As writers we strive to be original and the use of clichés may be seen at best as a lazy brain and at worst as an intellectual disgrace. Yet a well-positioned cliché sticks and stays; it is a concise, efficient and road-tested use of prose.

Clichés earn their status when a few well-chosen words can express an entire thought, story or image in a heartbeat. Clichés are chock full of meaning and the rest often goes without saying. Who needs to think outside the box when 24/7 we can find an expression that says it all.

Honest to goodness I could keep going until the cows come home but I think I’ll stop at this particular point in time before you throw me out with the bath water.

For writers, the fitting use of clichés may be all in a day’s work, but when we become too clever for our own good we risk adding insult to injury. So for those of you who love a good cliché across the board, I direct you to a recent article in The Boston Globe in praise of clichés, and to one of my treasured resources, The Dictionary of Clichés by James Rogers.

Hope you enjoyed this quick read though it may be nothing to write home about. In the future, I’ll do my level best to avoid well-worn words, come hell or high water.