Avoid clichés in writing. Rewrite them assiduously. But some might be wondering— what are the clichés?

As a history professor, I see things like "the winds of change" or "the sands of time" or the "March of history" all the time in student papers. What would be fun would be to have a character that only speaks in clichés. But really, the narrator shouldn’t do it. Search for these terms in your writing. Reconsider what you’re saying, and write it again…

Here is a list of a few from the team at Word Genius:

Writing on the wall

Whirlwind tour

Patience of Job

Never a dull moment

Sands of time

Paying the piper

March of history

Hook, line, and sinker

Long arm of the law

In the nick of time

Leave no stone unturned

Fall on deaf ears

Cool as a cucumber

Cry over spilled milk

Champing at the bit