Below is an alphabetical list of widely used and repeated proverbial phrases. Whenever known, the origin of the phrase or proverb is noted.
A
proverbial phrase or a
proverbial expression is a type of conventional
saying
A saying is any concisely written or spoken expression that is especially memorable because of its meaning or style. Sayings are categorized as follows:
* Aphorism: a general, observational truth; "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth".
** Ad ...
similar to
proverb
A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbia ...
s and transmitted by oral tradition. The difference is that a proverb is a fixed
expression
Expression may refer to:
Linguistics
* Expression (linguistics), a word, phrase, or sentence
* Fixed expression, a form of words with a specific meaning
* Idiom, a type of fixed expression
* Metaphorical expression, a particular word, phrase, o ...
, while a proverbial phrase permits alterations to fit the grammar of the context.
In 1768, John Ray defined a proverbial phrase as:
A
*
A bad excuse is better than none
*
A bad penny always turns up
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes ...
*
A bad workman blames his tools.
*
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
*
A cat may look at a king
*
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link
*
A dog is a man's best friend.
*
A fool and his money are soon parted
*
A friend in need (is a friend indeed)
*
A friend to everyone is a friend to no one
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes ...
*
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" is a common saying that originated from a Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**' ...
*
A little learning is a dangerous thing
*
A leopard cannot change its spots.
* A mill cannot grind with the water that is past.
*
A miss is as good as a mile
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes ...
* A new language is a new life.
Persian proverb
*
A penny saved is a penny earned.
*
A picture is worth a thousand words
"A picture is worth a thousand words" is an adage in multiple languages meaning that complex and sometimes multiple ideas can be conveyed by a single still image, which conveys its meaning or essence more effectively than a mere verbal descript ...
*
A rising tide lifts all boats
"A rising tide lifts all boats" is an aphorism associated with the idea that an improved economy will benefit all participants and that economic policy, particularly government economic policy, should therefore focus on broad economic efforts.
...
*
A rolling stone gathers no moss
A rolling stone gathers no moss is a proverb, first credited to Publilius Syrus, who in his '' Sententiae'' states, "''People who are always moving, with no roots in one place or another, avoid responsibilities and cares.''" The phrase spawned ...
* A ship in a harbour is safe, but that's not what a ship is for
* A stitch in time (saves nine)
* A watched man never plays
*
A watched pot/kettle never boils
*
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Below is an alphabetical list of widely used and repeated proverbial phrases. Whenever known, the origin of the phrase or proverb is noted.
A proverbial phrase or a proverbial expression is a type of conventional saying similar to proverbs an ...
*
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. John Dalberg-Acton, 1887
*
Accidents will happen (in the best-regulated families).
Actions speak louder than words
* Adversity makes strange bedfellows
*
All good things come to him who waits
*
All good things must come to an end
*
All hands on deck/to the pump
* All is grist that comes to the mill
*
All roads lead to Rome,
*
All that glitters/glistens is not gold,
* All the world loves a lover
*
All things come to those who wait
* All things must pass
*
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" is a proverb that means without time off from work, a person becomes both bored and boring.
History
Though the spirit of the proverb had been expressed previously, the modern saying first appeared in Ja ...
* All you need is love
*
All is fair in love and war
* All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds
*
All is well that ends well
*
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is a common English-language proverb that appeared in the 19th century, advocating for the consumption of apples, and by extension, "if one eats healthful foods, one will remain in good health and will not ne ...
*
An army marches on its stomach.
*
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
(1869–1948), leader of the
Indian independence movement
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.
The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged from Bengal ...
*
An Englishman's home is his castle/A man's home is his castle
*
Another day, another dollar.
* Another happy landing.
*
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
*
Any port in a storm
''Any Port in a Storm'' is the debut album released by the Reggae band The Dirty Heads in 2008. The Special Edition was released in 2010. This is the only album without Matt Ochoa as the band's drummer. ''Any Port in a Storm'' was initially set t ...
*
Any publicity is good publicity
*
April showers bring forth May flowers
* As a tree bends, so shall it grow.
*
As you make your bed, so you must lie upon it
*
As you sow so shall you reap
*
Ask a silly question and you will get a silly answer
* Ask my companion if I be a thief
* Ask no questions and hear no lies
*
Attack is the best form of defense
* At the end of my rope.
B
*
Bad news travels fast
*
Barking dogs seldom bite
*
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
*
Beauty is only skin deep
"Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" is a 1966 song, written by Norman Whitfield and Edward Holland, Jr., and produced by Whitfield. Norman Whitfield recorded the song's instrumental track. Two years later, Whitfield got together with Eddie Holland to ha ...
*
Beggars cannot be choosers
*
Behind every great man, there is a great woman
*
Better late than never
*
Better safe than sorry
*
Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven
*
Be yourself
*
Better the Devil you know (than the Devil you do not)
* Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all
*
Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness
* Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt
* Better wear out than rust out.
