Delores E. Topliff
Tru·ism - a statement that is obviously true but says nothing new or
interesting. Synonyms for the term include platitude, cliché, banality. This post exists because I’ve
thought up several lately, (guess how they occured): “You can hold a book in your hand but only read if your eyes are open.” “You can place a packet of vegetable seeds on
garden soil but seeds only grow if they’re planted.”
A large number of truisms come from
the Bible, Shakespeare, or politicians. Many are so well-known, people think they’re from the Bible when they are
not. Common examples are, “You get what you pay for;” “Look before you leap”,
“Cleanliness is next to godliness.”
This website provides 1001 truisms in alphabetical order. Find your
favorites there. http://www.freewebs.com/1001truisms/truisms.htm
I’m not enclosing them in quote marks, but some easily
recognized are: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. A coward dies a
thousand deaths, a brave man dies but one. A fool and his money are soon
parted. A house divided against itself cannot stand. A job worth doing is worth
doing well. Cross that bridge when you come to it. Dead men tell no tales. Birds of a feather
flock together. Blood’s thicker than water. All work and no play makes Jack a
dull boy. All’s fair in love and war. An apple a day keeps the doctor
away. An army marches on its stomach. Beauty and brains don’t mix. Beauty is in
the eye of the beholder. Beauty is only skin deep. Beggars can’t be choosers. Better
late than never. Better safe than sorry. Charity begins at home. Cheaters never
prosper. Children should be seen and not heard. Don’t look a gift horse in the
mouth. Don’t make a federal case out of it. Don’t make a mountain out of a
molehill. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
The number is almost endless, and they do sum up obvious truth.
Listen for them today. Tell us your all-time favorite, or, invent
and share your own.
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