A cliché was a phrase or action that had become overused to the point of making users of the phrase seem to lack imagination or be boring. Stephen G. Richey's assessment of the novel Hotel Royale was that it was rife with "endless clichés and shallow characters". As a result, he looked forward to death after being subjected to living in a world created for him using the book as a reference. (TNG: "The Royale" ) In 2373, Jake Sisko told Nog not to quote clichés at him before he had had breakfast. (DS9: "The Ascent")