" YOU CANNOT ESCAPE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TOMMOROW BY EVADING IT TODAY."
Monday, November 3, 2008
Proverbs
Explanation / Meaning
A
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
When you are away from someone you love, you love them even more.
Accidents will happen.
Some unfortunate events must be accepted as inevitable.
Actions speak louder than words.
What a person actually does is more important that what they say they will do.
Advice is cheap.
Advice is least heeded when most needed.
When a problem is serious, people often do not follow the advice given.
Advisers run no risks.
All cats are grey in the dark.
People are undistinguished until they have made a name.
All that glitters is not gold.
Appearances can be deceptive.
All days are short to Industry and long to Idleness.
Time goes by slowly when you have nothing to do.
All is fair in love and war
Things that are done in love or war can often be excused.
All's well that ends well
There is a solution to everything even though there are doubts.
All things grow with time - except grief.
As time goes by, grief subsides little by little.
All things are difficult before they are easy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Everybody needs a certain amount of relaxation. It is not good to work all the time.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.*
Eating an apple every day can help to keep you healthy. Other interpretation : A small preventive treatment wards off serious problems.
An empty purse frightens away friends.
When one's financial situation deteriorates, friends tend to disappear.
An Englishman's home is his castle.
An Englishman's home is a place where he feels safe, enjoys privacy and can do as he wishes.
An idle brain is the devil's workshop.
When you work you avoid temptation.
An onion a day keeps everyone away.*
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
It is easier to prevent something from happening than to repair the damage or cure the disease later.
April showers bring May flowers.
A bad tree does not yield good apples.
A bad workman blames his tools.
Blaming the tools for bad workmanship is an excuse for lack of skill.
A bird in hand is worth two in a bush.
It's better to keep what you have than to risk losing it by searching for something better.
A broken friendship may be soldered but will never be sound.
Friendships can be rebuilt after a dispute but will never be as strong as before.
A burden of one's own choice is not felt.
Something difficult seems easier when it is done voluntarily.
A burnt child dreads the fire.
A bad experience will make people stay away from certain things.
A cat has nine lives.
1) Cats can survive many accidents because they land on their feet without injury. 2) Three lives = 3 years to play, 3 years to stray, 3 years to stay.
A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.
The strength of a group depends on each individual member.
A change is as good as a rest.
A dry March, a wet April and a cool May fill barn and cellar and bring much hay.
A fault confessed is half redressed.
Confession is the beginning of forgiveness.
A fool and his money are soon (easily) parted.
A foolish person usually spends money carelessly.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Someone who helps you when you are in trouble.
A friend to all is a friend to none.
Someone who is a friend to everyone makes none of them feel special.
A good beginning makes a good end.
If a task is carefully planned, there's a better chance that it will be done well.
A good conscience is a soft pillow.
You sleep well when you have nothing to feel guilty about.
A guilty conscience needs no accuser.
A leopard cannot change its spots.
It is not possible for a bad or unpleasant person to become good or pleasant.
A loaded wagon makes no noise.
Really wealthy don't talk about money.
A loveless life is a living death.
A man can die but once.
A man is as old as he feels himself to be.
A man is known by the company he keeps.
A person's character is judged by the type of people with whom they spend their time.
A monkey in silk is a monkey no less.
No matter how someone dresses, it's the same person underneath.
A new broom sweeps clean.
A newly-appointed person makes changes energetically.
A rising tide lifts all boats.
Describes something that will be helpful to all.
A rolling stone gathers no moss.
If a person keeps moving from place to place, they gain neither friends nor possessions. Another interpretation is that, by moving often, one avoids being tied down!
A rotten apple spoils the barrel.
A dishonest or immoral person can have a bad influence on a group.
A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.
Overcoming adversity leads to competence.
A stitch in time saves nine.
It's better to deal with a problem at an early stage, to prevent it from getting worse.
A stumble may prevent a fall.
Correcting a small mistake may help you to avoid making a bigger one.
A swallow does not make the summer.
One good event does not mean that everything is alright.
A tree is known by its fruit.
A man is judged by his actions.
A young idler, an old beggar.
If you don't work, you won't have any money when you're old.
After dinner rest a while, after supper walk a mile.
As you sow, so shall you reap
You have to accept the consequences of your actions.
B
Bad news travels fast.
People tend to circulate bad news (accidents, illness etc.) very quickly.
Beauty is only skin deep.
A person's character is more important than their appearance.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Different people have different tastes.
Beauty is the wisdom of women. Wisdom is the beauty of men.
Be swift to hear, slow to speak.
Listen carefully before speaking.
Better be alone than in bad company.
Be careful in the choice of the people you associate with.
Better flatter a fool than fight him.
It's better to avoid disputes with stupid people.
Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
It's better to deal with somebody difficult but familiar, than change and risk dealing with somebody worse.
Better late than never.
It's better to do something, even if it's late, than not do it at all.
Better lose the saddle than the horse.
It's better to stop and accept a small loss, rather than continue and risk losing everything.
Better untaught than ill-taught
It's better not to be taught at all than to be taught badly.
Birds of a feather flock together.
People of the same sort are usually found together.
Blood is thicker than water
Family relationships are stronger than relationships with other people.
Blood will out.
A person's background or education will eventually show.
C
Charity begins at home.
A person's first duty is to help and care for his own family.
Children and fools tell the truth.
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
A clean body is just as important as a pure soul.
Clear moon, frost soon.
