But was that a proverb? Wait. Weren't proverbs actually stories not just phrases? While I was convincing myself they were, he said, “ Can an idiom be a proverb?” I could answer that. Just not right now, now when it mattered, now when the fate of a curious, intelligent immigrant hung on the answers he assumed would fall from a native speaker's tongue as naturally as leaves from an October tree So l retreated o "Do most of your passengers give you answers when you ask for functions y Oh, yes, Miss. Very interesting definitionsBut was that a proverb? Wait. Weren’t proverbs actually stories, not just phrases? While I was convincing myself they were, he said, “Can an idiom be a proverb?” I could answer that. Just not right now, now when it mattered, now when the fate of a curious, intelligent immigrant hung on the answers he assumed would fall from a native speaker’s tongue as naturally as leaves from an October tree. So I retreated. “Do most of your passengers give you answers when you ask for definitions?” “Oh, yes, Miss. Very interesting definitions