--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He had a penchant for idioms, sayings…" description: "\"“He had a penchant for idioms, sayings, proverbs and the like; some of which he invented or used in a way that was incomprehensible to me,”\" — Javier M..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/javier-mar-as-2874_idioms_he-had-a-penchant-for-idioms-sayings-pro_1657000.png" --- # He had a penchant for idioms, sayings, proverbs and the… ![“He had a penchant for idioms, sayings, proverbs and the like; some of which he invented or used in a way that was incomprehensible to me,” quote by Javier Marías](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/javier-mar-as-2874_idioms_he-had-a-penchant-for-idioms-sayings-pro_1657000.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/javier-mar-as-2874_idioms_he-had-a-penchant-for-idioms-sayings-pro_1657000.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/javier-mar-as-2874_idioms_he-had-a-penchant-for-idioms-sayings-pro_1657000.png) > ““He had a penchant for idioms, sayings, proverbs and the like; some of which he invented or used in a way that was incomprehensible to me,”” [Javier Marías](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-mar-as/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He liked using idioms and proverbs, often inventing ones that were opaque to the narrator. **In simple terms:** He used confusing sayings. Key Takeaway Don’t assume you understand someone’s language fully. Themes communication misunderstanding language creativity Mood confused curious reflective Type literary observational When to use this quote - literary analysis - cross‑cultural dialogue - teaching language comprehension Key Concepts idioms proverbs invented expressions Questions to Reflect On - How do you clarify when someone’s speech feels unintelligible? - What value lies in using obscure idioms? A Different Perspective The habit can alienate listeners and obscure meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Idioms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idioms/) [Proverbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proverbs/) ## Related quotes > [Proverbs, like the sacred books of each nation, are the sanctuary of the intuitions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/proverbs-like-the-sacred-books-of-each-nation-are-the-sanctuary-of-2/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Proverbs, like the sacred books of each nation, are the sanctuary of the intuitions. That which the droning world, chained to appearances, will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/proverbs-like-the-sacred-books-of-each-nation-are-the-sanctuary-of/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Out of monuments, names, words proverbs ...and the like, we do save and recover somewhat from the deluge of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/out-of-monuments-names-words-proverbs-and-the-like-we-do-save-and/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Ouma Nella’s quotes p 144 -146 “Man, if you don’t know where you going, any road will bring you there.” “It don’t matter how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/ouma-nella-s-quotes-p-144-146-man-if-you-don-t-know-where-you-going/) [andre brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [I don't understand why people never say what they mean. It's like the immigrants who come to a country and learn the language but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-don-t-understand-why-people-never-say-what-they-mean-it-s-like-the/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Idioms are a big thing in Ireland. They want to fill the time, to show how good they are at talk - it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/idioms-are-a-big-thing-in-ireland-they-want-to-fill-the-time-to-show/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [If idioms are more to be born than to be selected, then the things of life and human nature that a man has grown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-ives/if-idioms-are-more-to-be-born-than-to-be-selected-then-the-things-of/) [Charles Ives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-ives/) > [I do not believe in pure idioms. I think there is naturally a desire, for whoever speaks or writes, to sign in an idiomatic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-derrida/i-do-not-believe-in-pure-idioms-i-think-there-is-naturally-a-desire/) [Jacques Derrida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-derrida/) > [“I'm a project. I manage myself. 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I had stayed still and let the days pass, which is the best way to allow things in the real world to dissolve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-mar-as/i-had-stayed-still-and-let-the-days-pass-which-is-the-best-way-to/) [Javier Marías](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-mar-as/) > [I have a tendency to want to understand everything people say and everything I hear, both at work and outside, even at a distance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-mar-as/i-have-a-tendency-to-want-to-understand-everything-people-say-and/) [Javier Marías](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-mar-as/) [Explore all 71 Javier Marías quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-mar-as/) ## More Idioms quotes > [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. 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I'm a project manager.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitta-xinindlu/i-m-a-project-i-manage-myself-i-m-a-project-manager/) [Mitta Xinindlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitta-xinindlu/) > [I do not believe in pure idioms. I think there is naturally a desire, for whoever speaks or writes, to sign in an idiomatic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-derrida/i-do-not-believe-in-pure-idioms-i-think-there-is-naturally-a-desire/) [Jacques Derrida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-derrida/) > [If idioms are more to be born than to be selected, then the things of life and human nature that a man has grown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-ives/if-idioms-are-more-to-be-born-than-to-be-selected-then-the-things-of/) [Charles Ives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-ives/) > [Idioms are a big thing in Ireland. They want to fill the time, to show how good they are at talk - it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/idioms-are-a-big-thing-in-ireland-they-want-to-fill-the-time-to-show/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [I don't understand why people never say what they mean. 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