Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
A proverbial phrase or expression is a type of conventional saying similar to a proverb and transmitted by oral tradition. The difference is that a proverb is a fixed expression, while a proverbial phrase permits alterations to fit the grammar of the context. [1] [2] In 1768, John Ray defined a proverbial phrase as:
German – Wenn Schweine fliegen können! is identical with the English saying "when pigs fly", although the older proverb Wenn Schweine Flügel hätten, wäre alles möglich ("if pigs had wings, everything would be possible") is in more common use, often modified on the second part to something impossible, like "if pigs had wings, even your ...
However, though it has gone through multiple languages and millennia, the proverb can be traced back to an ancient Babylonian proverb [91] Another example of a widely spread proverb is "A drowning person clutches at [frogs] foam", found in Peshai of Afghanistan [92] and Orma of Kenya, [93] and presumably places in between.
Drinking lemonade is usually considered more pleasant than eating raw lemons. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade is a proverbial phrase used to encourage optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity or misfortune.
The proverb's meaning is similar to the phrases "you can't have it both ways" and "you can't have the best of both worlds." For those unfamiliar with it, the proverb may sound confusing due to the ambiguity of the word 'have', which can mean 'keep' or 'to have in one's possession', but which can also be used as a synonym for 'eat' (e.g. 'to ...
What's The Saying is a fun and challenging game that will put your brain to work. The object of the game is to match a common phrase with an accompanying coded image. These will test even the most ...
[15] [16] James Boswell's 1791 biography of Samuel Johnson quotes Johnson as saying to an acquaintance in 1775 "Sir, hell is paved with good intentions." [17] An earlier iteration "borrowed of" another language was "Hell is full of good meanings and wishes" and was published in 1670 in A Collection of English Proverbs collected by John Ray. [18]
Get answers to your AOL Mail, login, Desktop Gold, AOL app, password and subscription questions. Find the support options to contact customer care by email, chat, or phone number.