Special Supplement: ENG 108



Cliches—ENG 210Cliches show lazy usage, and often are written as they are pronounced. There are several ways they can be misused, but the most revealing and embarrassing has to be what I call the re-invented cliche. In some of these cases, the original has been lost, resulting in a new hybrid that is nonsensical because it is devoid of context. Some of the later examples are more to do with homonyms than cliches. All share origins in spoken English — the common tendency to write as we speak. The problem goes beyond word choice to spelling (“Febuary,” “paraphenalia,” “idealogical” etc.), agreement (“There’s three things to do”) and so on.Re-inventedOriginalContext1. Pedal to the medalpedal to the metaldriving2. No holes barredno holds barredwrestling3. Tough road to hoetough row to hoefarming4. All intensive purposes all intents and purposeslegal(?)5. A shoe-ina shoo-inscaring birds?6. Pom-pomspompomPom-pom is weaponry7. Takes a lot of flacktakes a lot of flakmilitary (anti-aircraft)8. Card sharkcard sharp(now OK)9. I could care lesscould not care less10. Boyed by the resultsbuoyed by the resultssailing11. Funds were dispersedfunds were disbursedbourse=purse12. Putting sandbags on the levy sandbags on the leveerivers13. This doesn’t gibethis doesn’t jibesailing14. Trucks pealed off into the desert trucks peeled offfruit15. Recession-wracked economies recession-rackedtorture16. A responsive corda responsive chordmusic17. That doesn’t auger well that doesn’t augur wellfortune telling18. Radio antennaeradio antennaselectronics19. That doesn’t phase methat doesn’t faze mefrom “freeze”?20. Worldwindwhirlwindweather term?21. Taking a clue from the audiencecuetheater22. The dye was castdietool-making23. self-depreciationself-deprecationfinance23. dollars and sensedollars and cents(this was not a pun)25. daring-doderring-do“Ivanhoe”26. idealogicalideologicalideology27. raising caneraising CainBible27. towing the linetoeing the linearmy?29. come down the pipecome down the piketurnpike30. free reignfree reinhorse riding31. scull and crossbonesskull and crossbonespirates32. cold slawcole slawcabbage (Dutch)33. Detroit has the most per capitalper capitaLatin34. meterologistmeteorologistmeteor35. trying to diffuse a bad situationdefusebombs36. put the breaks on spendingbrakescars37. the entomology of the wordetymologytruth38. all-night virgilall-night vigilvigilant39. Who would of thought?who would have thought?40. I’ve had to make due beforeI’ve had to make do before41. one in the sameone and the same42. counter culturecounterculture43. never stepped foot in itset footcould be reginalisms44. if worse comes to worseif worse comes to worst45. Music hath charms to soothe the savage beastbreastShakespeare46. It’s a mute pointmootlaw47. She was making deflamatory remarks inflammatory48. The events occurred by happen-chancehappenstance49. Volcanos, tornadoes and other catalytic eventscataclysmic50. Fragrant disregard for the lawflagrant51. That’s my story on the nutshellin anot seafood52. I have a sick sense about these thingssixth53. Let’s try taking a different tacttacksailing54. I was given short shiftshriftreligious absolution 55. We grew up in track housingtract56. Chomping at the bitchampinghorses57. Drips and drabsdribsdribble58. Nip it in the buttin the budgardening59. We’ll dowill do?60. Put on a pedal stoola pedestalsculpture61. They banned togetherbanded togetherband62. Helps sphere headspearheadfishing/war63. divide and concurdivide and conquerGreek history64. chalk fullchock-fullchoke?65. parted waveswaysroads ................
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