The phrase "a negative saying" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a statement or expression that conveys a negative sentiment or idea.
Example: "In many cultures, a negative saying can often reflect deep-seated beliefs about failure and success."
Alternatives: "a pessimistic expression" or "a negative remark".
The driver, who knows this is a putdown, puts Norton down in the only way a man can by turning her sexuality into a negative, saying, "In my country, there is a word for what she is".
So it's a negative saying [that] I decided to make into a positive saying... improve your situation despite your circumstances.
Voters saw Smitherman's sexuality as a negative, said University of Toronto political science professor Nelson Wiseman.
In 2016, Renault and Alstom's CEO compensation gave rise to a negative Say on Pay vote by shareholders.
"The chain image is no longer necessarily a negative," said Judy A. Siguaw, a professor of marketing at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
"It's very difficult to prove a negative," said Michael T. Kirsch, a principal engineer with NASA's Engineering and Safety Center.
"Energy efficiency is a negative," said Ben Finkelor, the executive director of the Energy Efficiency Center at the University of California, Davis.
"The environment is so poisonous, it's reached a point where political experience can be a negative," said Nelson Warfield, a Republican media consultant.
"I don't see having spent time in the Senate and gaining seniority as a negative," said Ms. Oppenheimer, a senior member of the Senate Education Committee.
"The information coming out from the economic impact of Sandy is a negative," said Rob Lutts, president of Cabot Money Management in Salem, Mass.
"People have commented that we're back early and maybe seen it as a negative," said McInnes.
