(entered for 12.31.05) (Sorry, I was sick over New Years and missed some entries.)

Meaning: not refined or just formed. Definition and use examples.
Rewrite 1: a plank badly needing some sanding
Rewrite 2: a gem with no sparkle1b
Rewrite 3: a tree with its roots still in a ball
Rewrite 4: a road full of potholes

Comment: The challenge here is to recast about things that aren’t simply broken.

More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Diana Hacker: Language Debates: Cliches: The Bedford Handbook “On the matter of clichés, usage experts take a moderate stance.”