at the end of the day

The cliche is the most difficult feature of language to pinpoint. We know instinctively what a cliche is but most of us would hesitate to commit ourselves if we were faced with having to give an exact definition. A waving of the hands and an ultra vague description such as ''Oh, well, you know . . .'' is the most we would probably come up with. Cliches are universally held to have lost novelty and freshness which they might once have had. So why do we use them? Eric Partridge, who wrote about cliches in the 1940s, suggests a few reasons - haste, mental laziness, convenience, a half education, a love of display.

Certainly, haste, or lack of time, now plays a large part in our use of cliches. Public communication is much more widespread nowadays than it was when Partridge was describing cliches and there is often a demand, if not exactly a need, for instantaneous comment. No time is given to polish and refine words before they slip from our mouths and many people in public life frequently have to come up with something to say before their brains are fully in gear.

In such situations cliches can be useful in that they provide a little thinking space.

The speaker subconsciously uses them while his/her mind is frantically thinking of something relevant to say. Also, they have the advantage of giving the impression the whole comment of speech is flowing more smoothly than may be the case. On the whole cliches are a good deal less noticeable than ums and ahs or a deathly hush.

Most filler cliches are unnecessary. Furthermore, many are completely meaningless, at least in the context in which they are being used.

Take ''at the end of the day'' - a much used cliche particularly loved by politicians and sports commentators. Now, it is not fair to accuse this expression of being totally meaningless. When used in such context as ''the apple pickers worked hard and at the end of the day received their wages from the farmer'' it is perfectly meaningful.

Alas, this context is far from being the norm. It's most often used with no relevance to day and scarcely any relevance to end. ''At the end of the day we will have to give the matter our consideration'' carries no suggestion that the situation was any different at the beginning of the day or indeed will be at the end of the night. In ''at the end of the day it is all a question of money'', the phrase is equally meaningless and redundant since everything always seems now to be a question of money.

This cliche is used unconsciously by many of us, even in informal circumstances where we have no need to play for time. It is then simply a matter of habit as cliches often are, but it is used by some speakers with another purpose in mind.

They intone it in measured and ponderous tones under the mistaken conviction the cliche will add gravitas and even credibility to what they are saying. Worse, it is not unknown for such speakers to combine this particular cliche with others and to be drawn irresistibly to such statements as ''at the end of the day, at this moment in time, when all is said and done, these are circumstances beyond our control''. Haven't cliches a lot to answer for?