All 3 Uses of
hackneyed
in
The Reptile Room
- It is now necessary for me to use the rather hackneyed phrase "meanwhile, back at the ranch."†
p. 110.8 *
- The word "hackneyed" here means "used by so, so many writers that by the time Lemony Snicket uses it, it is a tiresome cliché."†
p. 110.9
- It is very difficult, experts have told us, to find a needle in a haystack, which is why "needle in a haystack" has become a rather hackneyed phrase meaning "something that is difficult to find."†
p. 143.2
Definition:
lacking impact due to too much previous exposure -- especially writing that is unimaginative and filled with overused expressions, ideas, and formulas