Cliché
A phrase or quote so overused that it has lost most of its force.
A cliché is a phrase, idea, or quotation that has been repeated so often that the originality is gone and the meaning is dulled. The word comes from a French printing term: clichér described the act of casting a stereotype plate, the very tool that mass-produced sameness.
Quotes become clichés through success. The more useful a line is, the more often it is repeated, and the faster it ossifies. 'To be or not to be' was once a startling phrase; today it is shorthand for any difficult decision.
The remedy is not to abandon great quotes but to restore them. Returning to the full passage, the original context, and the author's voice can revive a line that has been worn smooth by repetition.
“At the end of the day, only time will tell.”
Keep reading the glossary
A statement so obviously true that it is almost not worth saying.
A short, vivid extract from a longer speech, designed to be repeated by news media.
The diminishing return when a famous quote has been repeated past the point of feeling.
A short, sharp statement that compresses a truth or observation into a single line.