Clichés to Avoid When Writing

February 22nd, 2008 by Erica Johansson

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946152 81375193 Clichés to Avoid When Writing

We all know what a cliché is, but everyone might not know what counts as a cliché. Therefore I wrote down all the clichés I could think of.

Have I have missed any? Just let me know and I will add it to the list.

Writing clichés

A dime a dozen

Acid test

Artistic license

At loose ends

Better late than never

Brought back to reality

Black as pitch

Blind as a bat

Bolt from the blue

Bright idea

Busy as a bee

Busy as a beaver

Cat’s meow

Climb the ladder to success

Cloud nine

Cool as a cucumber

Cool, calm and collected

Crack of dawn

Cross your fingers

Cruel twist of fate

Crushing blow

Cry over spilt milk

Dead as a doornail

Dog-eat-dog world

Don’t count your chickens

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Dreaded clichés

Easier said than done

Easy as a pie

Every inch of the way

Feathered friends

Face the music

Flash in the pan

Flat as a pancake

Flushing money down the drain

Gentle as a lamb

Go at it tooth and nail

Good time was had by all

Happy as a lark

Head over heels

Heart sings

Heavy as lead

Home is where the heart is

Horns of a dilemma

Hour of need

In the blink of an eye

Keep a stiff upper lip

Ladder of success

Last but not least

Leave no stone unturned

Meaningful dialogue

Money doesn’t grow on trees

Moving experience

Needle in a haystack

Open-and-shut case

Pain in the ass

Penny for your thoughts

Point with pride

Pretty as a picture

Put it in a nutshell

Quick as a flash

Rat race

Ripe old age

Ruled the roast

Sad but true

Sadder but wiser

Search high and low

Seeing dollar signs

Set the world on fire

Sick as a dog

Sigh of relief

Skeletons in the closet

Smart as a whip

Sneaking suspicion

Spread like wildfire

Straight as an arrow

Swimming with the sharks

Strong as an ox

Take the bull by the horns

Thin as a rail

Through thick and thin

Time is money

Tired but happy

To coin a phrase

To make/cut a long story short

Tongue tied

Trial and error

Tried and true

Turn back time

Under the weather

Wear your heart on your sleave

White as a sheet

Wise as an owl

Work like a dog

Worth its weight in gold

Travel writing clichés

A city/country of contrasts

All with a price tag to match

Authentically/typically

Breath taking vistas

Brit of alright

Bustling market place

Bustling markets

Castles nestling on the hillside

Clear-blue water

Colourful markets

Crystal clear lakes

Culture vulture

Discerning travelers

Eastern Promises

Explore every avenue

For adrenalin junkies

For a fraction of the price you’d pay at home

Friendly locals

Golden beaches

Green and pleasant land

Hidden gem

Jagged ridges

Kaleidoscopes of colours

Lands of contrasts

Lively nightlife

Majestic mountains

More than just X

Off the beaten track

Old towns with cobbled streets

Panoramic views

Party till dawn

Picture-postcard cottages

Picturesque villages

Quaint chateaux perched on hillsides

Quaint villages

Quirky designer shops

Rich in history

Seething masses of humanity

Simple peasants

Sleepy backwaters

Snow-capped mountains

Souk it and see

Spa treatments to die for

Swing when you’re winning (on travel articles on golf)

‘Take a bite out of the Big Apple’ when visiting New York

Towering monuments

Tower of strength

Turkish delight

There’s something for everyone

Vibrant culture

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