Make Your Point: ADAGE

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pronounce ADAGE:

ADD idge

connect this word to others:

"The early bird gets the worm."

"Two wrongs don't make a right."

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

What would you call those? Sayings? Expressions? Clichés? I prefer to call them adages, a more specific term than sayings and expressions, and more positive than clichés. Oh, and more concise than words of wisdom.

That's just my preference, though. English offers us a rich variety of synonyms, such as maxims, precepts, and the ones below. Can you recall them?

1. Short, wise statements, like "Doubt is the beginning, not the end, of wisdom," are a__or___s.

2. Rules or wise sayings that people repeat, like "All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun," are d___ta.

3. Short, witty sayings, often antithetical, like Oscar Wilde's "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about" are e__gr__s.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

The word "adage" traces back through French to the Latin adagium, "a saying, a proverb." It might trace back further to bits meaning "to" (ad-) and "I say" (aio).

We've used it in English since the 1500s, and the meaning has stayed the same. An adage is a proverb, a well-known saying, or a statement about what's true in life.

Examples of adages include "To err is human" and "A picture is worth a thousand words," as well as more original ones like Mark Twain's "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, the countable kind: "There's an adage that 'Tragedy plus time equals comedy.'"

Other forms:

The plural is "adages," as in "The golden rule is one of my favorite adages: 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'"

how to use it:

When you want to strike a formal tone, pick the semi-common word "adage" to label any familiar wise saying, whether or not it's a cliché.

You might talk about people quoting an adage, subscribing to an adage, living by an adage, embodying an adage, confirming or proving an adage, or cross-stitching an adage.

(Source)

examples:

"[Todd Phillips, the director of War Dogs] subscribes to the adage 'never let the facts get in the way of the truth.'"
— Eliza Berman, Time, 18 August 2016

"Some believe the attention caused by the scandal could bring more moviegoers to theaters, following the adage that there's no such thing as bad publicity."
— Nicole Sperling, New York Times, 16 September 2022

has this page helped you understand "adage"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "adage" without saying "proverb" or "familiar saying."

try it out:

Although I'm sure you have a very nice favorite adage, could you name your least favorite adage?

Personally, I hate the adage that "the customer is always right." It just gives customers permission to act impatient and imperious.

Here are a few more adages that give me the ick. Maybe your least favorite is among them:

1. "Tell it like it is."
2. "Everything happens for a reason."
3. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is Make Your Point Before & After!

I'll give you a clue, and you give me a verbal mashup including at least one word or phrase we've studied before.

For example, if I give you "It's the kind of theatrical stage setting that encourages the actors to radically overact," then you give me "mise en scenery chewing," a mashup of "mise en scene" and "scenery chewing."

Try this one today: It's a recreational vehicle for traveling across beaches and backward in time to mythic Scotland.

To reveal the first two hints, highlight the hidden white text.

Hint 1: The number of words in this Before & After is... two.

Hint 2: The first word in this Before & After is... too big of a hint, but the first letters are BRI.

Hint 3: Use this term.

To see the answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. The near opposite of an ADAGE could be

A. a MALAPROPISM, as in "I've had to overcome a lot of diversity."
B. a NEOLOGISM, as in "truthiness" (an instinctive judgment of accuracy).
C. a MELIORISTIC statement, as in "The arc of the universe bends toward justice."

2. In her diary, Anne Frank wrote that she was "beginning to realize the truth of Father's adage: '_____.'"

A. Every child has to raise itself
B. the most adorable father I've ever seen
C. As soon as a boy asks if he can bicycle home with me and we get to talking, nine times out of ten I can be sure he'll become enamored on the spot and won't let me out of his sight for a second

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
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  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
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On writing...
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How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
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From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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