proverbial
Meaning: Referred to in a proverb or commonly known saying; widely recognised or famous, especially as an example of a particular quality.
Proverbial is most commonly used to flag that the speaker is alluding to a well-known saying or stereotype. 'The proverbial needle in a haystack' signals awareness that the metaphor is a cliché. It also means well-known or notorious in a general sense. The word functions as a polite way of acknowledging that one is using a familiar expression. Common collocations include 'the proverbial,' 'proverbially,' and 'proverbial wisdom.'
Examples
- Finding a parking space in central London on a Saturday afternoon was the proverbial needle in a haystack. 周六下午在伦敦市中心找停车位,简直就是谚语说的大海捞针。Encontrar aparcamiento en el centro de Londres un sábado por la tarde era la proverbial aguja en un pajar.土曜の午後にロンドン中心部で駐車スペースを見つけるのは、まさにことわざに言うところの干し草の中の針探しだった。토요일 오후에 런던 중심부에서 주차 공간을 찾는 것은 이른바 속담에서 말하는 건초더미 속 바늘 찾기였다.
- He was, proverbially, a bull in a china shop — well-meaning but catastrophically clumsy in delicate situations. 他就像谚语里说的闯进瓷器店的公牛——出发点是好的,但在微妙的场合却笨拙得令人崩溃。Era, proverbialmente, un elefante en una cacharrería: bienintencionado pero catastróficamente torpe en situaciones delicadas.彼はいわば、ことわざに出てくる瀬戸物屋の中の雄牛だった——善意はあるが、繊細な場面では壊滅的に不器用だった。그는 말하자면 속담에 나오는 도자기 가게의 황소 같은 사람이었다. 선의는 있지만 섬세한 상황에서는 처참할 정도로 서툴렀다.
- The proverbial wisdom about not putting all one's eggs in one basket applies perfectly to investment strategy. 关于不要把所有鸡蛋放在一个篮子里的谚语智慧,完美地适用于投资策略。La sabiduría proverbial de no poner todos los huevos en la misma cesta se aplica perfectamente a la estrategia de inversión.卵を一つのかごに全部入れるなということわざの知恵は、投資戦略にまさにぴったり当てはまる。달걀을 한 바구니에 다 담지 말라는 속담의 지혜는 투자 전략에 딱 들어맞는다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: general, journalism, literary
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin 'proverbialis,' from 'proverbium' (proverb), from 'pro-' (forth, before) and 'verbum' (word). The current English usage, signalling a well-known expression, has been in use since the 16th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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