Cliché Was the Sound of a Printing Plate
A cliché is an overused phrase. The word imitated the noise a stereotype plate made as it was cast.
A cliché is a phrase or idea used so often it has lost its force. The word is a printer's term and possibly an imitation of a sound: French printers cast whole lines of frequently used type into a single metal plate, and *cliché* named that plate. *Stereotype* means exactly the same thing — solid type — and both words moved from printing to describing worn-out ideas.
- An overused phrase. *A tired cliché.*
- A stock character or situation. *Every cliché in the book.*
- Clichéd — full of clichés. *A clichéd script.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | cliché | A worn cliché. |
| Plural | clichés | Too many clichés. |
| Adjective | clichéd | A clichéd ending. |
| Related | stereotype | A lazy stereotype. |
| Related | platitude | An empty platitude. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Avoid clichés like the plague.Which is itself a cliché.
- The plot relied on clichés.Predictable elements.
- Stereotype was also a printing term.Solid type, cast as one block.
Words from printing
- Cliché — a cast plate of frequently used type
- Stereotype — solid type, cast as a single block
- Upper and lower case — the trays type was stored in
- Out of sorts — a printer without the letters needed
- Mind your Ps and Qs — possibly from confusing similar pieces of type
From French *cliché*, the past participle of *clicher*, to stereotype, thought to imitate the sound of the matrix striking molten metal.
Cliché or platitude?
A cliché is any overused expression. A platitude is a dull remark offered as though it were profound.
Do you need the accent?
Cliché with the accent is standard in careful writing, though cliche appears widely without it.