Dictionary Definition
apothegm n : a short pithy instructive saying
[syn: aphorism,
apophthegm]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- /
Extensive Definition
An adage (), or adagium
(Latin), is a short but memorable saying that holds some important
fact of experience that is considered true by many people, or that
has gained some credibility through its long use. It often involves
a planning failure such as "don't count your chickens before they
hatch" or "don't burn bridges behind you."
Adages may be interesting
observations, practical or ethical guidelines, or pessimistic comments on life.
Some adages are products of folk wisdom which attempt to
summarize some basic truth; these are generally known as proverbs. An adage which
describes a general rule of conduct may be known as a "maxim". A
pithy expression which has not necessarily gained credit through
long use but which is distinguished by particular depth or good
style is known as an aphorism, while one
distinguished by wit or
irony is known as an
epigram. Through
overuse, an adage may become a cliché or
truism, or be described
as an "old saw."
Adages coined in modernity are
often given proper names and called "laws" in imitation of physical
laws, or "principles". Some adages, such as Murphy's
Law, are first formulated informally and given proper names
later, while others, such as the Peter
Principle, have proper names in their initial formulation; it
might be argued that the latter sort does not represent "true"
adages, but the two types are often difficult to
distinguish.
Adages formulated in popular
works of fiction often
find their way into popular
culture, especially when there exists a subculture devoted to the
work or its genre, as is
the case with science
fiction novels. Many professions and subcultures
create their own adages, which may be seen as a sort of jargon; such adages may find
their way into popular usage, sometimes becoming altered in the
process. Online
communities, such as those which develop in internet
forums or Usenet newsgroups, are known for
generating their own adages.
Example adages
see Apophthegmata- For a listing of old adages, see "proverb"
- See List of adages named after people for popular adages.
- TANSTAAFL: There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
-
Laws of infernal dynamics:
- An object in motion will be moving in the wrong direction.
- An object at rest will be in the wrong place.
- The energy required to move an object in the correct direction, or put it in the right place, will be more than you wish to expend but not so much as to make the task impossible.
- Law of conservation of misery: Misery is never created or destroyed, just transferred.
External links
- The 2004 Edge Annual Question: What's Your Law?: A collection of the modern adages of various scientific personalities convened by John Brockman's Edge online salon.
apothegm in German:
Sprichwort
apothegm in Spanish: Adagio
(lingüística)
apothegm in French: Adage
(expression)
apothegm in Interlingua
(International Auxiliary Language Association): Adagio
(linguistica)
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
adage, ana, analects, aphorism, axiom, bon mot, boutade, bright idea, bright
thought, brilliant idea, brocard, byword, catchword, collected sayings,
conceit, crack, current saying, dictate, dictum, distich, epigram, expression, facetiae, flash of wit, flight
of wit, gibe, gnome, golden saying, happy
thought, maxim, moral, mot, motto, nasty crack, oracle, persiflage, phrase, pithy saying, play of
wit, pleasantry,
precept, prescript, proverb, proverbial saying,
proverbs, quip, quips and cranks, repartee, retort, riposte, rule, sally, saw, saying, scintillation, sentence, sententious
expression, sloka, smart
crack, smart saying, snappy comeback, stock saying, stroke of wit,
sutra, teaching, text, truism, turn of thought, verse, wisdom, wisdom literature, wise
saying, wisecrack,
witticism, word, words of
wisdom