Clichés

What is it with clichés and other hackneyed phrases? I expect everyone has their pet hates. One of mine is... 'To be honest'. I mean, why wouldn't anyone be honest? It's what one expects. We don't all go around lying to each other all the time. So why say it? There must be something better to say to get a point across.
My other testing trial is...'at the end of the day'.... surely people are more imaginative than that? Why not... "When the saddle's on the horse," okay perhaps it is not quite the same but infinitely more interesting. 

I mean instead of, 'As silly as a cartload of monkeys' why not say, 'As silly as a sackful of sisters' or maybe ' as a cow in curlers'? Come to think of it a cow would look pretty silly in curlers.
I'd love to hear your pet hates and maybe hear an alternative. 

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