Wednesday WOLF - Cliche

I've got a collection of random information in my brain that makes me an awesome Trivial Pursuit partner, but is completely useless when it comes to real world application. Like say, job applications. I thought I'd share some of this random crap with you in the form of another acronym-ific series. I give you - Word Origins from Left Field - that's right, the WOLF. Er... ignore the fact that the "from" doesn't fit.

If you're a writer it's generally a good idea to avoid using cliches. What are those? Phrases, characters, or situations that have been used repeatedly in the culture to the point that they lose all meaning.

What does cliche mean? It's French, and originates from the printing press days when movable type was used and each letter had to be aligned on a metal plate to print one page. Some phrases were used so often that the press would keep a plate set with that phrase or word usage. Interestingly enough, these plates were called stereotype, but the technical term in printer's trade was the French, cliche.