If the atmosphere is clear, frost may form.
Clothes don't make the man.
Appearances can be deceiving.
Constant occupation prevents temptation.
When you work you avoid temptation.
D
Dead men tell no tales
A dead person cannot cause difficulties by revealing something that it would be preferable to conceal.
Diamond cuts diamond.
Refers to two people equally matched in wit or cunning.
Diligence is the mother of good fortune.
Hard work brings rewards.
Discretion is the better part of valour
It is useless to take unnecessary risks.
Diseases of the soul are more dangerous than those of the body.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
When you are separated from the person you love, your feelings are even stronger.
Dogs of the same street bark alike.
People from the same background have the same behaviour.
Don't bark if you can't bite.
Don't complain if you can't enforce your point of view.
Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.
You must not be too confident that something will be successful.
Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork.
Don't do something yourself which causes your own downfall.
Don't judge a book by its cover.
Don't judge by appearances.
E
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Easier said than done.
What is suggested sounds easy but it is more difficult to actually do it.
Empty vessels make the most noise.
The least intelligent people are often the most talkative or noisy.
Every ass likes to hear himself bray.
People like to listen to themselves talking.
Every man for himself.
You must think of your own interests before the interests of others.
Every man has his price.
Everyone's loyalty can be bought for a price.
Every man is the architect of his own fortune.
Life is what you make it.
Every path has its puddle.
Progress is rarely without difficulty.
Every why has a wherefore.
There is an explanation for everything.
Everything in the garden is rosy.
Everything is satisfactory.
Experience is the father of wisdom.
Experience and knowledge result in better judgement.
F
Facts speak louder than words.
People show what they are really like by what they do, rather than by what they say.
Failure teaches success.
False friends are worse than open enemies.
Familiarity breeds contempt
Knowing somebody very well may lead to a lack of respect for them.
Fine words butter no parsnips.
No amount of talking can replace action.
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
One should learn from one's mistakes.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
Inexperienced people act in situations that more intelligent people would avoid
Friendship is love with understanding.
G
Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade.
Nothing is achieved without effort.
Give someone an inch and they will take a mile.
Give someone a little and they will want more - some people are never satisfied.
Give someone enough rope and they will hang themselves.
Give someone enough time and freedom and they will get into trouble.
God helps those who help themselves.
Good and quickly seldom meet.
A well-done job takes time.
Good management is better than good income.
Great minds think alike.
Great oaks grow from little acorns.
Large successful operations can begin in a small way.
Grief divided is made lighter
H
Half a loaf is better than none.
You should be grateful for something, even if it's not as much as you wanted.
Haste makes waste.
If something is done too quickly, it may be done carelessly and need to be redone.
Hatred is a blind as love.
A person who feels hatred does not see any qualities in the person he/she hates.
He has enough who is content.
He who knows nothing, doubts nothing.
Knowledge leads us to make choices.
He who pays the piper calls the tune.
The person who provides the money for something should control how it is spent
He who plays with fire gets burnt.
If you behave in a risky way, you are likely to have problems.
He laughs best who laughs last.
Don't express your joy, or your triumph, too soon!
Health is better than wealth.
Home is where the heart is.
You call home the place where the people you love are.
Honesty is the best policy.
Honey catches more flies than vinegar.
You can obtain more cooperation from others by being nice.
I
In times of prosperity friends are plentiful.
You have many friends when you have no difficulties.
If a camel gets his nose in a tent, his body will follow.
If you let something intrusive enter your life, your life will become difficult .
If in February there be no rain, 'tis neither good for hay nor grain.
If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will avoid 100 days of sorrow.
If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.
If you try to do two things at the same time, you won't succeed in doing either of them.
If you want a friend, be a friend.
If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.
Wishing alone is of no use; you must act as well.
Ignorance is bliss.
Possible interpretation: What you do not know causes no worry or sadness.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
If you start something, it's better to spend the time or money necessary to complete it.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
It never rains but it pours.
Misfortunes usually come in large numbers.
It is always darkest before the dawn
The most difficult time is just before a problem is solved.
It's no use crying over spilt milk.
Don't express regret for something that has happened and cannot be remedied.
It takes all sorts to make a world.
People vary in character and abilities, and this is a good thing.
K
Knowledge in youth is wisdom in age.
Knowledge is power.
Kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
Destroy something that would be a source of wealth or success.
Kindness begets kindness.
If you are kind to people, they will be kind to you.
Alphabetical list of proverbs - L - Z with an explanation where necessary
Proverb
Explanation / Meaning
L
Learn to walk before you run.
Don't rush into doing something until you know how to do it.
Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.
Education is something you keep forever.
Let bygones be bygones.
Let's forgive and forget past quarrels.
Liars need good memories.
Lightning never strikes in the same place twice
An unusual event is not likely to occur again in exactly the same circumstances.
Like father, like son.
A son's character can be expected to resemble his father's.
Look before you leap.
Consider possible consequences before taking action.
Loose lips sink ships.
Disclosing important information ( to the enemy or a competitor) could result in large losses.
Love is blind.
A person in love does not see the faults of the person he/she loves.
M
Make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
Manage to produce something good using poor material.
Man is the head of the family; woman is the neck that turns the head.
Man proposes, God disposes.
Our destiny depends on God's will.
Manners make the man.
Possibly: a person's manners show their origins.
Many hands make light work.
Sharing work makes work easier.
Marry in haste, repent at leisure.
