proverb · Words worth keeping
According to the old proverb.
According to the old proverb.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The phrase appeals to an old proverb without naming it. It borrows the authority of a familiar saying while leaving the actual words and claim unstated.
What the words are saying
According to invites agreement with a source, and old gives that source a sense of tradition. A useful reading asks which proverb is meant and whether it fits the situation. Age and familiarity alone do not supply evidence. The phrase cannot be explained as a particular maxim until the surrounding context identifies one.
Everyday example
A listener asks for the actual saying before deciding whether it supports the speaker’s argument.
When to use it
Use it to examine an unspecified appeal to traditional authority.
What it does not mean
The phrase does not identify a proverb or independently verify its claim.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1303 · Proverb
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English