1407: Why People Use Phrases Oct 18, 2018

There are lots of reasons that people might use phrases, some of which may seem contradictory. People could use it to convey an idea quicker, but other phrases take longer to say; "a stitch in time saves nine" is longer to say than just "don't procrastinate" but moreover phrases like "he's cute as a button" are not only longer in total but actually build off the initial idea (i.e. here it could just be "he's cute". The difference is that the phrase conveys an image that might stick better in the listener's mind than to just state the concept, because language is fundamentally about conveying ideas and images, and the more colorful the better.