Words of the Day: Clichés vs. Euphemisms

Someone recently asked me if cliché is just another word for euphemism. The simple answer is no. They both involve words, but it is there that their similarities stop.

Cliché is a saying, expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect. More simply put, a cliché is something that is trite or hackneyed -- lacking power to evoke interest due to overuse or repetition. Cliché is something you want to avoid in your writing. If someone says he thinks your writing is cliché, it's not a compliment.

Examples of phrases or sayings that are clichés:

a face only a mother could love
a frog in my throat
a picture's worth a thousand words
a rose is a rose is a rose
like a bat out of hell
black as coal
black as night
black as pitch
black as sin
black as soot
black as tar
dead as a doorknob
dead as a doornail
don't push your luck
don't put all your eggs in one basket
don't put the horse before the cart
don't rock the boat

If you would like to read 1600 more of the most common clichés, see Steve's list.

Now, euphemism is entirely different. A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt. Some examples:

"ethnic cleansing" for "genocide
"termination of pregnancy" for "abortion"
"kick the bucket" for "die"
"senior citizen" for "old person"

Someone was nice enough to put together the top 1500 euphemisms for "being stupid."

Doublespeak (or doubletalk) is similar to a euphemism. a phrase in doublespeak is, like a euphemism, a roundabout way of saying something, but usually with the intent to confuse or deceive. Examples?

"I reminded [the soldiers] and their families that the war in Iraq is really about peace." -- George W. Bush, April 2003

The term "black-bag operations" was used by the FBI to describe illegal break-ins in the 1970s.