If you get married too quickly, you may spend all your life regretting it.
Memory is the treasure of the mind.
Men make houses, women make homes.
Might as well be hanged for a sheep as (for) a lamb
If the penalty is going to be the same, you might as well commit the greater offence.
Money begets money.
If you have money you can make more money.
Money is the root of all evil.
Money is the main cause of wrongdoing and problems.
N
Necessity is the mother of invention.
The need for something forces people to find a way of obtaining it.
Never put off till tomorrow what can be done today
Don't postpone something you can do now.
Never say die.
Never give up.
Nobody is perfect.
No man is an island.
We all need other people.
No news is good news.
If the news was bad, we would hear of it. Since we have heard nothing, we can assume that all is well.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
You cannot expect to achieve anything if you don't take risks.
O
Once bitten, twice shy.
After an unpleasant experience, people are careful to avoid something similar.
One good turn deserves another.
You should be helpful to someone who helps you.
One of these days is none of these days.
'One of these days' remains vague.
One today is worth two tomorrow.
What you have today is better than what is promised or hoped for.
One man's meat is another man's poison
People don't always like the same things.
One man's trash is another man's treasure.
What is useless to one person could be valuable to another.
Only real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.
Only a real friend will tell you the truth.
Opportunity seldom knocks twice.
Don't miss opportunities that come along.
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
Children often speak wisely.
Out of sight, out of mind.
We tend to forget people who are absent.
P
Penny wise, pound foolish.
Refers to a person who is careful about spending small amounts of money, but not careful about spending large amounts of money.
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
One should not criticize others for faults similar to one's own.
Practice makes perfect.
Doing something repeatedly is the only way to become good at it.
Practise what you preach
Do yourself what you advise others to do.
Prevention is better than cure
It is easier to prevent something from happening than to repair the damage or cure the disease later.
Pride comes before a fall.
Don't be too self-confident or proud; something may happen to make you look foolish.
Procrastination is the thief of time
Delaying an action for too long is a waste of time.
Put all your eggs in one basket
Risk everything by relying on one plan (by putting all one's money in one business).
R
Revenge is sweet.
There is satisfaction in returning an injury.
Rome was not built in a day.
It takes a long time to do a job properly. You should not expect to do it quickly.
S
Save me from my friends.
Friends can be more dangerous than enemies.
Saying is one thing, doing is another.
People don't always do what they announce.
Short reckonings make long friends.
Debts paid quickly encourage friendship.
Sickness in the body brings sadness to the mind.
Snug as a bug in a rug.
Feeling very comfortable.
Spare the rod and spoil the child
If you don't punish a child when he does wrong, you will spoil his character.
Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me
Physical attacks may harm me, but cruel words will not.
Still waters run deep.
A quiet person can have much knowledge or wisdom.
A stitch in time saves nine
It's better to deal with a problem in its early stages, because if you don't, it will get worse.
Stolen fruit is the sweetest.
What is forbidden is the most tempting.
T
Tall oaks grow from little acorns.
Great things may come from small beginnings.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Children resemble their parents.
The best advice is found on the pillow.
After a good night's sleep we may find an answer to our problem.
The devil looks after his own.
Success comes to those who deserve it least .
The devil makes work for idle hands
People who have no work, or are idle, often get into or make trouble.
The die is cast.
A decision has been made and it's impossible to change it.
The early bird catches the worm.
If you want to do something successfully, you should do it as soon as you can.
The end justifies the means.
Wrong or unfair methods may be used if the result of the action is good.
The more haste, the less speed.
A person makes more progress if they do things less quickly.
The more you have, the more you want.
The mouse that has but one hole is quickly taken.
If you depend on just one thing, and it fails you, you will have no alternatives.
The pen is mightier than the sword
Words and communication have greater effect than war and fighting.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
The real value of something can be judged only after it has been tried or tested.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
It's not enough to intend to do something, you must actually do it.
The tongue wounds more than a lance.
Insults can be more hurtful than physical injuries.
The truth is in the wine.
People speak more freely under the influence of alcohol.
The wish is father to the thought.
You think that something is true because you want it to be so.
There is no fool like an old fool.
A older person is expected to behave more sensibly.
There is safety in numbers
Being in a crowd makes you feel more confident.
Time and tide wait for no man.
Delaying a decision will not prevent events from taking place.
Time has wings.
Time goes by quickly.
Time is money.
Time is valuable and should not be wasted.
To err is human, to forgive divine
It is human nature to make mistakes, therefore one should forgive.
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
If too many people are involved in something, it will not be done properly.
Trust not a horse's heel nor a dog's tooth.
Truth is stranger than fiction.
Events in real life are sometimes stranger than in fiction.
Two wrongs don't make a right
It is wrong to harm someone because they have harmed you.
U
Union is strength.
V
Variety is the spice of life.
Doing a lot of different things makes life more interesting.
Virtue is its own reward.
You should not expect praise for acting in a correct or moral way.
W
Walls have ears.
Be careful. People could be listening.
Waste not, want not.
If you never waste anything, you will have it when you need it.
What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over.
If a person doesn't know about something, it cannot hurt them.
What a man says drunk, he thinks sober.
People speak more freely under the influence of alcohol.
What soberness conceals, drunkenness reveals.
People are less discreet under the influence of alcohol.
When the cat's away, the mice play.
People misbehave when their boss, or the person in authority, is absent.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
You should adopt the customs of the people or country you are visiting, and behave in the same way.
