maxim

Morgan was impatient with acquaintances who wished to compress all these considerations into a single all-purpose maxim.

When it comes to marmalade sandwiches — and now, “Paddington” movies — a maxim that my grandfather used to apply to martinis comes to mind: One is not enough and three is too many.

One of his maxims: “The bug is in the crowd.”

Those in recovery from addiction will know the maxim about sobriety: "To keep it you have to give it away."

These days, observers may question the accuracy of that maxim — preservationists have made great strides in recent decades — but a devastating new truth has emerged amid the ashes this week.