*
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans ( Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and ...
,
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...
in the
Aeneid
The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of ...
* Big fish eat little fish
*
Birds of a feather (flock together)
*
Blood is thicker than water
Blood is thicker than water is a proverb in English meaning that familial bonds will always be stronger than other relationships. The oldest record of this saying can be traced back in the 12th century in German.
History
A similar proverb in Germ ...
*
Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth
*
Boys will be boys
*
Brevity is the soul of wit. William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
*
Business before pleasure
C
*
Caesar's wife must be above suspicion
Pompeia ('' fl.'' 1st century BC) was the second or third wife of Julius Caesar.
Biography Early life
Pompeia's parents were Quintus Pompeius Rufus, a son of a former consul, and Cornelia, the daughter of the Roman dictator Sulla.
Marriage
...
* Careless talk costs lives
*
Charity begins at home
*
Cheats never prosper
* Cheese, wine, and friends must be old to be good.
*
Children should be seen and not heard
*
Christmas comes but once a year
* Cleanliness is next to godliness
*
Clothes don't make the man
*
Clothes make the man
* Coffee and love taste best when hot.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
n proverb
*
Cold hands, warm heart
* Comparisons are odious
*
Count your blessings
* Courage is the measure of a Man, Beauty is the measure of a Woman
* Cowards may die many times before their death
*
Crime does not pay
* Criss-cross, applesauce
* Cross the stream where it is shallowest
*
Cut your coat according to your cloth
*
Curiosity killed the cat
D
*
Dead men tell no tales
*
Denial is not a river in Egypt
*
Devil take the hindmost
*
Discretion is the better part of valour
*
Do as I say, not as I do
*
Do as you would be done by
*
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
*
Do not bite the hand that feeds you
*
Do not burn your bridges behind you
*
Do not carry coals to Newcastle
*
Do not cast your pearls before swine
*
Do not cry over spilled milk
*
Do not change horses in midstream
*
Do not count your chickens before they are hatched
*
Do not cross the bridge till you come to it
*
Do not cut off your nose to spite your face
*
Do not judge a book by its cover
The English idiom "don't judge a book by its cover" is a metaphorical phrase that means one should not judge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. For example, "That man may look very small and insignificant, but don't j ...
*
Do not keep a dog and bark yourself
* Do not let the bastards grind you down
*
Do not let the grass grow beneath (one's) feet
*
Do not look a gift horse in the mouth
*
Do not make a mountain out of a mole hill
* Do not meet troubles half-way
*
Do not put all your eggs in one basket
*
Do not put the cart before the horse
*
Do not put too many irons in the fire
*
Do not put new wine into old bottles
*
Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today
*
Do not rock the boat
*
Do not shut/lock the stable door after the horse has bolted
* Do not spend it all in one place
*
Do not spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar
*
Do not throw pearls to swine
*
Do not teach your Grandmother to suck eggs
*
Do not throw the baby out with the bathwater
*
Do not try to walk before you can crawl
*
Do not upset the apple-cart
*
Do not wash your dirty linen in public
* Do not sympathize with those who can not empathize
*
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Often referred to as the
Golden Rule
* Doubt is the beginning, not the end, of wisdom
E
*
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading int ...
(1706–1790), polymath and
Founding Father
The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...
of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
*
Easier said than done
"Easier Said Than Done" is a popular song sung by The Essex that was a number-one song in the United States during 1963. It topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart on July 6, 1963, and remained there for two weeks. The song was wri ...
*
East is east, and west is west (and never the twain shall meet)
* East, west, home is best,
*
Easy come, easy go
* Easy, times easy, is still easy
* Early marriage, earlier pregnant
* Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper
*
Eat, drink and be merry, (for tomorrow we die)
*
Empty vessels make the most noise
*
Enough is as good as a feast
*
Even a worm will turn
* Even from a foe a man may learn wisdom.
*
Every cloud has a silver lining
*
Every dog has his day
''Every Dog Has His Day'' is an album by the American band Let's Active, released in 1988. It was the band's final album.
The title track peaked at No. 17 on ''Billboards Modern Rock Tracks chart. The band promoted the album by touring with Velvet ...
*
Every Jack has his Jill
*
Every little bit helps
*
Every man for himself (
and the Devil take the hindmost)
*
Every man has his price
* Every picture tells a story
* Every stick has two ends
* Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die
*
Everyone has their price
*
Everything comes to those who wait
* Every tide has its ebb
F
* Failing to plan is planning to fail
* Faint heart never won fair lady (Scott),
*
Fair exchange is no robbery
*
Faith will move mountains
*
Fall seven times, stand up eight.
* False friends are worse than open enemies.
*
Fake it till you make it
"Fake it till you make it" (or "Fake it until you make it") is an English aphorism which suggests that by imitating confidence, competence, and an optimistic mindset, a person can realize those qualities in their real life and achieve the resul ...
