conventional phrase; stock expression; cliché; platitude
Refers to a set phrase or expression that is overused and lacks originality, often with a negative connotation.
His speech was full of clichés and was boring.
In job interviews, it's important to avoid stock phrases and speak in your own words.
決まり文句 is a set phrase or conventional expression, often neutral or positive, while 常套表現 emphasizes overuse and lack of originality.
陳腐 is an adjective meaning 'stale' or 'trite', describing something worn out by overuse, whereas 常套表現 is the noun for the expression itself.
Compound of 常套 (じょうとう, 'conventional, routine') and 表現 (ひょうげん, 'expression'). 常套 itself derives from 常 (じょう, 'usual') and 套 (とう, 'set, pattern').