When poverty come in the door, love goes out the window.
Where there's life there's hope.
Where there's a will, there's a way.
A person with determination will find a way of doing something.
Who makes himself a sheep will be eaten by the wolves.
Possible interpretation: an easily influenced person can be mislead.
Wisdom is better than strength.
Wonders will never cease!
Expresses surprise at an unexpected pleasure or event (ironic).
Y
You are what you eat.
You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
You help me and I'll help you.
Explanation / Meaning
A
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
When you are away from someone you love, you love them even more.
Accidents will happen.
Some unfortunate events must be accepted as inevitable.
Actions speak louder than words.
What a person actually does is more important that what they say they will do.
Advice is cheap.
Advice is least heeded when most needed.
When a problem is serious, people often do not follow the advice given.
Advisers run no risks.
All cats are grey in the dark.
People are undistinguished until they have made a name.
All that glitters is not gold.
Appearances can be deceptive.
All days are short to Industry and long to Idleness.
Time goes by slowly when you have nothing to do.
All is fair in love and war
Things that are done in love or war can often be excused.
All's well that ends well
There is a solution to everything even though there are doubts.
All things grow with time - except grief.
As time goes by, grief subsides little by little.
All things are difficult before they are easy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Everybody needs a certain amount of relaxation. It is not good to work all the time.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.*
Eating an apple every day can help to keep you healthy. Other interpretation : A small preventive treatment wards off serious problems.
An empty purse frightens away friends.
When one's financial situation deteriorates, friends tend to disappear.
An Englishman's home is his castle.
An Englishman's home is a place where he feels safe, enjoys privacy and can do as he wishes.
An idle brain is the devil's workshop.
When you work you avoid temptation.
An onion a day keeps everyone away.*
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
It is easier to prevent something from happening than to repair the damage or cure the disease later.
April showers bring May flowers.
A bad tree does not yield good apples.
A bad workman blames his tools.
Blaming the tools for bad workmanship is an excuse for lack of skill.
A bird in hand is worth two in a bush.
It's better to keep what you have than to risk losing it by searching for something better.
A broken friendship may be soldered but will never be sound.
Friendships can be rebuilt after a dispute but will never be as strong as before.
A burden of one's own choice is not felt.
Something difficult seems easier when it is done voluntarily.
A burnt child dreads the fire.
A bad experience will make people stay away from certain things.
A cat has nine lives.
1) Cats can survive many accidents because they land on their feet without injury. 2) Three lives = 3 years to play, 3 years to stray, 3 years to stay.
A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.
The strength of a group depends on each individual member.
A change is as good as a rest.
A dry March, a wet April and a cool May fill barn and cellar and bring much hay.
A fault confessed is half redressed.
Confession is the beginning of forgiveness.
A fool and his money are soon (easily) parted.
A foolish person usually spends money carelessly.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Someone who helps you when you are in trouble.
A friend to all is a friend to none.
Someone who is a friend to everyone makes none of them feel special.
A good beginning makes a good end.
If a task is carefully planned, there's a better chance that it will be done well.
A good conscience is a soft pillow.
You sleep well when you have nothing to feel guilty about.
A guilty conscience needs no accuser.
A leopard cannot change its spots.
It is not possible for a bad or unpleasant person to become good or pleasant.
A loaded wagon makes no noise.
Really wealthy don't talk about money.
A loveless life is a living death.
A man can die but once.
A man is as old as he feels himself to be.
A man is known by the company he keeps.
A person's character is judged by the type of people with whom they spend their time.
A monkey in silk is a monkey no less.
No matter how someone dresses, it's the same person underneath.
A new broom sweeps clean.
A newly-appointed person makes changes energetically.
A rising tide lifts all boats.
Describes something that will be helpful to all.
A rolling stone gathers no moss.
If a person keeps moving from place to place, they gain neither friends nor possessions. Another interpretation is that, by moving often, one avoids being tied down!
A rotten apple spoils the barrel.
A dishonest or immoral person can have a bad influence on a group.
A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.
Overcoming adversity leads to competence.
A stitch in time saves nine.
It's better to deal with a problem at an early stage, to prevent it from getting worse.
A stumble may prevent a fall.
Correcting a small mistake may help you to avoid making a bigger one.
A swallow does not make the summer.
One good event does not mean that everything is alright.
A tree is known by its fruit.
A man is judged by his actions.
A young idler, an old beggar.
If you don't work, you won't have any money when you're old.
After dinner rest a while, after supper walk a mile.
As you sow, so shall you reap
You have to accept the consequences of your actions.
B
Bad news travels fast.
People tend to circulate bad news (accidents, illness etc.) very quickly.
Beauty is only skin deep.
A person's character is more important than their appearance.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Different people have different tastes.
Beauty is the wisdom of women. Wisdom is the beauty of men.
Be swift to hear, slow to speak.
Listen carefully before speaking.
Better be alone than in bad company.
Be careful in the choice of the people you associate with.
Better flatter a fool than fight him.
It's better to avoid disputes with stupid people.
Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
It's better to deal with somebody difficult but familiar, than change and risk dealing with somebody worse.
Better late than never.
It's better to do something, even if it's late, than not do it at all.
Better lose the saddle than the horse.
It's better to stop and accept a small loss, rather than continue and risk losing everything.
Better untaught than ill-taught
It's better not to be taught at all than to be taught badly.
Birds of a feather flock together.
