Said 101

The first step that we are going to take is to determine the etymological origin of the word that now concerns us. Thus, we can establish that said comes from Latin, more exactly from the passive participle of the verb “dicere”, which can be translated as “to say”.

Said is a term with various uses. It can be a conjugation in the past tense of the verb say (to express something with words): “I have never said something like that”, “Did you hear what Juan said?” , “What the president said at the press conference caused a stir”.

As an adjective, said refers to something that has been previously indicated : “Said man entered the stadium with a firearm and began shooting at the visiting public”, “As I was telling you, said work has a cost of one thousand pesos”, “I still don’t know how we are going to solve this matter”.

A saying, on the other hand, is a funny exit that is expressed at just the right moment: “The singer’s saying caused laughter among the audience”, “The interview was tense until the actor took an opportunity to change the subject with a saying witty”.

In the same way, we cannot ignore the existence of a series of phrases that include the word that concerns us now:

• Day of the saying. It is a term that is used to refer to the moment in which an ecclesiastical judge analyzes and confirms the will of a couple to marry.
• Said and done. In this case, we have to say that it is an expression frequently used within the colloquial field to explain that someone has undertaken an action with great promptness.
• From saying to saying. This adverbial phrase, for its part, is used with the clear objective of recording that an issue or question is being discussed by the population, that is, that it is running from mouth to mouth.
• Said of the people. This other alternative that we are presenting now comes to refer to the fact that an issue is a gossip that exists among the population.

The set of words that means something that has nothing to do with the literal meaning of the terms used is also known as a saying. Sayings can be associated with set phrases, proverbs and sayings, although each one has its characteristics.

There are many fields or sectors that resort to the use of such. Thus, for example, we find the following:

• History: “in good time, green sleeves”, “Viva la Pepa”…
• Army: “cannon fodder”, “stay in the box”, “send the truncheon”…
• Bullfighting: “give the lace”, “throw a cape”, “be for drag”…

Many sayings are associated with sports or games. If someone expresses, in the midst of a complicated situation, that they are not going to “throw in the towel”, it does not mean that they will be careful not to throw this piece of cotton or other material that is used to dry, but rather they are mentioning that he will not give up. The saying is associated with boxing: when a boxer’s assistants throw in the towel towards the ring, this boxer abandons the fight.