Cliches are often used in speaking and sometimes in writing. They are a type of figurative language, so they are a less direct way of making a statement. When new, they were creative and fun. However, they have become old and boring through constant use.
Here is a table with some cliches and what they mean.

cliche	meaning in plain English
sent chills down my spine	felt terrified
seemed like an eternity	seemed like a very long time
roll with the punches	adjust to difficulties or problems well
is a tower of strength	is a person who provides support
thin as a rail (stick)	very thin
is a breeze	is easy
velcroed to	tightly attached or bonded to
got the ball rolling	began, got something started
moved like lightning	moved very quickly
out in left field	not paying attention, unaware
hot as hell	extremely hot
like a chicken with its head cut off	running around without knowing what to do
like two peas in a pod	very similar
security blanket	something that makes one feel safe
still as a statue	stationary, not moving
iron out the wrinkles	work out the difficulties
right on the money	perfect