SirLancelot
Basic
- Feb 12, 2024
Newbie here, so possibly a dumb question, but can cliche's be used in dialogue or is that also a no-no?
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Newbie here, so possibly a dumb question, but can cliche's be used in dialogue or is that also a no-no?
This vlog is good:
I dont know what hokey poky ice cream is -but now I want some. I just had some zuppa inglese gelato. It was not what I expected-tho I didnt really know what was lurking in that label.Hi SirL! Ah, clichés! Not a dumb question considering the number of cliches that just won't die. It's interesting question about using them in dialogue. My first question would be why? Is it a particular character who always talks in cliches? Or is it a throw away line that isn't character driven? I agree with others that if it's the latter, then maybe not.
I'm not a big fan of reading cliches unless it's done in a clever or unusual way. Meaning, if you turn a cliche on it's head, or change it up to mean something else, or use it at an inappropriate time for humour or tone. Also, I never, ever, enjoy a cliche that diminishes women (or anyone really) like "women drivers" or jokes about a woman's "time of month" etc, etc. That's a book-putter-downer for me.
A few cliches done in different ways, off the top of my head....
"It was raining ducks and fucks on the day my father died."
"The newspaper sold like hotcakes, if hotcakes were as appealing as hokey pokey ice cream on a hot day, which they are not."
I dont know what hokey poky ice cream is -but now I want some. I just had some zuppa inglese gelato. It was not what I expected-tho I didnt really know what to expect.
"Ah, Jesus, shut the door. Were you born in a barn?"If you've got readers that like cliches than it's Ok to use them. If you've got readers whose teeth clench -then find a different way to say it. Lyse demonstrated that well. You can use them to illustrate what a dull , annoying fellow your character is-as Shakespeare did with Polonius. The key is to know your reader. They may not be the majority, but if they get you-then cater to them.
The Irish are fantastic at finding their way around cliche's. "As lazy/spoiled as a pet pig." "Close the feckin door! Were you knit by a cat?"" Cant remember who said it now, but the quote goes, "English was wasted on the Brits til the Irish got hold of it."