A saying is any concise expression that is especially memorable because of its meaning or style.[citation needed] Sayings are categorized as follows:
Aphorism: a general, observational truth; "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth".[1]
Adage, proverb, or saw: a widely known or popular aphorism that has gained credibility by long use or tradition.
Apothegm/Apophthegm: "an edgy, more cynical aphorism; such as, 'Men are generally more careful of the breed of their horses and dogs than of their children.'"[2]
Axiom: a proposition that commends itself to general acceptance; a well-established or universally conceded principle; a maxim, rule, or law.[3]
Cliché or bromide: an unoriginal and overused saying.
Platitude: a cliché that is unsuccessfully presented as though it were meaningful, original, or effective.
Epigram: a clever and often poetic written saying that comments on a specific person, idea, or thing; it especially denominates such a saying that is conspicuously put at the beginning of a text.
Quip: a clever or humorous saying based on an observation.
Witticism: a saying that is clever and usually humorous and that is notable for its form or style just as much as, or more than, its meaning.
Referencesedit
^Randall, Bernice (1 January 1997). When Is a Pig a Hog ? – A Guide to Confoundingly Related English Words. Bbs Pub Corp. p. 113. ISBN 978-0883659779. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
^ abRovin, Jeff (1994). What's the Difference? A Compendium of Commonly Confused and Misused Words. New York: Ballantine Books.
^Oxford English Dictionary Online, accessed 2012-04-28
External linksedit
Look up saying in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.