People of the same sort are usually found together.
Blood is thicker than water
Family relationships are stronger than relationships with other people.
Blood will out.
A person's background or education will eventually show.
C
Charity begins at home.
A person's first duty is to help and care for his own family.
Children and fools tell the truth.
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
A clean body is just as important as a pure soul.
Clear moon, frost soon.
If the atmosphere is clear, frost may form.
Clothes don't make the man.
Appearances can be deceiving.
Constant occupation prevents temptation.
When you work you avoid temptation.
D
Dead men tell no tales
A dead person cannot cause difficulties by revealing something that it would be preferable to conceal.
Diamond cuts diamond.
Refers to two people equally matched in wit or cunning.
Diligence is the mother of good fortune.
Hard work brings rewards.
Discretion is the better part of valour
It is useless to take unnecessary risks.
Diseases of the soul are more dangerous than those of the body.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
When you are separated from the person you love, your feelings are even stronger.
Dogs of the same street bark alike.
People from the same background have the same behaviour.
Don't bark if you can't bite.
Don't complain if you can't enforce your point of view.
Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.
You must not be too confident that something will be successful.
Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork.
Don't do something yourself which causes your own downfall.
Don't judge a book by its cover.
Don't judge by appearances.
E
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Easier said than done.
What is suggested sounds easy but it is more difficult to actually do it.
Empty vessels make the most noise.
The least intelligent people are often the most talkative or noisy.
Every ass likes to hear himself bray.
People like to listen to themselves talking.
Every man for himself.
You must think of your own interests before the interests of others.
Every man has his price.
Everyone's loyalty can be bought for a price.
Every man is the architect of his own fortune.
Life is what you make it.
Every path has its puddle.
Progress is rarely without difficulty.
Every why has a wherefore.
There is an explanation for everything.
Everything in the garden is rosy.
Everything is satisfactory.
Experience is the father of wisdom.
Experience and knowledge result in better judgement.
F
Facts speak louder than words.
People show what they are really like by what they do, rather than by what they say.
Failure teaches success.
False friends are worse than open enemies.
Familiarity breeds contempt
Knowing somebody very well may lead to a lack of respect for them.
Fine words butter no parsnips.
No amount of talking can replace action.
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
One should learn from one's mistakes.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
Inexperienced people act in situations that more intelligent people would avoid
Friendship is love with understanding.
G
Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade.
Nothing is achieved without effort.
Give someone an inch and they will take a mile.
Give someone a little and they will want more - some people are never satisfied.
Give someone enough rope and they will hang themselves.
Give someone enough time and freedom and they will get into trouble.
God helps those who help themselves.
Good and quickly seldom meet.
A well-done job takes time.
Good management is better than good income.
Great minds think alike.
Great oaks grow from little acorns.
Large successful operations can begin in a small way.
Grief divided is made lighter
H
Half a loaf is better than none.
You should be grateful for something, even if it's not as much as you wanted.
Haste makes waste.
If something is done too quickly, it may be done carelessly and need to be redone.
Hatred is a blind as love.
A person who feels hatred does not see any qualities in the person he/she hates.
He has enough who is content.
He who knows nothing, doubts nothing.
Knowledge leads us to make choices.
He who pays the piper calls the tune.
The person who provides the money for something should control how it is spent
He who plays with fire gets burnt.
If you behave in a risky way, you are likely to have problems.
He laughs best who laughs last.
Don't express your joy, or your triumph, too soon!
Health is better than wealth.
Home is where the heart is.
You call home the place where the people you love are.
Honesty is the best policy.
Honey catches more flies than vinegar.
You can obtain more cooperation from others by being nice.
I
In times of prosperity friends are plentiful.
You have many friends when you have no difficulties.
If a camel gets his nose in a tent, his body will follow.
If you let something intrusive enter your life, your life will become difficult .
If in February there be no rain, 'tis neither good for hay nor grain.
If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will avoid 100 days of sorrow.
If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.
If you try to do two things at the same time, you won't succeed in doing either of them.
If you want a friend, be a friend.
If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.
Wishing alone is of no use; you must act as well.
Ignorance is bliss.
Possible interpretation: What you do not know causes no worry or sadness.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
If you start something, it's better to spend the time or money necessary to complete it.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
It never rains but it pours.
Misfortunes usually come in large numbers.
It is always darkest before the dawn
The most difficult time is just before a problem is solved.
It's no use crying over spilt milk.
Don't express regret for something that has happened and cannot be remedied.
It takes all sorts to make a world.
People vary in character and abilities, and this is a good thing.
K
Knowledge in youth is wisdom in age.
Knowledge is power.
Kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
Destroy something that would be a source of wealth or success.
Kindness begets kindness.
If you are kind to people, they will be kind to you.
Alphabetical list of proverbs - L - Z with an explanation where necessary
Proverb
Explanation / Meaning
L
Learn to walk before you run.
Don't rush into doing something until you know how to do it.
Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.
Education is something you keep forever.
Let bygones be bygones.
Let's forgive and forget past quarrels.
Liars need good memories.
Lightning never strikes in the same place twice
An unusual event is not likely to occur again in exactly the same circumstances.
Like father, like son.
A son's character can be expected to resemble his father's.
Look before you leap.
Consider possible consequences before taking action.
Loose lips sink ships.
Disclosing important information ( to the enemy or a competitor) could result in large losses.
Love is blind.
A person in love does not see the faults of the person he/she loves.
