proverbial

English

Etymology

• From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin prōverbiālis; proverb +‎ -ial

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɹəˈvɜɹb.iː.əl/

Adjective

proverbial (comparative more proverbial, superlative most proverbial)

1. 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.

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

   the proverbial smoking gun

   proverbial spilled milk

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
• up the proverbial

 

Translations

of a proverb

• Belarusian: please add this translation if you can
• Czech: příslovečný m
• Finnish: sananlaskumainen
• French: proverbial (fr)
• German: sprichwörtlich (de), proverbial
• Greek: παροιμιακός (el) (paroimiakós)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: proverbiale (it)
• Latin: prōverbiālis
• Portuguese: proverbial (pt)
• Spanish: proverbial
• Welsh: diarhebol (cy)

widely known; famous

• Finnish: tunnettu (fi), maankuulu (fi), kuuluisa (fi)
• French: proverbial (fr)
• German: sprichwörtlich (de)
• Greek: παροιμιώδης (el) (paroimiódis)
• Italian: proverbiale (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: proverbial (pt)
• Russian: общеизвестный (ru) (obščeizvestnyj), пресловутый (ru) (preslovutyj)
• Spanish: proverbial
• 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) The groin or the testicles.

Translations

groin

• Finnish: sukukalleudet (figuratively)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

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French

Adjective

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

1. proverbial

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Spanish

Adjective

proverbial m or f (masculine and feminine plural proverbiales)

1. proverbial