Everybody says remove cliches from your writing – they get overused and knocked down. However, cliches are popular for a reason: they contain a lot of truth and wisdom. Good writing is original and does not include cliches, but you can live well by following these fifty cliches. Here are 50 wise cliches to live by:
1. Many hands make work easier.
2. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
3. Choose ripe fruit.
4. The ball stops here.
5. Don’t put off what you can do today until tomorrow.
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 on the whetstone.
11. The Acorn does not fall far from the tree.
12. All in good time.
13. All work and no play makes Jack a dull 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 glitters is gold
21. Dip your toe in the water.
22. Treat others as you would like others to treat you.
23. Always look on the bright side.
24. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
25. Call things by name.
26. Ace up your sleeve.
27. Every dark cloud has a ray of light.
28. Turn 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 good weather.
33. A good beginning makes a good ending.
34. Set the hatches, lower the boom, raise the middle 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. Don’t ask 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 cut corners.
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. What counts is what’s inside.
48. Crime does not pay.
49. It doesn’t end until the fat lady sings.
50. Dance to the beat of your own drummer.
There you go, 50 wise tips for better living, all thanks to your English teacher’s nightmare, the cliché.
