Etymology Entry #4514267

Found out the words Cliche and Stereotype are both originally printing terms:

Cliche - originally meant a printing term for a semi-permanently assembled piece of type which could easily be inserted into the document being printed (see Block printing). It has since come to mean a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or novelty, especially when at some time it was considered distinctively forceful or novel. The meaning of a cliché may shift over time, often leading to confusion or misuse.

Stereotype - The word stereotype was invented by Firmin Didot in the world of printing; it was originally a duplicate impression of an original typographical element, used for printing instead of the original. Over time, this became a metaphor for any set of ideas repeated identically, en bloc, with minor changes. In fact, cliché and stereotype were both originally printers' words, and in their literal printers' meanings were synonymous. Specifically, cliché was an onomatopoetic word for the sound that was made during the stereotyping process when the matrix hit molten metal.

Thanks Wikipedia!