But did it really qualify as idiomatic? I had no idea because the longer I thought about idioms the less sure I was what they were And proverb?” I should have told the poor man right then that I might be misleading him down the proverbial path, whatever that really means, but instead I said, I think a proverb is kind of like an aphorism. But not quite” “ A what?” "Never mind. a proverb is a condensed saying that teaches you a lesson “ An example?” The meter clicked off a full 20 cents while I searched madly through my mind. "Haste makes waste? I finally whimperedBut did it really qualify as idiomatic? I had no idea because the longer I thought about idioms the less sure I was what they were. “And proverb?” I should have told the poor man right then that I might be misleading him down the proverbial path, whatever that really means, but instead I said, “I think a proverb is kind of like an aphorism. But not quite.” “A what?” “Never mind. A proverb is a condensed saying that teaches you a lesson.” “An example?” The meter clicked off a full 20 cents while I searched madly through my mind. “Haste makes waste?” I finally whimpered