Cliché Totally Explained

Everything about Clich totally explained

A cliché (from French, klɪ'ʃe) is a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or novelty, especially when at some time it was considered distinctively forceful or novel. The term is most likely to be used in a negative context.

Identification

"Cliché" applies also to almost any situation, plot device, subject, characterization, figure of speech, or object—in short, any sign—that has become overly familiar or commonplace.
   Because the novelty or frequency of an expression's use varies across different times and places, whether or not it's a cliché depends largely on who uses it, the context in which it's used, and who is making the judgment.
   The meaning of a particular cliché may shift over time, often leading to confusion or misuse.
   When a type of media can be identified as using a cliché, this is often interpreted as the writer running out of original ideas and resorting to less imaginative concepts. For this reason, it's nearly always a negative point in creative media. Exceptions include in comedy, where the situation gains humour for being cliché.
   Examples of concepts that can be clichés (note - it's very possible to use one of these devices in a creative way, without it being cliché):

A character wakes up, to realise that the preceeding events have been a dream, and didn't really happen.
The main enemy coming back for 'one last stand' after supposedly being defeated.
All loose story arcs being resolved quickly and happily at the very end.

For the concept of resorting to cliché increasingly, to the decline of a continuous or long running show, see jumping the shark.

Other meanings

A cliché is also a term historically used in printing, for a printing plate cast from movable type. This is also called a stereotype. When letters were set one at a time it made sense to cast a phrase used over and again as one single slug of metal. That constantly repeated phrase was known as a cliché.

Quote

— Stephen Fry in his book Moab Is My Washpot.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Clich'.

External Link Exchanges

Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:

<a href="http://clich_.totallyexplained.com">Cliché Totally Explained</a>

Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned.