---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Timing is everything. That's a cliche…"
description: "\"Timing is everything. That's a cliche. Now. If I'd said that a long time ago, I'd have been original.\" — Demetri Martin"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/demetri-martin-511_cliche_timing-is-everything-that-s-a-cliche-now_1703720.jpg"
---

#  Timing is everything. That's a cliche. Now. If I'd said…

![“Timing is everything. That's a cliche. Now. If I'd said that a long time ago, I'd have been original.” quote by Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/demetri-martin-511_cliche_timing-is-everything-that-s-a-cliche-now_1703720.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/demetri-martin-511_cliche_timing-is-everything-that-s-a-cliche-now_1703720.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/demetri-martin-511_cliche_timing-is-everything-that-s-a-cliche-now_1703720.jpg)

> “Timing is everything. That's a cliche. Now. If I'd said that a long time ago, I'd have been original.”

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Timing is portrayed as essential, yet the speaker notes that stating it early would have been unoriginal, highlighting the paradox of cliché and originality.

**In simple terms:** Timing matters, but saying it early makes it unoriginal.

Key Takeaway

Balance awareness of timing with fresh expression.

Themes

communication creativity originality paradox

Mood

witty thoughtful

Type

humorous philosophical

When to use this quote

- stand‑up comedy
- writing workshops
- marketing campaigns
- public speaking
- social media posts

Key Concepts

cliché dynamics temporal relevance creative timing

Questions to Reflect On

- When does timing become a cliché?
- How can you convey timeless advice without sounding trite?

A Different Perspective

The observation may be overly simplistic about originality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cliche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/) [Timing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/timing/) [Timing is everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/timing-is-everything/)

## Related quotes

> [Timing is everything. Tell me how a young man spends his evenings and I will tell you how far he is likely to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-c-forbes/timing-is-everything-tell-me-how-a-young-man-spends-his-evenings-and/)

[B. C. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-c-forbes/)

> [At home in Devon, my wife Jessica does a huge proportion of the cooking - I do the basics. My timing is extremely good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/at-home-in-devon-my-wife-jessica-does-a-huge-proportion-of-the/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [“You can create something that is pure genius, but you have to get your timing right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lang-leav/you-can-create-something-that-is-pure-genius-but-you-have-to-get-your/)

[Lang Leav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lang-leav/)

> [“All my dreams will be fulfilled at the proper time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/all-my-dreams-will-be-fulfilled-at-the-proper-time/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [Timing is everything with relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/timing-is-everything-with-relationships/)

[Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/)

> [“We generally outlive premature success and inherited riches.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/we-generally-outlive-premature-success-and-inherited-riches/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [Timing is everything in this markets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-s-loeb/timing-is-everything-in-this-markets/)

Daniel S. Loeb

> [Timing is everything. That´s right. Which is why our sages tell us to repent exactly one day before we die." But how do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/timing-is-everything-that-s-right-which-is-why-our-sages-tell-us-to/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [I think, in comedy, timing is everything. You and I could tell the same joke, but if one of our timing is off, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-i/i-think-in-comedy-timing-is-everything-you-and-i-could-tell-the-same/)

T.I

> [“He was always right beside me, but we were never in the same place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-simon-gunn/he-was-always-right-beside-me-but-we-were-never-in-the-same-place/)

[Jacqueline Simon Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-simon-gunn/)

> [“I am a lover of words and tragically beautiful things, poor timing and longing, and all things with soul, and I wonder if that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-lyons/i-am-a-lover-of-words-and-tragically-beautiful-things-poor-timing-and/)

[Nicole Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-lyons/)

> [“Don’t ever think you’re useless just because someone your age is doing something extraordinary. Talent differs, and so does timing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ojingiri-hannah/don-t-ever-think-you-re-useless-just-because-someone-your-age-is/)

[Ojingiri Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ojingiri-hannah/)

> [“If you want to go big in the business world, you need to have the right product at the right time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pooja-agnihotri/if-you-want-to-go-big-in-the-business-world-you-need-to-have-the/)

[Pooja Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pooja-agnihotri/)

> [I think that timing is everything. At first, it was too soon. And then, the time was right, but I was busy with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-hurwitz/i-think-that-timing-is-everything-at-first-it-was-too-soon-and-then/)

[Mitchell Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-hurwitz/)

> [Coming into the music industry, even when I was a kid, one thing I learned is timing is everything. You being prepared is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-rowland/coming-into-the-music-industry-even-when-i-was-a-kid-one-thing-i/)

[Kelly Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-rowland/)

