Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Proverbial \Pro*ver"bi*al\, a. [L. proverbialis: cf. F. proverbial.]
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Mentioned or comprised in a proverb; used as a proverb; hence, commonly known; as, a proverbial expression; his meanness was proverbial.
In case of excesses, I take the German proverbial cure, by a hair of the same beast, to be the worst.
--Sir W. Temple. Of or pertaining to proverbs; resembling a proverb. ``A proverbial obscurity.''
--Sir T. Browne.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
early 15c. (implied in proverbially.), from Late Latin proverbialis "pertaining to a proverb," from proverbium (see proverb).
Wiktionary
a. 1 Of, resembling, or expressed as a proverb, cliché, fable, or fairy tale. 2 Widely known; famous; stereotypical. n. 1 (context euphemistic English) Used to replace a word that might be considered unacceptable in a particular situation, when using a well-known phrase. 2 (context euphemistic English) The groin or the testicles.
WordNet
adj. of or relating to or resembling or expressed in a proverb; "he kicked the proverbial bucket"; "the proverbial grasshopper"
widely known and spoken of; "her proverbial lateness"; "the proverbial absentiminded professor"; "your proverbial dizzy blonde"
Usage examples of "proverbial".
Brodie was one powerful man, built like the proverbial brick shithouse and he was also far above the intelligence levels of the usual blaggers Mikey came across.
As I put on my bath gown, I observed with satisfaction the bulging meatus of my cock, straining at the proverbial leash to perform its educational functions in the sweet quims of both Miss Molly Bashe and Miss Julia Denton.
With pits and other muscle dogs like rotties and Presas the breeds of choice of drug dealers, they might as well be looking for the proverbial needle.
If this terrible woman continued to make ground at her present rate of progress he would have no more chance than the proverbially proverbial snowball in a proverbially proverbial hell.
First he had thought he was going to puke, then he thought he might die, then he had found himself inside one of those kaleidoscopes, then they spent forever squatting on the bed and staring at each other to the tune of some kind of sci-fi flic music, during all of which the treacherous schlong which had gotten him into this mess in the first place remained limp as the proverbial wet noodle.
AI telotaxis was about as subtle as the metaphorical turd in the proverbial punchbowl, Isozaki-san.
For the information of my readers, I must observe that a cowskin is a large whip, made like a riding whip, out of the hide of the hippopotamus, or sea-cow, and is proverbial for the severity of punishment it is capable of inflicting.
When I first arrived, the proverbial babe-in-the-woods, there were plenty of savvy forest denizens happy to offer guidance in exchange for a share of my earnings.
He speculated on whether a similar situation was developing between Raphaela and Jaguarundi, and decided he was making a mountain out of the proverbial molehill.
The saying was proverbial in Limoges that out of one hundred criminals in the department fifty belonged to the arrondissement of Montegnac.
Now, I am sure I cannot say what would have happened, although I am quite certain that Pereira had no stomach for a duel with the redoubtable Retief, a man whose courage was as proverbial throughout the land as was his perfect uprightness of character.
Director-General of the Giza Pyramids, fell upon them, suddenly and unexpectedly, like the proverbial ton of bricks.
Domain of Aldaran had been separated from the original Seven Domains, so many generations ago that Dio did not even know how long it had been, and Aldaran treachery was proverbial.
Virginia, and a veritable host of others, the first shipments of Italian-made reproductions sold like the proverbial hotcakes, and the newest branch of the Ademian Enterprises tree, Confederate States Armaments, was off with flying colors.
The stubborn independence and pugnacious factionality of the multitudinous Irish kinglets was proverbial in this world.