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Cliché
A cliché ( or ) is an element of an artistic work, saying, or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being weird or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning, referring to an expression imposed by conventionalized linguistic usage. The term is often used in modern culture for an action or idea that is expected or predictable, based on a prior event. Typically pejorative, "clichés" may or may not be true. Some are stereotypes, but some are simply truisms and facts. Clichés often are employed for comedic effect, typically in fiction. Most phrases now considered clichéd originally were regarded as striking but have lost their force through overuse. The French poet Gérard de Nerval once said, "The first man who compared woman to a rose was a poet, the second, an imbecile." A cliché is often a vivid d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phraseme
A phraseme, also called a set phrase, idiomatic phrase, multi-word expression (in computational linguistics), or idiom, is a multi-word or multi-morphemic utterance whose components include at least one that is selectionally constrained or restricted by linguistic convention such that it is not freely chosen. In the most extreme cases, there are expressions such as ''X kicks the bucket'' ≈ ‘person X dies of natural causes, the speaker being flippant about X’s demise’ where the unit is selected as a whole to express a meaning that bears little or no relation to the meanings of its parts. All of the words in this expression are chosen restrictedly, as part of a chunk. At the other extreme, there are collocations such as ''stark naked'', ''hearty laugh'', or ''infinite patience'' where one of the words is chosen freely (''naked'', ''laugh'', and ''patience'', respectively) based on the meaning the speaker wishes to express while the choice of the other (intensifying) word (''s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bromide (language)
Bromide in literary usage means a phrase, cliché, or platitude that is trite or unoriginal. It can be intended to soothe or placate; it can suggest insincerity or a lack of originality in the speaker. Bromide can also mean a commonplace or tiresome person, a bore (a person who speaks in bromides). Etymology Various bromine salts or bromides were discovered during the second half of the 19th century to have calming effects on the central nervous system. By the end of the century, they were widely used both for specific indications like epilepsy, convulsions, and insomnia, and even for "general nervousness". Sodium bromide was used in remedies such as Bromo-Seltzer that were popular for headaches and hangovers, in part due to the sedative effects. In April 1906, the American humorist Gelett Burgess published an essay in ''The Smart Set'' called "The Sulphitic Theory". In this essay, he used "bromide" to characterize a sedate, dull person who said boring things. In the fall of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