## More by Demetri Martin

> [I think hair gel was invented to make it easier to identify assholes from a distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-think-hair-gel-was-invented-to-make-it-easier-to-identify-assholes/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [Tic Tacs are the maracas of breath mints.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/tic-tacs-are-the-maracas-of-breath-mints/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [When someone describes themself as a taxpayer, they're about to be an asshole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/when-someone-describes-themself-as-a-taxpayer-they-re-about-to-be-an/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [I think they named the orange before the carrot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-think-they-named-the-orange-before-the-carrot/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [I like to go to concerts because I love to see my favorite band through the phone of the asshole who's standing in front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-like-to-go-to-concerts-because-i-love-to-see-my-favorite-band/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [How fast does a zebra have to run before it looks gray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/how-fast-does-a-zebra-have-to-run-before-it-looks-gray/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [Skiing is my favorite sport, because, that's the only sport that is actually better to watch the worst the person is at it. "That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/skiing-is-my-favorite-sport-because-that-s-the-only-sport-that-is/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [I know about Woodstock probably as much as your average person who is over 30, where I'd know Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-know-about-woodstock-probably-as-much-as-your-average-person-who-is/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [Never be less interesting than your refrigerator magnets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/never-be-less-interesting-than-your-refrigerator-magnets/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [I bought a cactus. A week later it died. And I got depressed, because I thought, Damn. I am less nurturing than a desert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-bought-a-cactus-a-week-later-it-died-and-i-got-depressed-because-i/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [A Wednesday with no rain is a dry hump day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/a-wednesday-with-no-rain-is-a-dry-hump-day/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [THING TO TRY: If you are asked to describe a suspect to a police sketch artist, describe in precise detail, the features of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/thing-to-try-if-you-are-asked-to-describe-a-suspect-to-a-police/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [If you happen to catch on fire during the show, do not panic or wave your arms around or scream or we wil give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/if-you-happen-to-catch-on-fire-during-the-show-do-not-panic-or-wave/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [They say that structure is freedom, and in a sense it is. When you're dealing with multiple constraints, you have to figure out what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/they-say-that-structure-is-freedom-and-in-a-sense-it-is-when-you-re/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [I think my favorite sound is the sound of someone not playing the bongos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-think-my-favorite-sound-is-the-sound-of-someone-not-playing-the/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

[Explore all 508 Demetri Martin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

## More Cliche quotes

> [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/)

[Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/)

> [Good things come to those who hustle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-noll/good-things-come-to-those-who-hustle/)

[Chuck Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-noll/)

> [It's a bit cliche, but you can't go wrong by writing what you know. Even if you're a horrible writer, your own knowledge and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/it-s-a-bit-cliche-but-you-can-t-go-wrong-by-writing-what-you-know/)

[Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/)

> [“As an opener, I'd like to state that elves are certainly NOT cliché. It doesn't matter if they all have pointy ears, or they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/as-an-opener-i-d-like-to-state-that-elves-are-certainly-not-clich-it/)

[Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/)

> [“NormnAl, "Like, Share, Follow and subscribe" - The typical cliche drill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/normnal-like-share-follow-and-subscribe-the-typical-cliche-drill/)

Deyth Banger

> [To move past fear is a cliche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/to-move-past-fear-is-a-cliche/)

[Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/)

> [There are trappings of science fiction which I kind of embrace, but there are also cliches which I run from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-twohy/there-are-trappings-of-science-fiction-which-i-kind-of-embrace-but/)

[David Twohy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-twohy/)

> [Audiences are hungry for something different. With binge-watching, they're hungry for interesting content they haven't seen before, and they want to be entertained. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-millar/audiences-are-hungry-for-something-different-with-binge-watching-they/)

[Miles Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-millar/)

> [A popular cliche in philosophy says that science is pure analysis or reductionism, like taking the rainbow to pieces; and art is pure synthesis,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/a-popular-cliche-in-philosophy-says-that-science-is-pure-analysis-or/)

[Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/)

> [I think the French have a romantic cliche that Englishmen have great style, great music, irony and sense of humour. Well, sometimes cliches are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-de-la-baume/i-think-the-french-have-a-romantic-cliche-that-englishmen-have-great/)

[Josephine de La Baume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-de-la-baume/)

> [Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/last-but-not-least-avoid-cliches-like-the-plague/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [“The more you know, the less you understand. That's so cliche'. Wanna know the scary version? The more you know, the more fuckups you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/the-more-you-know-the-less-you-understand-that-s-so-cliche-wanna-know/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [You can't do anything if a person says no. In such a case, there's nothing you can do - unlike the popular cliche that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-wolf/you-can-t-do-anything-if-a-person-says-no-in-such-a-case-there-s/)

[Markus Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-wolf/)

> [“Sometimes people overlooked how useful a cliché was. It got everyone thinking about things in the same sort of way, and that could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leese/sometimes-people-overlooked-how-useful-a-clich-was-it-got-everyone/)

[Michael Leese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leese/)

> [When academics claim a topic is obsolete, they mean merely they are tired of flogging it with their cliches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-smith/when-academics-claim-a-topic-is-obsolete-they-mean-merely-they-are/)

[Kenny Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-smith/)

[Browse all 601 Cliche quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Timing is everything. That's a cliche. Now. If I'd said that a long time ago, I'd have been original.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Demetri Martin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/timing-is-everything-that-s-a-cliche-now-if-i-d-said-that-a-long-time/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cliche"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/timing-is-everything-that-s-a-cliche-now-if-i-d-said-that-a-long-time/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/demetri-martin-511_cliche_timing-is-everything-that-s-a-cliche-now_1703720.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/demetri-martin-511_cliche_timing-is-everything-that-s-a-cliche-now_1703720.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/966/demetri-martin-511_cliche_timing-is-everything-that-s-a-cliche-now_1703720.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Timing is everything. That's a cliche. Now. If I'd said that a long time ago, I'd have been original.” — Demetri Martin",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Demetri Martin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Timing is everything. That's a cliche....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/timing-is-everything-that-s-a-cliche-now-if-i-d-said-that-a-long-time/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/timing-is-everything-that-s-a-cliche-now-if-i-d-said-that-a-long-time/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
