An Idiom, an Aphorism, and a Cliché walk in to a bar…

This mainly relates to semantics and only slightly to finance, but perhaps someone will find this of interest.

Idioms

An idiom is an expression where the meaning of the phrase cannot be understood only from the literal meanings of it’s words.

Idioms can be confusing. An idiom has just been born and will grow up to become a cliché if it stays in school.

Aphorisms

An aphorism is a concise statement expressing a general truth or observation about life.

This is the space between an idiom and a cliché. “Birds of a feather flock together.” This is true. This is the adolescent phase of an idiom moving towards becoming a fully grown cliché.

Clichés

A cliché is a metaphorical phrase that has been overused such that it has lost it’s conversational weight. It is very straightforward to most, because it has been used so many times. It has become a part of culture and language. It is generally no longer very clever. It takes on meaning through it’s frequent use and general conceptual acceptance because it is so familiar to most people.

In Summary

• Idioms are figurative and not literal. “Break the ice”

• Aphorisms attempt to offer truth or advice. “Knowledge is power”

• Clichés tend to be overused and have lost originality “Time will tell”

Relation to Finance

As companies grow, they can loose their spark and appeal as they scale their business efforts. What was once a clever idiom can become a cliché very quickly.

Remember when you could call a bank and a human would immediately answer the phone? Problems could be solved quickly without hold music and digital prompts.

My business is built around results, honest human connection, and real customer service.

Give my office a call and decide if you agree that the classic way of doing business has not yet gone out of style.

-Zac