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Below is an alphabetical list of widely used and repeated proverbial phrases. If known, their origins are noted. A proverbial phrase or expression is a type of conventional saying similar to a proverb and transmitted by oral tradition.
t. e. A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) or an adage is a simple, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and are an example of formulaic language. [ 1 ][ 2 ] A proverbial phrase or a proverbial expression is a type of a conventional saying similar to proverbs and ...
Sayings are categorized as follows: Aphorism: a general, observational truth; "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth". [1] Adage, proverb, or saw: a widely known or popular aphorism that has gained credibility by long use or tradition. Apothegm/Apophthegm: "an edgy, more cynical aphorism; such as, 'Men are generally more careful of the breed of ...
An idiom is a common word or phrase with a figurative, non-literal meaning that is understood culturally and differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest; i.e. the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words (although some idioms do retain their literal meanings – see the example "kick the bucket" below).
The Analects, also known as the Sayings of Confucius, is an ancient Chinese philosophical text composed of sayings and ideas attributed to Confucius and his contemporaries, traditionally believed to have been compiled by his followers. The consensus among scholars is that large portions of the text were composed during the Warring States period ...
ἀπὸ μηχανῆς Θεός. apò mēkhanês Theós. Deus ex machina. "God from the machine". The phrase originates from the way deity figures appeared in ancient Greek theaters, held high up by a machine, to solve a problem in the plot. "Ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου μετάστηθι" — Diogenes the Cynic — in a 1763 painting by ...
Aphorism. An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: aphorismos, denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. [1] Aphorisms are often handed down by tradition from generation to generation. The concept is generally distinct from those of an ...
Gnomic poetry consists of meaningful sayings put into verse to aid the memory. They were known by the Greeks as gnomes (c.f. the Greek adjective γνωμικός (gnomikos) "appertaining to an opinion or aphorism "). A gnome was defined by the Elizabethan critic Henry Peacham as "a saying pertaining to the manners and common practices of men ...