Common English Proverbs

COMMON ENGLISH PROVERBS by Johnson, B.A.

Longman

1963

PREFACE “Acquaint thyself with proverbs, for of them thou shalt learn instruction.” (The Bible)

“The Wisdom of Nations lies in their proverbs. Collect and learn them . They save time and speaking,

and upon occasion may be the fullest and safest answers.” (William Penn, Advice to his Children, 1699)

This book contains five hundred of the commonest English proverbs, with their literal meanings, their applied meanings and, in many cases, the occasions on which they are used by English-speaking people. A knowledge of English proverbs should prove very useful not only because they add to the student’s knowledge of the language but also because they reflect the homely philosophy, humour and character of the English. They also show how the wit and wisdom of English poets and other writers have passed into the thought of English people. The proverbs in this collection include sayings of Shakespeare, Keats, Pope, Bunyan, Cowper, Stevenson, Cromwell, Wordsworth and others. Not only so, but, just as the English language has taken to itself words from most other languages, so English people have taken the proverbs of Romans, Greeks, Spaniards, Frenchmen, Italians, Arabs, Jews, Chinese, and other races, turned them into English, and made them their own. Wisdom knows no natural frontiers. They form part of the verbal background of the English people, a knowledge of whose language is incomplete without some acquaintance with their behaviour and habits of thought. I have divided the proverbs into eight classes; but the division can only be fairly roughly made, for a proverb may have claims to be included in more than one of these classes. There are variations of many proverbs. I have given the one that seems to me most familiar. For a much greater collection of proverbs, proverbial expressions and sayings from all sources, the student is referred to Benham’s monumental Book of Quotations (Harrap) to which I make grateful acknowledgement.

A. Johnson.

Contents COMMON ENGLISH PROVERBS ..................................................................................................................... 1

PREFACE .................................................................................................................................................... 1

A - WORDS OF WISDOM ......................................................................................................................... 19

A bad penny always turns up. ** ........................................................................................................ 19

A contented mind is a perpetual feast. ** .......................................................................................... 19

A good conscience is a soft pillow. *................................................................................................... 19

A house divided against itself cannot stand. ...................................................................................... 19

A little is better than none.** ............................................................................................................. 19

A man is as old as he feels (himself to be). ** .................................................................................... 19

A miss is as good as a mile. ** ............................................................................................................ 19

A ragged coat may cover an honest man. .......................................................................................... 19

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. ** .......................................................................... 19

A stitch in time saves nine. ** ............................................................................................................. 19

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever. ** ................................................................................................. 20

A word to the wise is enough. * .......................................................................................................... 20

Adam’s ale is the best brew. ............................................................................................................... 20

Adversity makes strange bedfellows. * .............................................................................................. 20

After a storm comes a calm. * ............................................................................................................ 20

All is fish that comes to the net. ......................................................................................................... 20

All that glitters is not gold. ** ............................................................................................................. 20

All roads lead to Rome. * .................................................................................................................... 20

All’s well that ends well. ** ................................................................................................................. 20

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. ** .................................................................................. 20

Among the blind the one-eyed man is king. * .................................................................................... 20

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. ** ......................................................................................... 21

An army marches on its stomach. ** .................................................................................................. 21

An ounce of luck is better than a pound of wisdom. * ....................................................................... 21

Beauty is but skin-deep. ** ................................................................................................................. 21

Beggars’ bags are bottomless. ............................................................................................................ 21

Better be born lucky than wise. * ....................................................................................................... 21

Blood is thicker than water. ** ........................................................................................................... 21

Cheats never prosper. ** .................................................................................................................... 21

Circumstances alter cases. ** ............................................................................................................. 21

Comfort is better than pride. .............................................................................................................. 21

Coming events cast their shadows before. ** .................................................................................... 22

Custom rules the law. ......................................................................................................................... 22

Dreams go by contraries. * ................................................................................................................. 22

Each day brings its own bread. ........................................................................................................... 22

Empty vessels make the most noise. * ............................................................................................... 22

Even the weariest river winds somewhere safe to sea. ** ................................................................. 22

Everybody’s business is nobody’s business. ....................................................................................... 22

Every cloud has a silver lining. ** ....................................................................................................... 22

Every law has a loophole. ................................................................................................................... 22

Every man is his own enemy. .............................................................................................................. 22

Every man must carry his own cross. * ............................................................................................... 23

Every woman would rather be beautiful than good. .......................................................................... 23

Exchange is no robbery. ** ................................................................................................................. 23

Experience is the best teacher. * ........................................................................................................ 23

Experience must be bought. ............................................................................................................... 23

Extremes are dangerous. * ................................................................................................................. 23

Findings are keepings. ** .................................................................................................................... 23

Fingers were made before forks. ** ................................................................................................... 23

Fire is a good servant but a bad master. ** ........................................................................................ 23

First impressions are most lasting. ..................................................................................................... 23

Forbidden fruit is sweetest.** ............................................................................................................ 24

Fortune favours fools. ......................................................................................................................... 24

Fortune favours the brave. ................................................................................................................. 24

Fortune favours those who use their judgement. .............................................................................. 24

Fortune knocks once at everyone’s door. * ........................................................................................ 24

God made the country; man made the town. ** ............................................................................... 24

God never sends mouths but he sends meat. .................................................................................... 24

Good wine needs no bush.* ............................................................................................................... 24

Happy is the nation that has no history.* ........................................................................................... 24

Health is not valued till sickness comes. ............................................................................................. 24

He that is down need fear no fall. * .................................................................................................... 24

Hope springs eternal in the human breast.** .................................................................................... 25

If it were not for hope the heart would break. ................................................................................... 25

If the mountain will not go to Muhammed, then Muhammed must go to the mountain.* .............. 25

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.** .................................................................................... 25

Ill news comes apace.* ....................................................................................................................... 25

It is a long road that has no turning. ** .............................................................................................. 25

It is all in the day’s work.** ................................................................................................................. 25

It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. **................................................................................. 25

It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive.* ................................................................................... 25

It is easy to bear the misfortunes of others. ....................................................................................... 26

It is the first step that is troublesome.* .............................................................................................. 26

It takes all sorts to make a world.** ................................................................................................... 26

It will all be the same a hundred years hence.** ............................................................................... 26

Jack of all trades, master of none.** .................................................................................................. 26

Knowledge is power.** ....................................................................................................................... 26

Least said, soonest mended.* ............................................................................................................. 26

Life is not all beer and skittles.* .......................................................................................................... 26

Like draws to like the whole world over.* .......................................................................................... 26

Little things please little minds.** ...................................................................................................... 27

Long absent, soon forgotten. .............................................................................................................. 27

Lookers-on see most of the game.* .................................................................................................... 27

Love is blind.** .................................................................................................................................... 27

Man proposes; God disposes.** ......................................................................................................... 27

Many hands make light work.** ......................................................................................................... 27

Misfortunes never come singly.* ........................................................................................................ 27

Nature abhors a vacuum.* .................................................................................................................. 27

Necessity is the mother of invention.** ............................................................................................. 27

Necessity knows no law.** ................................................................................................................. 27

No man is a hero to his valet.* ........................................................................................................... 27

No man is indispensable.* .................................................................................................................. 28

Now news is good news. ** ................................................................................................................ 28

Nothing succeeds like success. ** ...................................................................................................... 28

Old customs are best. ......................................................................................................................... 28

Old shoes are easiest. ......................................................................................................................... 28

One half of the world does not know how the other half lives. * ...................................................... 28

One man’s meat is another man’s poison.** ..................................................................................... 28

Pity is akin to love.** .......................................................................................................................... 28

Possession is nine-tenths of the law,* or nine points of the law. ...................................................... 28

Prevention is better than cure. ** ...................................................................................................... 28

Rumour is a lying jade.* ...................................................................................................................... 29

Still waters run deep.** ...................................................................................................................... 29

Stolen fruit is sweetest. ...................................................................................................................... 29

Sweet are the uses of adversity.* ....................................................................................................... 29

The best things are hard to come by. ................................................................................................. 29

The better the day, the better the deed.* .......................................................................................... 29

The devil is not so black as he is painted.* ......................................................................................... 29

The devil looks after his own.** ......................................................................................................... 29

The exception proves the rule.* ......................................................................................................... 29

The higher up, the greater the fall. ..................................................................................................... 29

The King is dead: long live the King.** ................................................................................................ 30

The last drop makes the cup run over. * ............................................................................................ 30

The longest day must have an end.* .................................................................................................. 30

The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly small.* ..................................................... 30

The more the merrier.** .................................................................................................................... 30

The wish is father to the thought.* .................................................................................................... 30

There is a time for all things.* ............................................................................................................. 30

There is many a slip between cup and lip.** ...................................................................................... 30

There is many a true word spoken in jest. ** ..................................................................................... 31

There is no royal road to learning. * ................................................................................................... 31

There is no rule without an exception.* ............................................................................................. 31

There is no smoke without a fire.** ................................................................................................... 31

There is no time like the present.** ................................................................................................... 31

There’s a good time coming.** ........................................................................................................... 31

There’s safety in numbers.** .............................................................................................................. 31

They that live longest see most. ......................................................................................................... 31

Thoughts are free. ............................................................................................................................... 31

Time and tide wait for no man.**....................................................................................................... 31

Time flies.** ........................................................................................................................................ 32

To be forewarned is to be forearmed.* .............................................................................................. 32

To know the disease is half the cure.* ................................................................................................ 32

Tomorrow is another day.*................................................................................................................. 32

Tomorrow never comes.** ................................................................................................................. 32

True love never grows old.*................................................................................................................ 32

Truth is stranger than fiction. ** ........................................................................................................ 32

Truth lies at the bottom of a well. ...................................................................................................... 32

Truth will conquer.* ............................................................................................................................ 32

Two blacks do not make a white.**.................................................................................................... 32

Two heads are better than one. ** ..................................................................................................... 32

Two is company; three is none.** ...................................................................................................... 33

Two wrongs do not make a right.** ................................................................................................... 33

Union is strength.** ............................................................................................................................ 33

Virtue is its own reward.** ................................................................................................................. 33

Walls have ears.* ................................................................................................................................ 33

Well begun is half-done. ..................................................................................................................... 33

When poverty comes in at the door, love flies out at the window.* ................................................. 33

Where ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise.** ................................................................................ 33

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.** ............................................................................................... 33

Where (or while) there’s life there’s hope. ** .................................................................................... 33

Words are but wind, but seeing is believing.* .................................................................................... 34

You are never too old to learn.** ....................................................................................................... 34

You cannot see the wood for the trees.** ......................................................................................... 34

You can’t eat your cake and have it.** ............................................................................................... 34

You can’t get blood out of a stone.* ................................................................................................... 34

You dig your grave with your teeth. ................................................................................................... 34

You may drive a coach and four through an act of Parliament. ......................................................... 34

You may have too much of a good thing.* ......................................................................................... 34

You must not expect old heads on young shoulders.* ....................................................................... 34

You never know till you have tried.** ................................................................................................ 34

You never know your luck.** .............................................................................................................. 35

Youth and age will never agree.** ...................................................................................................... 35

Youth must have its fling..................................................................................................................... 35

B – BEHAVIOUR ....................................................................................................................................... 36

A bad excuse is better than none at all.* ............................................................................................ 36

A bad workman always blames his tools.** ....................................................................................... 36

A drowning man will catch at a straw.* .............................................................................................. 36

A fool may sometimes give a wise man a counsel. ............................................................................. 36

A good beginning is half the battle.* .................................................................................................. 36

A good name is sooner lost than won. ............................................................................................... 36

A merry heart goes all the way. * ....................................................................................................... 36

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.** ..................................................................................... 36

A rolling stone gathers no moss.** ..................................................................................................... 36

A soft answer turneth away wrath.* .................................................................................................. 36

A tale never loses in the telling. .......................................................................................................... 37

A white wall is a fool’s paper. ............................................................................................................. 37

A wilful man must have his way.* ....................................................................................................... 37

A wonder lasts but nine days.* ........................................................................................................... 37

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.** .......................................................................................... 37

Actions speak louder than words.** ................................................................................................... 37

All’s fair in love and war.** ................................................................................................................. 37

All truth is not always to be told. ........................................................................................................ 37

As a man makes his bed so must he lie.* ........................................................................................... 37

As well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb.* ................................................................................... 37

Bad excuses are worse than none. ..................................................................................................... 38

Beauty and folly are often companions. ............................................................................................. 38

Blessed is he that expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.* .......................................... 38

Brevity is the soul of wit.** ................................................................................................................. 38

Cleanliness is next to godliness.** ...................................................................................................... 38

Courtesy costs nothing........................................................................................................................ 38

Delays are dangerous. ......................................................................................................................... 38

Discretion is the better part of valour.** ........................................................................................... 38

Doing nothing is doing ill. .................................................................................................................... 38

Early to bed and early to rise, Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.** ....................................... 38

Everything comes to him who waits.** .............................................................................................. 38

Example is better than precept.**...................................................................................................... 39

Familiarity breeds contempt.** .......................................................................................................... 39

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.** ....................................................................................... 39

Friendship should not be all on one tide. ........................................................................................... 39

Give a fool enough rope and he will hang himself.* .......................................................................... 39

Give him an inch and he will take a yard.** ....................................................................................... 39

God helps those who help themselves.** .......................................................................................... 39

Good words are worth much and cost little. ...................................................................................... 39

Grasp all, lose all. ................................................................................................................................ 39

Great minds think alike.** .................................................................................................................. 39

Habit is second nature.* ..................................................................................................................... 39

Handsome is as handsome does.** .................................................................................................... 40

Haste is of the devil.* .......................................................................................................................... 40

Hasty climbers have sudden falls.* ..................................................................................................... 40

He gives twice who gives quickly.* ..................................................................................................... 40

He knows most who speaks least. ...................................................................................................... 40

He laughs best who laughs last.** ...................................................................................................... 40

He preaches best who lives best. ........................................................................................................ 40

He that fights and runs away / Lives to fight another day. ................................................................. 40

He that has a tongue in his head may find his way anywhere. .......................................................... 40

He that would command must serve. ................................................................................................. 40

He who hesitates is lost.** ................................................................................................................. 41

Honesty is the best policy.** .............................................................................................................. 41

If you cannot bite, never show your teeth. ........................................................................................ 41

It is a poor heart that never rejoices.** .............................................................................................. 41

It is good fishing in troubled waters.* ................................................................................................ 41

It is never too late to mend.** ............................................................................................................ 41

It is no use crying over spilt milk.** .................................................................................................... 41

Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone.* ............................................... 41

Listeners seldom hear good of themselves.* ..................................................................................... 41

Lovers' quarrels are soon mended. ..................................................................................................... 41

Manners make the man; or, Manners maketh man.** ...................................................................... 42

More haste, less speed.** .................................................................................................................. 42

Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast.* ............................................................................. 42

Needs must (go) when the devil drives.* ........................................................................................... 42

Nobody's enemy but his own. ............................................................................................................ 42

No fool like an old fool.** ................................................................................................................... 42

No man cries "stinking fish".* ............................................................................................................. 42

None so blind as those that will not see.* .......................................................................................... 42

None so deaf as those that will not hear.* ......................................................................................... 42

No offence taken when none is meant. .............................................................................................. 42

Nothing venture, nothing have.* ........................................................................................................ 42

Once a thief, always a thief.** ............................................................................................................ 43

