50 cliches to live by
Everyone says remove clichés from your writing – they get overused and they get crushed. However, clichés are popular for a reason: they contain a lot of truth and wisdom. Good writing is original and doesn’t include cliches, but you can live well by following these fifty cliches. Here are 50 wise clichés to live by:
1. Many hands lighten the work.
2. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
3. Pick the ripe fruit.
4. The ball stops here.
5. Do not leave for tomorrow what you can do today.
6. There is no place like home.
7. A house divided against itself cannot stand.
8. Think outside the box.
9. Eat your own dog food.
10. Keep your nose to the whetstone.
11. The acorn does not fall far from the tree.
12. All in due time.
13. All work and no play makes Jack a boring boy.
14. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
15. An idle mind is the devil’s playground.
16. Am I my brother’s keeper?
17. A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.
18. Actions speak louder than words.
19. All for one and one for all.
20. Not all that glitter is gold.
21. Dip your toe in the water.
22. Do to others what you would like them to do to you.
23. Always look on the bright side.
24. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
25. Call things by their name.
26. Ace in the hole.
27. Every dark cloud has a silver lining.
28. Beat swords into plowshares.
29. The early bird catches the worm.
30. Going to bed early, getting up early, makes a man healthy, rich and wise.
31. Altitude is determined by attitude.
32. Don’t be a friend of fair weather.
33. A good beginning makes a good ending.
34. Secure the hatches, lower the boom, raise the mizzen mast – full speed ahead!
35. Put your foot in the door.
36. Put your head in the game.
37. Better late than never.
38. Watch out for the green-eyed monster.
39. Are you a man or a mouse?
40. Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!
41. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
42. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
43. Cut your losses, but…
44. Don’t take shortcuts.
45. It is not the size of the dog in the fight. It is the size of the fight in the dog.
46. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
47. It’s what’s inside that counts.
48. Crime does not pay.
49. It’s not over until the fat lady sings.
50. Dance to the beat of your own drummer.
There you have it, 50 sage tips for a better life, all thanks to the downfall of your clichéd English teacher.
