the watch of time

Supposedly it’s spring – here’s more emotive warmth from enlivened clichés (with the original in italics):

• The magician’s props weren’t working, so he improvised by calling his act ‘The more things change, the more they stay the same’
• My stomach is tied in knots, which makes it extremely difficult to make my shirt look nice
• If your associate has gone over the top in bringing you flowers, take one, put it in his collar, and nip it in the bud
• Non-verbal communication is important, but more than meets the eye challenges one of the senses
• If you insist that strange, amorphous creatures are emerging from those waters, you must be seaing things
• Necessity is the mother of invention, so there’s obviously some pretty loose morals around here
• When my hands are tied, I flip a coin to decide a winner
• We say, yes might’s, as well as’s, or however’s, and say no if’s, and’s, or but’s
• I insist on my way or the highway ever since I set up my own GPS system
• From having my family pose surrounding the ace of my favourite card suit, I enjoy the near and dear to my heart