One good turn deserves another.** ................................................................................................... 43

Other times, other manners.** .......................................................................................................... 43

Out of sight, out of mind.** ................................................................................................................ 43

Practice makes perfect.** ................................................................................................................... 43

Pride goes before a fall.* .................................................................................................................... 43

Punctuality is the politeness of kings.* ............................................................................................... 43

Rome was not built in a day.** ........................................................................................................... 43

Satan always finds work for idle hands.* ............................................................................................ 43

Self-praise is no recommendation.** ................................................................................................. 43

Set a beggar on horseback and he will ride to the devil. .................................................................... 43

Silence gives consent.** ..................................................................................................................... 44

Slow and steady wins the race.* ......................................................................................................... 44

Speech is silver, silence is golden.** ................................................................................................... 44

The end justifies the means.** ........................................................................................................... 44

The King can do no wrong.* ................................................................................................................ 44

The nearer the church, the farther from God. .................................................................................... 44

The road to hell is paced with good intentions.** ............................................................................. 44

Those that live in glass houses should not throw stones.** .............................................................. 44

Though I say it that shouldn't.** ........................................................................................................ 44

Tit for tat is fair play.* ......................................................................................................................... 44

What is worth doing at all is worth doing well.** .............................................................................. 45

When a man is going down-hill, everyone will give him a push. ........................................................ 45

When rogues fallout, then honest men come by their own.* ............................................................ 45

C – ADVICE .............................................................................................................................................. 46

Be just before you are generous. ........................................................................................................ 46

Be sure before you marry of a house wherein to tarry. ..................................................................... 46

Better be a fool than a knave. ............................................................................................................. 46

Better be alone than in ill company. ................................................................................................... 46

Better bend than break. ...................................................................................................................... 46

Better buy than borrow. ..................................................................................................................... 46

Better go to heaven in rags than to hell in embroidery...................................................................... 46

Better late than never.** .................................................................................................................... 46

Better lose the saddle than the horse. ............................................................................................... 46

Better to ask the way than go astray. ................................................................................................. 46

Better to wear out than rust out. ....................................................................................................... 46

Between two stools you fall to the ground.** ................................................................................... 47

Beware of no man more than thyself. ................................................................................................ 47

Call a spade a spade.** ....................................................................................................................... 47

Catch the bear before you sell its skin. ............................................................................................... 47

Choose a wife by your ear rather than by your rye. ........................................................................... 47

Cut your coat according to your cloth.** ........................................................................................... 47

Despise not your enemy. .................................................................................................................... 47

Do as I say, not as I do.** .................................................................................................................... 47

Do it now.** ........................................................................................................................................ 47

Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.** ................................................................... 47

Do not cry for the moon.* .................................................................................................................. 48

Do not cry out before you are hurt.* .................................................................................................. 48

Do not cut off your nose to spite your fan.** ..................................................................................... 48

Do not halloo till you are out of the wood. ........................................................................................ 48

Do not keep a dog and bark yourself.* ............................................................................................... 48

Do not keep all your eggs in one basket.** ........................................................................................ 48

Do not play with edged tools.* ........................................................................................................... 48

Do not quarrel with your bread and butter.* ..................................................................................... 48

Do not rob Peter to pay Paul.** ......................................................................................................... 48

Do not spur a willing horse.* .............................................................................................................. 48

Do not tell tales out of school.** ........................................................................................................ 49

Do not try to teach your grandmother to suck eggs.** ...................................................................... 49

Do not wear out your welcome. ......................................................................................................... 49

Do what is right, come what may. ...................................................................................................... 49

Give the devil his due.** ..................................................................................................................... 49

Go to bed with the lamb and rise with the lark. ................................................................................. 49

Go while the going is good.** ............................................................................................................. 49

Grin and bear it.** .............................................................................................................................. 49

Have two strings to your bow.** ........................................................................................................ 49

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.** ..................................................................................... 49

If the cap fits, wear it.* ....................................................................................................................... 49

Keep your mouth shut and your ears open.* ..................................................................................... 49

Kill not the goose that lays the golden eggs.** .................................................................................. 50

Kill two birds with one stone.** ......................................................................................................... 50

Kiss and he friends.* ........................................................................................................................... 50

Laugh and grow fat.** ........................................................................................................................ 50

Leave well alone.** ............................................................................................................................. 50

Let bygones be bygones. ** ................................................................................................................ 50

Let sleeping dogs lie.** ....................................................................................................................... 50

Let the cobbler stick to his last.** ...................................................................................................... 50

Live and leam.* ................................................................................................................................... 50

Live and let live.** .............................................................................................................................. 50

Live not to eat but eat to live.* ........................................................................................................... 50

Look after number one.* .................................................................................................................... 50

Look at the bright side.** ................................................................................................................... 51

Look before you leap.** ..................................................................................................................... 51

Love me little, love me long. ............................................................................................................... 51

Love me, love my dog.** .................................................................................................................... 51

Make haste slowly.* ............................................................................................................................ 51

Make hay while the sun shines.** ...................................................................................................... 51

Moderation in all things.* ................................................................................................................... 51

Neither a borrower nor a lender be.* ................................................................................................. 51

Never buy a pig in a poke.** ............................................................................................................... 51

Never cross a bridge till you come to it.* ........................................................................................... 51

Never do things by halves.* ................................................................................................................ 52

Never give advice unasked.................................................................................................................. 52

Never hit a man when he's down.** .................................................................................................. 52

Never look a gift horse in the mouth.** ............................................................................................. 52

Never meet trouble half way.* ........................................................................................................... 52

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.** ...................................................................... 52

Never refuse a good offer. * ............................................................................................................... 52

Never say" die"; up, man, and try.** .................................................................................................. 52

Never spoil a ship for a ha'porth of tar.* ............................................................................................ 52

Never swap horses in midstream.*..................................................................................................... 53

Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.* ............................................................................... 53

Of two evils choose the less.* ............................................................................................................. 53

Put your foot down where you mean to stand.* ................................................................................ 53

Put your shoulder to the wheel.** ..................................................................................................... 53

Save me from my friends.* ................................................................................................................. 53

Say nothing but think the more. ......................................................................................................... 53

Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.** ........................................................................................... 53

See Naples and die.** ......................................................................................................................... 53

Set a thief to catch a thief.** .............................................................................................................. 54

Share and share alike.* ....................................................................................................................... 54

Sleep over it.* ..................................................................................................................................... 54

Speak of a man as you find him.* ....................................................................................................... 54

Speak when you are spoken to; come when you are called.** .......................................................... 54

Strike while the iron is hot.** ............................................................................................................. 54

Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves.* ............................................. 54

Take no thought for the morrow.** ................................................................................................... 54

Tell a lie and stick to it. ....................................................................................................................... 54

Train up a child in the way he should go.** ....................................................................................... 54

Trust in God and keep your powder dry.** ........................................................................................ 54

Turn over a new leaf. ** ..................................................................................................................... 55

Waste not; want not.** ...................................................................................................................... 55

When in Rome do as the Romans do.** ............................................................................................. 55

Wink at small faults.* .......................................................................................................................... 55

D - HUSBANDS AND WIVES; CHILDREN AND FRIENDS; THE HOME ........................................................ 56

A burnt child dreads the fire.** .......................................................................................................... 56

A cheerful wife is the joy of life. ......................................................................................................... 56

A constant guest is never welcome. ................................................................................................... 56

A friend in need is a friend indeed. ** ................................................................................................ 56

A friend is easier lost than found. ....................................................................................................... 56

A good husband makes a good wife. .................................................................................................. 56

A good wife is a good prize. ................................................................................................................ 56

A man is known by his friends.** ....................................................................................................... 56

A woman's work is never done.** ...................................................................................................... 56

An Englishman's home is his castle.** ................................................................................................ 56

Books and friends should be few but good. ....................................................................................... 56

Boys will be boys. ** ........................................................................................................................... 57

Children and fools tell the truth. ......................................................................................................... 57

Children should be seen but not heard.** ......................................................................................... 57

Enough is as good as a feast. ** ......................................................................................................... 57

Faint heart ne'er won fair lady. ** ...................................................................................................... 57

False friends are worse than bitter enemies. ..................................................................................... 57

First come, first served. ** .................................................................................................................. 57

Fools build houses and wise men live in them. * ............................................................................... 57

God sends meat: the devil sends cooks. ............................................................................................. 57

Half a loaf is better than no bread. ** ................................................................................................ 57

Happy is he that is happy in his children. ........................................................................................... 58

Happy is the bride that the sun shines on. ......................................................................................... 58

Home is where the heart is. * ............................................................................................................. 58

Hunger is the best sauce. ** ............................................................................................................... 58

I know on which side my bread is buttered.* ..................................................................................... 58

Little pitchers have big ears.* ............................................................................................................. 58

Maidens should be meek till they are married. .................................................................................. 58

Marriages are made in heaven.* ........................................................................................................ 58

Marry in haste; repent at leisure. ** .................................................................................................. 58

Men make houses; women make homes. .......................................................................................... 58

None but the brave deserves the fair. * ............................................................................................. 58

Spare the rod and spoil the child. ** .................................................................................................. 59

The child is father of the man. * ......................................................................................................... 59

The pot calls the kettle black. * .......................................................................................................... 59

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. * ....................................................................................... 59

The watched pot never boils. * ........................................................................................................... 59

There is a skeleton in the cupboard. * ................................................................................................ 59

There's no place like home. ** ........................................................................................................... 59

Too many cooks spoil the broth. ** .................................................................................................... 59

Wash your dirty linen at home. * ....................................................................................................... 59

What's learnt in the cradle lasts till the tomb. ................................................................................... 59

You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs. * ...................................................................... 60

E - ANIMALS, BIRDS AND OTHER LIVING CREATURES ............................................................................. 61

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. ** ................................................................................. 61

A cat has nine lives. ** ........................................................................................................................ 61

A cat may look at a king. ** ................................................................................................................ 61

A living dog is better than a dead lion. * ............................................................................................ 61

A woman, a dog and a walnut tree, The more you beat them, the better they be.* ........................ 61

All his geese are swans........................................................................................................................ 61

All lay loads on a willing horse. * ........................................................................................................ 61

At night all cats are grey. * .................................................................................................................. 61

Barking dogs seldom bite. ................................................................................................................... 61

Birds of a feather flock together. ** ................................................................................................... 61

Care killed the cat. * ........................................................................................................................... 62

Dog does not eat dog. * ...................................................................................................................... 62

Dumb dogs are dangerous. ................................................................................................................. 62

Even a worm will turn. ** ................................................................................................................... 62

Every ass likes to hear himself bray. ................................................................................................... 62

Every dog has his day. ** .................................................................................................................... 62

Fine feathers make fine birds. ** ........................................................................................................ 62

Flies are easier caught with honey than with vinegar. ....................................................................... 62

Give a dog a bad name and hang him. * ............................................................................................. 62

God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. * ...................................................................................... 62

He daren't say "Boo" to a goose. * ..................................................................................................... 63

He has a bee in his bonnet. * .............................................................................................................. 63

He is like a fish out of water. * ............................................................................................................ 63

He runs with the hare and hunts with the hounds. * ......................................................................... 63

He who rides on a tiger can never dismount. ..................................................................................... 63

He who would hang his dog gives out first that it is mad.* ................................................................ 63

His bark is worse than his bite. ** ...................................................................................................... 63

If you run after two hares at once you will catch neither................................................................... 63

It is a dirty bird that fouls its own nest.* ............................................................................................ 63

It is too late to shut the stable door after the horse has been stolen.* ............................................. 63

It was the last straw that broke the camel's back. ** ......................................................................... 64

No bees, no honey; no work, no money. ............................................................................................ 64

Old birds are not caught with chaff.* ................................................................................................. 64

One may lead a horse to the water, but twenty cannot make him drink. **..................................... 64

One swallow does not make a summer. * .......................................................................................... 64

The cat would eat fish but is loth (unwilling) to wet her feet............................................................. 64

The early bird catches the worm. ** .................................................................................................. 64

"The grapes are sour", as the fox said when he could not reach them. ** ........................................ 64

The leopard cannot change its spots. ** ............................................................................................ 64

The old cow thinks she was never a calf. ............................................................................................ 64

There is a snake in the grass. ** ......................................................................................................... 65

There is life in the old dog yet. ** ....................................................................................................... 65

Trouble runs off him like water off a duck's back. * ........................................................................... 65

What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. ** .................................................................... 65

When the cat is away the mice will play. ** ....................................................................................... 65

Who will bell the cat? * ....................................................................................................................... 65

Why keep a cow when you can buy milk? * ....................................................................................... 65

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. ** ............................................................................. 65

You can't teach an old dog new tricks. ** .......................................................................................... 65

F - WEALTH .............................................................................................................................................. 66

A fool and his money are soon parted. ** .......................................................................................... 66

A thing you don't want is dear at any price. ....................................................................................... 66

A useful trade is a mine of gold. ......................................................................................................... 66

Adversity makes a man wise, not rich. ............................................................................................... 66

Best is cheapest................................................................................................................................... 66

Charity begins at home.** .................................................................................................................. 66

Content is better than riches. * .......................................................................................................... 66

Envy never enriched any man. ............................................................................................................ 66

Every little helps.** ............................................................................................................................. 66

Every man has his price.·** ................................................................................................................. 66

Gold will not buy everything. * ........................................................................................................... 66

Health is better than wealth. ** ......................................................................................................... 66

He is rich that has few wants. ............................................................................................................. 67

He that goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing. ..................................................................................... 67

He that pays the piper calls the tune. * .............................................................................................. 67

It is easier to get money than to keep it. ............................................................................................ 67

London streets are paved with gold. * ............................................................................................... 67

Money breeds money. * ..................................................................................................................... 67

Money is the root of all evil. ** .......................................................................................................... 67

Money is the sinews of war. * ............................................................................................................ 67

Money talks. * ..................................................................................................................................... 67

Nothing is cheap if you don't want it. ................................................................................................. 67

Penny wise, pound foolish. ** ............................................................................................................ 67

The more you have, the more you want.·** ...................................................................................... 68

Time is money. ** ............................................................................................................................... 68

G - THE WEATHER ................................................................................................................................... 69

A red sky at night is the shepherd's delight. * .................................................................................... 69

A red sky in the morning is the shepherd's warning.* ........................................................................ 69

A straw will show which way the wind blows. * ................................................................................. 69

Cast not a clout ere May be out. * ...................................................................................................... 69

Cloudy mornings turn to clear evenings. ............................................................................................ 69

Evening red and morning grey, are the signs of a fine day. ................................................................ 69

It never rains but it pours. ** .............................................................................................................. 69

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.* ....................................................................... 69

March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers. ** ............................................................ 69

Rain before seven, fine before eleven. ............................................................................................... 70

When the wind is in the east It's neither good for man nor beast. .................................................... 70

H - DEATH ................................................................................................................................................ 71

A man can only die once. * ................................................................................................................. 71

Cowards die many times before their deaths. ** ............................................................................... 71

Dead men tell no tales. * .................................................................................................................... 71

Death is the great leveller. .................................................................................................................. 71

Death pays all debts. ........................................................................................................................... 71

Dying is as natural as living. ................................................................................................................ 71

He that fears death lives not. .............................................................................................................. 71

He that is born to be hanged will never be drowned. * ..................................................................... 71

Murder will out. ** ............................................................................................................................. 71

Nothing is certain but death – and taxes,. .......................................................................................... 71

Remove an old tree and it will wither to death. ................................................................................. 72

Those whom the gods love die young. ** .......................................................................................... 72

Whom God will destroy he first makes mad.* .................................................................................... 72

Work won't kill but worry will. ............................................................................................................ 72

Note: * Indicates that the proverb is commonly known. ** Indicates that the proverb is very well known – known in fact by most English-speaking people.

