Экзамен по стилистике Stylistics as a science and style as a main stylistic category

Proverbs, sayings, quotations, clichés. The place of proverbs, sayings and familiar quotations with respect to set expressions is a controversial issue though they are treated by many linguists as set expressions on the ground that they are usually characterized by stability.
A proverb is a brief, witty phrase of generalizing nature characterized by the completeness of the thought and generally expressing the wisdom of the people. According to I.V. Arnold proverbs have much in common with set expressions, because their lexical components are also constant, their meaning is traditional and mostly figurative, and they are introduced into speech ready-made. Another reason why proverbs must be taken into consideration together with set expressions is that they often form the basis of set expressions. Ex.: He laughs best who laughs last. Never say never. You can't get blood of a stone.
So, we may say that proverbs are expressions of culture that are passed from generation to generation. They are words of wisdom of culture - lessons that people of that culture want their children to learn and to live by. They are served as some symbols, abstract ideas. Proverbs are usually dedicated and involve imagery. Ex.: Out of sight, out of mind.
A saying is a common phrase differing from a proverb in that the thought is not completely expressed. Ex: to kill two birds with one stone.
Proverbs and sayings are mostly used by writers in the direct speech of characters to individualize their speech, and also as laconic, expressive and emotional ready-made phrases, they are often used both in the speech of characters and the author’s narrative to clarify and conform the thought.
Quotation is a phrase or sentence taken from a work of literature or other piece of writing and repeated in order to prove a point or support an idea. Quotations are marked graphically: by inverted commas, dashes, italics. They come from literature and gradually become an integral part of the language, so that many people using them do not even know that they are quoting. The Shakespearian quotations have become and remain extremely numerous — they have contributed enormously to the store of the language. Very many come from "Hamlet", for example: Something is rotten in the state of Denmark; Brevity is the soul of wit; The rest is silence; Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio.
Some quotations are so often used that they come to be considered clichés.