(entered for 02.03.06)

Meaning: the sound or sign that someone or something is happy. Other uses.
Rewrite 1: the cat’s purr
Rewrite 2: the dog’s woof
Rewrite 3: the child’s giggle
Rewrite 4: the adult’s smile

Comment: How many animals can you substitute in here? A horse's neigh, a pig's squeal, a cow's moo. You get the idea.

More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• Zombie Story Clichés: The title pretty much says it.

Check out the new alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right. To search the page using Internet Explorer, just go to “Edit” in the top menu bar, select “Find”, then enter the cliché or a word from it.