proverbial

Used to replace a word that might be considered unacceptable in a particular situation, when using a well-known phrase.

The groin or the testicles.

“You'll find they've got you by the proverbials.”

Of, resembling, or expressed as a proverb, cliché, fable, or fairy tale.

Not used in a literal sense, but as the subject of a well-known metaphor.

“proverbial spilled milk”

Widely known; famous; stereotypical.

“I grew up in a prefab house on Main Street in 1950s suburbia, the second and last child of a proverbial nuclear family.”