proverbial
English
Etymology
- From Latin prōverbiālis; proverb + -ial
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /pɹəˈvɜɹb.iː.əl/
Audio (Berkshire, UK)) (file)
Adjective
proverbial (comparative more proverbial, superlative most proverbial)
- Of, resembling, or expressed as a proverb, cliché, fable, or fairy tale.
- 1947, Miracle on 34th Street (transcript):
- Doris: You're making me feel like the proverbial stepmother.
- 1947, Miracle on 34th Street (transcript):
- Not used in a literal sense, but as the subject of a well-known metaphor.
- the proverbial smoking gun
- proverbial spilled milk
- 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
- unproverbial
- up the proverbial
Translations
of a proverb
|
widely known; famous
|
Noun
proverbial (plural proverbials)
- (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?
- (euphemistic, in the plural) The groin or the testicles.
- You'll find they've got you by the proverbials.
Translations
groin
|
Catalan
Etymology
From Latin prōverbiālis.
Pronunciation
- (Balearic) IPA(key): /pɾo.vəɾ.biˈal/
- (Central) IPA(key): /pɾu.bər.biˈal/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /pɾo.veɾ.biˈal/
Noun
proverbial (masculine and feminine plural proverbials)
- proverbial
Related terms
- proverbi
Further reading
- “proverbial” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
French
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Adjective
proverbial (feminine proverbiale, masculine plural proverbiaux, feminine plural proverbiales)
- proverbial
Further reading
- “proverbial”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Romanian
Etymology
From French proverbial.
Adjective
proverbial m or n (feminine singular proverbială, masculine plural proverbiali, feminine and neuter plural proverbiale)
- 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
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pɾobeɾˈbjal/ [pɾo.β̞eɾˈβ̞jal]
- Rhymes: -al
- Syllabification: pro‧ver‧bial
Adjective
proverbial (plural proverbiales)
- proverbial
Derived terms
- proverbialmente
Further reading
- “proverbial”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014