You ‘Bout Ready To Play?

Good Afternoon All,

It is time play The Cliche Game.

You know and probably use cliches which is our way to keep from thinking of more appropriate words to use. We are a lazy lot, at times. We settle for our fall back position of familiarity and comfort without having to think of a more creative, selective and fitting response. Cliches are the bread crumbs, corn flakes and helper fillers to stretch your thoughts without having to challenge your cranium.

The game is easy to play. All you have to do is copy the following list, I know another list but Wallechinsky, et al made boo-coo bucks a generation or more ago with The Book of Lists, so either copy this page or write the cliches on paper for yourself.

Next to each cliche put a check mark, or other symbol you like, (so many choices) next to the cliche each time your hear the cliche used. The easiest place to play this game is by watching any type of the so-called talk shows, especially news, sports, house repairs and food programs. This may be difficult since several speakers speak at the same time making actual listening and understanding a bit difficult, but once you’re in the zone and can focus on the cliches it will get easier. You’ll even learn about body language as they show their eagerness to jump in and take over the discussion because as we know what they have to say is sooooooooooo important. Opinions are like belly buttons, everybody has one.

Another good place to listen is if you work in an office with its constant distractions of meetings, phone calls, text messages, e-mails, social (a-social, remember) media and memos. All will contain cliches but meetings will have cliches repeated, repeated and repeated some more. You walk out of there brainwashed with cliches, confused about the meetings content and purpose often saying or thinking, “what went on in there”. Hopefully go back to your desk, locate this BLOG and add all the check marks you just heard at the meeting.

My Cliche List is not complete since additions occur at any time depending on acceptance, popularity, ratings, annoyance level and use or rather over use.

*Amazing (soon you will discover why this is at the top of the list)

*At The End Of the Day (awkward when this is said at midnight or later)

*Unbelievable (hard to believe this made the list. by default most certainly)

*Same Page (same page, different everything))

*No Brainer (nothing can happen with no brain, like nothing happens without the written product like a book)

*Like Money In The Bank (nothing is like having money in the back or money anywhere)

*Thank You Very Much Have A Nice Day (the cliche origin for me working at the deli)

*Lose The Battle, Win The War (no winners in war, except the profiteers)

*Lesser of Two Evils (Sort of looks like Elvis for those of us with Dyslexia)

*Outside The Box (’tis actually good but not encouraged, thinking outside the box, that is)

*Hearts, Thoughts and Prayers (sad that this has become the norm whatever norm is  except the guy in Cheers on the bar stool)

*Fought Tooth (Moose) and Nail (Squirrel) (who wins tooth or nail? (nobody)

*Gave It Everything They Had (giving is to make you feel good, what is this about)

*Hell Bent (anybody been there? so maybe it is not a straight road)

*Bring To The Table (food is always welcome)

*Impact (retract impact and use another word but not so much that it, too, becomes cliche)

*Happening In Real Time (is there fake time as there are fake many others things)

*Pull The Trigger ( image is frightening so let’s stop using this one, but they won’t))

*Good to Go (are you sure?)

*Flying Under The Radar (who of us can actually fly? maybe Radar in the 4077)

*Go To Guy (for what, get it yourself: empowerment)

*Love You To Death (opposites do not attract, nothing to love about death)

*Not On My Watch (it’s too little to hold anything though good for indicating the time)

*Good For The Goose, Good For the Gander (how do we know this)

*Your Goose Is Cooked (what did the goose ever do to gain such status)

*Good Job (kids hear this ad nauseum for the slightest accomplishment)

*Push The Envelop (only into the mail slot)

*Cutting Edge (ouch, especially paper cuts)

*The Whole Nine Yards (not enough for a first down to keep the drive alive)

*The Whole Enchilada (which I do consume when out to eat my favorite meal)

*State Of The Art (every state has art, unless art is new state)

*Slipping Through The Cracks (this one cracks me up. I fear losing my keys that slip thought the cracks of street water drains)

*Six Of One Half, A Dozen Of The Other (optimist / pessimist either way you have a six pack)

*Presence Of Mind (your mind is a gift not a present)

*Raise The Bar (pole vaulting anyone or is the corner bar being relocated)

*Word To The Wise (oh those potato chips a few words and a whole bag of chips)

*Give You A Heads Up (what a car is coming, we played lots of street ball)

*I Got Your Back (nobody’s got your back but you)

*Nothing Left In The Tank (you can still travel even when the orange / yellow light is on)

*Put All You Eggs In One Basket (too much protein and cholesterol for me, until a new study comes out paid for by ????)

*Hello. I’ m __________. I’ll Be Your Server Today (tennis anyone)

*One Hand Washes The Other (only 60% of guys wash their after using a public bathroom. Sure, doubt me. Look it up. I read it on the internet so it must be true.

*Anyone you call and are script greeted with: (always at dinner time or during Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune)

Thank You For Your Call. This is ______. How May I Help You? How may I direct Your Call?

That’s enough. Even I am sick of cliches and can’t wait to hear them and others when I watch television or look at television. Which do I do, watch or look?. I’m not sure what I do except I know the cliche world awaits everywhere all day anytime. Listen Listen and Listen and you it will be “AMAZING” at what you hear throughout your day. I hope you put a check next to Amazing up top since I just wrote a cliche.

Unrelated to this BLOG, since it just entered my thoughts, is a Point to Ponder which is:

How does that red line appear under a misspelled word. Where does it come from? It’s like a zit, it just appears. How does it know I spelled it wrong? More importantly, when that read line appears I know I failed just like in school when my work, and perhaps yours as well, came back to you with red ink all over.

POWER UP YOUR POWER ‘CAUSE THE POWER IS IN YOU!!!

Marty

hanp73@gmail.com