Word of the Day

Friday, February 16, 2001

adage

\AD-ij\ , noun;

An old saying, which has obtained credit by long use; a proverb.

Quotes:

Did she sense the proverbial limp in my walk: proverbial as the Somali adage in which it is said that a lie has a lame leg, truth a healthy one.

-- Nuruddin Farah, Secrets

We may find out too late the wisdom of the adage that cautions us to be careful what we wish for lest we get it.

-- Charles Murray, What It Means to Be a Libertarian

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me, the old adage goes.

-- Zachary Karabell, "No Left Turn", New York Times, September 24, 2000

Origin:

Adage derives from the Latin adagium (akin to aio, "I say").