Cliches

If I hear "it is what it is" one more time I'm gonna commit Seppuku. Why people seem unable to express themselves in anything but cliches is beyond me. To be fair, I understand the impulse - it's easier to spit out a pat phrase that encapsulates your intentions than it is to mine the English language for something original. But the difficulty of crafting your own speech is more than made up for, in my mind, by the precision with which you are able to express your true intent. Thoughts are subtle; no two are the same. They are tinged all around with subjective emotion. No pat phrase can capture this more than generally, so those who attempt to avoid cliches (and it's impossible to do so entirely, just try it) are rewarded by clearer and, hopefully, more memorable communication.

Would Kennedy or Lincoln or MLK be remembered for their stirring speeches if their speechwriters had simply cobbled together a litany of cliches? Of course not. Those of us who watch sports are continually bombarded by that most finely honed verbal art, the sports cliche. How many athlete speeches do you recall? The few I can think of - Lou Gehrig's farewell comes to mind - stand out precisely because they broke the mold and actually said something original. Shakespeare created many of the cliches we use today, but that's not his fault; in his time his sentiments were as stirring and original as they come.

Next time you find yourself reaching for a cliche to ask or answer a question in the hopes of maintaining a conversation with minimal cerebral engagement (so you can simultaneously watch The Family Guy, maybe) - snap that rubber band around your wrist and refrain. Please. You will undoubtedly surprise and delight your conversation partner when you instead utter a truly personalized comment, and, who knows - maybe the habit will wake those around you awake from cliche-slumber as well. Fully aware communication... wouldn't that be something!