A new cliché is born

We can blame the movies, television and especially the Internet for the explosion of (overused) clichés in the popular lexicon. You know them: "Go all [something] on us", "not so much", "yada yada", "BFF", etc. Bloggers are particularly notorious for spreading clichés like the proverbial plague (hey, it's easier than thinking). And I'm as guilty as the rest. Apparently, a new one has entered the chatterverse: Clutching Pearls. I'm pretty sure it hails from the language genre that gave us "bodice ripping." I've now seen it more than a few times on the blogs over the past week, the latest being on TPM ("Pearl-Clutching Time"). So it's evidently gathering steam. The trusty Urban Dictionary defines it as "a moment in time that forces one to clasp their hand to their chest, out of fear or shock, as if trying to protect an imaginary pearl necklace." As in: When I saw Taylor at the park with Noah, I was totally clutching pearls! Anyway, just keeping you abreast of the really important stuff in your world.