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Name for sayings that are too obvious

English Language & Usage Asked by Areel Xocha on January 30, 2021

The saying/idiom/cliche Winners are grinners gets my goat and rides it into a brick wall. It’s just too obvious. All it has going for it is the rhyme. Is there a term for a saying that is just too obvious and self-evident?

One Answer

I can do no better than commend Merriam Webster to you. I started there with one of my favourites - "hackneyed" - and discovered several old friends:

"Choose the Right Synonym for hackneyed - TRITE, HACKNEYED, STEREOTYPED, THREADBARE mean lacking the freshness that evokes attention or interest.

TRITE applies to a once effective phrase or idea spoiled from long familiarity. "you win some, you lose some" is a trite expression

HACKNEYED stresses being worn out by overuse so as to become dull and meaningless. all of the metaphors and images in the poem are hackneyed

STEREOTYPED implies falling invariably into the same pattern or form. views of minorities that are stereotyped and out-of-date

THREADBARE applies to what has been used until its possibilities of interest have been totally exhausted. a mystery novel with a threadbare plot"

Merriam Webster

Answered by Anton on January 30, 2021

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