I hate cliches. They drive me insane. Especially those related to the work place. If you can't say something even slightly original, just don't talk. I found this that sums up a lot of what I'm talking about. They left a couple off. The one the owner of my company says that makes me gnaw my teeth together: "The squeaky wheel gets the grease". Being an animal lover, I also can't stand the ones like, "kill two birds with one stone", and "beating a dead horse".
On the other hand, I don't mind some of the ones I've heard in old movies. Ones that have more to do with people, instead of corporate mumbo jumbo. Maybe I should start a trend to try to bring these back.
For instance, if you meet someone who obviously remembers you but you have no idea who they are, instead of trying to slickly act like you remember them, say "Sir (or Ma'am), it seems you have me at a disadvantage.' Then stick out your hand. I saw John Wayne do this in one of his movies, and although it was a Western, I still think it would impress in a business environment.
Another one that isn't used near enough anymore is to say to a new young coworker or temp, "I can see you going places. You've got a real fire in your belly." Can't you just picture Spencer Tracy saying that to someone?
If you're determined to speak in cliches, why not have a little class about it?
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