Cliché

A cliché is anything that is overused, often to the point of being rendered meaningless.

A common form of a cliché is an overused phrase that has a standard, figurative meaning. For example, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

In literary fiction, clichés often take the form of predictable characters or situtations, for example the stereotypical peg-legged pirate searching for treasure.

Movie clichés are similar to the ones found in literature, with a particular focus on predictable situtations. For example, a common film cliché is for a fruit stand to be knocked over during a chase sequence. Another cliche, it could be said, is when a killer is killed in an horror movie, only to be revived for the next sequel.

For a list of clichés, go to List of clichés.

See also: ClichéSite.com (http://www.clichesite.com/index.asp)