proverbial

English

Etymology

From Latin prōverbiālis. Equivalent to proverb +‎ -ial

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pɹəˈvɜɹb.iː.əl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

proverbial (comparative more proverbial, superlative most proverbial)

1. Of, resembling, or expressed as a proverb, cliché, fable, or fairy tale.

   The busyness of a beaver is proverbial.

   The beaver in this instance upheld the reputation of the proverbial one: her output was prodigious.

   • 1947, Miracle on 34th Street (transcript):

     Doris: You're making me feel like the proverbial stepmother.

2. Not used in a literal sense, but as the subject of a well-known metaphor.

   the proverbial smoking gun

   proverbial spilled milk

   The visit was a warning shot across our proverbial bows

3. Widely known; famous; stereotypical.

   I grew up in a prefab house on Main Street in 1950s suburbia, the second and last child of a proverbial nuclear family.

Derived terms

• proverbialise
• proverbialism
• proverbialist
• proverbiality
• proverbialize
• proverbially
• proverbialness
• the proverbial dog that caught the car
• unproverbial
• up the proverbial

Translations

of a proverb

Belarusian: please add this translation if you can Bulgarian: пословичен (bg) (poslovičen) Czech: příslovečný m Esperanto: proverba Finnish: sananlaskumainen French: proverbial (fr) German: sprichwörtlich (de), proverbial Greek: παροιμιακός (el) (paroimiakós) Italian: proverbiale (it) Latin: prōverbiālis Portuguese: proverbial (pt) Russian: провербиа́льный (ru) (proverbiálʹnyj), посло́вичный (ru) (poslóvičnyj) Spanish: proverbial (es) Ukrainian: провербіа́льний m (proverbiálʹnyj) Welsh: diarhebol (cy)

widely known; famous

Bulgarian: общоизвестен (bg) (obštoizvesten) Danish: almenkendt Esperanto: proverba Finnish: tunnettu (fi), maankuulu (fi), kuuluisa (fi) French: proverbial (fr) German: sprichwörtlich (de) Greek: παροιμιώδης (el) (paroimiódis) Italian: proverbiale (it) Portuguese: proverbial (pt) Russian: общеизве́стный (ru) (obščeizvéstnyj), преслову́тый (ru) (preslovútyj), провербиа́льный (ru) (proverbiálʹnyj) Spanish: proverbial (es) Swedish: allmänt känd

Noun

proverbial (plural proverbials)

1. (euphemistic) Used to replace a word that might be considered unacceptable in a particular situation, when using a well-known phrase.

   I think we should be prepared in case the proverbial hits the fan.

   Are you taking the proverbial?

2. (euphemistic, in the plural) The groin or the testicles.

   You'll find they've got you by the proverbials.

Translations

groin

Finnish: sukukalleudet (fi) pl

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prōverbiālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [pɾu.βər.biˈal]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [pɾo.vər.biˈal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [pɾo.veɾ.biˈal]

Adjective

proverbial m or f (masculine and feminine plural proverbials)

1. proverbial

Related terms

• proverbi

Further reading

• “proverbial”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

French

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Adjective

proverbial (feminine proverbiale, masculine plural proverbiaux, feminine plural proverbiales)

1. proverbial

Further reading

• “proverbial”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French proverbial.

Adjective

proverbial m or n (feminine singular proverbială, masculine plural proverbiali, feminine and neuter plural proverbiale)

1. proverbial

Declension

Declension of proverbial

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	proverbial		proverbială		proverbiali	proverbiale
	definite	proverbialul		proverbiala		proverbialii	proverbialele
genitive- dative	indefinite	proverbial		proverbiale		proverbiali	proverbiale
	definite	proverbialului		proverbialei		proverbialilor	proverbialelor

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin prōverbiālis. Equivalent to proverbio +‎ -al

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾobeɾˈbjal/ [pɾo.β̞eɾˈβ̞jal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: pro‧ver‧bial

Adjective

proverbial m or f (masculine and feminine plural proverbiales)

1. proverbial

Derived terms

• proverbialmente

Further reading

• “proverbial”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024