Quote:
Faldage: I am at a loss to understand what the loss is in the change of meaning of the phrase "the lion's share." For one thing it's a cliché and some would prefer it not be used at all...
Stealing this off the 'lion's share' where Uncle Ben is not lured back even by an excellent tea party.

I'd like to know: when does an idiomatic expression become a cliché. I presume they are not really synonyms.

A cliché imo. is an expression that has lost all true meaning. Like: "every cloud has a silver lining".
First; it not true, see: no silver lining

Second; it's a secure killer of eventual empathy.
Could it be most clichés are in fact expressions that have an evasive function ? End of conversation remarks ?

The lion's share does not look like a cliché to me.

Last edited by BranShea; 01/27/08 01:40 PM.