Wonderful Cliches

Some days, when deadlines loomed and stress-induced insanity threatened the work force, a certain office team used to drop everything and have a “cliche conversation.”  The worse the cliche, the more groans and giggles erupted, diluting stress and  diminishing tension.  Ten minutes of wonderfully awful cliches are worth three hours of a progress report meeting for getting the work done.  Lighten the heart, freshen the soul, challenge the brain with the few of the following, then add your own favorites.

• “The outlook is very bleak, but…”
• “From a personal standpoint…”
• “Let’s put it on the back burner.”
• “On a level playing field…”
• “Are we all singing from the same hymn sheet?”
• “Beyond a shadow of a doubt.”
• “Be that as it may…”
• “Stop moving  the goalposts!”
• “That’s one way of looking at it.”
• “Let’s get this show on the road.”
• “Am I talking to myself or chewing a brick?”
• “A  momentary blip.”
• “A blond moment”
• “I hear where you’re coming from…”

Best not continue, for fear of laboring the point.  In the right circumstances and context, talking in cliches is an amusing, entertaining, stress-busting challenge.  There must be millions more wonderfully awful cliches out there to oil the wheels of conversation, or rescue the lazy thinker.  But beware!  Cliches are no substitute for a well-crafted utterance, or fresh, original use of language.  Like the man said, give it your best shot and just tell it like it is. OK?