“Avoid it like the plague.” That phrase is a cliché—a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought. Clichés were once fresh. Someone said them first, and they worked. Then everyone said them, and they wore out.

Clichés appear in writing, speech, and advertising. They offer comfort because they are familiar. But they also signal lazy thinking. A cliché lets you avoid the work of finding the right words. In literature, clichés are usually a weakness, though some writers use them ironically. In everyday conversation, they are hard to avoid. “At the end of the day,” “think outside the box,” “low-hanging fruit”—these phrases have been repeated so often they have lost their edge. The challenge is to recognize them and find a fresher way to say the same thing.

Common clichés

• “Avoid it like the plague”
• “At the end of the day”
• “Think outside the box”
• “Only time will tell”