proverbial

[ pruh-vur-bee-uh l ]

/ prəˈvɜr bi əl /

of, relating to, or characteristic of a proverb: proverbial brevity.

expressed in a proverb or proverbs: proverbial wisdom.

of the nature of or resembling a proverb: proverbial sayings.

having been made the subject of a proverb: the proverbial barn door which is closed too late.

having become an object of common mention or reference: your proverbial inability to get anywhere on time.

Origin of proverbial

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Latin word prōverbiālis. See proverb, -al¹

pro·ver·bi·al·ly, adverb un·pro·ver·bi·al, adjective un·pro·ver·bi·al·ly, adverb

He was the proverbially smooth young man looking to get ahead, and he did.

The Real James Bond: Ian Fleming’s Commandos Reviewed |Michael Korda |November 19, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
England is proverbially ungrateful to her lesser kind of heroes as well as to her greater kind of poets.

Servants of the Guns |Jeffery E. Jeffery
The eye of jealousy is proverbially sharp, and yet it is indisputably green.

The Comic English Grammar |Unknown
Proverbially the worst part of an attack was waiting for it.

The Story of the 2/4th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry |G. K. Rose

It would be idle to follow this process, by which, proverbially, anyone can prove anything.

Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam |Ephraim Emerton
Local enthusiasm, however, is proverbially feeble in the case of the native prophet.

The Eulogy of Richard Jefferies |Walter Besant

proverbial

/ (prəˈvɜːbɪəl) /

(prenominal) commonly or traditionally referred to, esp as being an example of some peculiarity, characteristic, etc

of, connected with, embodied in, or resembling a proverb

proverbially, adverb