Cliché  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais, illustrated by Gustave Doré in 1873, a caricature of an obese man

A simple example of a cliché in an art form is that of a western film where two men face each other on a dusty and empty road; one dons a black hat, the other white. Independent of any external meaning, there is no way to tell what the situation might mean, but due to the long development of the "western" genre, it is clear to the informed audience that they are watching a gunfight showdown between a good guy and a bad guy.

Related e

Wikipedia Wiktionary Shop Featured: Rhombicuboctahedron by Leonardo da Vinci

A cliché is a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or novelty, especially when at some time it was considered distinctively forceful or novel. It is generally used in a negative context.

Identification

"Cliché" applies also to almost any situation, subject, characterization, figure of speech, or object—in short, any sign—that has become overly familiar or commonplace.

Because the novelty or frequency of an expression's use varies across different times and places, whether or not it is a cliché depends largely on who uses it, the context in which it is used, and who is making the judgment.

The meaning of a particular cliché may shift over time, often leading to confusion or misuse. An example of a cliché is "It's a trap!"

Other meanings

A cliché is also a term historically used in printing, for a printing plate cast from movable type. This is also called a stereotype.

See also

• Archetype
• Anti-cliché
• Bromide (language)
• Figure of speech
• Idiom
• It was a dark and stormy night
• Kitsch
• Film clichés
• Meme
• Siamese twins (linguistics)
• Simile
• Snowclone
• Stock character
• Stereotype
• Tropes
• Thought-terminating cliché
• TV Tropes