Treat others as you want to be treated. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. And whatever you do, don’t cry over spilled milk.

Proverbs, idioms, and axioms can spice up your writing (and make conversations more interesting). But what are they? Here’s a quick refresher:

• An idiom is an expression whose meaning is not predictable from its constituent elements (as in “kick the bucket”);
• A proverb is a popular saying, usually of an unknown or ancient origin (such as, “a friend in need is a friend indeed”);
• An axiom is a self-evident truth that requires no proof (for example, “blood is thicker than water”).

For me, writing blog posts is a great way to blow off some steam, while networking events are a great place to chew the fat; both provide opportunities to use proverbs, idioms, and axioms. The reason these sayings sound familiar to you is because you’ve heard or read them over and over throughout your life. You know the context, but not the origin. You swear you’re never going to talk like that when you grow up, and then one day you whip out a saying your grandparents used to use.

No? You will someday.

Here are some of the more common expressions I can recall off the top of my head. I thought it would make a fun post to share some of these—maybe it will jog an idea for your next writing project.

Please feel free to add to the list in the comments. If you know any fun facts about the sayings, please share them (for example, you apparently can judge the value of a horse by looking at its teeth):

• A stitch in time saves nine
• Blow off steam
• Can’t hold a candle to
• Close, but no cigar
• Eyes bigger than your stomach
• It’s coming down to the wire
• It’s time to face the music
• That’s a horse of a different color
• Somebody dropped a dime on him
• A word to the wise is sufficient
• A leopard cannot change his spots
• A fool and his money are soon parted
• A penny saved is a penny earned
• This, too, shall pass
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
• Birds of a feather flock together
• Cheaters never prosper
• Cold hands, warm heart
• Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched
• Don’t upset the applecart
• Fight fire with fire
• Finders keepers, losers weepers
• Great minds think alike
• Honesty is the best policy
• If the shoe fits, wear it
• If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen
• Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
• It takes one to know one
• Keep your chin up
• Less is more
• Treat others as you want to be treated
• Misery loves company
• All publicity is good publicity (so not true)
• Money talks (BS walks)
• Never put off to tomorrow what you can do today

What do you think? Do idioms, proverbs, and axioms make writing and conversation more fun, or more confusing? Please add your favorite sayings in the comments below.

Jeremy Porter is a digital communications strategist. A version of this story originally appeared on the blog Journalistics.

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