March 25, 2002

12:42 PM

Depressed? Cheer up, it's not the end of the world. You know, it seems that The more things change, the more they stay the same . Undecided? When in doubt, consult your inner child . Sure it hurts, but No pain, no gain .Many believe There is truth in every cliché , while others say you should Avoid cliches like the plague . What's your most hated or loved cliche? The Book of Clichés.
posted by Mack Twain (24 comments total)

This is the most evil post, ever. We do not need to be discussing cliches, thankyouverymuch.
posted by rocketman at 1:19 PM on March 25, 2002

An alternative
posted by Voyageman at 1:25 PM on March 25, 2002

No, let's talk about great cliches! Not the tired old stuff that we normally hear, but the original stuff that kinda makes you go "whu!?"

Like "built like a brick shithouse." I'm pretty sure that's a Navy abomination of "build like a brick shipyard" or something like that.

Or "crazier than a shithouse rat." Not sure why those rats are crazy, but so it says.

"He's about as sharp as Kleenex." :-)

Tip of the tongue has got me now. Dang. I know I know a few really good ones, too. Humph.
posted by five fresh fish at 1:51 PM on March 25, 2002

Most hated cliché: AYBABTU, because it's old; most loved: BOHITCO(Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"), because it's new. Can't find the link but I read it somewhere today.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 1:59 PM on March 25, 2002

I love cliches. I use'm all the time. One of the many glorious reasons why people hate me. In a recent thread elsewhere in MeFi recently someone used a cliche I hadn't heard before, "that's a whole different movie." I thought that one was pretty cool and will probably adopt it into my day to day life. I especially like it when cliches are used incorrectly. In the film Back To The Future Part Two, phrases like "screen door on a battleship" just tickle me to no end.

Or how about Kevin Coster's attempt at Hollywood, saved by Alan Rickman's portrayal of the Sheriff of Nottingham. "Because it's dull you twit! It'll hurt more!"
posted by ZachsMind at 1:59 PM on March 25, 2002

typo: Hollywood = Robin Hood.
Geez. Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.
posted by ZachsMind at 2:01 PM on March 25, 2002

Another entertaining cliche link: movie cliches.
posted by smich at 2:09 PM on March 25, 2002

And by a cliche, I mean totally sweet
posted by Settle at 3:19 PM on March 25, 2002

"Built like a brick shithouse" or "built like a brick outhouse" (the more polite version) is a phrase originating in the UK dating back to when toilets used to be built separately from the main house.

Indoor toilets (the luxury!) only became commonplace after World War 2.

Think of something about 4 feet square, and 7 1/2 feet high, built to withstand a gale.

Hopefully, it all makes sense now! 8)
posted by chrimble at 4:35 PM on March 25, 2002

Just an idea that has been floating around my brain for a while....is anyone here interested in a project where we write and spread our own cliches?

the net would be perfect for doing that...

as an example, last week over lunch, i told my friend that i thought he was a "tall yoda."

since then, i've been asking people to use it like its a well established cliche or idiom for "someone who thinks they know everything."

So far, i haven't heard anyone else use it.
posted by th3ph17 at 5:14 PM on March 25, 2002

Depending on your definition of "new," BOHICA isn't, really. I can recall hearing it used when I worked in telecom circa 1991; here's a reference dating it to 1995.
posted by bradlands at 5:32 PM on March 25, 2002

"Ain't nothin' but something to do."
Sounds good and cocky, huh?
Great for playing pool.
posted by a_green_man at 5:42 PM on March 25, 2002

settle, one more ninja reference and there'll be no dinner for you...
posted by lotsofno at 6:41 PM on March 25, 2002

Thanks for the link, but it's like locking the barn door after the horse is already gone. I already put my foot in it bigtime over in MetaTalk with the "cheer up, it could be worse" routine. Must have checked my brains at the door, eh? If I can't be a good example, I'll just have to be a horrible warning. When you spout cliches to beat the band, you'll find your chickens come home to roost.
posted by sheauga at 6:49 PM on March 25, 2002

chrimble: D-oh! Of *course!* I kept thinking of Canadian-style outhouses, usually built of the cheapest-available plank wood. (When the hole fills, you move the outhouse... what on earth did you poor Brits do?!)
posted by five fresh fish at 7:08 PM on March 25, 2002

The hand washes the hand: give something and you may get something.

Epicharmus of Syracuse


I'm always interested in finding the originals or first uses...
posted by y2karl at 8:36 PM on March 25, 2002

but wait a second. what does it mean for something to be a 'cliche'?

is it possible to 'write' an 'original' cliche? it seems like you can write 'catchy phrases' or 'euphamisms' or 'similes' but something has to just be a cliche in order to be a cliche.
posted by milkman at 9:22 PM on March 25, 2002

What about a movie quote that sounded like an already- prevalent cliche, and then became one for real?

Just watched Buckeroo Banzai: "No matter where you go, there you are."
posted by readymade at 10:52 PM on March 25, 2002

> what does it mean for something to be a 'cliche'?

"cli·ché: a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse, as sadder but wiser, or strong as an ox."

> In a recent thread elsewhere in MeFi recently someone
> used a cliche I hadn't heard before, "that's a whole
> different movie."

How did you decide it was a cliché if you hadn't ever heard it? What made you believe it was an expression that had "lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse" when it was the first time you had heard it?

> is anyone here interested in a project where we write
> and spread our own cliches?

You could make up and try to spread your own silly expressions until the cows come home, but they can't be clichés until they are trite, an ingredient you and your friends cannot simply add.

> is it possible to 'write' an 'original' cliche?

No.
posted by pracowity at 10:58 PM on March 25, 2002

A guy who digs graves for my dad has two favorite sayings:

(For something he thinks won't work): That dog won't hunt.

(For an argument he doesn't want to get involved in): I ain't got a dog in that race.
posted by ColdChef at 6:45 AM on March 26, 2002

My favorite epigram is, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." Neitze said that, and he's dead. My second favorite quote is, "There's time enough for rest in the grave." Ben Franklin said that and he is probably pretty well rested by now. My kids really, really hate both of those sayings by now.
posted by faceonmars at 7:35 AM on March 26, 2002

i like, "in theory, theory and practice are the same. in practice, theory and practice are not the same." i saw that on slashdot the other day.
posted by kliuless at 7:48 AM on March 26, 2002

"in theory, theory and practice are the same. in practice, theory and practice are not the same."

by existing, this statement disproves itself.
posted by milkman at 8:26 AM on March 26, 2002

is that a cliché or aphoristic?
posted by kliuless at 9:00 AM on March 26, 2002