“A stereotype may be negative or positive, but even positive stereotypes present two problems: They are clichés, and they present a human being as far more simple and uniform than any human being actually is.” (Nancy Kress)
A cliché is “a
trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a
popular or common thought or idea that has lost originality, ingenuity, and
impact by long overuse.”[i] In
my personal life, I am in favor of using clichés because I think they get a
point across rather quickly. You’ll notice in this blog that I rarely use them.
The meaning of clichés can
be easily misunderstood in writing by many different people. (I never know someone’s
level of understanding of clichés on my blog, ENCOURAGE ME.) I prefer clarity
in my writing over a clever cliché . I have always felt a good writer should be
able to express a thought in a unique way if that is needed. Did you know the Bible has its own set of clichés?
How many of the few below do you recognize?
“At the eleventh
hour” relates
to doing something at the last possible moment.
It is taken from the Parable of the Workers in the Harvest in Matthew
20:1-16, which metaphorically advises that no
matter what time you start work the rewards will always be the same.
“By the skin of one’s
teeth” means to have a
narrow escape. It is taken from Job 19:20 (CEB): My
bones cling to my skin and flesh. I
have escaped by the skin of my teeth. I find this phrase peculiar as the teeth
has no skin on it.
“Eat, drink, and be merry” is a joyful sentiment that is found in both
Luke12:19 and 1 Corinthians 15:32. It is first mentioned in Ecclesiastes 8:15
(TLB): Then I
decided to spend my time having fun because I felt that there was nothing
better in all the earth than that a man should eat, drink, and be merry, with
the hope that this happiness would stick with him in all the hard work that God
gives to mankind everywhere.
“Jumping Jehoshaphat” is a mild
expletive signifying shock or surprise. Jehoshaphat was a good Jewish king who
ruled over the southern kingdom of Judah in the ninth century BC. This king has
a name that sounds similar to Jesus. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:7) forbids misusing the
Lord’s name. Saying “Jehosaphat” instead of “Jesus” is a great way to
not break that directive. (Both Jesus and Jehosaphat begin with “Je.”)
Jehoshaphat is in 1 Kings 15:24 and 2 Chronicles 20:30-32.
“There is nothing new under the sun” is a cliché that deals with world-weariness, tiredness, or a
lack of new ideas. This phrase did not originate in Shakespeare’s 59th
sonnet, but in Ecclesiastes 1:9 (CJB): What
has been is what will be, what has been done is what will be done, and there is
nothing new under the sun. [ii]
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