proverbial
proverbial — adjective
1. used to describe a person, thing, or situation that appears in a well-known sayi
used to describe a person, thing, or situation that appears in a well-known saying or proverb — for example, calling a sudden disaster "the proverbial bolt from the blue".
Minho was the proverbial early bird, arriving at the office before anyone else each morning.
pattern: the proverbial + [noun from a proverb]
The old house had the proverbial skeletons in the closet — unpaid debts and family secrets.
After weeks of bad weather, the sunny weekend was the proverbial silver lining everyone needed.
When both job offers had drawbacks, Lakshmi faced the proverbial rock and a hard place.
The new manager was the proverbial new broom, changing every old rule in the department.
- aphoristic
more academic, associated with formal written sayings rather than folk proverbs
- adage-like
less common and more literal; focuses on resemblance to an adage rather than reference to one
文法句型
the proverbial + [noun from a proverb]
用法筆記
Always placed directly before a noun. The noun must name a figure, object, or situation from a known proverb or common saying — not an ordinary thing.
常見錯誤
2. so famous or characteristic of a person or thing that people use it as the typic
so famous or characteristic of a person or thing that people use it as the typical example of its kind — for instance, a chef's proverbial perfectionism that every customer has heard about.
Nikos's proverbial punctuality meant the team never worried about him being late.
collocation: proverbial + [trait noun] (punctuality / generosity / bad luck)
The small hotel's proverbial hospitality made every guest feel like family.
Romi's proverbial bad luck struck again — her car broke down before the airport trip.
The office's proverbial chaos was the first thing new employees noticed.
Ishaan's proverbial generosity made him the first person neighbours called when they needed help.
文法句型
the proverbial + [trait noun]
用法筆記
Only used before a noun describing a personal quality, habit, or characteristic. The meaning overlaps with 'famous for' but the grammar is different: 'proverbial' modifies the noun directly, while 'famous for' takes a noun phrase or gerund after it.