Like slick fish, proverbs have managed to slide through the nets of scholars who set out to catch them in a definition. One thing is certain, however: A proverb is a common saying that makes eminent sense to those who use it. The natural habitat of proverbs is in the waters of common sense. They swim with equal ease in the different strata of a given society: "whoever has a proverb is worthy of attention," the Chinese say, be it a mandarin or a coolie.
— David Steindl-Rast, Words of Common Sense for Mind, Body, and Soul