Grammar girl here, today's topic is taking care of cliches.

Guest writer Sal Glenn writes, cliches can be a writer's worst enemy, and the reader

usually doesn't like cliches much either.

Riders from Jonathan Swift to George Orwell have ranted against the cliché like it was

the devil tempting and innocent seminary student.

Riders are the metaphors and turns and phrase that have become tired through overuse.

All walks of life is a cliché, along with behind the eight ball and cried over spilled

milk.

When these appearing copies, editors usually reach for a blue pencil or red pen and ask the

writer to come up with something better.

The word cliché began as a 19th century French term for a stereotype printing plate made

from metal type.

Books in high demand were printed from the plates until the plates wore out, just like

a cliché is used until the energy of its first appearance is lost.

Riders never intend for a phrase they've composed to be used until it's hackneyed.

The book of Proverbs, published by the English playwright John Haywood in the 1500s, contains

many sayings that were considered smart and original, only to have slouched into the

21st century as cliches.

Some of his more memorable lines include, better late than never, and this hiteth the

nail on the head.

This happened through no fault of the original author and tend to be perpetuated by writers

of lesser skill.

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