Re: NATLANG: Chinese for "chestnuts"

Erika wrote:
> --- "Joseph B." <darkmoonman@...> wrote:
>
> > Some L1 English speakers use the word "chestnut" to
> > refer to a little gem of
> > wisdom.  Does anyone here know what words are used
> > in any of the dialects of
> > Chinese?
> > Thanks.
>
> I've never even heard that in English..
>
IMO it's more commonly "old chestnut" and is _slightly_ pejorative; it would
refer to something so widely known/accepted that it hardly bears repeating,
like "look before you leap" or most of Poor Richard's dicta ("a penny
saved..., early to bed... etc.") For that matter, "gem (or "pearl") of
wisdom" can often be ironic or sarcastic, as a response to someone's use of
an "old chestnut", the verbal equiv. of "Duh!" :=)))

It's not quite as pejorative as "cliché", which would apply to over-used
phrases, like "y'know", or "at this point in time" during Watergate days.

FWIW, the musical equivalent of "old chestnut" is "(old) warhorse", which
orchestras/operas are so often accused of programming, to the detriment of
less-heard classical or difficult contemporary works...

Does this clarify or help? I must say, the Kash equivalents haven't yet
occurred to me..........