"An adage (/ˈædɪdʒ/; Latin: adagium) is a concise, memorable, and usually philosophical aphorism that communicates an important truth derived from experience, custom, or both, and that many people consider true and credible because of its longeval tradition, i.e. being handed down generation to generation, or memetic replication.
An adage sometimes implicates a failure to plan, such as "do not count your chickens before they hatch" and "do not burn your bridges".[citation needed] Adages may be interesting observations, ethical rules, or skeptical comments on life in general.
Some adages are products of folk wisdom that attempt to summarize a basic truth; these are generally known as "proverbs" or "bywords". An adage that describes a general moral rule is a "maxim". A pithy expression that has not necessarily gained credibility by tradition, but is distinguished by especial depth or excellent style is denominated an "aphorism", while one distinguished by wit or irony is often denominated an "epigram"." - (en.wikipedia.org 09.03.2020)
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