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Synonyms

old saw

Idioms  

  1. A proverb or maxim, as in Mom's always repeating the old saw, “Haste makes waste.” This term uses saw in the sense of “saying,” and old in the sense of “wise” rather than old-fashioned. [Second half of 1400s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Heavenly days, young fellow. I’ve been playing this old saw since I was younger than you. Mrs. Milton had to go visit her sister in Leesville, so the preacher asked me to play my saw this Sunday,” Mr. Smiley explained.

From Literature

“Then came a day that changed his mind. Young man, no one ever laughed at my saw after that day. Pop thought this old saw was a positive marvel.”

From Literature

I grabbed my bow and started playing my old saw.

From Literature

So I played that old saw for all it was worth.

From Literature

It reminds me of the old saw that it takes years to build a reputation and only a few minutes to destroy it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.