You searched for: “saw
saw (s) (noun), saws (pl)
1. A common or old familiar proverb or saying: "A stitch in time saves nine" is one saw which means: A little effort done sooner to fix a small problem prevents it from becoming a bigger one requiring more effort to fix later.

Frank's grandfather often recited the old saw about "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread" is another saw which means "look before you leap" because when a person does not plan ahead and think matters through, he or she could become involved in risky or unfavorable situations which a wise person avoids.

Here are the words to a famous song by Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley about this saw:

Fools rush in, where angels fear to tread

And so I come to you my love

My heart above my head.

Though I see the danger there

If there's a chance for me

Then I don't care.

So open up your heart and let

This fool rush in.

2. Etymology: from Middle English sawe and Old English sagu, "speech, talk."
An old saying or maxim.
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

Here is a list of saws which the speaker in the cartoon might have used:
  • Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
  • A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
  • Actions speak louder than words.
  • A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
  • A picture is worth a thousand words.
  • Beggars can’t be choosers.
  • Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
  • Better late than never.
  • Birds of a feather flock together.
  • Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
  • Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
  • Don’t judge a book by its cover.
  • Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.
  • Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
  • Easy come, easy go.
  • Honesty is the best policy.
  • Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
  • If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
  • If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
  • If you play with fire, you’ll get burned.
  • If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
  • No man is an island.
  • People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
  • Practice makes perfect.
  • The early bird gets the worm.
  • The grass is always greener on the other side.
  • There is no place like home.
  • There is no time like the present.
  • Two heads are better than one.
  • Two wrongs don’t make a right.
  • When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
  • You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink it.
This entry is located in the following unit: English Words in Action, Group S (page 1)