M
Make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
Manage to produce something good using poor material.
Man is the head of the family; woman is the neck that turns the head.
Man proposes, God disposes.
Our destiny depends on God's will.
Manners make the man.
Possibly: a person's manners show their origins.
Many hands make light work.
Sharing work makes work easier.
Marry in haste, repent at leisure.
If you get married too quickly, you may spend all your life regretting it.
Memory is the treasure of the mind.
Men make houses, women make homes.
Might as well be hanged for a sheep as (for) a lamb
If the penalty is going to be the same, you might as well commit the greater offence.
Money begets money.
If you have money you can make more money.
Money is the root of all evil.
Money is the main cause of wrongdoing and problems.
N
Necessity is the mother of invention.
The need for something forces people to find a way of obtaining it.
Never put off till tomorrow what can be done today
Don't postpone something you can do now.
Never say die.
Never give up.
Nobody is perfect.
No man is an island.
We all need other people.
No news is good news.
If the news was bad, we would hear of it. Since we have heard nothing, we can assume that all is well.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
You cannot expect to achieve anything if you don't take risks.
O
Once bitten, twice shy.
After an unpleasant experience, people are careful to avoid something similar.
One good turn deserves another.
You should be helpful to someone who helps you.
One of these days is none of these days.
'One of these days' remains vague.
One today is worth two tomorrow.
What you have today is better than what is promised or hoped for.
One man's meat is another man's poison
People don't always like the same things.
One man's trash is another man's treasure.
What is useless to one person could be valuable to another.
Only real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.
Only a real friend will tell you the truth.
Opportunity seldom knocks twice.
Don't miss opportunities that come along.
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
Children often speak wisely.
Out of sight, out of mind.
We tend to forget people who are absent.
P
Penny wise, pound foolish.
Refers to a person who is careful about spending small amounts of money, but not careful about spending large amounts of money.
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
One should not criticize others for faults similar to one's own.
Practice makes perfect.
Doing something repeatedly is the only way to become good at it.
Practise what you preach
Do yourself what you advise others to do.
Prevention is better than cure
It is easier to prevent something from happening than to repair the damage or cure the disease later.
Pride comes before a fall.
Don't be too self-confident or proud; something may happen to make you look foolish.
Procrastination is the thief of time
Delaying an action for too long is a waste of time.
Put all your eggs in one basket
Risk everything by relying on one plan (by putting all one's money in one business).
R
Revenge is sweet.
There is satisfaction in returning an injury.
Rome was not built in a day.
It takes a long time to do a job properly. You should not expect to do it quickly.
S
Save me from my friends.
Friends can be more dangerous than enemies.
Saying is one thing, doing is another.
People don't always do what they announce.
Short reckonings make long friends.
Debts paid quickly encourage friendship.
Sickness in the body brings sadness to the mind.
Snug as a bug in a rug.
Feeling very comfortable.
Spare the rod and spoil the child
If you don't punish a child when he does wrong, you will spoil his character.
Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me
Physical attacks may harm me, but cruel words will not.
Still waters run deep.
A quiet person can have much knowledge or wisdom.
A stitch in time saves nine
It's better to deal with a problem in its early stages, because if you don't, it will get worse.
Stolen fruit is the sweetest.
What is forbidden is the most tempting.
T
Tall oaks grow from little acorns.
Great things may come from small beginnings.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Children resemble their parents.
The best advice is found on the pillow.
After a good night's sleep we may find an answer to our problem.
The devil looks after his own.
Success comes to those who deserve it least .
The devil makes work for idle hands
People who have no work, or are idle, often get into or make trouble.
The die is cast.
A decision has been made and it's impossible to change it.
The early bird catches the worm.
If you want to do something successfully, you should do it as soon as you can.
The end justifies the means.
Wrong or unfair methods may be used if the result of the action is good.
The more haste, the less speed.
A person makes more progress if they do things less quickly.
The more you have, the more you want.
The mouse that has but one hole is quickly taken.
If you depend on just one thing, and it fails you, you will have no alternatives.
The pen is mightier than the sword
Words and communication have greater effect than war and fighting.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
The real value of something can be judged only after it has been tried or tested.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
It's not enough to intend to do something, you must actually do it.
The tongue wounds more than a lance.
Insults can be more hurtful than physical injuries.
The truth is in the wine.
People speak more freely under the influence of alcohol.
The wish is father to the thought.
You think that something is true because you want it to be so.
There is no fool like an old fool.
A older person is expected to behave more sensibly.
There is safety in numbers
Being in a crowd makes you feel more confident.
Time and tide wait for no man.
Delaying a decision will not prevent events from taking place.
Time has wings.
Time goes by quickly.
Time is money.
Time is valuable and should not be wasted.
To err is human, to forgive divine
It is human nature to make mistakes, therefore one should forgive.
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
If too many people are involved in something, it will not be done properly.
Trust not a horse's heel nor a dog's tooth.
Truth is stranger than fiction.
Events in real life are sometimes stranger than in fiction.
Two wrongs don't make a right
It is wrong to harm someone because they have harmed you.
U
Union is strength.
V
Variety is the spice of life.
Doing a lot of different things makes life more interesting.
Virtue is its own reward.
You should not expect praise for acting in a correct or moral way.
W
Walls have ears.
Be careful. People could be listening.
Waste not, want not.
If you never waste anything, you will have it when you need it.
What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over.
