Cliches

Finish these sentences: 

1. Every rose has its___________________
2. Absence makes the heart grow_________
3. You can't have your cake and _________
4. When the going gets tough, the tough ___
5. Where there's smoke, there's __________
6. Better late than ____________________
7. No news is________________________
8. Don't bite the hand that ______________
9. Two's company, three's a _____________
10. Every cloud has a __________________

If you have been speaking English for awhile, you've probably heard these phrases enough times to be able to fill in the blanks with no problem. See how you did (answers below)! For more on Cliches, take a look at the link under "Sites You Might Find Interesting" at the right.

So, what, exactly, is a cliche?
A cliche is a phase that is considered overused (used too often) which can be literal or figurative in meaning. Here are some examples:

• the good old days (literal = in the past when things were better) - I remember my years at college. Yes, those were the good old days.

• tip of the iceberg (figurative = only the beginning, or just a small percentage) - The problems we are seeing    (Source: About.com Popular Cliches Explained by Kenneth Beare)

 This short video will give you some more examples: A Cliche?

Our students had some fun with Cliches by making new ones. Here are some clever examples:

1. Don't worry, be happy-----Don't worry, do something!
2. An apple a day keeps the doctor away----An apple a day isn't a pear.
3. Behind the clouds the sun is shining----Behind the clouds, there's air.
4. All good things come to those who wait-----All good things come to those who are lucky.
5. A penny saved is a penny earned-----A penny saved is a penny not spent.
6. Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today----Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.
7. There's nothing to fear but fear itself----There's nothing to fear but swimming in a Speedo.
8. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again----If at first you don't succeed, reload the WiFi.
9. Don't bite the hand that feeds you----Don't bite me because I'll bite back!
10. Two's company, three's a crowd---Two's company, three's a number.

After each student wrote a number of new cliches, they chose one to illustrate. Here are just a few of the examples:

Inger den Boer

Hannah Willeboordse

Miriam Jaffari

Romy Joziasse

Tara Vlierman

 (Answers for above cliches: 1. thorn, 2. fonder, 3. eat it too, 4. get going, 5. fire, 6. never, 7. good news, 8. feeds you, 9. crowd, 10. silver lining)