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Cliché (from French, imitative) refers to: - an overused phrase or expression, or the idea expressed by it;
- a situation, theme or characterization which has become common;
- a thing (as a style of clothing) that has become overly familiar or commonplace.
Usually the term refers to something whose freshness and force are lost through overuse. Thus the expression in other words, though often used, is not a cliché; it never had originality or forceful meaning. Multitasking, even if overused as jargon, will never be a cliché, while killing two birds with one stone is widely regarded as one.
Cliché often refers to concepts or ideas that are overused despite not really reflecting reality, expressing a kind of self-reproducing prejudice. A common form of cliché is an overused expression that has a standard, figurative meaning. For example, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
In literary fiction, clichés often take the form of predictable characters or situations, for example the stereotypical peg-legged pirate searching for treasure.
Movie clichés are similar to the ones found in literature, with a particular focus on predictable situations. For example, a common film cliché is for a fruit stand to be knocked over during a chase sequence. Another cliché is when heroes believe they just killed the monster, only for it to come back for one last scare.
Extensive use of clichés is sometimes seen as an indicator of poor verbal skills and is common in colloquial language. Clichés are occasionally viewed as insincere, especially when spoken sarcastically ("avoid clichés like the plague").
See also
External links - ClichéSite.com For Cliche Expressions (http://www.clichesite.com/index.asp)
- A list of Clichés in films (http://www.moviecliches.com/)
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