If a person doesn't know about something, it cannot hurt them.
What a man says drunk, he thinks sober.
People speak more freely under the influence of alcohol.
What soberness conceals, drunkenness reveals.
People are less discreet under the influence of alcohol.
When the cat's away, the mice play.
People misbehave when their boss, or the person in authority, is absent.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
You should adopt the customs of the people or country you are visiting, and behave in the same way.
When poverty come in the door, love goes out the window.
Where there's life there's hope.
Where there's a will, there's a way.
A person with determination will find a way of doing something.
Who makes himself a sheep will be eaten by the wolves.
Possible interpretation: an easily influenced person can be mislead.
Wisdom is better than strength.
Wonders will never cease!
Expresses surprise at an unexpected pleasure or event (ironic).
Y
You are what you eat.
You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
You help me and I'll help you.
~~~selected proverbs~~~
A
"After all is said and done, more is said than done."
Aesop
"When I was born, I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half.
Gracie Allen
"I'm not afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens."
Woody Allen
"The secret of life is not to do what you like, but to like what you do."
Anonymous
"A real friend is someone who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."
Anonymous
"Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell."
Anonymous
"Good supervision is the art of getting average people to do superior work."
Anonymous
"Wit is educated insolence."
Aristotle
"Education is the best provision for the journey to old age."
Aristotle
"One swallow does not make the spring."
Aristotle
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work."
Aristotle
"We are what we repeatedly do."
Aristotle
"There is safety in numbers."
Anonymous
B
"The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship."
Sir Francis Bacon
"Knowledge is power."
Sir Francis Bacon
"Behind every great fortune there is a crime."
Honore de Balzac
"An error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it. "
Orlando A. Battista
"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.
Alexander Graham Bell
"Happiness lies in good health and a bad memory."
Ingrid Bergman
"Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others."
Otto von Bismarck
"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever."
Napoleon Bonaparte
"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."
Napoleon Bonaparte
"The heart has reasons that reason does not understand."
Jacques Bossuet
C
"Never stand begging for that which you have the power to earn."
Miguel de Cervantes
"There are people who have money and people who are rich."
Coco Chanel
"Don't ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up."
G. K. Chesterton
"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
Winston Churchill
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
Winston Churchill
"If you are going through hell, keep going."
Winston Churchill
"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.
Cicero
"Progress is the injustice each generation commits with regard to its predecessors."
E.M. Cioran
"I believe in luck; how else can you explain the success of those you dislike?"
Jean Cocteau
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
Conficius
"Respect yourself and others will respect you."
Conficius
"Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood."
Marie Curie
D
"The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad."
Salvador Dali
"Have no fear of perfection; you’ll never reach it."
Salvador Dali
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."
Charles Darwin
"It's the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."
Marlene Dietrich
"Talk to a man about himself and he will listen for hours."
Benjamin Disraeli
"The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but reveal to him his own."
Benjamin Disraeli
"Little things affect little minds."
Benjamin Disraeli
"The secret of success is constancy of purpose."
Benjamin Disraeli
"Pure love and suspicion cannot dwell together: at the door where the latter enters, the former makes its exit.
Alexandre Dumas
"All for one and one for all."
Alexandre Dumas
E
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."
Thomas Edison
"Only two things are infinite - the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
Albert Einstein
"When you are courting a nice girl, an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder, a second seems like an hour. That's relativity."
Albert Einstein
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
Albert Einstein
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
Albert Einstein
"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."
Albert Einstein
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
Albert Einstein
"Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish."
Albert Einstein
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."
Albert Einstein
"In case of dissension, never dare to judge till you've heard the other side."
Euripides
"Man's best possession is a sympathetic wife."
Euripides
F
"A writer is congenitally unable to tell the truth, and that is why we call what he writes fiction."
William Faulkner
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."
Henry Ford
"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do."
Henry Ford
"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan but also believe."
Anatole France
"Most fools think they are only ignorant."
Benjamin Franklin
"Creative minds have always been known to survive any kind of bad training."
Anna Freud
"Men are more moral than they think, and far more immoral than they can imagine."
Sigmund Freud
G
"We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves."
Galileo Galilei
"I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers."
Mahatma Gandhi
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
Mahatma Gandhi
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever.
Mahatma Gandhi
"Nothing strengthens authority as much as silence"
Charles de Gaulle
"Graveyards are full of indispensable men."
Charles de Gaulle
"Money isn't everything but it sure keeps you in touch with your children."
J. Paul Getty
"If you can actually count your money, then you're not a rich man."
J. Paul Getty
"All the world over I will back the masses against the classes."
William Gladstone
"Enjoy when you can and endure when you must."
Johann Wolfgang van Goethe
"Whatever you can do or dream, begin it."
Johann Wolfgang van Goethe
"A man can stand anything except a succession of ordinary days."
Johann Wolfgang van Goethe
"Talent develops in tranquillity, character in the full current of human life."
Johann Wolfgang van Goethe
H
"Never confuse movement with action."
Ernest Hemmingway
"Drama is life with the dull bits cut out."
Alfred Hitchcock
"Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age."
Victor Hugo
"Life is the flower for which love is the honey."
Victor Hugo
"Maybe this world is another planet's hell."
Aldous Huxley
J
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock."
Thomas Jefferson
"Our brightest blazes are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks."
Samuel Johnson
"When making your choices in life, do not forget to live."
Samuel Johnson
"Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise."
Samuel Johnson
K
"Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life."
Immanuel Kant
"Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names."
John F. Kennedy
"When written in Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters. One represents danger, the other represents opportunity."
John F. Kennedy
"Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all."
John F. Kennedy
"Liberty without learning is always in peril; learning without liberty is always in vain.
John F. Kennedy
"Education: the inculcation of the incomprehensible into the indifferent by the incompetent."
John Maynard Keynes
"In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends."
Martin Luther King
"Take everything you like seriously, except yourselves."
Rudyard Kipling
"Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade."
Rudyard Kipling
"The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvellously."
Henry Kissinger
"The nice thing about being a celebrity is that if you bore people they think it's their fault."
Henry Kissinger
L
"Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans."
John Lennon
"In the end it's not the years in your life that count; it's the life in your years."
Abraham Lincoln
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
Abraham Lincoln
"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."
Abraham Lincoln
"You can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."
Abraham Lincoln
M
"No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution."
Niccolo Machiavelli
"People ask for criticism, but they only want praise."
W. Somerset Maugham
"It is cruel to discover one's mediocrity only when it is too late."
W. Somerset Maugham
"To the soul, there is hardly anything more healing than friendship."
Thomas Moore
N
"Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy."
Isaac Newton
"The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time."
Friedrich Nietzsche
"What doesn't kill you will make you stronger."
Friedrich Nietzche
"When one has much to put into them, a day has a hundred pockets."
Friedrich Nietzsche
"We don't see things as they are; we see things as we are."
Anaïs Nin
O
"Burdens become light when cheerfully borne."
Ovid
P
"The chief enemy of creativity is good taste."
Pablo Picasso
"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled."
Plutarch
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
Alexander Pope
"You don't stop laughing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop laughing."
Michael Pritchard
"The voyage to discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."
Marcel Proust
R
"If you wish to avoid seeing a fool, you must break your mirror."
Francois Rabelais
"A statesman is a successful politician who is dead."
Thomas Brackett Reed
"Instruction ends in the schoolroom, but education ends only with life."
F.W. Robertson
"Many people despise wealth but few know how to give it away."
F. de la Rochefoucauld
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Franklin D. Roosevelt
"The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything."
Theodore Roosevelt
"If it can't be cured, it must be endured."
Salman Rushdie.
"When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece."
John Ruskin
S
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
Antoine de Saint Exupery
"Hell is other people."
Jean-Paul Sartre
"It is wise to learn; it is God-like to create."
John Saxe
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
"Life is a play. It's not its length, but its performance that counts."
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
"Action is eloquence."
William Shakespeare
"All that glitters is not gold."
William Shakespeare
"Great Britain and the United States are nations separated by a common language."
George Bernard Shaw
"The greatest of our evils and the worst of our crimes is poverty."
George Bernard Shaw
"Youth is a wonderful thing. What a crime to waste it on children!"
George Bernard Shaw
"Martyrdom ... is the only way in which a man can become famous without ability."
George Bernard Shaw
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."
George Bernard Shaw
"Reasonable men adapt to the world. Unreasonable men adapt the world to themselves. That's why all progress depends on unreasonable men."
George Bernard Shaw
"Can a man who is warm understand one who is freezing?"
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap ... but by the seeds you plant!"
Robert Louis Stevenson
"Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary."
Robert Louis Stevenson
"Vision is the art of seeing things invisible."
Jonathan Swift
T
"I am more afraid of an army of a hundred sheep led by a lion, than an army of a hundred lions led by a sheep."
Talleyrand
"Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."
Alfred Lord Tennyson
"A good laugh is sunshine in a house."
William Thackery
"Love is real only when a person can sacrifice himself for another."
Leo Tolstoy
"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."
Mark Twain
"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint."
Mark Twain
"Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been."
Mark Twain
U
"The only thing in life achieved without effort is failure."
Unknown
"The speed of the leader determines the rate of the pack."
Unknown
"Many receive advice; only the wise profit from it."
Unknown
"Remember, no one can make you feel inferior, without your consent."
Unknown
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals."
Unknown
"Genius is the ability to reduce the complicated to the simple."
Unknown
"The secret of happiness is not doing what one likes, but in liking what one does."
Unknown
"Only those who keep trying eventually win."
Unknown
"Getting something done is an accomplishment; getting something done right is an achievement."
Unknown
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."
Unknown
"The best time to do something worthwhile is between yesterday and tomorrow."
Unknown
V
"Conscience is a man's compass."
Vincent Van Gogh
"The progress of rivers to the ocean is not so rapid as that of man to error."
Voltaire
"Anything that is too stupid to be spoken in sung."
Voltaire
"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."
Voltaire
"The greatest consolation in life is to say what one thinks."
Voltaire
"Doubt is not an agreeable condition, but certainty is an absurd one."
Voltaire
"The secret of being a bore is to tell everything."
Voltaire
W
"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."
Oscar Wilde
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; other whenever they go.
Oscar Wilde
"Experience is the name so many people give to their mistakes."
Oscar Wilde
"Wisdom is knowing how little we know."
Oscar Wilde
"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that's all."
Oscar Wilde
"The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, the young know everything."
Oscar Wilde
"No man is rich enough to buy back his past."
Oscar Wilde
"All cruel people describe themselves as paragons of frankness."
Tennessee Williams
Y
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but rather the lighting of a fire."
William Butler Yeats
Z
"The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work."
Emile Zola
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