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A proverb [or proverbial phrase] is usually defined, an instructive sentence, or common and pithy saying, in which more is generally designed than expressed, famous for its peculiarity or elegance, and therefore adopted by the learned as well as the vulgar, by which it is distinguished from counterfeits which want such authority
Songwriter (s) unknown. " If wishes were horses, beggars would ride " is a proverb and nursery rhyme, first recorded about 1628 in a collection of Scottish proverbs, [1] which suggests if wishing could make things happen, then even the most destitute people would have everything they wanted. [2] It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 20004.
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 ...
"Common" here does not mean "ordinary", but "common to every situation" communibus locis: in common places: A term frequently used among philosophical and other writers, implying some medium, or mean relation between several places; one place with another; on a medium. "Common" here does not mean "ordinary", but "common to every situation"
Page from the 1901 edition of Thomas Carlyle 's Sartor Resartus (1833–34) on which the proverb appears, marking its earliest usage in English. " Speech is silver, silence is golden " is a proverb extolling the value of silence over speech. Its modern form most likely originated in Arabic culture, where it was used as early as the 9th century.
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 ...
Alternatively, it can be regarded as consisting of two common two-character compounds: okunai (屋内, indoors), and kin'en (禁煙, prohibition of smoking). Either way, the meaning of the compound is clear; there are no idiomatic meanings beyond the literal meanings of its components. Below are a few more examples of non-idiomatic yojijukugo:
The following is a list of phrases from sports that have become idioms (slang or otherwise) in English. They have evolved usages and meanings independent of sports and are often used by those with little knowledge of these games. The sport from which each phrase originates has been included immediately after the phrase.