We need some new clichés

In most episodes of any UK soap, one line of dialogue will crop up whenever some dramatic event is unfolding and its purport is unclear: “Woss goin’ on?”, someone will certainly say.

And it's expected that people in British cop series will take the trouble to address the investigating officer by his rank: “Please sit down, Chief Superintendent”, or “Am I a suspect, Detective Inspector?”

Movie and TV clichés are a rich field, and Mark Gamon has a comprehensive list of them, including such favourites as:

All beds have special L-shaped cover sheets which reach up to the armpit level on a woman but only to waist level on the man lying beside her.

When paying for a taxi, don't look at your wallet as you take out a bill—just grab one at random and hand it over. It will always be the exact fare.

Television news bulletins usually contain a story that affects you personally at that precise moment.

Mark invites contributions to the list, particularly in such categories as British Movie Cliches, Auteur Movie Cliches, Broadway Movie Musical Cliches and Television Drama Cliches' (including the hitherto-unexplored category 'UK Soap Cliches').