“Aphorism” is a slightly vague term, especially compared to some of its grammar fellows. An aphorism doesn’t have to follow any strict grammatical rule, unlike palindromes or pangrams. Instead, an ...

The cover of "The World in a Phrase" beside author James Geary. (Courtesy of James Geary) Author James Geary loves aphorisms, those short, witty statements that often contain profound truths. In 2005, ...

Aphorism is from a Greek word and means to define. It is generally a one-liner used tersely to convey a perspective in a way that once bitten by it you are seldom likely to forget it in a hurry. Some ...

The origins of the aphorism are both elevated and abject, as fits a literary form of sublime ambition that is at present in a kind of disgrace. The English word, which seems first to have been used in ...

Forget haikus, epigrams, proverbs, maxims, adages and riddles. If you’re needing a sliver of wisdom, try an aphorism. There are certainly plenty around … “Be the change you want to see in the world.” ...

An aphorism differs from an axiom, which is a self-evident truth (“All men are created equal”), and from platitude, which is ...

A review of The Aphorisms of Franz Kafka, edited by Reiner Stach & translated by Shelly Frisch. The English version of Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer, which was published in German almost a decade ...