Previously, I wrote about dumb cliches that have no place in our modern vocabulary/are just annoying and pointless. In the spirit of “why not”, I decided to share some more oft-repeated, even cliche phrases that I do like.
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it – I like crossing bridges. They are symbolic and usually placed somewhere scenic and aesthetically pleasing. That has no real bearing on the cliche, but it’s probably why I don’t mind it.
Burning bridges – Ending relationships on a bad note is equivalent to committing an act of arson. Alright, cool.
That’s water under the bridge – I just like bridges, okay?
Haste makes waste – It’s succinct, coherent, and true. I have to remind myself all the time that rushing will only make things worse. What better way to do that than a helpful, albeit incredibly trite, rhyme?
Sweating like a whore in church – This one gets me on humor. No one who says this means it seriously. They say it for a joke. At least, the people I know.
Things are about to get ugly – This reminds me of a Jim Gaffigan bit where he says something to the effect of, “You know the expression ‘things are about to get ugly’? What about ugly people? What do they say? ‘Doesn’t affect me.'”
The good, the bad, the ugly -Famous westerns aside, I think this phrase is pretty BA.
On the level – Okay, you got me. I don’t know why I like this phrase. It just sounds cool and hip. Although I tend to misuse it as being “in the know”, I think it’s supposed to mean “truthful” or “honest”.
Wreak havoc – Here’s an English protip: wreak is almost never used in any other instance besides “wreak havoc”. FYI, for those who might be (rightfully) confused: wreck is what happens when you crash your car; reek is when something stinks; and wrack is something you will likely never, ever use, save for one solitary phrase (see entry below). It’s so little used, besides “wreak havoc” that when you write “wreak” on its own, wordpress wants to correct it to wreck. I guess you could say its rarity and beauty get me.
Wrack and ruin – Again, you won’t see wrack outside of this phrase. Though it refers to “wreckage”, wrack is a variant spelling for “rack”. But you would never say “rack and ruin”; and you would certainly never say “wrack the balls” or “put your clothes on the wrack”. Blame it on the English nerd, but I love the poetry of this one, too.
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it – Okay, then. If you insist. Makes a great insult and a great command. It’s superior to the similarly intentioned “how do you like them apples”, which I only ever say jokingly because “them apples” makes you sound like a hillbilly. No offense to the hillbillies in my life whom I love.
Heard it through the grapevine – This might entirely have to do with the song of the same name made famous by Marvin Gaye and also famously covered by Creedance Clearwater Revival. I am a big fan of both songs. Yeah, it entirely has to do with the songs. Because I’m all about the music, man.
The Unplug Initiative 