What is the difference between an aphorism and a cliche

Example: Honesty is the best policy. Pun This is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of words or of similar-sounding words for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. Example: A fool with a tool is still a fool. Quip A clever or witty observation or remark, with a tendency to descend into sarcasm, or otherwise is short of point. Quotation This is a repetition — literally taken over from another text or speech and explicitly attributed by a citation. Quotes, whose original context is lost and can no longer be reconstructed, are named fragments.

Example: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Example: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Saw An old familiar saying that is commonplace, longstanding and occasionally trite sometimes through repetition. Slogan This is a memorable motto or phrase used as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. Also called tagline or one liner. Example: Make learning fun.

Winged Word A popular saying which can be attributed as a citation to a specific source. These phrases have found entrance into general usage. Possibly, his sayings are the most quoted of all. Consider the following examples:. William Shakespeare does not fall behind any writer in the use of aphorisms in his plays.

The use of abundant aphorisms testifies to his keen insight and judgment. Below are some examples:. Atticus Finch tells his daughter:. The above statement holds truth, as we cannot claim to judge a person unless we understand the way he views the world and its affairs. I always thought that, "A stitch in time saves nine," referred to something like knitting or darning, such as when you are about to accidentally "drop" a stitch.

If you catch the mistake in time, it saves you having to rip out the row and do it again. Or something like that. Or maybe, if you repair this now with one stitch, it won't rip any farther and you won't have to mend it with 9 stitches later on. Mind you, I haven't bothered to look this up to verify my supposition. It doesn't seem particularly idiomatic to me; the words make sense in context and seem to relate to one another. Oh, and, as Craig says, it's an allusion, of course, to Don Quixote.

The time now is AM. User Name. Remember Me? Thread Tools. It's not enough to be labeled as a kind person in the way that a tree is labeled as a cyprus or an oak. Rather, you must show your kindness through the fruit you bear things you do : bring food to the poor; volunteer your time with the sick. This makes proverbs colorful, poetic expressions. Usually, they're handed down through the generations to the point where we all know them, but we don't really know who first said them.

Maybe one just popped out of your best friend's mouth in the school cafeteria. The point is that proverbs are unique expressions that make an important point in an intriguing manner. For more proverbs from around the world, take a look at these Examples of Proverbs. Adages border on proverbs. The key difference here is that proverbs dole out advice, give you something to think about, while adages merely state accepted truths. Also, an adage is unlikely to be spouted by your friend over the lunch table.

It's a common observation that, over time, becomes widely accepted as wise truth. We might see an adage handed down from an ancient Buddhist text or an excerpt of Greek mythology. One of the most well-known illustrations of adages comes from Adagia , a collection of Greek and Latin adages and proverbs. There, we read, "Many hands make light work.

But, adages provide a certain level of eloquence, since they're steeped in history. This makes proverbs and adages seem quite similar, doesn't it? In fact, Adagia even compiled the two into one large collection.