Get Me Rewrite: Dictionary clichés

By Mark Jacob

Why do writers use so many clichés that refer to the dictionary? Is it because they’re stuck for words and gaze up at a dictionary on their shelf? Or do they see a dictionary tab on their computer screen? Five examples:

“If you could look up ‘hit the ground running’ in a dictionary, there would probably be a picture of Ashley LeBlanc with it.”

“If you loo…