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Reader question: Please explain this sentence: “Practice what you preach is an old saw.” Old saw? My comments: Here the old “saw” is not an overused cutting tool with a thin blade. Here, the “saw” refers to an old saying, or a wise statement or observation. In other words, practice what you preach is a proverb, or a wise statement from some sage or other, a statement that’s been passed on from mouth to mouth, generation to generation. It’s been quoted again and again for a long time. That’s why it is called an old saw. If you look up the dictionary, or dictionaries, you’ll be able to find that “saw” in old English was not only akin to “say” and “saying” but shared the same roots with “saga” and “sage”. Saga as in “family saga” is a long narrative of an historic event. Sage, on the other hand, is a very wise man who is indeed known for saying wise things. Practice what you preach is such a wise saying. It will stand you in good stead if you learn to abide by it. I say you learn to abide by it because the wisdom in it is not always easily grasped, nor is the principle easy of application. First of all, practice what you preach means simply that you should always do what you say. Now that’s easier said than done, isn’t it? Anyone who’s involved with a group, a political party, a social club or any work unit knows to get ahead, sometimes the very opposite principle holds true. To get ahead, one does one thing and has to say the other or vice versa – say they will do this but instead go on to do that. | 
