ad·age

[ad-ij]
noun
a traditional saying expressing a common experience or observation; proverb.

Origin:
1540–50; < French < Latin adagium, equivalent to ad- ad- + ag- (stem of āio I say) + -ium -ium

a·da·gi·al [uh-dey-jee-uhl] , adjective

adage, aphorism, apothegm, axiom, maxim, proverb.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
adage (ˈædɪdʒ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
a traditional saying that is accepted by many as true or partially true; proverb
 
[C16: via Old French from Latin adagium; related to āio I say]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Adage is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

adage
1540s, from L. adagium "adage, proverb," apparently from adagio, from ad- "to" + *agi-, root of aio "I say," from PIE *ag- "to speak." But Tucker thinks the second element is rather ago "set in motion, drive, urge."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

adage

a saying, often in metaphoric form, that embodies a common observation, such as "If the shoe fits, wear it,'' "Out of the frying pan, into the fire,'' or "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.'' The scholar Erasmus published a well-known collection of adages as Adagia in 1508. The word is from the Latin adagium, "proverb."

Learn more about adage with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
Unfortunately, not everyone lives by the adage that you catch more flies with
  honey than with vinegar.
Some governments covertly harp on this naive adage to coerce their people to be
  obedient citizens.
The adage that one man's trash is another's treasure still holds true for many
  music lovers.
The adage that the more things change the more they stay the same seems to be
  apt.
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