A - WORDS OF WISDOM

A bad penny always turns up. **

A good-for-nothing person who leaves his home or town always returns. If a shopkeeper accepts a bad penny, he will return it to you when he discovers his mistake.

A contented mind is a perpetual feast. **

Contentment of mind is the cause of lasting happiness. (Even the greediest person would get tired of an unending feast, though a hungry person perhaps can imagine nothing more wonderful: anyway, the proverb praises and preaches contentment of mind.)

A good conscience is a soft pillow. *

A virtuous person, having nothing to fear from enemies, is able to sleep very well at night, unlike one who has crimes on his conscience. The proverb compares a good conscience to a soft pillow which is comfortable to the head and helps one to sleep peacefully.

A house divided against itself cannot stand.

If husband and wife, or parents and children, or children themselves do not work together for the good of the household, the result is unhappiness. The proverb applies equally to nations, and to society in general. Compare: Union is strength.

A little is better than none.**

Be satisfied with what you have – it is better than nothing. Compare: Half a loaf is better than no bread.

A man is as old as he feels (himself to be). **

If a man is healthy and strong, it does not matter much how old he is. Old people who still feel young and strong say this, especially when anyone suggests they are getting old.

A miss is as good as a mile. **

A failure is still a failure even though it came near to success.

A ragged coat may cover an honest man.

A man who wears rags is not necessarily dishonest. Poverty is not a sign of dishonesty; a man may be “poor but honest.”

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. **

The name is not necessarily an indication of the quality of an article. If a rose has another name its sweet smell would be the same; for the name is of no importance.

A stitch in time saves nine. **

Any damage should be repaired as soon as it occurs; if it is neglected it will quickly become much worse and cost more in time and trouble to repair. If a small tear in a garment is mended as soon as it appears, one stitch may be sufficient; but if it is left unmended it will get bigger and need nine stitches or more.

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever. **

Beautiful sights and sounds give joy for all. This joy lasts longer than the sight or sound – it lasts as long as the memory does.

A word to the wise is enough. *

When a wise person is given a warning, he understands at once and acts upon it; but stupid people require to be warned many times.

Adam’s ale is the best brew.

Water is the best drink. (“Adam’s ale” is an old term for water. A “brew” is a prepared drink; “to brew” is to prepare such a drink as tea or beer.)

Adversity makes strange bedfellows. *

When one meets misfortune and “comes down in the world” one becomes acquainted with strange companions who have also suffered misfortune.

After a storm comes a calm. *

Neither the weather nor people can remain disturbed for long; a calm must follow. A storm on land or sea is usually followed by calm weather. After excitement, or anger, or bitter grief, people become quiet and calm.

All is fish that comes to the net.

The fisherman can make use of every kind of fish that he catches, large and small, coarse or tender. The proverb reminds us to make use of every opportunity that comes our way.

All that glitters is not gold. **

Appearances are deceptive. Gold shines brightly in the light, but so does brass; and what looks like gold may be of little worth. Beware of being deceived by the appearance of things or people.

All roads lead to Rome. *

When the Romans ruled the whole of Europe they built a wonderful system of roads, and even when their empire had fallen the roads remained. It was true then and much later that every little road led to a bigger road which in time led to Rome, jus as every small stream finally flows into the sea.

All’s well that ends well. **

Fears and anxieties are forgotten if one’s aim is reached. The proverb is quoted when the end of a difficult journey or undertaking is achieved.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. **

Too much work and not enough play make a boy stupid. People, especially children, should not be kept at work for too long but should be given time for games and rest.

Among the blind the one-eyed man is king. *

There are degrees of misfortune; the same person may be pitied by some and envied by others.

Among blind people a one-eyed man is superior to all others; though a one-eyed man is pitied for his misfortune by two-eyed people.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. **

If you eat an apple every day you will remain healthy and not need a doctor. (But do not trust every proverb! An apple will not prevent you from catching malaria if you live among malaria-carrying mosquitoes!)

An army marches on its stomach. **

An army cannot march, or fight, unless it is fed. Supplies of food are as important to an army as arms and equipment.

An ounce of luck is better than a pound of wisdom. *

Success is sometimes due more to luck than to skill or wisdom. Certainly to be successful in life a certain amount of luck is necessary.

Beauty is but skin-deep. **

Beware of judging by appearances. Beauty in a person is mainly a matter of the outward appearance. Character is more important than beauty.

Beggars’ bags are bottomless.

Beggars are never satisfied; even if one person gives them something, they still ask the next person, and the next.

Better be born lucky than wise. *

Success depends more on luck than on wisdom. Compare: An ounce of luck is better than a pound of wisdom.

Blood is thicker than water. **

The ties of relationship are strong, and the relationship continues to exist even though seas may divide a family.

Cheats never prosper. **

Dishonest people never become prosperous and rich. Certainly many cheats are found out and punished, but equally certainly some of them prosper greatly. This is an example of a proverb which is only partly true. Compare: Honesty is the best policy.

Circumstances alter cases. **

Special circumstances may excuse one for behaving unusually. Special circumstances affect the application of the law. One person may be rewarded and another punished for doing the same thing but in different circumstances. Murder is a crime; but to kill an enemy in battle may be a brave and noble thing.

Comfort is better than pride.

Some people care more for their own comfort than for the opinion of others. Such people prefer comfortable old clothes to fine new ones, and would rather live in a small comfortable house than in a magnificent but uncomfortable palace.

Having little (false) pride, they do not care what others think of them.

Coming events cast their shadows before. **

A warning is often given before an important event takes place. Many people find that, when an important event has taken place, other, less important events have really been warning signs of it, unheeded at the time. Sometimes there are real indications, but people can also have a strange unexplained feeling that an important event will happen.

Custom rules the law.

The foundation of law is custom, and as customs change, so do the laws. As customs vary from country to country, so the laws of one country differ from those of another.

Dreams go by contraries. *

If you dream that something pleasant will happen, do not believe it: for something very unpleasant may well happen. Dreams do not foretell the future.

Each day brings its own bread.

Do not worry about the future – you will not go hungry. This proverb is not strictly true, for people have been known to die of hunger, but it is used when someone worries unnecessarily about the future.

Empty vessels make the most noise. *

Ignorant, stupid people talk oftener and more loudly than wise ones. An empty pot makes a loud noise when struck; a full one makes little noise.

Even the weariest river winds somewhere safe to sea. **

Even the unhappiest times come to an end. However long a river may be, it reaches the sea at last.

Everybody’s business is nobody’s business.

Unless it is known who is responsible for each particular task or duty, everybody will neglect it, believing that someone else is doing it.

Every cloud has a silver lining. **

There is some god in every evil; a misfortune may turn into a benefit. Behind every dark cloud the sun is shining; so the cloud is bright on one side though it is dark on the other. Compare: Look at the bright side.

Every law has a loophole.

There is at least one way of avoiding the penalties of any law. A “loophole” is a hole in a wall through which one can shoot at an attacking enemy, and which admits light and air. A clever lawyer can find a “hole” in every law.

Every man is his own enemy.

Everyone sometimes acts in a way that harms himself.

Every man must carry his own cross. *

In life every man has to bear his own burdens, to suffer his own troubles. The “cross” is a reference to the cross that Jesus Christ had to carry to the place of his death.

Every woman would rather be beautiful than good.

Women value their beauty higher than their virtue. (This is not true of all women, of course, though it is their nature to want to be beautiful.)

Exchange is no robbery. **

It is not a crime to take something if something else of the same value is left or given in its place. To force a worthless article on a person who dare not refuse it in exchange for something valuable is a kind of robbery. The proverb is usually quoted as a joke when two people make an exchange.

Experience is the best teacher. *

The best way to learn a job is to get experience by doing it. Training is necessary in all highly skilled work, but it is the experience after training that makes one really efficient.

Experience must be bought.

There is no way of getting experience except by paying for it with our own mistakes. Nobody can give us experience; we have to pay for it ourselves.

Extremes are dangerous. *

We should be moderate in our desires, our ambitions, our opinions and our activities. Concentrating too much on one thing can bring harm. Compare: Moderation in all things.

Findings are keepings. **

What you find, you have the right to keep. A person says this to justify keeping something he has found; but to do so, if it is of value, is a crime in countries such as England, where the law punishes a person for “stealing by finding.”

Fingers were made before forks. **

Man used his fingers for eating his food before forks were invented. The proverb is usually quoted as an excuse for an English child who picks up his food with his fingers instead of using a fork: it is something said by a grown-up person who does the same thing!

Fire is a good servant but a bad master. **

Fire under control is of great service to man: but if it gets out of control it is very destructive.

First impressions are most lasting.

When you meet somebody for the first time, or go to a new place, you receive certain impressions and form an opinion. These impressions last for a long time and are not easily forgotten even when further acquaintance shows you that your first impressions are wrong.

Forbidden fruit is sweetest.**

We imagine that things we cannot get must be very pleasant if we could only enjoy them; that is why we are often tempted to do what is forbidden. And if one does manage to obtain some “forbidden fruit” it seems to taste nicer than other fruit. The proverb is a reference to the “forbidden fruit” which Adam ate in the Garden of Eden; the fact that it was forbidden made him desire to eat it.

Fortune favours fools.

Fools have a lot of good luck. Compare: An ounce of luck is better than a pound of wisdom.

Fortune favours the brave.

Brave people deserve and get good luck.

Fortune favours those who use their judgement.

Good fortune comes to those who decide wisely after proper consideration. (This and Fortune favours fools contradict each other, but each may be true in different cases.)

Fortune knocks once at everyone’s door. *

A good opportunity comes at least once to everyone, so we should seize it when it comes.

God made the country; man made the town. **

Natural scenes are beautiful; man-made things like towns are often ugly. (Though nowadays artists and architects are doing their best to make towns more beautiful.)

God never sends mouths but he sends meat.

God provides food for all the babies that are born . Compare: Each day brings its own bread.

Good wine needs no bush.*

Goods of excellent quality need no advertisement, as the public soon learn about them and purchase them. In former times each kind of shop had a special sign hanging outside. The sign for a wine-shop was a bush, probably a picture of a vine. A wine-shop that sold very good wine needed no sign, for it soon became known to all.

Happy is the nation that has no history.*

It has been said that history is “a record of the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind.” If this is true, then a nation with no history is indeed fortunate, and should be happy.

Health is not valued till sickness comes.

Healthy people do not think about their health; they “take it for granted.” As soon as sickness comes they then value their previous good health. And this applies to simple happiness also; that is, health of the mind and spirit.

He that is down need fear no fall. *

Persons occupying humble positions in life are not troubled by the fear of being ruined; in this they differ from great, proud or rich people, who are often afraid of the future, which may bring their downfall.

Hope springs eternal in the human breast.**

A person always goes on hoping even after many disappointments. However desperate a situation may be, it is the nature of man to go on hoping and believing that matters will improve. This proverb is a quotation from the great English poet Pope, and the line which follows it, “Man never is, but always to be, blest” illustrates the next proverb too.

If it were not for hope the heart would break.

When circumstances are difficult, when we have suffered many disappointments, what prevents the heart from breaking is the hope that matters will improve.

If the mountain will not go to Muhammed, then Muhammed must go to the mountain.*

If the thing or person you want cannot or will not come to you, then you must go to it yourself. It is no good sitting down waiting for things to happen – go out and make an effort yourself. This is a reference to an old story that the prophet Muhammed desired a mountain to come to him, and when it did not, he went to the mountain.

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.**

It is no use to wish for what you cannot have. Many wishes are expressed every day – wishes for unobtainable things. If every wish were granted, even beggars would be able to ride like gentlemen. The proverb is usually quoted to a person who has expressed a wish for something he cannot have.

Ill news comes apace.*

Bad news travel quickly.

It is a long road that has no turning. **

A road that runs straight for many miles is very wearisome to travel on: but however long and straight it may run, it must have a turning somewhere. The proverb is quoted as an encouragement when one is weary of one’s work or situation: it is almost the same as “Nothing can last for ever.” Compare: Even the weariest river winds somewhere safe to sea.

It is all in the day’s work.**

Do not be discouraged if unforeseen difficulties arise in your work. The proverb is quoted as an encouragement to meet such difficulties cheerfully.

It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. **

The misfortunes of some bring benefits to others. For instance, a strong wind that blows down houses brings profitable work to carpenters and builders. An outbreak of fever puts money into the doctors’ pockets.

It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive.*

One finds great pleasure in looking forward to the end of a journey; though when one arrives, the looked-for pleasure is often less than was expected. The proverb is a reminder that most people get their greatest pleasure in trying to achieve their aims – and yet are often disappointed when they are successful.

It is easy to bear the misfortunes of others.

It may be difficult to bear our own misfortunes, but it is easy to bear those of others. Many persons find some satisfaction in the misfortunes of others, even in those of their friends. The cause of this feeling is not that they are really glad to see others in misfortune, but because they are pleased to have escaped trouble themselves.

It is the first step that is troublesome.*

The beginning is the most difficult part of any great work. A child learning to walk finds the first step very difficult; but when that step has been taken, then the next steps are easy. It is the same with any new kind of work or undertaking; it is hard at first but easier later.

It takes all sorts to make a world.**

The world’s population is made up of many different sorts of people. The proverb is quoted when one hears of someone else’s strange behaviour or character.

It will all be the same a hundred years hence.**

In a hundred years we shall all be dead and all our present cares and troubles will have disappeared, so we should not worry too much now. The proverb is a warning against being too anxious or worried about the present. (But does it bring any comfort, if you have toothache today, to know that you’ll be dead in a hundred years?)

Jack of all trades, master of none.**

He who works at many trades never becomes really expert at any one of them. It is better to be really skilful at one trade than to have a small knowledge of many. The proverb is used to describe the man who cannot persevere in one direction, but wastes his effort in many.

Knowledge is power.**

The more a man knows, the greater power he has. Knowledge and understanding of the forces of nature have given man his present great power.

Least said, soonest mended.*

By saying very little or keeping silence one may avoid getting into trouble. By saying too much one may bring trouble on oneself or one’s friends and may then find it difficult to repair the damage that has been done. Compare: Speech is silver; silence is golden.

Life is not all beer and skittles.*

Life contains troubles as well as pleasures, and we should all expect to meet difficulties in life as well as easy times. “Skittles” is a game; a workman enjoys his glass of beer and a game of skittles after his day’s work; he enjoys them all the more because he has earned them by hard work.

Like draws to like the whole world over.*

Persons of similar tastes and habits associate together. Compare: Birds of a feather flock together.

Little things please little minds.**

People with small minds like playing with little things and behaving like children. The proverb is quoted in mockery of persons who are pleased with childish things.

Long absent, soon forgotten.

A person absent for a long time is soon forgotten by his former acquaintances. (But compare: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.)

Lookers-on see most of the game.*

The spectators see more of a game than do the players. A general watching a battle from a distance sees more of it than the soldiers actually engaged in the fighting.

