saying

saying [sā′iŋ]

n.

1. the act of one who says

2. something said; esp., an adage, proverb, or maxim

SYN.- SAYINGSAYING is the simple, direct term for any pithy expression of wisdom or truth; a SAW² is an old, homely saying that is well worn by repetition [the preacher filled his sermon with wise saws]; a MAXIM is a general principle drawn from practical experience and serving as a rule of conduct (Ex.: “Keep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee”); an ADAGE is a saying that has been popularly accepted over a long period of time (Ex.: “Where there's smoke, there's fire”); a PROVERB is a piece of practical wisdom expressed in homely, concrete terms (Ex.: “A penny saved is a penny earned”); a MOTTO is a maxim accepted as a guiding principle or as an ideal of behavior (Ex.: “Honesty is the best policy”); an APHORISM is a terse saying embodying a general, more or less profound truth or principle (Ex.: “He is a fool that cannot conceal his wisdom”); an EPIGRAM is a terse, witty, pointed statement that gains its effect by ingenious antithesis (Ex.: “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it”)