Cliche of the Week 72 – De Rigueur

Society is increasingly sophisticated in its reading, wine sipping, food nibbling, fashion draping, art sampling, technology appreciation and constant interior decoration.

And all of it is de rigueur, required of tasteful people.

News reports with de rigueur, which apparently adds sophistication to any story about a social trend, are on the rise. Two years ago, de rigueur was used about 150 times a month. Now it's 350 and higher if you count the common misspelling "de rigeur".

"Long before Harry Potter pencil cases and Twilight lunchboxes became de rigeur, Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, saw the merchandising potential of his much-loved literary creation (Alice)." (The Independent, November 3).

"Now digital cameras are de rigueur in the trade, with higher-resolution cameras minimising orbs and generally accepted techniques for distinguishing a dust particle from an apparition." (Wall Street Journal, October 31).

"With internet connections growing at 20 per cent a year, going online is becoming de rigueur in the country." (The Economic Times, India, October 30).

"In keeping with the hip and matesy atmosphere, communal long tables are de rigueur inside and out." (The Sunday Telegraph, October 30).

Cliche of the Week appears in The Australian newspaper Mondays.

Cliches in the media are tracked across the world using Factiva and Dow Jones Insight.

Chris Pash's book, The Last Whale, a true story set in the 1970s, was published by Fremantle Press in 2008.