Love is blind.**

A lover sees no faults in the loved one. Cupid, the god of love, was pictured as a boy with cloth bound round his eyes, and a bow and arrows. He shot his “arrows of love” blindly, not knowing or caring whom they hit.

Man proposes; God disposes.**

Men make plans, but it is God who really decides what shall happen. Man is powerless against God’s wishes.

Many hands make light work.**

Work is easy when several people share it. (But compare: Too many cooks spoil the broth.)

Misfortunes never come singly.*

Misfortunes do not come one by one but many come together. Compare: It never rains but it pours.

Nature abhors a vacuum.*

Nature hates a vacuum, a space completely empty of air, and tries to fill it up. Nearly every part of the sea and land is the home of some form of plant or animal life.

Necessity is the mother of invention.**

The need for a new thing causes someone to invent it. All the great inventions have been made to meet certain great needs.

Necessity knows no law.**

In certain circumstances, even a virtuous person may be forced to break the law. For instance, great hunger may compel an honest person to steal.

No man is a hero to his valet.*

The personal servant of a great man has a lower opinion of him than that held by the public. A valet, a servant whose chief duty is to look after his master’s clothes, always knows the weak points in his character, points that are concealed from the public; so, to the valet, the master is never a hero. Compare: Familiarity breeds contempt.

No man is indispensable.*

However useful or important a person may be, another can always be found to fill his place. Some people think they are absolutely necessary to the organisation in which they work, but when they have to leave others are found to take their places.

Now news is good news. **

The absence of news is a sign that all is well. This proverb is quoted to comfort those waiting anxiously for news that may be bad but like many proverbs that make general statements, it is not always true.

Nothing succeeds like success. **

One success leads to another. When one has learned to achieve success it is easy to be continuously successful. For instance, the author of a successful book is likely to succeed with his next, even though it may not be as good as the first. He would not have succeeded again, had his name not been well known already.

Old customs are best.

New customs are not so good as old ones. This is said by old-fashioned people who disapprove of those customs of today which differ from those of former years.

Old shoes are easiest.

Old shoes are more comfortable than new ones. They may not be smart to look at, but old shoes are certainly more comfortable than new ones – and the same can be said of many other things. This proverb means much the same as the previous one. you think that your accustomed thoughts and habits are better than unfamiliar ones.

One half of the world does not know how the other half lives. *

We know very little about the ways of life of others. Besides knowing very little of how foreigners live in their countries, we know very little about the ways of life of other classes in our own country. Rich people cannot imagine how the poor live, nor can the poor imagine how the rich live.

One man’s meat is another man’s poison.**

One person may hate what another likes. What is good for one may be bad for another. (“Meat” here means food.)

Pity is akin to love.**

The feeling of pity is related to that of love. If you begin to feel sorry for someone, you are likely to begin to love him. A woman who feels sorry for a man may soon fall in love with him.

Possession is nine-tenths of the law,* or nine points of the law.

It is difficult for the law to take away what a man has got, even though his right to it is not very strong. The actual possessor of a house or land about which there is a legal dispute is more likely to win the case than his opponent.

Prevention is better than cure. **

It is better to take precautions and avoid illness than to fall ill and then get cured. It is better to prevent accidents of all kinds than to let them happen through carelessness and then try to repair the damage.

Rumour is a lying jade.*

Rumours are often untrue, so beware of believing them. (A “jade” is a weak, inferior horse; but the word is sometimes applied as a joke to a woman.)

Still waters run deep.**

A quiet manner may conceal a great depth of feeling or of knowledge. A deep stream makes no noise; but a shallow one, running quickly over rocks, makes a loud noise. A learned person talks little but knows a great deal, unlike an ignorant one who knows little, thinks little, but talks much. There may be great depths of character and feeling in a quiet person.

Stolen fruit is sweetest.

One is so pleased at getting something for nothing and at successfully running the risk of stealing it, that one enjoys something stolen more than something honestly obtained. Compare: Forbidden fruit is sweetest.

Sweet are the uses of adversity.*

Adversity, though very unpleasant in many ways, has some advantages. Misfortune and trouble teach one to be courageous, and to be sympathetic towards others in trouble. (This is a quotations from Shakespeare: the speaker is a philosopher who believes there is “good in everything”, even in misfortune.)

The best things are hard to come by.

The best things in life are hard to obtain; things such as true friendship, honour and wisdom.

The better the day, the better the deed.*

There is more virtue and merit in work done on a Sunday than in that done on weekdays. Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, and some religious people think it is sinful to work on that day. But some work has to be done on Sundays. If one is blamed for working on Sunday, this proverb may be quoted as an excuse. (But some people excuse their evil actions on a Sunday by quoting the proverb, too.)

The devil is not so black as he is painted.*

The devil (or any person of bad character) is not so bad as people say he is. In pictures Satan was always painted as a black person. The proverb is usually quoted in defence of a person whose character others are attacking.

The devil looks after his own.**

The devil takes care of wicked people and helps them to prosper. This proverb is usually quoted out of envy of people who succeed, and suggests that the reason for their success is that Satan is helping them.

The exception proves the rule.*

There are exceptions to every rule; if the exception is a very rare one, then the rarity of the exception proves that the rule, in nearly every case, is a good one. It is a rule in law that one man should not kill another; but in a very exceptional case killing may be justified.

The higher up, the greater the fall.

When they fall, great men fall farther than lesser men.

When a great man in ruined, he suffers more than an ordinary person, as his fall is much greater. Compare: He that is down need fear no fall.

The King is dead: long live the King.**

The former king is dead: may the new king have long life. The official proclamation that announces the death of one king ends with a wish for long life for the new king. The meaning of this proverb is that although the man who is king dies the office or duties of a king remain, and must be carried on without any break. Another form of the proverb is The King never dies.

The last drop makes the cup run over. *

A person can bear so much pain and trouble and no more. A cup can hold a certain amount of liquid and no more; the addition of one more drop makes the cup overflow. Compare: It was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

The longest day must have an end.*

Everything must have an end. However long and wearisome the day may be, evening must come at last. Compare: It’s a long road that has no turning, and: Even the weariest river winds somewhere safe to sea.

The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly small.*

God notices all our actions and in time will punish or reward every person, perhaps after many years, for the crimes he commits, or the good deeds he does. Mills grind corn into flour; all the corn that is put into a mill comes out later as flour.

The more the merrier.**

The more friends join us, the happier and more cheerful we shall be. This is usually said when urging a friend to come and join a party, or when the friend is unwilling to come because he thinks his presence may make the party too big.

The wish is father to the thought.*

We think that something is true because we wish it to be true: our wishes influence our beliefs. A poor man may believe he will be rich some day though he has no real reason for thinking so; in the same way one may believe that a sick friend will recover, though the doctor may not think so.

There is a time for all things.*

There is a suitable time and an unsuitable time for doing anything or behaving in a certain way. The proverb is quoted to blame someone who is behaving in a manner unsuitable to the occasion, as when a schoolboy plays when he should be studying.

There is many a slip between cup and lip.**

Do not be sure that all your expectations will be realised. Various accidents may prevent you from drinking what is already in your cup. Compare: Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

There is many a true word spoken in jest. **

Words spoken as a joke, in fun, may be quite true though they may not appear to be so when they are spoken. A person may be speaking seriously when he is apparently joking.

There is no royal road to learning. *

Learning cannot be obtained without hard work. When a king makes a journey, all difficulties in the road are made easy for him, so bay a “royal road” is meant an easy and comfortable way.

There is no rule without an exception.*

There is an exception to every rule. (This of course is not always true; for example, arithmetical rules (2 + 2 = 4) do not have exceptions. 2 + 2 are never 5). Compare: The exception proves the rule.

There is no smoke without a fire.**

There is usually some truth in a rumour, though the rumour may not be entirely true. If there is no fire there can be no smoke – so the existence of smoke proves the existence of fire.

There is no time like the present.**

The present is the best time for doing anything that has to be done. The proverb is a warning against postponing anything that must be done. Compare: Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today, and: Do it now.

There’s a good time coming.**

The future will be happier than the present. This is said as an encouragement to bear present misfortunes.

There’s safety in numbers.**

A large number of people acting together can avoid a danger which one person acting alone could not avoid. The meaning of the proverb is often changed and is used as a joke about a young man who is paying attention to many young women: he is in no danger of being captured (in marriage) by any one of them as long as he divides his attention among them all.

They that live longest see most.

Those that live to be old see and experience more than those who die young. This rather obvious proverb is quoted when an old man wishes to show how much more experienced he is than a young man.

Thoughts are free.

No one can prevent a person from thinking and believing as he likes, so long as he does not express his thoughts. (A free-thinker is one who does not hold the ordinary beliefs about God, heaven, etc.)

Time and tide wait for no man.**

If an opportunity is neglected it may not come again for a long time. The tide comes in and goes out according to natural laws, and a captain who wishes to sail out of harbour must sail when the tide is high; if he does not he has to wait till the next high tide. Time passes at its own pace and cannot be delayed or hastened.

Time flies.**

Time passes very quickly – so do not waste it.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed.*

A warning of approaching danger is very useful as it enables one to “arm” oneself against it and prepare to meet it.

To know the disease is half the cure.*

As soon as a sick person’s disease is known, then he may be given the proper treatment and be quickly cured. And the proverb applies to more than sick persons; if we know the causes of poverty or unhappiness, we can then try to remove them.

Tomorrow is another day.*

Another day will come after today, so do not behave as if today were the last day. We can be encouraged by the thought that although we may be unhappy and unsuccessful today, tomorrow may bring us happiness and success.

Tomorrow never comes.**

Tomorrow when it does come will be called “today”. Do today what you have to do, and don’t say, “I will do it tomorrow”, or this proverb will be quoted to you. Compare: There is no time like the present.

True love never grows old.*

If one person loves another really and truly, then his love will always remain the same and never weaken.

Truth is stranger than fiction. **

Things read in story-books are often strange and wonderful; but the facts and events of real life are even more strange and wonderful.

Truth lies at the bottom of a well.

It is very difficult to find out the real truth about a matter, just as it is very difficult, or even impossible, to recover something that has fallen to the bottom of a well.

Truth will conquer.*

People may be deceived by falsehood and lies for a time; but in the end the truth will appear and conquer falsehood.

Two blacks do not make a white.**

It is wrong to do a bad deed in return for a bad action done to you by another – two bad deeds are not the same as one good one. Compare: Two wrongs do not make a right.

Two heads are better than one. **

When in difficulty, ask for advice. Two persons in consultation may find the right answer to a problem.

Two is company; three is none.**

Two friends agree well together and are happy in each other’s company; the presence of a third may lead to quarrelling. The proverb is especially true in the case of young people of opposite sexes.

Two wrongs do not make a right.**

It is wrong to repay evil with evil. Both this and Two blacks do not make a white are warnings against breaking the law or the rules of morality because another person has done so.

Union is strength.**

Several people working together are much stronger than many working separately and without a plan to unify their efforts.

Virtue is its own reward.**

The reward of virtue is the satisfaction one feels because one is behaving morally, not the material reward that one may receive nor the punishment that one may avoid. The proverb is a warning not to expect rewards for acting virtuously, but to do so because that is the noblest way to behave.

Walls have ears.*

When speaking of secret or very important private affairs, be sure that no enemy can hear you. What is said may be heard by someone listening in the next room or behind a wall.

Well begun is half-done.

AS soon as a good beginning is made, the rest is easy. It is most important to start well when one is beginning a new task or undertaking, then the rest does not take much time. Compare: A good beginning is half the battle, and: It is the first step that is troublesome.

When poverty comes in at the door, love flies out at the window.*

Sudden poverty may ruin the happiness of a family; the wife may blame the husband and their love may not be strong enough to withstand misfortune.

Where ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise.**

Sometimes it is better not to know than to know. As long as a person remains in ignorance of certain events in the past, or the evil events that may happen in the future, he is likely to be happy. For instance, it is better for a person with a fatal illness not to know that he cannot recover.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.**

There is always some way of performing a difficult task if one has enough will and determination. The proverb is quoted when urging someone not to be discouraged by apparent difficulties.

Where (or while) there’s life there’s hope. **

As long as a sick person is not actually dead there is a possibility that he may recover. The proverb is also quoted as encouragement not to despair when it seems that success cannot be obtained.

Words are but wind, but seeing is believing.*

You cannot believe all that you are told; the only sure proof is to see for yourself. (Though, of course, we can see very little of what happens in the world. We have to trust, for example, reports in newspapers.)

You are never too old to learn.**

However old you may become, you can always learn new things. The proverb is quoted to older people who say they are too old to learn new things.

You cannot see the wood for the trees.**

It is difficult to get a general view of anything or to form a correct opinion about a whole matter if one is too much occupied with the various details. The sight of the individual trees that form the wood prevents one from seeing the whole wood properly. One must look at it from a distance where the individual trees will not prevent one from getting a general view.

You can’t eat your cake and have it.**

Many things can be enjoyed only once. When you have eaten a cake, it is gone; and it is foolish to regret that you have still not got it to eat.

You can’t get blood out of a stone.*

A man who has nothing cannot pay his debts or give anything away. The proverb is usually quoted by a person from whom money has been demanded, but who has none at all, or says he has none.

You dig your grave with your teeth.

By eating too much or unwisely you hasten your death. A person has a long or a short life according to what, and how much, he eats.

You may drive a coach and four through an act of Parliament.

It is easy to find “loopholes” in any law, and so defeat the purpose for which the law was made. A “coach and four” means a carriage drawn by four horses – such a coach can only be driven through a wide opening. Compare: Every law has a loophole.

You may have too much of a good thing.*

Good things are harmful if they are used to excess. For instance, wine and food are good things, but a person who eats and drinks too much may ruin his health. Listening to the radio is a good thing, but listening to it the whole day is not. Compare: Moderation in all things.

You must not expect old heads on young shoulders.*

A young person cannot be expected to behave as wisely as an old one.

You never know till you have tried.**

Do not admit defeat till you have tried. You never know whether or not you can perform any difficult task till you have tried to do it.

You never know your luck.**

You never know what good luck may come to you, so go on trying and hope for the best. Compare: Fortune knocks once at everybody’s door.

Youth and age will never agree.**

Old people and young people have different ideas and always criticise each other.

Youth must have its fling.

Young people must be allowed to gain their own experience; for they refuse to listen to advice. “Have its fling” means that youth behaves as wildly as it wishes.

B – BEHAVIOUR

A bad excuse is better than none at all.*

A bad excuse may or may not be accepted; but if no excuse is given for a fault or wrong action, blame or punishment is sure to follow.

A bad workman always blames his tools.**

A careless or unskilled worker blames his tools to excuse himself for bad work, whereas it is his own carelessness or lack of skill which is really to blame.

A drowning man will catch at a straw.*

Anyone in desperate circumstances tries every possible means of escape even though he knows it is not likely to be of any real use. A man who is drowning will seize anything floating near him, though it may be far too light to help him.

A fool may sometimes give a wise man a counsel.

Sometimes a fool, because of some special knowledge he has, is able to give good advice to a person much wiser than himself; and the wise person is sensible if he listens to the fool’s advice.

A good beginning is half the battle.*

When undertaking anything new, it is important that you should start with enthusiasm and energy; then you are more likely to succeed with the rest of the undertaking. Compare: Well begun is half done.

A good name is sooner lost than won.

