What is a saying?

We explain what a saying is and some short sayings spread in the Castilian language. In addition, some popular sayings.

1. What is a saying?

A saying is a saying or phrase that expresses a teaching or moral , often formulated with a rhyme or some other literary figure . Sayings are characterized by being transmitted orally, from generation to generation. As they come from popular wisdom, in general their author is not known, except those that come from classic works such as El Quijote de la Mancha, work in which one of the most popular sayings is found: “Bark, Sancho, a sign that ride”.

The sayings are usually the result of the experience , so the advice they throw has to do with ways of understanding life in relation to issues such as work, life in the countryside, society , climate , effort or time . Some offer a solution to deal with dilemmas or complicated moments.

The sayings are studied by Paremiology , which is dedicated to the study of judgmental judgments and also, from its structure and contextualization, by Linguistics

In general, these phrases have a paired structure: in the first verse a condition is expressed and in the second, a consequence.

Sayings usually have literary figures, such as rhyme , as well as appealing to verses and prose. These resources help them to be easy to remember and transmit, allowing them to be part of the collective memory.

2. Short sayings

Some of the most widespread short sayings in the Castilian language are the following:

• To foolish words, deaf ears.
• Barking dog does not bite.
• The early bird God helps.
• Better than nothing.
• The one who searches, finds.
• A hard bread, sharp teeth.
• Who laughs last laughs best.
• Silence is consent.
• Knowledge does not take place.
• Much ado About Nothing.
• At bad times, good face.
• By the mouth dies the fish.
• Evil of many, consolation of fools.
• Who is wrong, evil ends.
• Whoever takes a lot of space, the less he tightens up.
• The third time’s the charm.
• You want is power.
• There is no rose without a thorn.
• Each feather flock together.
• To each his own theme.

3. Popular Sayings

Among the most popular sayings within the Spanish language, the following can be mentioned:

• Out of sight, out of mind.
• Every cloud has a silver lining.
• Do not leave for tomorrow what you can do today.
• Better known bad than good to know.
• The cleanest is not the cleanest, but the least dirty.
• There is no good or bad that lasts a hundred years.
• We should not look for the cat’s fifth leg.
• Memory is like the best friend, when you need it most, it fails you.
• Think badly and you will be right, although you will never be wrong.
• Hell is full of good intentions and heaven, of good deeds.
• Who did not look for friends in joy, in misfortune do not ask.
• He who wants heavenly, it costs him.
• Who likes peach, let the fluff be banked.

4. More examples of sayings

Some other examples of the most repeated sayings from generation to generation are the following:

• Bird is better in hand than a hundred flying.
• Not much early gets up early.
• Like father Like Son.
• The madman in his house knows more than the sane in others.
• Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are.
• A gift horse in the teeth not look.
• Full belly happy heart.
• the word is silver and silence is gold.
• Who in bad walks, in bad ends.
• From the saying to the stretch there is a lot.
• Whoever steals from a thief has a hundred years of forgiveness.
• Loose lips sink ships.
• If the river makes a noise its because water is running.
• Although the monkey is dressed in silk, Mona is.