Is there a site that keeps track of foley sound clichés in movies, hopefully sorted by the sound as well as by movie? [more inside]
posted by FatherDagon on Jun 26, 2009 - 4 answers

Where did the saying "It's 5 'o Clock Somewhere" originate? [more inside]
posted by applemeat on Jul 30, 2008 - 13 answers

How common a trope is reincarnation within the fantasy genre? [spoilers inside] [more inside]
posted by dorothy humbird on Oct 30, 2007 - 19 answers

What movies have a plot device where a character is able to wear a rubber mask resembling another character that is so convincing that no one questions his identity until he's unmasked? [more inside]
posted by andrewzipp on Oct 12, 2007 - 37 answers

What is the origin of the phrase, "last, best hope" as used in pretty much every self-consciously significant but ultimately cliched film, book or TV episode I've indulged myself with over the last ten years?
posted by barbelith on Apr 8, 2007 - 18 answers

You know that old cliché about pregnant women and the ice cream and pickles? Are the pickles dill or sweet?
posted by gleuschk on Nov 13, 2006 - 25 answers

The phrase "Sometimes a pipe is just a pipe" is always attributed to Freud, but is so hackneyed by now -- so well-known -- that it always seems to be cited without any hint of a reference to its original context, which makes me wonder if it is apocryphal. Did Freud really write/say this? If so, where? If not, where does its origins lie? Does anyone know? [more inside]
posted by .kobayashi. on Sep 6, 2005 - 14 answers

In Soviet Union, $noun $verbs you! What is the origin of this meme? It's everywhere online. Searching google and mefi/askmefi havn't helped... someone must know!
posted by adzm on May 6, 2005 - 11 answers

Motivational cliches please! I have a client that ends his emails with, "so you're going to have to knuckle down," or, "we need all hands on deck," which of course I ironically find utterly de-motivating. Can you think of others?
posted by forallmankind on Apr 12, 2005 - 47 answers

What are the worst karaoke clichés? [more inside]
posted by grrarrgh00 on Mar 31, 2005 - 41 answers

Musical cliches: when were they first used? I'm talking about things like a muted trumpet going "wah wah waaaaah" when something comical happens, or dramatic chords going "dum da dum dum, dum da dum dum duuum" as someone creeps along in the shadows, or "dun dun dun dun" when something is revealed. Not the best way of compelling sounds, I know, but it seemed to work for this question so I thought I'd give it a go.
posted by Orange Goblin on Feb 5, 2005 - 8 answers

What is the difference between the sayings, "at first glance..." and "at first blush..."? When would one use "at first blush..." over the other option?
posted by pwb503 on Jan 19, 2005 - 15 answers

ClicheFilter: What's the deal with literary reviews and the phrase "tour de force"? Why do even great writer-reviewers continue to use this worn-out phrase? Is this some sort of big inside joke?
posted by vacapinta on Dec 7, 2004 - 17 answers

Music journalism clichés. I'm trying to compile a list of clichéd rock journalism similes, along the lines of 'sounds like a cat being strangled', or 'sounds like a drum-kit being thrown down a stairwell'. Trawling through 40 years of archives will prove to be somewhat time-consuming. Can anyone help me out with any? Points scored for the ridiculous/absurd, points deducted for ones you've made up yourself. Thanks!
posted by nylon on Oct 11, 2004 - 25 answers

How much stuff can the average person shake a stick at? [more inside]
posted by badstone on Jan 20, 2004 - 14 answers