliché

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A cliché (from French, klɪ'ʃe) is a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or novelty, especially when at some time it was considered distinctively forceful or novel. The term is generally used in a negative context.

Identification

"Cliché" applies also to almost any situation, plot device, subject, characterization, figure of speech, or object—in short, any sign—that has become overly familiar or commonplace.

Because the novelty or frequency of an expression's use varies across different times and places, whether or not it is a cliché depends largely on who uses it, the context in which it is used, and who is making the judgment.

The meaning of a particular cliché may shift over time, often leading to confusion or misuse.

Other meanings

A cliché is also a term historically used in printing, for a printing plate cast from movable type. This is also called a stereotype. When letters were set one at a time it made sense to cast a phrase used over and again as one single slug of metal. That constantly repeated phrase was known as a cliché.

See also

• Anti-cliché
• Archetype
• Banished Words List
• Idiom
• Simile
• Snowclone
• Stock character
• Stereotype
• Thought-terminating cliché
• Clichéism

References

External links

• ClichéSite.com
• A list of clichés in films
• Figures of Speech
• Clichés: Avoid Them Like the Plague

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Last updated on Saturday March 01, 2008 at 18:19:14 PST (GMT -0800)
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