Question to the English language teachers

1 proverb
2.Idiom
3.saying



1.proverb - is a saying that makes a truth or piece of wisdom easier to remember e.g. a stitch in time saves nine (minor preventative action is less trouble than disaster-recovery) or 'many a true word spoken in jest' (take care as to what you say, it can reveal more than you may wish)

Proverb A simple and short saying, widely known, often metaphorical, which expresses a basic truth or practical precept, based on common sense or cultural experience.



Proverb: a short sentence, etc., usually known by many people, stating something commonly experienced or giving advice or a short popular saying, usually of ancient origin, that expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought; .
Slow and steady wins the race"
A bad cause requires many words.
A broken hand works, but not a broken heart.

A proverb is generally longer than a saying, and there is usually some moral lesson in it.
Sayings and proverbs don't necessarily need to be word perfect like an idiom does.
There is often a blurry line dividing idioms, sayings and proverbs; also between collocations and idioms.


Famous Proverbs

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

When one door shuts, another opens.

He who pays the piper calls the tune.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

A fool with a tool is still a fool.

A wise man talks because he has something to say; a fool talks because he has to say something [Plato]

If you can't convince them, confuse them.



2. idiom - is a regularly used form of words, particular in some way - either to an individual or a group. it can form a style of communication.

Idiom is An expression that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of the words. Quite a few idioms are language specific, and thus diificult to translate. Example: "a cold day in Hell"

Idiom: group of words in a fixed order forming an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements/words, as
To "have bitten off more than you can chew" is an idiom that means you have tried to do something which is too difficult for you.
You have added fuel to the fire. It means you say/do something that makes a difficult situation worse.

An idiom is a short set phrase (a short series of words) that usually must be used strictly to make sense. 'Idiom' is used in a few different ways. For example "It's grammatically correct, but it's not idiomatic" means that we just don't say it that way.
A saying can be i) a quotation from a famous person, ii) a traditional orally-transmitted piece of wisdom of commentary about life in general.


A proverb is generally longer than a saying, and there is usually some moral lesson in it.
Sayings and proverbs don't necessarily need to be word perfect like an idiom does.
There is often a blurry line dividing idioms, sayings and proverbs; also between collocations and idioms.

A proverb is generally longer than a saying, and there is usually some moral lesson in it.
Sayings and proverbs don't necessarily need to be word perfect like an idiom does.
There is often a blurry line dividing idioms, sayings and proverbs; also between collocations and idioms.

Definitions: What are ... Proverbs, Sayings, Aphorisms, Idioms, etc.


A saying is something that is said or written, notable in one respect or another, to be a pithy expression of wisdom or truth."
There are a number of specific types of saying, of which proverb is
probably the best known. However, the distinction between them is often
pretty vague.
AphorismA tersely, memorable phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage.
[from
Greek aphorismos, from aphorizein, to delimit, define. Apo- (1. Away
from; off; Separate. 2. Without 3. Related to) + Horizein (limit,
boundary)]AdageAn aphorism that has that has gained credit through long use.ClichéAn overly commonplace, banal or trite saying, expression or idea.
“Even while the phrase was degenerating to cliché in ordinary public use
. . . scholars were giving it increasing attention” (Anthony Brandt).EpigramA concise, clever, often paradoxical statement, thought or observation; sometimes expressed as a short, witty poem.EpithetA descriptive term (= word or phrase) used to characterize a person or thing, that has become popular is commonly understood.
Example: "The Great Emancipator" as a term for Abraham Lincoln. GnomeA pithy saying that expresses a general truth, fundamental principle or an instruction in a compact form; an aphorism.
[Greek: from gignoskein, to know]IdiomAn expression that is peculiar to itself grammatically
or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of the words.
Quite a few idioms are language specific, and thus diificult to
translate.
Example: "a cold day in Hell"
HyperboleA figure of speech (or any rhetorical device) in
which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, mostly beyond
credibility. It is encountered in casual speech, as in “I could sleep
for a year” or “This book weighs a ton.”

[Greek huperbol¶, excess, from: huper (= beyond) and ballein (=to throw)]
MantraOriginated in the Vedic tradition of India; a mantra is now a religious or mystical syllable or poetic phrase.MaximCompared with its approximate synonyms: saying, adage, saw, motto, epigram, proverb, aphorism,
the term maxim stresses the succinct formulation of a fundamental principle, general truth, or rule of conduct.

[Latin: maximus, "greatest", via the expression maxima propositio, "greatest premise".]MottoA brief statement used to express a principle, a motivation, a goal, or an ideal.Phrasal verbAn English verb and one or more following particles (e.g. a preposition or adverb);
the combination creates a meaning different from the original verb thus acting as a complete syntactic and semantic unit.ProverbA simple and short saying, widely known, often
metaphorical, which expresses a basic truth or practical precept, based
on common sense or cultural experience.QuipA clever or witty observation or remark, with a tendency to descend into sarcasm, or otherwise is short of point.SawA familiar saying that is commonplace, longstanding and occasionally trite (sometimes through repetition).WitticismWitty remarks can be intentionally cruel and are more ingenious than funny.

Idioms (1521)


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Sayings (646)


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answers. Arranged alphabetically and by category.
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