Should the tags 'saying' and 'proverbs' be merged?

Question

I noticed that these tags are very similar and effectively have the same meaning.

I searched in two search engines define proverb and define saying, here are the results:

Yahoo

a short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice.
a short, pithy expression that generally contains advice or wisdom.

Google

a short, well-known pithy saying, stating a general truth or piece of advice.
a short, pithy, commonly known expression which generally offers advice or wisdom.

Going by these obvious similarities, shouldn't they be merged?

If they are to be merged, which should be a synonym of the other?
'Saying' is slightly more popular than 'proverb' (Google Ngrams) but proverb sounds more academic.

Answer 1

I suggest proverb and saying are quite different both in meaning and use. A proverb is typically advice or an old expression of a common truth. If a new phrase were coined, such as "Make America Great" I would suggest it would not be labelled a proverb but a saying. A saying is a current phrase or short statement in popular use that typically has a meaning beyond that strictly associated with each discreet word. A saying may see a change in the underlying meaning predicated on use and application. A proverb is usually less mutable as its meaning is captured in respected or accepted texts with an associated explaination.

Answer 2

You're probably right that saying and proverb are probably the same thing and so should be synonymized and merged.

Then again, so too is epigram which I bet is my fault although I haven't looked.

Those should all be in the plural, and there should be one tag to rule them all, one tag to find them.

At the point it’s probably best I not mention gnome, adage, epigram, aphorism, apothegm, apophthegm, sententia, nor paroemia.

Nor shall I drift into expression, platitude, bromide, refrain, byword, witticism, quip, catchphrase, maxim, mantra, truism, axiom, homily, precept, brocard, dictum, tenet, motto, slogan, jingle, saw, chestnut, cliché, banality, or parable.

Nor tweet.