The good name that took years to gain may be lost in a day. It takes anyone a long time to gain a good reputation; but he quickly loses it if he commits just one crime.

A merry heart goes all the way. *

Be cheerful and you will reach the end of your journey, or the end of your task, easily and successfully. But if you become miserable and discouraged, you will never finish anything successfully.

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.**

Repay an enemy for an injury he may have caused you – make him suffer in the same way. This is the ancient law of revenge. Nowadays we are taught that it is better to forgive our enemies.

A rolling stone gathers no moss.**

A person who frequently changes his occupation does not become rich; just as a stone that never stays long in one place gives no chance for moss to grow on it. A person who moves around, never staying in one job, is called a “rolling stone.”

A soft answer turneth away wrath.*

Speak gently to a person who is very angry with you and then his anger will be turned away from you, or come to an end.

A tale never loses in the telling.

People always exaggerate when telling of their experiences; they add details which perhaps never happened. By the time several people have repeated a tale, it is different from, and much longer than, the original. In the telling, a tale “gains” not “loses.”

A white wall is a fool’s paper.

Some people, usually young ones, cannot resist the temptation to write words or draw pictures on white walls. The proverb says that such people are fools.

A wilful man must have his way.*

A man with a strong will, one who pursues his aims determinedly, usually gets what he wants in spite of the objections of others, who may be wiser than he. Compare: Where there’s a will there’s a way.

A wonder lasts but nine days.*

People talk about a wonderful event for a few days only; then they forget about it or talk about something else. A very unusual event that is talked about by all is called a “nine days’ wonder.”

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.**

Affection for a friend or lover increases when he is absent; his good points are remembered and his faults are forgotten. (But this seems to be contradicted by: Out of sight, out of mind, and by: Long absent, soon forgotten.)

Actions speak louder than words.**

A person is known and judged more by his actions than by his words.

All’s fair in love and war.**

It is quite fair to play cunning and even dishonest tricks on one’s rivals in love and on one’s enemies during a war. (Many honourable people do not agree with this, considering that even war should be waged according to certain rules.)

All truth is not always to be told.

It is not always necessary to tell a friend all his faults, or to admit all one’s own mistakes and follies. Sometimes it is wise to conceal part of the truth, especially if telling the truth would cause sorrow or trouble of any kind to others.

As a man makes his bed so must he lie.*

A person must take the responsibility for, and suffer from, the results of his own unwise actions; just as a man who “makes his bed” badly will certainly sleep uncomfortably.

As well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb.*

If the punishment is the same whether one commits a small or great crime in trying to benefit oneself, then there is no reason for not committing the greater crime. A robber who breaks into a jeweller’s shop takes as much as he can; for he will be severely punished, if caught, whatever he steals – and while collecting as much as he can he may quote the proverb to himself. In former times sheep-stealing was punished by hanging, whether the sheep stolen was young or old. So as the sheep-stealer was risking death in any case, he naturally stole a large sheep, not a small lamb.

Bad excuses are worse than none.

A bad excuse will not be believed and will be recognised as a lie, so the punishment for wrong-doing may be increased. But compare: A bad excuse is better than none at all, which says the opposite.

Beauty and folly are often companions.

Some beautiful women and girls, because they receive much praise and attention, behave more foolishly than others.

Blessed is he that expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.*

Avoid disappointment by being very moderate in your hopes and ambitions; for disappointment may make you unhappy.

Brevity is the soul of wit.**

To be witty one must say very much in very few words. (“Brevity” is shortness; “wit” is cleverness in speech.)

Cleanliness is next to godliness.**

Cleanliness comes next in importance to virtue. One should try first to live a moral life, and then to be clean in one’s appearance and habits.

Courtesy costs nothing.

Always be polite and courteous to others; such behaviour costs nothing but is worth much.

Delays are dangerous.

When a thing has to be done, do it quickly; for it is often dangerous to delay. Compare: There is no time like the present, and: Do it now. (But sometimes it is wise not to be hasty.)

Discretion is the better part of valour.**

Caution is the mark of true bravery; therefore it is wise not to be foolishly brave. A coward may quote this to justify running away from danger. Compare: He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.

Doing nothing is doing ill.

There is no excuse for doing nothing – laziness is bad behaviour. This is usually said to young people to blame them for doing nothing. Compare: Satan always finds work for idle hands.

Early to bed and early to rise, Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.**

Health, wealth and wisdom result from the habit of going to bed early and getting up early in the morning.

Everything comes to him who waits.**

The person who knows how to wait patiently gets all his desires in time. While waiting, however, he must do his best to obtain his desires, for Doing nothing is doing ill.

Example is better than precept.**

People are more influenced by good examples than by good advice.

Familiarity breeds contempt.**

It is natural to respect others, especially one's superiors; but when one becomes familiar with them, knows them better and sees their weak points, then one loses one's respect for them and may even despise them. Compare: No man is a hero to his valet.

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.**

Foolish people are not prudent; they hastily say and do things that wise people avoid. “Angels” here means people of superior wisdom. The proverb warns us against being over-hasty in words and actions.

Friendship should not be all on one tide.

If you receive benefits from a friend, you should try to repay him in some way. A “one-sided friendship” is when one person does all the giving and the other all the taking.

Give a fool enough rope and he will hang himself.*

If a fool is given enough opportunity and is not stopped in any way, he is sure to ruin himself. (Horses and boats are secured by ropes; if a horse has “enough rope” it can move freely – so can a boat.)

Give him an inch and he will take a yard.**

Certain persons are not satisfied with small favours granted them, but take larger ones without asking for permission. If you lend such a person your bicycle, tomorrow he may take your car without permission. Invite him to tea and he will stay (unasked) to supper.

God helps those who help themselves.**

If you want God's help you must make an effort yourself. This is perhaps better advice than: Everything comes to him who waits.

Good words are worth much and cost little.

Speak kindly to others and about them; it costs nothing to speak kind words. Compare: Courtesy costs nothing.

Grasp all, lose all.

By trying to get too much one may lose everything. (There is an old story about a monkey whose hand was full of nuts; in trying to take up some more, he opened his hand and lost those he had.)

Great minds think alike.**

Very clever persons often think in the same way and come to the same conclusions or decisions. (This is another example of a half-true proverb.)

Habit is second nature.*

We perform the same action day after day, then the action becomes a habit and we perform it without thinking about it. Bad habits, like smoking too much, are difficult to break. When a habit becomes part of a person's daily life, he performs it as if it were part of his nature.

Handsome is as handsome does.**

It is wrong to call a good-looking man “handsome” if he lives an evil life. The proverb stresses the fact that good conduct is of more importance than good looks. Compare: Beauty is but skin deep.

Haste is of the devil.*

Haste leads one into error. It is often wiser to be “slow but sure.”

Hasty climbers have sudden falls.*

A person who climbs a dangerous mountain quickly and without due care is likely to have an accident and fall. People who become rich or rise in the world very quickly may meet with misfortune, or they may arouse jealousy in others who will succeed in ruining them.

He gives twice who gives quickly.*

Immediate help is twice as useful as postponed help. A charitable person who relieves distress as soon as he sees it gives a double benefit.

He knows most who speaks least.

A person's knowledge should not be judged by the amount of his speech. Compare: Still waters run deep. This may be true of some learned people who do not take part in conversation about small matters; but some ignorant people speak very little because they have nothing to say.

He laughs best who laughs last.**

The one who is able to laugh with joy at final victory has a better reason for laughter than his rival or enemy who laughed at an early triumph. The proverb is usually quoted as encouragement to a man who has had an early failure (and been laughed at), and reminds him that after finally succeeding he will be able to laugh at his rivals.

He preaches best who lives best.

The best preacher is the one who sets the best example. Compare: Example is better than precept.

He that fights and runs away / Lives to fight another day.

By withdrawing from the battlefield, a soldier saves his life and will be able to fight again when conditions are more favourable. Compare: Discretion is the better part of valour.

He that has a tongue in his head may find his way anywhere.

You need not lose your way if you are willing to ask for guidance; so if you are not sure of the way, do not hesitate to ask for help in finding it. The proverb applies to many other difficulties than merely losing your way.

He that would command must serve.

One must learn to obey orders before one is fit to give them. An officer who has been an ordinary soldier is not likely to give foolish orders or to treat his men unfairly.

He who hesitates is lost.**

Hesitation causes one to lose one's chances. Compare: Strike while the iron is hot, and: Do it now.

Honesty is the best policy.**

Honesty is always better in business than dishonesty because it makes people trust you and deal with you. Compare: Cheats never prosper.

If you cannot bite, never show your teeth.

Avoid empty threats. If you do not intend to attack, do not threaten; for you may cause your enemy to attack you and he will easily defeat you.

It is a poor heart that never rejoices.**

Every person should find joy in life at some time or other. The proverb suggests that even the most miserable person must occasionally see good in life.

It is good fishing in troubled waters.*

A fisherman is more likely to catch fish in rough or troubled water than in calm clear water where the fish can see him and his hook. A third person may often profit from interfering in the quarrel of two others. Such interference, seeking profit for oneself, is called "fishing in troubled waters".

It is never too late to mend.**

However old a person may be and however fixed he may be in his bad habits, he still has time in which to reform and improve his conduct. An old coat or an old pair of shoes may be full of holes but they can still be mended.

It is no use crying over spilt milk.**

When milk has been spilt accidentally it can never be recovered, so weeping about it will not help. When we have made mistakes through carelessness, or suffered loss that cannot be recovered, we should not waste our time weeping or regretting what has happened, but should "make the best of it" and be more careful in the future.

Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone.*

When you are happy and cheerful you find plenty of companions to share your joy; but when you are in sorrow none of your companions wish to share your unhappiness and you have to bear it alone.

Listeners seldom hear good of themselves.*

A person who listens secretly to the conversation of others may hear them discussing his faults; he is unlikely to hear them praising him. The proverb is a warning against "listening in" to the conversation of others.

Lovers' quarrels are soon mended.

Lovers may quarrel, but having quarrelled, they soon become friends again.

Manners make the man; or, Manners maketh man.**

A man is judged not so much by his character as by his manners-his manners cause others to form their opinion of him. The proverb stresses the importance of good manners in dealing with others, and the serious consequences of bad manners.

More haste, less speed.**

The old meaning of" speed" was success; the proverb originally meant that too much haste caused failure – and it still means this. If one is too hasty one may make errors and be compelled to start all over again, so the task may take longer than if one had been II slow but sure". Compare: Make haste slowly.

Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast.*

Music has the magic power of taking away anger (Though this is only one of the many effects of music on the mind and spirit).

Needs must (go) when the devil drives.*

One must give way to superior force. When the devil or unavoidable circumstances are forcing one, one cannot refuse or resist a certain line of action.

Nobody's enemy but his own.

This is said of a person who is good-hearted but unwise. His troubles result from his own foolishness, not from the actions of others, for he has no enemies.

No fool like an old fool.**

An old person who behaves foolishly is even more foolish than a young fool. Old people do sometimes become extremely foolish, and the proverb is quoted with reference to any old person who behaves in this way.

No man cries "stinking fish".*

No merchant ever calls attention to the poor qualities of his goods. Fish "stinks" when it begins to go bad; no fish merchant ever says that his fish is stinking.

None so blind as those that will not see.*

Nobody is so blind as the person who refuses to see what he does not wish to see. The proverb is often applied to obstinate people who can only see one side (their own) of a case.

None so deaf as those that will not hear.*

He who does not wish to hear or understand something, pretends to be deaf; then he is deafer than a really deaf person, and cannot be forced to hear. This proverb has the same application as the previous one.

No offence taken when none is meant.

We should not feel offended by a man's words or deeds if he did not intend to offend us in any way. To "take offence" is to consider oneself insulted. Sometimes a man offends another unintentionally; in such a case the offence should not be noticed.

Nothing venture, nothing have.*

To gain something one must risk something. If a person is unwilling to risk his money, he is not likely to gain a fortune. One must take risks of some sort to gain one's desires.

Once a thief, always a thief.**

A thief cannot change his habits or character and will always remain a thief. (But is it always true that bad habits cannot be changed, or bad characters improved?)

One good turn deserves another.**

One kind action deserves another in return. A person who does a kindness to another deserves to have a kindness done to himself in return.

Other times, other manners.**

As times change, so do manners. Our own manners and customs are different from those of our forefathers.

Out of sight, out of mind.**

Absent friends are soon forgotten. (But Absence makes the heart grow fonder says the opposite.)

Practice makes perfect.**

By often repeating any difficult operation, one becomes able to perform it perfectly. By practising, one learns to avoid mistakes, to improve, and finally to become perfect.

Pride goes before a fall.*

Very proud people should beware; they are likely to become over-confident in themselves, to make errors or offend others, and thus ruin themselves.

Punctuality is the politeness of kings.*

Kings show politeness and consideration for their subjects by always being punctual; thus they do not keep crowds waiting. A thoughtful king keeps his engagements punctually because he remembers that crowds wait in the streets and elsewhere to see him i he appears neither before nor after the time announced. Others besides kings should be punctual.

Rome was not built in a day.**

It took hundreds of years to build Rome. The proverb is usually quoted by a person who has been blamed for slow work, or to a person who is impatient at not being immediately successful in what he tries to do.

Satan always finds work for idle hands.*

If we have nothing to do we begin to do bad things; it is Satan, the devil, that suggests things for us to do. The proverb suggests that (young) people should be kept busy with work or play, otherwise they will get into mischief.

Self-praise is no recommendation.**

A person who praises himself is not believed. We tend to despise anyone who" sings his own praises ".

Set a beggar on horseback and he will ride to the devil.

A person who suddenly becomes rich or an unimportant person who suddenly "rises in the world" may behave very extravagantly and foolishly and so ruin himself. Only rich persons used to ride horses; beggars were not accustomed to them and did not know how to ride properly. A" beggar on horseback" sometimes rode so fast that he was thrown off and seriously injured.

Silence gives consent.**

If a request is made of a person and he says nothing, he may be understood to consent or agree. A lady who remains silent when asked for a favour thereby consents.

Slow and steady wins the race.*

To achieve success a slow but steady effort is required. The proverb refers to the race between the hare and the tortoise i by going slowly but steadily the tortoise won the race against the hare, which ran swiftly part of the way and then rested and fell asleep.

Speech is silver, silence is golden.**

Silence is better than speech in some circumstances. The proverb is usually quoted to children who talk too much.

The end justifies the means.**

If the purpose is good, then we are justified in adopting any methods, even immoral ones, to gain it; for the end wilt justify the means. (Many virtuous people strongly disagree with this, considering that only good means should be used to gain good ends.)

The King can do no wrong.*

As the King is "above the law", he cannot be tried, so whatever he does is not a crime in the eyes of the law. A king must be deposed before he can be tried for doing wrong.

The nearer the church, the farther from God.

Those living near the church are worse than those living at a distance. This may be said of a priest's son who behaves wickedly. (But it is one of those proverbs which are true in only a few cases out of many.)

The road to hell is paced with good intentions.**

Many people have ruined themselves or "gone to hell" because they had weak wills, not because they were really wicked. They formed good intentions but were not strong-willed enough to carry them out. The proverb warns that good intentions by themselves are not sufficient; to avoid "going to hell" one also needs determination besides good intentions.

Those that live in glass houses should not throw stones.**

We should not blame others for the faults we possess ourselves. Glass houses are easily damaged, so one who lives in such a house should not throw stones at his neighbour's house, or his neighbour wilt throw stones back and do more damage than he himself has suffered. A person who can be easily harmed should not try to harm others.

