proverbial

1. Of, resembling, or expressed as a proverb, cliché, fable, or fairy tale.

   The busyness of a beaver is proverbial.

   The beaver in this instance upheld the reputation of the proverbial one: her output was prodigious.

   sprichwörtlich, proverbial

   провербиа́льныйproverbiálʹnyj, посло́вичныйposlóvičnyj

   провербіа́льнийproverbiálʹnyj

   of or relating to or resembling or expressed in a proverb

2. Optionally placed before an element of a well-known proverb or metaphor to emphasize that the element is not being used in a literal sense (see Usage notes below)

   the proverbial smoking gun

   the proverbial spilled milk

3. Widely known; famous; stereotypical.

   I grew up in a prefab house on Main Street in 1950s suburbia, the second and last child of a proverbial nuclear family.

   sprichwörtlich

   общеизве́стныйobščeizvéstnyj, преслову́тыйpreslovútyj, провербиа́льныйproverbiálʹnyj

   widely known and spoken of

1. Yanni's loud music was just the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

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2. The president is acting like the proverbial bull in the china shop, breaking everything around him.

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3. Finding a good language course on the Internet is like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.

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regular