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Clichés "to Avoid Like the Plague"

A cliché is a phrase or expression that has been repeated so often it has lost its significance. Since good writing is fresh and new, it is best to avoid clichés when you write. If you have heard it before, find a better way to say it!!

The Writing Tutor has started a list of clichés. If you know of a cliché that is not on this list, send it in.

avoid (something) like the plague

the whole nine yards

bite the bullet

in a nut shell

at long last

white as a ghost

white as a sheet

pale as a ghost

pale as a sheet

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left_menu-quickref Quick Reference Grammar Guides & Literature Guides

DOs & DON'Ts for Young Authors
Need-to-Know Grammar
Parts of Speech Defined
Common Literary Terms Defined
Advanced Literary Terms Defined
Cliches to Avoid
Self-Editing Guide
Proofreaders' Marks

hit the nail on the head

climbed like a monkey

raining cats and dogs

no use crying over spilled milk

straight as an arrow

high as a kite

like a well-oiled machine

in-your-face

dead as a doornail

faster than the speed of light

as light as a feather

fought an uphill battle

sadder but wiser

blind as a bat

dumb as an ox

quiet as a mouse

slow as a turtle

slept like a baby

free as a bird

stubborn as a mule

purring like a kitten

man's best friend (ref. to dogs)

since the dawn of time

as easy as stealing candy from a baby

as blue as the ocean (or the sky)

as green as grass

calm before the storm

roses are red, violets are blue...

as cute as a button

selling like hotcakes

pack rat (ref. to someone who keeps everything)

a broken record

gift of gab

last but not least

as sick as a dog

as right as rain

a whirlwind vacation (ref. to traveling to a lot of places in a short period of time)

knock on wood

in the heat of the moment

smart as a whip

little white lie

It was like time stood still.

Been there. Done that.

like an open book

easy as pie

little white lie

calm before the storm

as old as time

playful as a puppy

time stood still

as happy as a clam

You may notice that many of these clichés are figures of speech called similes!

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