Adage

What is adage?

1. –noun a traditional saying expressing a common experience or observation; proverb.

2. a saying, often in metaphoric form, that embodies a common observation, such as "If the shoe fits, wear it,'' "Out of the frying pan, into the fire,'' or "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.'' The scholar Erasmus published a well-known collection of adages as Adagia in 1508. The word is from the Latin adagium, "proverb."

3. Adages are short, but memorable sayings, based on an important fact of experience that is considered true by many people. Famous old adages have gained some credibility through their long use. Some old famous adages are based on the words of old folk wisdom ( Words of Wisdom or Proverbs ). Adages which describe a rule of conduct are also known as known as "maxims". Some old adages may have become a cliché or truism through over use. Modern Adages are often given proper names and called "laws" or "principles" such as Murphy's Law or the the Peter Principle. Many modern famous adages are derived from science fiction novels. Improve your understanding of famous adages with our dictionary & adage definitions.

4. Adage is a short saying that transmits wisdom. Before people knew how to read and write, they passed knowledge by word of mouth. The word adage comes from Latin adagium formed by the prefix ad- (to, toward, about) and agium (from agio, I say). Here is a short list of well known adages.

• 10/90 Rule - Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. (Thank you: Osmay)
  20/80 Rule - Pareto principle - 80%, of what happens to you, can be attributed to 20% of your behaviour... or to solve the last 20% of your problem, it will take 80% of your effort.
  A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. (Thank you: Wendell Boggs) 
  A chain is as strong as its weakest link. (A team is as strong as its weakest player. It only takes one person to screw up the game. - Thank you: Seketektek) 
  A fine appearance is a poor substitute for inward worth.
  A friend in need is a friend indeed.
  A humble life with peace and quiet is better than a splendid one with danger and risk.
  A man is known by the company he keeps.
  A mind changed against its will is of the same opinion still (You can't force others to believe in what you want them to believe. - Thank you: Jim Ference)
  A mind too open may fall out. 
  A pair of shoes fits well, if you forget about your feet.
  A penny saved is a penny earned. (Thank you: Debbie) 
  A secret's only worth keeping, if it's worth telling.
  A sound mind lives in a sound body.
  A string of facts does not add up to the truth.
  A tree is only as old as the wood in it.
  A watched pot never boils. (Thank you: Debbie)
  After sunshine comes a storm.
  Age is a state of mind, not a measure of time.
  All that glitters is not gold
• All things must pass.
  All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
  All's well that ends well.
  Almost only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes. (Almost doesn't count. - Thank you: Virginia)
  Amateurs discuss strategy, but professionals talk about logistics.
  An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. (Thank you: Q)
  An idle mind is the devil's workshop. (if you give kids too much "spare" time, they will find something bad to do - Thank you: Janice M) 
  An individual is smart; A group is stupid. (Individuals reason, group mentalities are problematic.)
  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
  Be cruel to be kind (Thank you: Saed Nazzal)
  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. (Thank you: GdL) 
  Beauty is only skin deep.
  Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone.
  Beggars can't be choosers.
  Better a certain enemy than a doubtful friend.
  Better late than never.
  Better poverty without care, than riches with.
  Better to end with a bang 
  Beware of the law of unintended consequences.
  Blood is thicker than water.
  Boiling a frog. (You can not stick a frog in boiling water, because it will sense the temperature and jump out. However, you can boil the frog if you stick it in cold water, and then raise the temperature very slowly until it boils.)
  Boys (or girls) Rule (because they can - Thank you: g)
  Bull in a China Shop (Clumsy - Cannot happen literally) 
  Buy the ticket, take the ride. (Do not cop-out, even if getting involved in something may get you way over your head)
  Camel's nose. (Don't let the camel stick his nose in the tent, because the next thing you know, his whole body will be inside the tent, and there will be no room for you)
  Change of habit cannot alter Nature.
  Children are not to be blamed for the faults of their parents.
  Children Learn what they live. (Kids pick up what they see and hear at home, don't blame the outsiders - Thank you: Dona Reynolds, MT) 
  Crow is best eaten warm (Admit you are wrong as soon as you discover it - Thank you: Steve Gregg)
  Curiosity killed the cat.
  Cut off your nose to spite your face. { Thank you: Jake Vinturella }
  Data is the basis of knowledge, and knowledge is power.
  Diamond in the Rough (Usually used by a mother-inlaw in reference to a new daughter who could be easily taught and polished to her expectations. - Thank you: David)
