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Cliché: Who Said It First?

October 25, 2020 //  by Wendy Lawton//  12 Comments

We avoid using the cliché when we write. But did you ever stop to think that once-upon-a-time that very cliché was a brilliantly fresh expression? I want to test your knowledge of clichés. I’m going to give you a baker’s dozen of our most often used sayings and see if you can guess who first wrote it. (No fair googling these!)

  1. A blinking idiot
  2. Neither rhyme nor reason
  3. In a pickle
  4. I’ve not slept a wink
  5. One fell swoop
  6. Jealousy is the green-eyed monster
  7. Made of sterner stuff
  8. It’s Greek to me
  9. The be-all and the end-all
  10. Foregone conclusion
  11. All that glitters is not gold
  12. What’s done is done
  13. In my heart of hearts

As a writer, have you ever thought that one of your clever phrases might be just the thing to describe something so well that it gets used and used and used until it becomes a cliche? Wouldn’t that be the be-all, end-all? Okay, time to guess. The key will follow.

Okay, here’s the key. Don’t look until you’ve tried to guess.

  1. William Shakespeare
  2. William Shakespeare
  3. William Shakespeare
  4. William Shakespeare
  5. William Shakespeare
  6. William Shakespeare
  7. William Shakespeare
  8. William Shakespeare
  9. William Shakespeare
  10. William Shakespeare
  11. William Shakespeare
  12. William Shakespeare
  13. William Shakespeare

Are you as gobsmacked as I was when I discovered this?

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Category: Blog, Writing CraftTag: cliché, William Shakespeare

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  1. Vickie Strosahl

    October 26, 2020 at 4:42 am

    I was so dumbstruck by the answer, I stood in awe!

    Reply
  2. Shelli Littleton

    October 26, 2020 at 6:10 am

    Oh, wow! I need to take a class on Shakespeare. My daughter has been majoring in literature/art, and I’ve been sneaking peeks over her shoulder, having her teach me all the good stuff. I heartbreakingly loved learning about William Tyndale and all his beautiful words. To have the world repeating your words … I can’t imagine it.

    Reply
  3. Andrew Budek-Schmeisser

    October 26, 2020 at 6:59 am

    Behind schedule, and it’s dire,
    so I need a good cliche,
    like “The fat is in the fire;
    Rome was not built in a day.”
    But who really would set fat ablaze
    (it doesn’t smell so nice),
    and who tallied the Rome-building days
    to give us that advice?
    Cliches take place of thinking,
    and so they’re good to use
    to leave more time for drinking
    away the writers’ blues.
    And who, in truth could dismiss
    “I’ve got a bad feeling ’bout this!”

    Reply
  4. Angela Carlisle

    October 26, 2020 at 7:52 am

    Haha, I didn’t test myself on each phrase, but I expected Shakespeare to feature on this list and was amused but not shocked to see his utter domination of it. I remember reading once that so many of our well-loved and well-used phrases come either from his works or from the King James Version of the Bible. Interesting that they are from the same time period and have both had such a lasting effect on our language.

    Reply
  5. Michelle Ule

    October 26, 2020 at 10:55 am

    I always assume it’s Shakespeare. 🙂

    Reply
  6. Kristen Joy Wilks

    October 26, 2020 at 11:33 am

    Wow! I thought maybe one or two might be him. But all of them, that’s so cool!

    Reply
  7. Janet Holm McHenry

    October 26, 2020 at 11:55 am

    This former English teacher knew.

    Reply
  8. Anne Riess

    October 26, 2020 at 2:10 pm

    Wow! I was shocked that Shakespeare is credited with them all!

    Reply
  9. https://rankmywriter.com/

    January 12, 2021 at 12:05 pm

    Try to articulate your purpose clearly before you begin writing. If you cannot state your purpose clearly, try to freewrite about your topic. And you also will find some tips on how to write an rankmywriter here. I think that you should check it out sooner or later.

    Reply
    • Tyler Phelps

      June 6, 2021 at 1:45 pm

      wow super

      Reply
  10. Emilia Tate

    February 1, 2021 at 12:44 am

    It is for a reason Shakespeare is called one of the most brilliant writers and figures who ever lived. When you study his works at school it’s hard to understand the true reasons for his popularity. But it’s worth looking deeper or just being more involved in book culture to see his influence. I knew some of the phrases were his, but I was amazed to find out that he wrote them all!

    Reply
  11. kingessays

    February 27, 2024 at 6:10 am

    thanks for sharing! it’s important for users to exercise caution when using such services to ensure academic integrity and avoid plagiarism

    Reply

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