Though I say it that shouldn't.**

I ought not to praise myself. A modest person adds this when he has just made a statement that seems to praise himself.

Tit for tat is fair play.*

It is quite fair to pay back a small injury that one has suffered from another. Compare: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

What is worth doing at all is worth doing well.**

lf something should be done or is worth doing, then do it as well as you can. (And if a thing is not worth doing, don't do it!) Compare: Never do things by halves.

When a man is going down-hill, everyone will give him a push.

When a man is ruining himself by his foolish behaviour, or is having bad luck, other people often hasten his ruin instead of helping him.

When rogues fallout, then honest men come by their own.*

When thieves and criminals quarrel with one another, then honest people profit, and may recover their stolen property. ("Come by" means to obtain.)

C – ADVICE

Be just before you are generous.

A person should pay his debts before he begins to give presents or even help the poor.

Be sure before you marry of a house wherein to tarry.

Before getting married, find a house to live in. A young married couple should have their own home and not live with the parents of either of them.

Better be a fool than a knave.

A knave, a wicked dishonest person, is likely to end in prison, so it is better to be a fool than a knave.

Better be alone than in ill company.

It is better to be by yourself than with bad companions.

Better bend than break.

It is often wise to give way to the wishes of others, especially to the wishes of those in authority; for to oppose them might bring ruin upon oneself. The small trees that bend before the wind are not harmed by the storm; the stiff bigger trees may be blown down.

Better buy than borrow.

It is better to buy for yourself what you want and not depend on others. If you borrow an article you may lose it, or break it, or forget to return it-this may lead to a quarrel with the lender.

Better go to heaven in rags than to hell in embroidery.

It is better to remain virtuous and poor (and go to heaven later) than become rich dishonestly (and later go to hell). (Embroidery is a form of decoration on cloth and in former times was worn only by the rich.)

Better late than never.**

It is better to arrive late than never to arrive at all, or be late in the performance of anything rather than never do it. The proverb is usually quoted to a person who has apologised for being late. (Another proverb, derived from this one, is: But better, never late.)

Better lose the saddle than the horse.

Sometimes by sacrificing a little, one may avoid a much greater loss. When a rider is fleeing from his enemies and his horse is very tired, he may save its life and his own by throwing away the heavy saddle. By throwing some of the cargo into the sea the captain may save his ship when in danger.

Better to ask the way than go astray.

It is always better to ask the way to a place than wander about, trying to find it. "To go astray" is to lose the right way and be lost. Some people dislike asking others for advice, being confident in their own ability. When in doubt, ask.

Better to wear out than rust out.

It is better to wear oneself out with hard work than to become feeble through laziness and inactivity.

By "to rust out" is meant to become useless through rust and disuse – as a metal tool does if it is not used. A person who does no work, mental or physical, may lose his powers of mind and body; this state should be avoided at all costs.

Between two stools you fall to the ground.**

A person who cannot decide which of two courses to follow, or who tries to follow two courses at the same time, may fail to follow either. A person who tries to sit on two stools at the same time may fall to the ground between them.

Beware of no man more than thyself.

Do not be over-confident in your abilities; for all persons have faults and weakness and so are liable to make mistakes.

Call a spade a spade.**

Speak frankly and clearly and call unpleasant things by their real names. Instead of saying that So-and-so is "not very honest", say that he is a thief; instead of saying that someone "has little respect for the truth," say that he is a liar.

Catch the bear before you sell its skin.

Make sure that you can do a certain action before you promise to do it, and do not be too confident that your future hopes will be realised. The hunter who received money for the bear's skin, and spent it, and then failed to catch the bear, found himself in a very awkward situation. Compare: Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.

Choose a wife by your ear rather than by your rye.

Choose as a wife one who has a pleasant voice, rather than one who has a pretty face; for a pleasant voice usually goes with a pleasant character. Beauty in a wife is desirable, but other qualities are more important and last longer.

Cut your coat according to your cloth.**

Live according to your income, for you cannot live like a rich man if your income is small. When making a coat, design it according to the amount of cloth you have; you cannot make a big coat out of a small piece of cloth.

Despise not your enemy.

Do not underestimate your enemy or your opponent's strength, or he may defeat you. It is always wiser to overestimate than to underestimate him.

Do as I say, not as I do.**

Do as I advise, not as I myself behave. My advice is good though I may not always follow it myself.

Do it now.**

Do not postpone doing what you can do now.

Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.**

Do not be over-optimistic and behave as if all your hopes will be realised. It is a mistake to assume that you will have ten chickens because your hen is sitting on ten eggs; some of them may not hatch.

Compare: Catch the bear before you sell its skin.

Do not cry for the moon.*

Do not ask for something which you cannot possibly get. A baby may sometimes see the moon and cry out for it. Some people make themselves unhappy by desiring things they cannot possibly have.

Do not cry out before you are hurt.*

Wait until you actually suffer pain or misfortune before you cry out or complain. It is cowardly to cry out before you receive an expected punishment; so show courage and perhaps the expected pain or misfortune may never come.

Do not cut off your nose to spite your fan.**

To be revenged on an enemy do not behave in such a way that you injure yourself more than you injure him. (The man who burned down his own house to avoid paying the house-tax to the government "cut off his nose to spite his face")

Do not halloo till you are out of the wood.

Do not rejoice tilt you are sure that your difficulties are at an end. A man lost in a wood may cry "halloo" for joy when he thinks he is coming to the edge of it: then when he finds more trees in front of him he is very disappointed and is unhappier than before.

Do not keep a dog and bark yourself.*

Do not perform your servant's work for him. Dogs used to be kept mainly as watch-dogs to bark at the approach of a stranger-as they still are in many countries; whereas in England they are now kept mainly as pets.

Do not keep all your eggs in one basket.**

Do not keep all your money in one place, or invest all of it in one business. It is better to divide it so that it will be impossible for you to lose all of it at once. All your "eggs" may be broken if they are kept in one basket and it falls to the ground, so it is better to avoid total loss by dividing the risk, and using several baskets.

Do not play with edged tools.*

Do not take risks with dangerous articles or put yourself into a position that may be dangerous. Edged tools are sharp tools meant for work in careful, skilful hands; it is dangerous to play with them.

Do not quarrel with your bread and butter.*

Do not foolishly leave or get dismissed from the work at which you earn your living. Your" bread and butter" means your daily food.

Do not rob Peter to pay Paul.**

To repay a debt to one person, do not rob somebody else or even borrow from him; that is not the way to get out of debt.

Do not spur a willing horse.*

A worker who is doing his best should be left alone and not urged to work harder. A "spur" is the sharp instrument fixed to a horseman's heel: he "spurs" his horse to make it go faster.

Do not tell tales out of school.**

One schoolchild should not talk "out of school" about the offences or mistakes of another child "in school"; and should certainly not tell the other child's parents about them. To "tell tales" usually means to repeat stories that may be harmful to another. Nobody loves a tale-bearer. The advice is usually addressed to schoolchildren.

Do not try to teach your grandmother to suck eggs.**

Do not try to instruct persons older and more experienced than yourself. The simplest way to eat an egg without cooking it is to make a hole in each end and suck at one of them. Your grandmother probably did this when she was a child, so don't try to teach her so simple a thing.

Do not wear out your welcome.

A guest should not stay so long that his host begins to wish that he would go.

Do what is right, come what may.

Do what is right and just and never mind what the consequences may be.

Give the devil his due.**

When anyone – even a bad person – does a good deed give him the praise he deserves. Give all people praise or reward when they have earned it.

Go to bed with the lamb and rise with the lark.

Go to bed early and get up early. Lambs go to sleep at sunset i larks wake at sunrise, fly high in the sky and begin to fling. Compare: Early to bed and early to rise.

Go while the going is good.**

Make your escape out of danger or difficulty while you still have the opportunity; if you delay you may be unable to get away.

Grin and bear it.**

Do not weep or complain when misfortune comes; smile and bear it cheerfully.

Have two strings to your bow.**

It is wise to have two plans for future use; if one fails the other may succeed. A person should learn two trades, then if he cannot find work at one trade he may turn to the other. In the old days, if a bowman had only one string to his bow and it broke, he was unable to shoot any more arrows; the bowman who had a spare string was able to continue shooting.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.**

Never give way to despair if you fail time after time. Go on trying and perhaps success will come.

If the cap fits, wear it.*

If you feel that a criticism made of others also applies to yourself, take notice of it and change your conduct.

Keep your mouth shut and your ears open.*

Speak little but listen well to what others say. Compare: Speech is silver; silence is golden.

Kill not the goose that lays the golden eggs.**

lf your business is bringing you good profits, be satisfied; do not try to double your profits or you may ruin your business. The proverb refers to the foolish woman who killed the goose that daily laid a golden egg, in order to get all the eggs inside it at once – and so got no more eggs.

Kill two birds with one stone.**

Achieve two objects with one action. The sick merchant who went abroad for his health and did some business in the country he visited "killed two birds with one stone".

Kiss and he friends.*

After a quarrel make peace.

Laugh and grow fat.**

Laugh a great deal and you will become fat. Fat people are often very cheerful, so if you laugh a lot you may become fat. (Doctors will probably say this is rubbish. The proverb is just a little encouragement to be cheerful.)

Leave well alone.**

Don't do anything to interfere with a peaceful situation. If a machine or engine is working properly, do not interfere with it. Compare: Let sleeping dogs lie.

Let bygones be bygones. **

Do not remember the past faults and offences of others. Forgive and forget.

Let sleeping dogs lie.**

In conversation do not introduce a subject that may cause a quarrel. If a fierce dog is asleep, don't waken it or it may bite you. Compare: Leave well alone.

Let the cobbler stick to his last.**

A person should concern himself with his own trade or occupation and should not engage in, or give advice about, other trades or occupations. A "cobbler" is a shoe-mender; his "last" is the form on which he puts the shoe he is mending. If a cobbler tries to engage in, or give advice about, other kinds of work, he will show his ignorance and wish that he had" stuck to his last".

Live and leam.*

As long as you live there will be new things to learn. This is usually said by someone who has just learned something which he did not know before.

Live and let live.**

Do not harm others in any way and then they will not harm you. Live at peace with others.

Live not to eat but eat to live.*

Eating should not be the main purpose of life; you should eat only that you may live a useful life.

Look after number one.*

Work and act for your own benefit, not for the benefit of others. ("Number one" is oneself; but a person who always looks after his own interests and cares nothing for the interests of others is very selfish.)

Look at the bright side.**

Be optimistic. There are two sides to everything standing in the sunshine, a bright side and a dark side, just as there is a bright side to a dark cloud. A cheerful person is optimistic about the present and the future; a pessimist always looks "at the dark side" and thinks the worst will happen.

Look before you leap.**

Make careful preparations before engaging in anything new, or you may meet unforeseen dangers and difficulties. The continuation of the proverb is: . . . for snakes among the bright flowers creep: i.e., there are hidden dangers even among pretty flowers.

Love me little, love me long.

If you love me, but not too strongly, your love for me will last for a long time. Violent love often does not last long; mild affection lasts a long time, and is preferable to short-lived strong love.

Love me, love my dog.**

lf you want to be friendly with me, you must be friendly with my dog – and with my companions. An Englishman is usually fond of his dog and will not want you as his friend unless you treat his dog kindly.

Make haste slowly.*

Avoid unnecessary haste. (The proverb gives good advice in an amusing form.)

Make hay while the sun shines.**

Seize your opportunities. The European farmer grows grass in summer to give his cattle in winter, but this grass has to be dried by the sun before it can be stored. When the long grass has been cut it is left in the fields to dry. When the sun comes out, the farm-workers turn over the grass with long forks so that all of it may be exposed to the sun's rays. They must take advantage of every hour of sunshine; for if the grass is not dried properly it never becomes" hay "-the name for properly dried grass. Turning over the cut grass is called "hay-making".

Moderation in all things.*

Be moderate in your habits. Too much physical exercise, smoking, eating, drinking, etc., is very harmful to the health.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be.*

Do not lend money to others; do not borrow it from others. People who lend may not get their money back, and when they ask for the return of it, they may lose the friendship of the borrower. If you borrow, you may be unable to repay the loan.

Never buy a pig in a poke.**

Do not buy anything without seeing it and examining it carefully beforehand. "Poke" is the old name for a bag or a sack. (A "pocket" is a little poke.) It used to be the custom to take to market young pigs tied up in bags so that they could not run away; such a pig could not be examined properly without being taken out of the "poke".

Never cross a bridge till you come to it.*

Do not trouble yourself about future problems and difficulties, but wait till they have to be faced; then will be the time to worry about them, not now. In olden times, crossing bridges

required care and courage, for many of them were badly built and very dangerous. Some travellers used to be nervous before they reached a bridge, just as some people worry very much about troubles they may meet in the future.

Never do things by halves.*

Never leave a job half-done; complete properly anything you begin to do. Compare: What is worth doing at all is worth doing well.

Never give advice unasked.

If you are asked for advice, give it; but if you are not asked, remain silent. Most people like to make their own decisions and do not welcome unasked advice.

Never hit a man when he's down.**

Never hit an opponent who has fallen, nor attack a person in misfortune who cannot "fight back". In boxing it is against the rules to hit an opponent where he is on the ground; a good sportsman never takes an unfair advantage of his opponent.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth.**

Do not examine closely any gift to see how good it is or find out how much it cost. One should thank the giver and not begin to examine it closely, looking for defects. Horse-dealers can tell how old a horse is by looking at its teeth; and, before buying, they always look into a horse's mouth.

Never meet trouble half way.*

Do not worry about possible future troubles; wait till they come. Compare: Never cross a bridge till you come to it.

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.**

If you have any task to do, do it today. If you leave it till tomorrow, you may forget about it or not find time to do it and it may never get done. Compare: Do it now.

Never refuse a good offer. *

If you want to sell or exchange anything, or are looking for a post, it is wise to accept the first good offer. If you refuse a good offer, you may never get another so good and will wish you had accepted.

Never say" die"; up, man, and try.**

Never despair; get up and do your best. However bad a situation may be, never give up hope; you may be able, if you try, to do what now seems impossible. (To say "die" is like saying that the battle is lost and there is nothing to do but die.)

Never spoil a ship for a ha'porth of tar.*

Do not make small economies which may later cause you great loss. It was the custom to cover ships' bottoms with tar to preserve the wood. A ship-owner who tried to economise by using no tar on his ship, or very little tar, might lose the whole ship later; for the wood might rot and the water come in. In some parts of England "sheep" is pronounced "ship", and some people say the proverb should be "Don't spoil a sheep". Shepherds used to put a little tar on sore places on a sheep's skin to heal them. If this was not done the sheepskin was spoiled. ("Ha'porth" means halfpennyworth, a very small amount.)

Never swap horses in midstream.*

Do not make a change till the crisis is past. Travellers in olden times used to ride two horses alternately; when one was tired, they mounted the other; they "swapped" or changed horses. A bad place to change horses was in the middle of a stream, for then the traveller might fall between the two horses into the water. It is unwise to change the leader in the middle of a game or a battle; the cook should not be dismissed while the dinner is being cooked.

Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.*

Do not worry about possible future troubles. Compare: Never meet trouble half way, and Never cross a bridge till you come to it.