  Do as I say, not as I do.
  Do unto others as you would have them do to you. (Golden Rule)
  Don't change horses in the middle of the race. (When it is too late to make major changes)
  Don't close your eyes when you miss a chance. Keep them open for the next one (Thank you: Mumtaz)
  Don't count your chickens, before they are hatched.
  Don't judge a book by its cover.
  Don't judge a man until walk a mile in his moccasins.
  Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today (Avoid procrastination)
  Don't look a gift horse in the mouth { Thank you: Eric Sim }
  Don't put all your eggs in one basket. (Thank you: Nora Moeller)
  Don't show your cards too early (If you tilt your cards the other person knows what you got)
  Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. (What this essentially means is: don't be in such a hurry to discard the bad that you throw out the good. - Thank you: Lynn McCaghren) 
  Eat or be eaten (The big fish eats the little fish, and Dog eats dog - Thank you: Maureen)
  Even a clock that doesn´t work gives the correct hour twice a day. (Nothing is useless. - Thank you: O )
  Every cloud has a silver lining. (Look for the good in everything that happens to you, no matter how bad it appears at the time. - Thank you: Linda Ellis)
  Every dog has his day { Thank you: Nimesh Kularatne }
  Every eye closed ain't sleep. (Thank you: Q)
  Every once in a while, even a blind pig snorts up a truffle. (Everyone gets lucky sometimes)
  Every one serves a purpose, even if only to serve as a bad example. (Thank you: Duran) 
  Falling like a ton of bricks (Falling hard and fast)
  Fighting like cats and dogs.
  Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
  For every article of clothing you add in your closet, take one out. (It keeps things neat - Thank you: Marie) 
  Fortune helps those willing to help themselves.
  Friends are like potatoes. If you eat 'em, they die. (Value your friends)
  From all that you will get, gain understanding
  Genius is one percent inspiration and ninty nine percent perspiration (Thank you: Mumtaz)
  Give him an inch, and he'll take a mile
  God Bless You (Said when you sneeze) { Thank you: Joseph P. }
  Going down like a lead balloon (Something that will not happen [cannot happen literally]) 
  Good things come to those who wait. (Thank you: Debbie)
  Grab the bull by the horns (Just do it. Mistakes will happen, but life is not too tough, and you will get through it - Thank you: Jon)
  Has the cat got your tongue?
  Have their cake and eat it, too.
  He, who has the gold, rules (Another version of the Golden Rule)
  He whom asks is dumb for five minutes; but he who does not ask is dumb for a lifetime. { Thank you: Luis T. }
  Hit the ground running (Got up to speed before you started - Cannot happen literally) 
  Hitting the nail on the head. (Right on target)
  Home is where the heart is.
  Home is where you hang your hat.
  I know a little about everything and a lot about nothing (Thank you: Mehdi)
  If anything can go wrong, it will (Murphy Law Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way)
  If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.
  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
  If it ain't tested, it is broke (Mantra of test engineers)
  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  If life throws you lemons, learn to make lemonade (Make the best of a bad situation. - Thank you: Osmay)
  
  
  Modern Adages
• First Law of Philosophy: 
  The deeper you think, the deeper you sink. (Leonid Sukhorukov)
  
  Famous adages from science fiction:
  Amara's law: We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.
  Clarke's three laws: 
  When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
  The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
  Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
  TANSTAAFL: There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
  
  Famous adages from Usenet:
  Godwin's Law: As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.
  Ugol's law: If you ever ask "am I the only one who has this kink?" the answer is invariably "no".
  
  Famous work-related adages:
  Peter principle: In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.
  Dilbert Principle: In a company, the most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage: management.
  Parkinson's law: Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.
  SSDD: Same shit, different day
  
  Other famous adages:
  Murphy's law: If anything can go wrong, it will.
  Finagle's law: Anything that can go wrong, will.
  Sturgeon's law: Ninety percent of everything is crud.
  Hanlon's razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
  Occam's razor: Given two equally predictive theories, choose the simpler.
  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 accumulation: Everything great and worthwhile in human life is an accumulation of hundreds and sometimes thousands of tiny efforts and sacrifices that nobody ever sees or appreciates.
  Law of conservation of misery: Misery is never created or destroyed, just transformed.
  First Law of Holes: When in a deep hole, stop digging.
  Putt's Law: Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand.