Saw (saying)

A saw is an old saying or commonly repeated phrase or idea; a conventional wisdom. While "old saw" is a common cliché, some consider it a tautology.^[1][2]

Among various synonyms for "saying", dictionaries from 18th century singled out "saw" as a vulgar, uneducated wisdom, often based in supersititions.^[3] This flavor is seen in the expressions "old women's saws" and "old wife's saws."

See also

• Old wives' tale
• Maxim (philosophy)
• Proverb
• Aphorism
• Folklore

References

1. ^ The Columbia Guide to Standard American English, Kenneth George Wilson (1993) ISBN 0231069898, p. 381
2. ^ Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms, article "Saying"
3. ^ "English Synonymes: With Copious Illustrations and Explanations" (1863) p. 211

This linguistics article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Phrases Linguistics stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу Jamiat Ahle Hadith Connecticut Route 195 Look at other dictionaries: Saw (disambiguation) — A saw is a cutting tool.Saw may also refer to: * Saw (film series), a series of horror films ** Saw (2003 film), a 2003 short film by James Wan, upon which the series of films was originally based ** Saw (film), the first movie in the series,… …   Wikipedia saw — Not counting the past tense of see, English has two words saw. The one meaning ‘toothed cutting tool’ [OE] comes from a prehistoric Germanic *sagō, a close relative of which produced German säge ‘saw’. This in turn was descended from an Indo… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins saw — Not counting the past tense of see, English has two words saw. The one meaning ‘toothed cutting tool’ [OE] comes from a prehistoric Germanic *sagō, a close relative of which produced German säge ‘saw’. This in turn was descended from an Indo… …   Word origins saying — saying, saw, adage, proverb, maxim, motto, epigram, aphorism, apothegm can all denote a sententious expression of a general truth. A saying is a brief current or habitual expression that may be anonymous, traditional, or attributable to a… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms saw — saw1 [sô] n. [ME sawe < OE sagu, akin to Ger säge, Du zaag < IE base * sek , to cut, > L secare, to cut, OE seax, knife] 1. a) a cutting tool, of various shapes and sizes and worked by hand or machinery, consisting essentially of a thin… …   English World dictionary Saw — Saw, n. [OE. sawe, AS. sagu; akin to secgan to say. See {Say}, v. t. and cf. {Saga}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Something said; speech; discourse. [Obs.] To hearken all his sawe. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 2. A saying; a proverb; a maxim. [1913 Webster] His …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English Saying — Say ing, n. That which is said; a declaration; a statement, especially a proverbial one; an aphorism; a proverb. [1913 Webster] Many are the sayings of the wise, In ancient and in modern books enrolled. Milton. [1913 Webster] Syn: Declaration;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English saying — [n] maxim, proverb adage, aphorism, apophthegm, axiom, byword, dictum, epigram, motto, precept, saw, statement, truism; concept 278 …   New thesaurus saw — n *saying, adage, proverb, maxim, motto, epigram, aphorism, apothegm …   New Dictionary of Synonyms saw — saying or proverb Rare Three Letter Words …   Phrontistery dictionary 18+ © Academic, 2000-2025 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”