UPDATED SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 2006 RETURN TO CLICHE-A-DAY WEBLOG

An alphabetized list of all the clichés listed on Cliché-a-Day

Cliché             Date appeared on site
a chip off the old block           11.15.05
a deer in the headlights           04.07.06 for (04.06.06)
a drop in the bucket           02.26.06
a fish out of water           10.16.05
a fly in the ointment           01.04.06 (for 01.01.06)
a horse of a different color         10.06.05
a knockoff             02.17.06
a long row to hoe           09.24.05
a nail-biter             03.02.06
a penny for your thoughts         03.22.06 (for 03.22.06)
a pox on both your houses         01.20.06
a quick buck           10.27.05
a stitch in time saves nine         10.19.05
a tongue-lashing           01.15.06
ace in the hole or ace up his sleeve (re-entry for duplicate)     03.20.06 (for 03.20.06)
airing dirty laundry           03.20.06 (for 03.19.06)
an uphill battle           02.14.06
and the rest is history           10.10.05
another nail in the coffin         11.23.05
ants in his pants           12.27.05
as dense as a London Fog         04.12.06
as easy as falling off a log         09.28.05
as snug as a bug in a rug           09.23.05
as useful as a lead balloon         01.26.06
at the drop of a hat           12.15.05
back from the dead           04.18.06
back in the saddle           10.25.05
back to the salt mines           01.27.06
bare bones             03.05.06
barking up the wrong tree         12.18.05
beat a dead horse           03.25.06
born with a silver spoon in his mouth         12.07.05
burn your bridges           01.11.06
busier than a one-armed paper hanger       10.15.05
by the skin of my teeth           09.29.05
can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear       10.20.05
cash cow             11.30.05
cat got your tongue?           10.31.05
clean your clock           03.11.06 (for 03.12.06)
come hell or high water           10.05.05
cooking with gas now           01.17.06
cool as a cucumber           03.31.06
cost an arm and a leg           02.21.06
couldn't hit the broad side of a barn         01.18.06
cry over spilled milk           10.14.05
dig yourself into a hole           03.13.06
don't reinvent the wheel           12.04.05 (for 12.03.05)
dot the I's and cross the T's         11.02.05
dumber than a box of rocks         02.15.06
easy as 123             02.27.06
eat lead!             02.16.06
eats like a horse           10.30.05
everything but the kitchen sink         10.04.05
everything's coming up roses         12.22.05
fall head over heels           12.19.05
fell through the cracks           10.24.05
fighting like cats and dogs         02.10.06
firing on all cylinders           12.23.05
fits like a hand in a glove (also: fits like a glove)       03.26.06
flat as a pancake           11.25.05
free as a bird           03.06.06
get a word in edgewise           03.14.06
get cleaned out           01.12.06
get off on the wrong foot         12.01.05
get over the hump           01.04.06 (for 01.02.06)
give the shirt off your back         04.13.06
give them an inch and they'll take a mile       04.01.06
go against the grain           12.28.05
good things come to he who waits         11.10.05
good to the last drop           01.28.06
has egg on his face           02.28.06
he's all thumbs           11.03.05
his bark is worse than his bite         04.19.06
hit pay dirt             12.16.05
hold your horses           02.07.06 (for 02.04.06)
home is where you hang your hat         11.16.05
hunker down           04.07.06 (for 04.07.06)
I could whip you with one arm tied behind my back       12.02.05
I need that like I need a hole in the head       09.26.05
I wasn't born yesterday           02.11.06
I'd lose my head if it weren't attached       10.29.05
Idle hands are the devil's workshop         10.09.05
if the shoe fits, wear it           01.29.06
if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen       04.20.06
I'll eat my hat           02.22.06
in two shakes of a lamb's tail         12.17.05
in your face           03.01.06
is it soup yet?           01.13.06
it won't fly             04.02.06
it's in the mail           01.31.06 (for 01.30.06)
jump down your throat           10.23.05
jump the gun           11.17.05
just the tip of the iceberg         12.29.05
keeping up with the Joneses         03.15.06
keeps his cards close to his vest         03.07.06
kick some butt (or ass)           02.07.06 (for 02.05.06)
knee-high to a grasshopper         12.09.05
knock it out of the park           01.19.06
knockout blow           04.08.06.
know it like the back of my hand         10.17.05
know which side your bread is buttered on       11.04.05
last but not least           11.19.05
lay my cards on the table         04.14.06
leave no stone unturned           03.22.06 (for 03.21.06)
like a bull in a china shop           09.27.05
like a kid on a candy store         11.26.05
like a knife through hot butter         01.07.06
like night and day           12.10.05
lock, stock, and barrel           11.11.05
looking for a needle in a haystack         03.27.06
love is blind             03.08.06
