--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I like a cliche if it's sort of turned on…" description: "\"I like a cliche if it's sort of turned on its head.\" — Jason Isbell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jason-isbell-3520_cliche_i-like-a-cliche-if-it-s-sort-of-turned-o_539695.jpg" --- # I like a cliche if it's sort of turned on its head. ![“I like a cliche if it's sort of turned on its head.” quote by Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jason-isbell-3520_cliche_i-like-a-cliche-if-it-s-sort-of-turned-o_539695.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jason-isbell-3520_cliche_i-like-a-cliche-if-it-s-sort-of-turned-o_539695.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jason-isbell-3520_cliche_i-like-a-cliche-if-it-s-sort-of-turned-o_539695.jpg) > “I like a cliche if it's sort of turned on its head.” [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clichés become fresh when subverted, offering new insight or humor. **In simple terms:** Twisting familiar ideas makes them interesting. Key Takeaway Play with expectations to create novelty. Themes creativity humor language Mood playful innovative Type literary entertaining When to use this quote - writing - stand‑up comedy - marketing slogans Key Concepts literary technique subversion Questions to Reflect On - Which cliché have you turned on its head? - What effect does subversion have on your audience? A Different Perspective Clichés can feel stale if not reimagined. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cliche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/) [Cliche Sort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche-sort-4515537/) [Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/head/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Cliche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-cliche-957662/) [Sort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sort/) [Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned/) [Turned Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned-head-392832/) ## Related quotes > [It was like a cliche for the parents in my hometown to let their kids watch 'Friends.' I had no interest at first, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rm/it-was-like-a-cliche-for-the-parents-in-my-hometown-to-let-their-kids/) [RM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rm/) > [It sounds like a cliche, but without a strong group, you win nothing in football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaka/it-sounds-like-a-cliche-but-without-a-strong-group-you-win-nothing-in/) [Kaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaka/) > [I feel like a cliche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-carroll/i-feel-like-a-cliche/) [Jonathan Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-carroll/) > [I really want to be known for my work. That sounds like such a... cliche, and I've thought about how else I can say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delroy-lindo/i-really-want-to-be-known-for-my-work-that-sounds-like-such-a-cliche/) [Delroy Lindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delroy-lindo/) > [We've said it many times, so it sounds like a cliche, but it's actually true that we take it game by game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-odegaard/we-ve-said-it-many-times-so-it-sounds-like-a-cliche-but-it-s-actually/) [Martin Odegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-odegaard/) > [It sounds like a cliche but I also learnt that you're not going to fall for the right person until you really love yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/it-sounds-like-a-cliche-but-i-also-learnt-that-you-re-not-going-to/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [I've done that my whole life - I've taken the way people think and turned it on its head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/i-ve-done-that-my-whole-life-i-ve-taken-the-way-people-think-and/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [It sounds like a cliche, but it... you do sing about what you know about. And I grew up in a small town, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-chesney/it-sounds-like-a-cliche-but-it-you-do-sing-about-what-you-know-about/) [Kenny Chesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-chesney/) > [I like to just make flex music. So when I do make emotional music, it's hard for me, because I feel like I'm cliche.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ski-mask-the-slump-god/i-like-to-just-make-flex-music-so-when-i-do-make-emotional-music-it-s/) [Ski Mask the Slump God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ski-mask-the-slump-god/) > [The road is a lonely place, and that sounds like a cliche, you know, like what is my life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/artie-lange/the-road-is-a-lonely-place-and-that-sounds-like-a-cliche-you-know/) [Artie Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/artie-lange/) > [I had the feeling that some horrible image was just beyond the field of vision, moving, as I turned my head, so that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-had-the-feeling-that-some-horrible-image-was-just-beyond-the-field/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [I shall never get used to not being the most beautiful woman in the room. It was an intoxication to sweep in and know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-randolph-churchill/i-shall-never-get-used-to-not-being-the-most-beautiful-woman-in-the/) [Lady Randolph Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-randolph-churchill/) > [The queen had passed him, so close he'd felt the stir of air, and he guessed that if she had turned her head, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/the-queen-had-passed-him-so-close-he-d-felt-the-stir-of-air-and-he/) [Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/) > [“the old man turned his head, and his face expressed the sum total of the surprise which a man can still feel after a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-old-man-turned-his-head-and-his-face-expressed-the-sum-total-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > ['You spin in the sky, the world spins under you, and you step from land to land, while we . . .' She turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/you-spin-in-the-sky-the-world-spins-under-you-and-you-step-from-land/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) ## More by Jason Isbell > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [The Police could get away with doing an entire record with really no audible reverb, which I have always admired and thought would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/the-police-could-get-away-with-doing-an-entire-record-with-really-no/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I think great songs appeal to people at any age. Kids love the Beatles, too. Kids love Tom T. Hall. Of course, Tom T.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/i-think-great-songs-appeal-to-people-at-any-age-kids-love-the-beatles/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [Democracy can tie your hands in a rock 'n' roll band, you know? It can be a great thing, but if you've got a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/democracy-can-tie-your-hands-in-a-rock-n-roll-band-you-know-it-can-be/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [If you're the person whose problems were solved when you were born, your job is to try and help the people who aren't in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/if-you-re-the-person-whose-problems-were-solved-when-you-were-born/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I like not having to worry about paying the bills, but I have to watch myself because I don't come from money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/i-like-not-having-to-worry-about-paying-the-bills-but-i-have-to-watch/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [A lot of people in Nashville think that the best song is the catchiest or the one that sells the most copies. They're editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/a-lot-of-people-in-nashville-think-that-the-best-song-is-the/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [The world changes fast, and a lot of the old country folks have a hard time keeping up with it, and it makes them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/the-world-changes-fast-and-a-lot-of-the-old-country-folks-have-a-hard/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [The more you read, the better you are at writing, no matter what you're writing. A lot of songwriters miss that and don't see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/the-more-you-read-the-better-you-are-at-writing-no-matter-what-you-re/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [The idea of growing up in the South and being a man is an interesting thing; there's a lot masculinity involved, with hunting, fishing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/the-idea-of-growing-up-in-the-south-and-being-a-man-is-an-interesting/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think I'm a country artist, really. I'm a country person, but I don't think I'm necessarily a country singer or musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/i-don-t-think-i-m-a-country-artist-really-i-m-a-country-person-but-i/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I like those kinds of songs that have details that you remember and that have stories that mean something and that open up into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/i-like-those-kinds-of-songs-that-have-details-that-you-remember-and/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [Man, that Jim Lauderdale always looks good - he's got more western suits than anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/man-that-jim-lauderdale-always-looks-good-he-s-got-more-western-suits/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I'm not a big AA guy, but I'll go every once in a while. 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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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "I like a cliche if it's sort of turned on its head.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jason Isbell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/i-like-a-cliche-if-it-s-sort-of-turned-on-its-head/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cliche" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/i-like-a-cliche-if-it-s-sort-of-turned-on-its-head/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jason-isbell-3520_cliche_i-like-a-cliche-if-it-s-sort-of-turned-o_539695.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jason-isbell-3520_cliche_i-like-a-cliche-if-it-s-sort-of-turned-o_539695.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f3/jason-isbell-3520_cliche_i-like-a-cliche-if-it-s-sort-of-turned-o_539695.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I like a cliche if it's sort of turned on its head.” — Jason Isbell", "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": "Jason Isbell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I like a cliche if it's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/i-like-a-cliche-if-it-s-sort-of-turned-on-its-head/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/i-like-a-cliche-if-it-s-sort-of-turned-on-its-head/#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 } } ] } ```