saying
Traditional wisdom phrase
A saying is a short, familiar expression conveying conventional wisdom or a common observation: There's an old saying about not counting your chickens before they hatch.
Sayings circulate widely enough that speakers often introduce them with phrases like "as the saying goes" or "you know what they say." The term covers proverbs, adages, and maxims without distinguishing among them.
Brief moral principle
- adageTraditional pithy truth
- axiomSelf-evident starting principle
- truismStatement needing no proof
- dictumAuthoritative formal statement
precept · aphorism · epigram · apothegm · saw · byword · gnome · homily
Trite, overused remark
- bromideOverused phrase or chemical
- chestnutOverused joke or edible nut
- banalityTiresome lack of originality
- commonplaceUnremarkable and frequent
stock phrase · tired expression · triteness · buzzword · truism · old hat · boilerplate · formula
Valuable piece of advice
- sage advicePrudent guidance from experience
- life lessonInsight from experience
- guiding principleRule that directs conduct
- golden ruleFundamental operating principle
words of wisdom · nugget of truth · insight · counsel · teaching · precept · tenet · doctrine
Conveyed thought or feeling
- phraseWords forming partial meaning
- turn of phraseDistinctive verbal expression
- colloquialismCasual conversational expression
- figure of speechNonliteral expressive phrase
locution · set phrase · fixed expression · phrasal verb · catchphrase · slang term · vernacular · phrasing
Clever, amusing remark
- bon motClever, memorable remark
- one-linerBrief standalone joke
- zingerPointed witty remark
- retortQuick, cutting reply
repartee · comeback · jest · crack · gag · pun · clever remark · wordplay
Inaccurate rendering of speech
- misattributionCrediting the wrong source
- mythTraditional explanatory tale
- urban legendUnverified viral story
- half-truthDeceptive incomplete statement
maxim
Brief moral principle
dictum · precept · aphorism · epigram · apothegm · saw · byword · gnome · homily · moral
platitude
Trite, overused remark
- bromideOverused phrase or chemical
- chestnutOverused joke or edible nut
- banalityTiresome lack of originality
commonplace · stock phrase · tired expression · triteness · buzzword · truism · old hat · boilerplate · formula
pearl of wisdom
Valuable piece of advice
- sage advicePrudent guidance from experience
- life lessonInsight from experience
- guiding principleRule that directs conduct
words of wisdom · golden rule · nugget of truth · insight · counsel · teaching · precept · tenet · doctrine · philosophy
expression
Conveyed thought or feeling
- phraseWords forming partial meaning
- turn of phraseDistinctive verbal expression
- colloquialismCasual conversational expression
figure of speech · locution · set phrase · fixed expression · phrasal verb · catchphrase · slang term · vernacular · phrasing · wording
witticism
Clever, amusing remark
retort · repartee · comeback · jest · crack · gag · pun · clever remark · wordplay · double entendre
misquotation
Inaccurate rendering of speech
- misattributionCrediting the wrong source
- mythTraditional explanatory tale
- urban legendUnverified viral story
- vocabularyword, words, new words, term, terms
- brevitybrevity, concise, succinct, terse, pithy
- expressionsexpression, I love you, phrase, idioms, thank you
- folk wisdomproverb, folklore, proverbs, traditional lore, adage
- maximsmaxim, adage, proverb, aphorism, axiom
- sayingsproverb, proverbs, adage, adages, maxim
sayingsilence
Total lack of sound
keeping quiet · muteness · withholding · speechlessness · taciturnity
- saying goodbyeAct of parting words
- goes without sayingUnderstood without articulation
- saying yesExpressing agreement or approval
- just sayingVerbal shrug after criticism
- saying thank youExpressing gratitude verbally
- old sayingTime-tested expression of wisdom