The other evening, watching a documentary about “Hamlet,” I was struck by the British actor Jonathan Pryce. Responding to a question about the genesis of his astounding “possession” interpretation, during the scene in which Hamlet sees his father’s ghost, Pryce said, “Well, heck, this ain’t my first rodeo!”

Hold on. Now that I think about it, Pryce didn’t say that. Rather, it was Guy Fieri, gleefully crying “This ain’t my first rodeo” after pointing out to a “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” cook that cornbread, indeed, contains corn.

The thing is, it could have been Pryce. Painfully, many of us have probably said “This ain’t my first rodeo” at some point, indicating that we have some prior history in some context of another. But: who was the first stooge to coin that phrase? And is it too late to punch him (or her)?

I also detest the tendency of vanquished athletes, in the spirit of fine sportsmanship, to earnestly tell giddy reporters, “You gotta tip your cap to the Marauders” — referring, of course, to the squadron who just beat them.

A few random thoughts on such clichés.

1. If indeed it’s a cliché and you’ve heard the phrase ad nauseam, think of something else to say. No one is going to nod appreciatively and think to themselves, “Astonishing. That fellow just said, ‘This ain’t my first rodeo!’ That’s still really clever.”

2. Why a “rodeo”? Why couldn’t it be “This ain’t my first pizza buffet” or “My first public hanging?”

3. Has anyone ever really tipped their cap as a gesture of subservience? I do know that, in the 16th century, Ivan the Terrible is said to have nailed the French ambassador’s hat to his head after the diplomat refused to remove his headpiece. That would certainly make me think about tipping my cap — at least around lunatic monarchs wielding hammers and nails.

4. Tipping a cap has become more difficult in recent years as athletes seem to wear their caps backwards. You have to reach behind your head to grip the bill, then spin it around to proper assignation, and only then can you tip.

5. Why “tip” and why “cap”? Couldn’t it just as easily have been “You gotta doff your fedora to them”? Or: “I humbly tilt my bowler to the Bearcats!”