Gnome

Gnome (nome or no’-mee): One of several terms describing short, pithy sayings. Others include adage, apothegm, maxim, paroemia, proverb, and sententia.

“If the sandal fits, wear it.”

This saying is from the “Compiled Quotes of Papootse Maximus: Wisdom of the Foot.” At first glance one wonders how feet could be wise—then upon reading the quotation above, you may say to yourself, “Why did I think that?”

For starters, let’s take a look at that quote. “If the sandal fits, wear it” probably means something about feeling comfortable with yourself. As papootse says, “Properly fitting footwear will take you where you need to go, blister-free,”

Using the foot as a metaphor or the self, Maximus taps an almost endless litany of sayings germane to one’s “walk” through life. It can, by the way, be attached to running or hopping. It can also be referenced to standing still, either voluntarily or being constrained by features in your environment, like walls or fences, or by the people in your life who impede your metaphorical “movement,” either for your own good, or in fulfillment of their selfish, controlling, motives.

These “footaphors“ are but one example of the figurative stretch of body parts as they are used to concoct sayings. For example: “Your future is in your hands.” This may motivate a person to “get going” and quit waiting for luck, or something else, to cause their goals’ achievement. In fact, “handaphors” are quite prevelant in sayings, given their importance as a body part in their own right as in “Get a grip” with both useful literal and figurative significance. Get a grip could literally refer to clutching an object (like a golf club) or regaining one’s self control (like quelling your fear).

What about “The nose knows?” Clever indeed. I leave it to you the reader to plumb the saying’s depths. But let me just say, it may be an admonition not to depend solely on reason as a necessary warrant for your insights.

In a similar vein, my favorite gnome is “The TRUTH does NOT speak for itself.” I coined it after my second divorce.