The word "cliche" comes from back in the printing press days: Its pronunciation mimics the sound of a printer's mold striking molten metal, dating back to the 19th century.
While cliches have a natural ridiculousness to them--catch yourself if you find yourself rolling your eyes the next time someone talks to you about "going the extra mile"--a cliche also works as a heuristic, a quick guidepost that, if used sparingly, can clue you into what the hell is going on and help you navigate the future.