Of two evils choose the less.*

When you have to choose one of two alternatives, both bad, choose the one that is less harmful or unpleasant than the other. For example, an army commander sometimes must choose whether to fight and lose all his men, or to retreat. He chooses to retreat.

Put your foot down where you mean to stand.*

Stop, at some point, from giving way to the demands of another. Apparently the proverb originally referred to fighting -choose the place on which you decide to oppose the enemy after you have retreated, and then refuse to retreat any farther. (The teacher permitted several boys to leave the classroom for various reasons, then "he put his foot down" and refused to let any others leave.)

Put your shoulder to the wheel.**

Do not stand looking at any work that has to be done, but set to work with a good will. The proverb refers to the man whose cart was stuck in the mud and whose horse could not make it move. He begged the gods for assistance and was told to help the horse by II putting his shoulder to the wheel" and pushing.

Save me from my friends.*

Sometimes my friends, in trying to assist me, hinder me more than they help me. The proverb is quoted when a person's friend has tried to help but has only done more harm than good.

Say nothing but think the more.

It is often wise to keep silence when one hears what one dislikes; by saying nothing one is able to think better and form one's judgement about the speaker and his statements. Compare: Speech is silver; silence is golden.

Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.**

Help me in my difficulties and I will help you in yours. It is difficult to scratch one's own back when it itches, so it is better to get a friend to do it; then you can repay him by scratching his back when he asks you to do so.

See Naples and die.**

Naples, the Bay of Naples and the volcano Vesuvius rising in the distance are such a beautiful sight that you can die after seeing them as you will never see anything else so beautiful.

Set a thief to catch a thief.**

The best way to catch a thief is to employ another thief to catch him; for one thief knows the tricks and habits of another and is more likely than an honest person to catch him.

Share and share alike.*

Partners in any undertaking should divide the profits (or losses) fairly.

Sleep over it.*

Wait till tomorrow before taking any very important decision. After a night's sleep and calm thought your decision is likely to be a wise one-wiser than if you decide hurriedly.

Speak of a man as you find him.*

Form your opinion of any other person from your own experience of him; do not accept the opinion of others. When you are asked about him, say what your own experience of him has been.

Speak when you are spoken to; come when you are called.**

Do not speak till you are addressed, and do not come till you are wanted. This is said to children to discourage them from joining in the conversation of their elders.

Strike while the iron is hot.**

Seize a good opportunity-choose the best time for doing anything, the time when circumstances are most favourable. A blacksmith heats a piece of iron red-hot when he is making a horse-shoe; then he strikes with his hammer to shape it, because then it is soft and can be bent. If he waits and the iron cools, his blows will make no impression on it.

Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves.*

Don't spend the pennies you receive whatever your temptations may be; when you have saved so many that you have pounds, you will not be tempted so strongly to spend them, but will invest them and they will bring you profit.

Take no thought for the morrow.**

Do not think too much about the future. This is a quotation from the Bible, and urges us to trust in God.

Tell a lie and stick to it.

If you have to tell a lie, remember which lie you have told, and do not later tell a different lie or the truth. (This immoral piece of advice has been called "the schoolboy's eleventh commandment".)

Train up a child in the way he should go.**

Correct early training is of the greatest importance in forming the character of a child. The proverb is a quotation, and continues: . . . and when he is old he will not depart from it: i.e., he will be virtuous for the rest of his life.

Trust in God and keep your powder dry.**

It is a good thing to trust in God, but one should also take sensible precautions to meet any future danger. The "powder" is gunpowder. In former times, a soldier was unable to fire his gun if he allowed his powder to become wet.

Turn over a new leaf. **

Forget your past and begin a new and better way of life. The old leaves in a child's writing-book contain numerous mistakes (just as anyone's past life does); when he turns over a new leaf he has the chance to avoid previous mistakes and do better work. "He has turned over a new leaf" means that he is now living a different and better life.

Waste not; want not.**

Be economical and careful, then you may never be in need. The proverb is a warning against extravagance and wastefulness.

When in Rome do as the Romans do.**

Wherever you may be, behave like the people among whom you are living. Customs vary from country to country, and to avoid calling unwelcome attention to yourself, it is wise to follow the local customs.

Wink at small faults.*

Do not blame a child or an older person for every small fault he commits. Small faults should be excused, as everyone makes them.

D - HUSBANDS AND WIVES; CHILDREN AND FRIENDS; THE HOME

A burnt child dreads the fire.**

It is painful experience that teaches children, and older people, where danger lies. A child that has burnt himself while playing with fire will always be afraid of it in the future.

A cheerful wife is the joy of life.

A cheerful wife makes her husband and children cheerful too, and is the cause of all their happiness.

A constant guest is never welcome.

Guests are usually welcome when they come, but one who comes too often "wears out" his welcome, and no one is glad to see him. Compare: Do not wear out your welcome.

A friend in need is a friend indeed. **

The best friend is the one who helps you when you are really in need of help. It is at a time of misfortune that you know your real friends. People who are your friends only when you are prosperous are said to be "fair-weather" friends.

A friend is easier lost than found.

It takes a long time to become really friendly with another, for friendship is a plant of slow growth. But there are many ways of quickly losing a friend, such as by treating him thoughtlessly or rudely.

A good husband makes a good wife.

A wife is unselfish and cheerful when the husband is kind and considerate.

A good wife is a good prize.

In the Bible it says that a good wife is "above rubies": i.e., worth more than precious stones.

A man is known by his friends.**

A man's character may be judged by noticing who his friends and companions are. Compare: Birds of a feather flock together.

A woman's work is never done.**

There is always more work to be done in the home, however hard the wife works. This proverb is part of a verse: "Man works from dawn to set of sun, But woman's work is never done." (Some unkind people say the proverb means "A woman never does any work at all".)

An Englishman's home is his castle.**

An Englishman can do as he likes in his own home and nobody may enter it without his permission. (This again is a proverb nowadays only partly true. Inspectors of Government departments, or policemen, may, in certain circumstances, demand to enter an Englishman's home.)

Books and friends should be few but good.

If one has too many books one never finds time to read them; and if one has many friends one never has time to see them all. So both should be few in number but good in quality.

Boys will be boys. **

Boys insist on behaving like boys and cannot be expected to behave differently. Boys are careless, cheerful, noisy, active, and sometimes disobedient. When a boy breaks anything or behaves in an irresponsible manner, an older person may quote this proverb as an excuse for him. (" Will be" here means insist on being, are always. "Will" is pronounced with emphasis.)

Children and fools tell the truth.

It is cunning, clever people who tell lies; but simple-minded ones, such as children and fools, tell the truth because they are not clever enough to invent lies.

Children should be seen but not heard.**

Children should not interrupt when older people are talking. This is said to a child to stop him interrupting the conversation of older people-but nobody expects children never to speak or make a noise.

Enough is as good as a feast. **

A good meat that satisfies one's hunger is just as good as a big feast-perhaps better, for at a feast one may overeat and make oneself ill. When children wish to eat too much, their parents tell them that "enough is as good as a feast". (But most of us believe that a feast is much better than II enough".)

Faint heart ne'er won fair lady. **

A fair lady cannot be won in marriage unless the man shows courage. The proverb may be quoted by a friend to a young man who wants a lady to marry him but is afraid to ask her.

False friends are worse than bitter enemies.

We may expect to be injured by our bitter enemies, but not by our friends. A treacherous friend causes us more pain and sorrow than a bitter enemy.

First come, first served. **

Those that arrive first at the table are served before late-comers. The proverb warns against being late when food, or anything else worth having, is going to be distributed.

Fools build houses and wise men live in them. *

It is wiser to pay rent for a house than to build one to live in. The building of a house is always expensive and troublesome, and usually costs more than was expected. Then repairs are needed later. If you pay rent, you can ask the landlord to do the repairs, and can give up the house whenever you want.

God sends meat: the devil sends cooks.

God sends us our food, and it is good; but food is often spoiled by cooks, who are sometimes very bad. (The former meaning of "meat" was food.)

Half a loaf is better than no bread. **

Be content with what you get, it is better than nothing. This proverb is used to console a person who has received less than he expected.

Happy is he that is happy in his children.

Children nearly always give their parents cause for anxiety, and sometimes cause for disappointment and sorrow. A father whose children cause him none of these worries is extremely fortunate.

Happy is the bride that the sun shines on.

The bride that is married on a sunny day is likely to have a happy married life. (But many very happy wives have been married on rainy days!)

Home is where the heart is. *

That place is a person's home where his loved ones live, or where he is happiest.

Hunger is the best sauce. **

Nothing gives such a good appetite as hunger.

I know on which side my bread is buttered.*

I know where my advantage lies; I know what is profitable and what would be unprofitable to me. A person may quote this proverb when he is asked to do something that would be against his own interest and would cause him loss of some kind.

Little pitchers have big ears.*

Small children hear and understand a great deal, more than we think. A "pitcher" is the old name for a water-jug with long handles that resembled ears in shape. When a child is seen listening to the conversation of grown-ups one may quote the proverb as a warning to the others to be careful in their conversation, for the child is listening and may hear something that he ought not to hear.

Maidens should be meek till they are married.

Girls should behave modestly and be obedient to their parents; they will have more freedom when they are married.

Marriages are made in heaven.*

Heaven or God decides who shall marry whom. (But it is difficult to believe that unhappy marriages are made in heaven.)

Marry in haste; repent at leisure. **

Those that marry in great haste are often sorry afterwards. Two people who marry without considering whether they are likely to suit each other and be happy together, or whether they can afford to get married, will have plenty of time later to regret their haste; for they may possibly be very miserable.

Men make houses; women make homes.

A house becomes a home only when it is made comfortable and brightened by the presence of a woman.

None but the brave deserves the fair. *

Only brave men deserve to win the hands of beautiful women.

Spare the rod and spoil the child. **

A child who is not punished when he deserves it may grow up to be a bad man. "Spare the rod" means not to beat children for bad behaviour. If you "spare the rod" your child's faults will never be cured.

The child is father of the man. *

Every man was once a child, and his character has developed from his character as a child. In the same way his body has developed from the child's body, so in two ways the child can be called "father of the man".

The pot calls the kettle black. *

One person blames another for the faults which he has himself. Pots and kettles both become black when they are used for cooking. The proverb is quoted as a comment by a third person when one person blames another for weaknesses he himself possesses – such as when one liar calls another a liar.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. *

The quality of anything appears when it is used for its intended purpose. You cannot tell whether the pudding is good or not, whatever may have been put in it, till it is being eaten.

The watched pot never boils. *

The pot that is anxiously watched seems to take a very long time before it boils. While waiting for a pot to boil, it is wise to occupy oneself with other things; then the time of waiting will not seem so long.

There is a skeleton in the cupboard. *

The family has a secret which it keeps hidden from the world. A skeleton is the bony frame of a dead person; but to say that a family has a skeleton in the cupboard does not mean that one of them has actually committed a murder. It refers to any sort of secret that, if known, would cause them a feeling of shame.

There's no place like home. **

However humble the home may be, it is the place where one feels happiest.

Too many cooks spoil the broth. **

When cooking broth or anything else, or performing any kind of work requiring care, it is better for one person to work alone without interference from others trying to help. The proverb is a warning against dividing authority and letting others try to help in work that is better performed by one man working alone. (But compare: Many hands make light work.)

Wash your dirty linen at home. *

Quarrels and disputes among the members of the family should be carried on, and settled, at home; they should not be carried on where the neighbours may hear the family troubles and secrets.

What's learnt in the cradle lasts till the tomb.

A child's character is formed when he is very young and it does not change as long as he lives. The proverb stresses the importance of good early training in the bringing-up of children. Compare: The child is father of the man.

You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs. *

To achieve a purpose, something must be sacrificed. You cannot make something out of nothing. An omelette is made of eggs, so eggs must be used to make it. Then the eggs used to make the omelette cannot be used for any other purpose.

E - ANIMALS, BIRDS AND OTHER LIVING CREATURES

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. **

It is better to accept one thing that is certain than two which you may or may not get in the future. The proverb is a reference to bird-catching – one bird which you have caught is worth two that are still uncaught.

A cat has nine lives. **

It is very difficult to kill a cat. After being apparently dead, a cat may come to life again. This fact gave rise to the saying that cats have nine lives.

A cat may look at a king. **

Even the most humble person may look at a great man, so long as he tries to do no harm. The proverb is a rebuke to a proud person who asks: "Why are you looking at me?"

A living dog is better than a dead lion. *

Anything living is superior to anything dead. It is better to be alive, though unhappy, than dead. In life the lion is the king of the beasts, but when it is dead even a dog may bite it.

A woman, a dog and a walnut tree, The more you beat them, the better they be.*

All three improve if they are often beaten. This proverb is quoted as a joke, for surely nobody believes in beating wives. A dog may become more obedient if it is often beaten, but only cruel people would beat an animal unnecessarily. As for the walnut tree, there was an old superstition that it would bear more fruit if the trunk was beaten in the spring.

All his geese are swans.

A (young) man often thinks that anything he happens to like is much finer than it is – that every woman is good and beautiful, etc. The proverb is quoted to describe such a person. The swan is the most beautiful of English birds; the goose is rather ugly.

All lay loads on a willing horse. *

A horse willing to work is always given most work to do. A witting servant is given more work than a lazy one. This may seem unfair, but it is a law of life; for work given to a wilting servant is likely to be well and quickly done-besides which, such people seem to enjoy work. A person always willing to work may be praised by being called "a willing horse".

At night all cats are grey. *

In the dark all cats seem to be the same colour – grey. Colours are not easily distinguished at night; darkness makes all cats (and people) look alike. Beauty needs daylight to make people recognise and enjoy it.

Barking dogs seldom bite.

A person who makes many loud threats seldom carries them out. Dogs that bark most bite least. Compare: His bark is worse than his bite.

Birds of a feather flock together. **

People of similar tastes and habits like to associate with one another. Birds of the same kind collect in flocks.

Care killed the cat. *

It was care and worry that killed the cat (although it had nine lives), so be cheerful. This is one of several proverbs that warn us against worrying too much over present or future troubles.

Dog does not eat dog. *

One animal does not attack another of the same kind. A man should not try to harm another of the same trade or profession.

Dumb dogs are dangerous.

Silent dogs are more likely to bite than those that bark. The proverb possibly arises from the fact that mad dogs are often dumb. Compare: Barking dogs seldom bite.

Even a worm will turn. **

Even the weakest and gentlest creature will try to defend itself if it is attacked or badly treated too often, and so will a peaceful, mild person. If even a worm is treated cruelly and unfairly it will turn and try to defend itself.

Every ass likes to hear himself bray.

Foolish people are very fond of expressing their own opinions and talking too much. A donkey is fond of the sound of his own voice though it is hateful to others.

Every dog has his day. **

Even the most wretched person can expect at least one day of good fortune in his life. Every dog has one day of joy and triumph in its life.

Fine feathers make fine birds. **

It is the feathers that give a bird its fine appearance. A person's appearance varies according to the clothes he wears, and to some extent he is judged by his appearance. A lowly person may be mistaken for a great one if he is well dressed. Also, when one is very well dressed one feels full of confidence in oneself.

Flies are easier caught with honey than with vinegar.

You can more easily persuade others to do as you wish by using pleasant words than by speaking roughly. Honey is sweet and vinegar bitter, and both may be used in traps to catch flies. Traps with honey in them catch more flies than those with vinegar.