madder than a wet hen           01.04.06 (for 01.03.06)
making a mountain out of a mole hill         09.30.05
making money hand over fist         01.09.06 (for 01.08.09)
many hands make light work         01.31.06
miss the boat           03.29.06 (for 03.28.06)
money doesn't grow on trees         04.21.06
my brain is fried           02.23.06
nailed it             03.09.06
nice guys finish last           02.07.06 (for 02.06.06)
no pain, no gain           11.12.05
no skin off my nose           01.14.06
no strings attached           04.03.06
not for all the tea in china         10.18.05
not playing with a full deck         01.04.06
not the ghost of a chance         12.13.05 (for 12.11.05)
off kilter             11.18.05
old as dirt             01.21.06
on the same page           11.28.05
on track             02.18.06
one man's garbage is another man's treasure       12.30.05
one picture is worth a thousand words       04.15.06
out of gas             04.10.06 (for 04.09.06)
out of the woods           10.28.05
paint yourself into a corner         02.12.06
play the hand you're dealt         11.20.05
play with the big boys (or girls)         12.04.05
pound the pavement           01.26.06 (for 01.25.06)
pull the wool over your eyes         10.11.05
put it on the back burner         01.26.06 (for 01.24.06)
put that in your pipe and smoke it         11.05.05
raking in the money (or dough)         02.19.06
rattle your cage           02.24.06
reopen an old wound           01.23.06 (for 01.22.06)
right up your alley           02.01.06
rock the boat           11.24.05
Rome wasn't built in a day         10.02.05
rotten to the core           12.24.05
rub salt in the wound           04.05.06 (for 04.04.06)
run circles around (also run rings around)       04.22.06
same song and dance           03.24.06 (for 03.23.06)
season's greetings           12.25.05
see the glass as half empty         10.22.05
send up a trial balloon           11.21.05
something to sink your teeth into         12.05.05
soup to nuts           03.03.06
step on your toes           10.12.05
stop on a dime           01.05.06
stuck out like a sore thumb         11.28.05 (for 11.27.05)
sweep it under the rug           01.09.06 (for 01.09.06)
swim against the tide           12.13.05 (for 12.12.05)
take a long walk off a short pier         11.13.05
take a picture, it will last longer         02.07.06
test the waters           03.10.06
the 800-pound gorilla           12.08.05
the blind leading the blind         11.09.05
the cat's meow           02.03.06
the grass is always greener on the other side       10.08.05
the lights are on buy nobody's home         12.21.05
the old ball and chain           03.17.06 (for 03.16.06)
the red carpet treatment         03.17.06
the whole enchilada           12.20.05
throw gasoline on the fire         02.13.06
tilting at windmills           04.17.06 (for 04.16.06)
time on your (or my) hands         03.29.06 (for 03.29.06)
to deep six something           02.09.06
to sugar coat something (also candy-coat something)     04.10.06 (for 04.010.06)
too many chefs spoil the broth         11.07.05 (for 11.06.05)
toot your own horn           12.13.05 (for 12.13.05)
turn over a new leaf           09.30.05 (for 10.01.05)
under a microscope           11.22.05
until the cows come home         11.01.05
variety is the spice of life         10.13.05
waiting for the dust to settle         02.20.06
waiting for the other shoe to drop         01.06.06
waiting for your ship to come in         03.24.06 (for 03.24.06)
walking on egg shells           09.25.05
welcome to the club           10.03.05
we're gonna tie one on tonight         03.04.06
were you born in a barn?           03.11.06 (for 03.11.06)
what a zoo -- or -- this place is a zoo         11.14.05
what's wrong with this picture?         01.16.06
when all is said and done           04.23.06
when hell freezes over           01.10.06
when pigs fly           12.14.05
where there's smoke there's fire         04.11.06
wipe the slate clean           10.26.05
with a fine tooth comb           10.07.05
with one hand tied behind my back         11.07.05
work your fingers to the bone         04.05.06 (re-entered  for repeat)
works like a dog           11.29.05
yank your chain           02.25.06
you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink     12.06.05
you can take that to the bank         03.30.06
you can't fit a square peg in a round hole       02.03.06 (for 02.02.06)
you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube       02.09.06 (for 02.08.06)
you could have knocked me over with a feather       12.26.05
you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet       04.17.06 (for 04.17.06)
you lost me             01.23.06
you make a better door than a window       11.08.05
you snooze, you loose           03.18.06
zip your lip             10.21.05
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ALAN EGGLESTON
MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES

I am a professional business writer
and editor who cares deeply about
words and language, American style.
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