Proverbs are a straightforward manner of conveying a widely accepted fact or aphorism based on common sense or experience. They are typically said to be endowed with ancient wisdom, which is passed down from generation to generation until it becomes part of a society's oral tradition. In the West, proverbs are still popular today although they do not reach the same level of expression as they did years ago. This may be because people no longer have time to pass down their knowledge orally, or it could be that modern technology has made them seem out of date. Either way, proverbs are important in many cultures and over time they can give us insight into how a society thinks. In Arabic culture, for example, people use adages (short phrases) to express ideas or ideas themselves. For example, "Coffee is good for you" is an adage that tells us something about the culture of Arabs who believe that coffee is useful for health reasons. In Chinese culture, people often tell each other what they feel or think using puns or rhyming words. For example, someone might say "Good morning" to another person in return for a greeting. The second person would then go on to say "Morning isn't good" when expressing that they do not like the greeting given to them.