Give a dog a bad name and hang him. *

If a dog gets a bad reputation he will never lose it; you may as well hang him, for nobody will believe there is any good in him. It is the same with people – once a man has got a bad name everyone hears of it and everybody will believe that he has no good qualities at all; so beware of saying bad things about others.

God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. *

God is merciful to those who have suffered misfortune. To "shear" a lamb is to cut off its wool. (Shear; shore; shorn.) Lambs are shorn in spring, when the weather is still fairly cold, but soon God in his mercy sends warm weather. To" temper" the wind is to make it temperate or mild.

He daren't say "Boo" to a goose. *

He is so timid and cowardly that he dare not frighten away a goose if it threatens him. A goose, though quite harmless, hisses at a stranger and looks threatening, but goes away if one says "Boo" to it. The proverb is quoted to describe any very timid person.

He has a bee in his bonnet. *

He has a fixed idea in his head that he is always talking and thinking about – in fact, on this point he is slightly mad. A bee when trapped always buzzes; a "bonnet" is a kind of hat. The idea "buzzes" in his head just as if it were a bee trapped in his bonnet and buzzing. The proverb is quoted about any person who cannot free his mind from some fixed idea or opinion.

He is like a fish out of water. *

He is unhappy and uncomfortable because he is not accustomed to his surroundings. A fish out of water cannot breathe properly; it jumps about, and will die if not put back into the water.

He runs with the hare and hunts with the hounds. *

He tries to keep friendly with two parties who are quarrelling. Hounds are used for hunting hares, so it is impossible to be friendly with the hare and the hounds at the same time.

He who rides on a tiger can never dismount.

The "rider on the tiger's back" is safe as long as he keeps his position; if he dismounted, the fierce animal would kill him. The leader of a wild tribe or gang can never give up the leadership; if he did so he would be attacked, and probably killed.

He who would hang his dog gives out first that it is mad.*

A cruel person looks for an excuse to justify any cruel deed he means to do. Mad dogs are dangerous and should be destroyed; but a dog-owner who has decided to destroy his dog says that it is mad, though it may not be mad at all.

His bark is worse than his bite. **

This man makes loud fierce threats but rarely carries them out. This is similar to: Barking dogs seldom bite.

If you run after two hares at once you will catch neither.

Do not try to pursue two aims at the same time or you will gain neither. Concentrate on one object at one time. As two hares, when pursued, go in different directions, it is useless to try to catch both.

It is a dirty bird that fouls its own nest.*

People should not say bad things about their own country, or town or family. Birds that drop dirt in their own nests are dirty indeed.

It is too late to shut the stable door after the horse has been stolen.*

Take precautions before, not after, you have suffered loss. To keep your horse safe, lock the stable door-it is useless locking it after thieves have stolen the horse.

It was the last straw that broke the camel's back. **

One small addition to a heavy burden may make it unbearable. A camel can carry a heavy load, but there is a limit to what it can carry; if that limit is exceeded the camel is likely to fall down and die. "The last straw" is applied to any addition that makes a burden of any kind unbearable.

No bees, no honey; no work, no money.

One should not expect to get anything without working for it. To get honey one has the trouble of keeping bees; to get money one has to work.

Old birds are not caught with chaff.*

It is not easy to deceive experienced people. "Chaff" is broken-up straw or the covering of the com in the ear. Birds may be caught by putting corn in a trap to attract them, and young inexperienced birds may be caught by putting chaff in; but the experienced birds know the difference between com and chaff and cannot be caught in this manner. To say of a person that he is "an old bird" means that he is wise and experienced.

One may lead a horse to the water, but twenty cannot make him drink. **

There is a limit to one's power over others, people or animals. Nobody can make a horse drink if it refuses; nobody can make a soldier fight if he does not wish to do so; you can send a child to school but you cannot force him to learn.

One swallow does not make a summer. *

One piece of evidence is not enough to prove a case. Swallows are birds that come to England in the early summer and leave in the autumn. A few swallows arrive before the others. The sight of the first swallow is not a sufficient indication that summer has come.

The cat would eat fish but is loth (unwilling) to wet her feet.

Many people would like something but are unwilling to take the necessary trouble to get it. Cats like fish but hate water, so very few cats try to catch fish, though they are glad to eat it when other people have caught it.

The early bird catches the worm. **

Those that arrive early at a place have the advantage over latecomers. The bird that wakes up early is able to catch a worm for its breakfast; for worms that come up at night usually disappear below the ground at sunrise.

"The grapes are sour", as the fox said when he could not reach them. **

People often find fault with things they would like but cannot get. The fox tried hard to reach the grapes, but failed. Then he said that they were certainly unripe, so he went away pleased with himself.

The leopard cannot change its spots. **

A fierce creature, or a wicked person, cannot change his nature, though he may try to do so. The leopard has a spotted skin which will always remain the same.

The old cow thinks she was never a calf.

Old people are fond of blaming the young for their lively behaviour, forgetting that they were young themselves once.

There is a snake in the grass. **

A pleasant appearance may conceal a great danger. "A snake in the grass" is said of a person who is a dangerous secret enemy though he behaves in a friendly manner.

There is life in the old dog yet. **

The old fellow is still energetic and active. This is said of an old man who is still as active in some ways as a young man.

Trouble runs off him like water off a duck's back. *

Trouble and misfortunes have no effect on him – he remains as cheerful as before. Water never stays on a duck's back because there is oil on its feathers.

What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. **

One person has the right to the same fair treatment as another. Sauce suitable to eat with the male bird, the gander, is also suitable to eat with the female, the goose. The proverb is quoted by a person who thinks he is being treated less fairly than another.

When the cat is away the mice will play. **

Young people, and older ones too, neglect their work when the master is absent. In the absence of danger from the cat, the mice come out of their holes and do as they like.

Who will bell the cat? *

Who will volunteer for a dangerous deed? In the old story, the mice decided that a bell should be hung round the cat's neck to give warning of its approach. They thought it an excellent idea until a young mouse asked, "Who will bell the cat?"

Why keep a cow when you can buy milk? *

It is cheaper to buy milk than to keep a cow. It is usually much cheaper to get supplies from the producers than to try to produce them yourself, and this applies to many things besides milk.

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. **

It is impossible to make a fine article out of unsuitable materials. It is impossible to train a very stupid person to become, for instance, a clever lawyer or doctor.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks. **

It ill very difficult to teach old people to do new things that require much skill. A young dog can be taught "tricks" like standing on its back legs, but an old dog can 'to Young people can be much more easily trained than old ones.

F - WEALTH

A fool and his money are soon parted. **

A fool soon spends his money, or clever people get it from him. A wise person keeps his money till he can make good use of it.

A thing you don't want is dear at any price.

An unwanted thing is useless, therefore money spent on it is wasted. We are sometimes tempted to buy something we do not need, just because it is cheap. The proverb warns us against doing this.

A useful trade is a mine of gold.

To know a useful trade, such as carpentry or engineering, is a great advantage and will always enable a person to earn his living. though it may not really be all profitable as a gold-mine.

Adversity makes a man wise, not rich.

Adversity, continued misfortune, teaches a man to be wise though it may make him poor.

Best is cheapest.

A cheap article may soon wear out and have to be replaced by another, so it is usually wise to buy the best. The price of goods of the best quality is high, but they last so long and give such good service that they are cheap "in the long run".

Charity begins at home.**

We should be kind and generous to our relations before giving to strangers. (But charity should not end at home. Ungenerous people are fond of quoting this proverb as an excuse for their ungenerosity.)

Content is better than riches. *

Happiness and contentment are better than worldly wealth.

Envy never enriched any man.

Envy has never benefited anyone, so beware of envying people richer than yourself. The only result of envy is unhappiness.

Every little helps.**

If everyone gives a small sum, a great object may be achieved. Save your pennies: each penny saved helps to increase your wealth.

Every man has his price.·**

No man is completely honest and honourable; any man can be bribed to act improperly if the bribe offered is big enough. (But the proverb is certainly not true of ALL people.)

Gold will not buy everything. *

The best things in life, like family affection and contentment, cannot be bought with money.

Health is better than wealth. **

It is better to be healthy than rich. Ill health makes a person miserable even though he is rich; then he envies poorer people enjoying good health.

He is rich that has few wants.

A person who has few wants and can satisfy them easily may be more contented than a wealthy person, he can consider himself really "rich".

He that goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing.

Borrowing money, or other things, may bring you sorrow if you cannot repay; therefore it is wise to avoid borrowing. Compare: Neither a borrower nor a lender be.

He that pays the piper calls the tune. *

The person who pays the expenses of an entertainment, etc., has the right to decide exactly how the money is to be spent. Any person who is going to spend his money for the benefit of others may choose how to spend it. For instance, the man taking a party out has the right to choose which theatre or other place to visit. (The "piper" is a musician who plays on a pipe. In the old days pipers used to go round the country entertaining people.)

It is easier to get money than to keep it.

It is very easy to spend money – it slips very easily through the fingers-but it is difficult to keep it.

London streets are paved with gold. *

Any person can become rich in London, the great capital. This used to be an old saying in the country districts of Britain, but it was not said very seriously. Many young people who went to London seeking wealth soon found that the streets were NOT paved with gold.

Money breeds money. *

Money when invested earns more money. A rich man can use his money to earn him more, even though he really does not need any more. A poor man who really needs money cannot get it in this way.

Money is the root of all evil. **

Money is the cause of all the wickedness in the world. (One writer says: It is not money, but the love of money, that is the root of all evil.)

Money is the sinews of war. *

It is money that buys arms and equipment; a country without money cannot wage a long war. The "sinews" join our muscles to our bones; without sinews we should have no strength.

Money talks. *

A rich person is listened to when he talks. Money gives power and authority; a person with plenty of money enjoys the respect of others. Compare: He that pays the piper calls the tune.

Nothing is cheap if you don't want it.

An article that you do not need is dear at any price. Compare: A thing you don't want is dear at any price.

Penny wise, pound foolish. **

Careful with small sums, but wasteful with large amounts. The proverb is quoted to describe certain people who save their pence carefully and then spend their pounds foolishly and

wastefully. Such people" take care of the pence", but do not let "the pounds take care of themselves".

The more you have, the more you want.·**

You are not satisfied with what you have; the pleasure of possessing money, or other things, makes you wish to have more and more.

Time is money. **

Time can be used to make money, so wasting time is like wasting money; therefore do not waste it.

G - THE WEATHER The English weather is very changeable and has always been a popular topic of conversation. People who work out of doors, such as shepherds and fanners, become very clever at foretelling the kind of weather that is coming. The proverbs refer to the weather in the British Isles, not to other parts of the English-speaking world or to other countries.

A red sky at night is the shepherd's delight. *

The appearance of a red sky in the evening is a sign that the next day will be fine.

A red sky in the morning is the shepherd's warning.*

The appearance of a red sky in the morning is a sign that bad weather is coming. (Shepherds are very interested in the weather and want to know what it will be like; many of them are very weather-wise.)

A straw will show which way the wind blows. *

By looking at a straw being driven by the wind one can tell which way the wind is blowing. (The proverb should not be taken in its literal meaning. It refers to the fact that small signs and indications often show that important events are about to happen or are likely to happen.)

Cast not a clout ere May be out. *

Do not leave off your warm winter clothes before the end of May, by which time the winter has really gone. "To cast a clout" means to throw off a (warm) garment. When the first warm days of spring come, some people leave off their warm clothes in the belief that the summer has come; then the weather turns cold again and they catch cold, so it is wise to continue wearing warm clothes till the end of May. But some people say "May" means the flowering bush of that name, which flowers at the beginning of the month of May. So you can leave off warm clothes in early May, when the may-flowers are "out", that is, can be seen.

Cloudy mornings turn to clear evenings.

A fine evening often follows a cloudy morning.

Evening red and morning grey, are the signs of a fine day.

A red sky in the evening and a mist the following morning are signs that the day will be fine. Compare: A red sky at night is the shepherd's delight.

It never rains but it pours. **

Whenever it rains, it rains very heavily. (Obviously this is not true, but the proverb is not to be taken in its literal meaning. Rain is usually disliked, and "whenever it rains" means "whenever misfortunes come". The meaning of the proverb is the same as Misfortunes never come singly.)

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.*

The first mild spring days are often in March. At the beginning of March the weather is often very rough and unpleasant, but by the end of the month the weather often becomes quite mild. (The lion is one of the fiercest of beasts; the lamb one of the most harmless and gentle.)

March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers. **

The cold winds of March and the heavy rain-showers of April (which we dislike) cause the bright flowers (which we like very much) of May to appear.

Rain before seven, fine before eleven.

If it rains before seven a.m. the weather will "clear up" before eleven.

When the wind is in the east It's neither good for man nor beast.

The east wind is a very cold wind and is disliked by both human beings and animals.

H - DEATH

A man can only die once. *

The pain and terror of death have to be experienced once only by each person. The proverb should give us courage when thinking about death; if it comes soon it will not have to be faced later.

Cowards die many times before their deaths. **

Although cowards never actually die more than once they experience many times the fear of dying. But brave men only experience the fear of death when they are dying, and perhaps not even then.

Dead men tell no tales. *

Dead men cannot give information about the living. A criminal may quote this proverb when he is thinking of killing someone to prevent him from giving information to the police.

Death is the great leveller.

Death makes all people equal. Among the dead there are no rich or poor, and no great or humble.

Death pays all debts.

When a man dies, we may think of him as having paid by his death for any crimes he may have committed when alive. Only in this way may we think the proverb true, for in the law of most countries a dead man's heirs must pay his debts. A Latin proverb tells us to "speak only good about the dead".

Dying is as natural as living.

Death should not be feared, for it is a necessary part of life. The death of the old is necessary to make way for the young. There would be no room for, or need of, new generations if the older generations did not die.

He that fears death lives not.

A person who is in constant fear of death cannot enjoy his life.

He that is born to be hanged will never be drowned. *

If it is the fate of a person to be hanged he cannot die in any other way. The proverb reflects a belief in fate, a belief that the manner of each person's death is already fixed and cannot be changed. It is quoted jokingly to a person who has had a narrow escape from drowning or from any other danger.

Murder will out. **

The murder of a person may be concealed for a time but it will become known later, however much the murderer tries to conceal his crime. (Again, this proverb is not true in every case of murder; some murders are never discovered.)

Nothing is certain but death – and taxes,.

We cannot possibly avoid death – or paying taxes to the Government.

Remove an old tree and it will wither to death.

An old tree will die if it is putted up and planted elsewhere. An old person removed from his home and familiar surroundings may soon die too.

Those whom the gods love die young. **

When a young person dies it is because the gods love him and wish to have him with them. The proverb is very old and was used to console friends or parents for the loss of loved ones who died when young. The suggestion is that the next world is a better place for such people than this one. (But some people think the proverb means that, however old a man is when he dies, if he has had a happy life and been "loved by the gods", he is really young in spirit.)

Whom God will destroy he first makes mad.*

When God wishes to destroy a person, he first of all makes him behave as if he were a madman. When a great person begins to behave in this manner, he makes so many enemies that one of them is certain to ruin or destroy him.

Work won't kill but worry will.

Hard work does not kill a person, but constant worry and anxiety may wear him out and cause his death. The proverb is a warning that we should not worry unnecessarily about our affairs. Compare: Care killed the cat.

Documents

Common English Proverbs