*
Familiarity breeds contempt
* Fat dog, Fat dog it
*
Feed a cold and starve a fever
* Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
*
Fight fire with fire
*
Fine feathers make fine birds
*
Finders keepers (losers weepers)
*
Fine words butter no parsnips
*
First come, first served
Queueing theory is the mathematical study of waiting lines, or queues. A queueing model is constructed so that queue lengths and waiting time can be predicted. Queueing theory is generally considered a branch of operations research because the ...
* First impressions are the most lasting
*
First things first
* Fish always rots from the head downwards
*
Fish and guests smell after three days
* Flattery will get you nowhere
*
Fools rush in (where angels fear to tread)
"Fools Rush In" (1940) is a popular song. The lyrics were written by Johnny Mercer with music by Rube Bloom.
History of the song according to The Billboard, September 28, 1940 issue, page 34:
Four years ago (1936) "Fools Rush In" was known as ...
*
For want of a nail
"For Want of a Nail" is a proverb, having numerous variations over several centuries, reminding that seemingly unimportant acts or omissions can have grave and unforeseen consequences.
Analysis
The proverb has come down in many variations o ...
the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the man was lost
*
Forewarned is forearmed
*
Fortune favours the bold/brave
* Free is for me
* From the sublime to the ridiculous (is only a step)
G
* Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains
*
Give a dog a bad name and hang him
*
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime
*
Give a man rope enough and he will hang himself
*
Give credit where credit is due
*
Give him an inch and he will take a mile
*
Give the devil his/her due
*
God helps those who help themselves
The phrase "God helps those who help themselves" is a motto that emphasizes the importance of self-initiative and agency. The expression is known around the world and is used to inspire people for self-help. The phrase originated in ancient Greec ...
*
Good fences make good neighbours
* Good talk saves the food
*
Good things come to those who wait
*
Great minds think alike
H
*
Half a loaf is better than no bread
*
Handsome is as handsome does
*
Hard cases make bad law
Hard cases make bad law is an adage or legal maxim meaning that an extreme case is a poor basis for a general law that would cover a wider range of less extreme cases. In other words, a general law is better drafted for the average circumstance as ...
* Hard work never did anyone any harm
*
Haste makes waste
* He that goes a-borrowing, goes a-sorrowing
* He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches
*
He who hesitates is lost
*
He who laughs last laughs longest
*
He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword
* He who loves the world as his body may be entrusted with the empire.
Lao Tzu
Laozi (), also known by numerous other names, was a semilegendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher. Laozi ( zh, ) is a Chinese honorific, generally translated as "the Old Master". Traditional accounts say he was born as in the state ...
, Chinese philosopher (604 BC – c. 531 BC)
* He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man
*
He who pays the piper calls the tune
* He who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know.
Lao Tzu
Laozi (), also known by numerous other names, was a semilegendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher. Laozi ( zh, ) is a Chinese honorific, generally translated as "the Old Master". Traditional accounts say he was born as in the state ...
, Chinese philosopher (604 BC – c. 531 BC)
[
* He who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon
* ]Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned
''The Mourning Bride'' is a tragedy written by British playwright William Congreve. It premiered in 1697 at Betterton's Co., Lincoln's Inn Fields. The play centers on Zara, a queen held captive by Manuel, King of Granada, and a web of love and ...
* Hello there!
* Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn'd. William Congreve
William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. He is known for his clever, satirical dialogue and influence on the comedy of manners style of that period. He was also a mi ...
, ''The Mourning Bride
''The Mourning Bride'' is a tragedy written by British playwright William Congreve. It premiered in 1697 at Betterton's Co., Lincoln's Inn Fields. The play centers on Zara, a queen held captive by Manuel, King of Granada, and a web of love and ...
'', Act III scene viii
* Hindsight is always twenty-twenty
* History repeats itself
* Home is where the heart is
* Honesty is the best policy
* Hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.
* Hope springs eternal
* Horses for courses
* Hunger never knows the taste, sleep never knows the comfort
I
* Idle hands are the devil's playthings.
* If anything can go wrong, it will. Also referred to as Murphy's Law
* If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well
* If at first you do not succeed, try, try again
* If God had meant us to fly, he would have given us wings
* If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there would be no work for tinkers
* If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
* If it were not for hope the heart would break.
* If it were a snake, it would have bit you.
* If the shoe fits, wear it
* If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain
* If wealth is lost, nothing is lost. If health is lost, something is lost. If character is lost, everything is lost.
* If wishes were horses, beggars would ride
* If you're growing in age, then you're nearing to the graveyard
* If you cannot be good, be careful
* If you cannot beat them, join them
* If you cannot live longer, live deeper.
* If you cannot stand the heat, get out of the kitchen
* If you give a mouse a cookie, he'll always ask for a glass of milk
* If you think that you know everything, then you're a Jack ass
* If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas
* If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys
* If you play with fire, you will get burned.
* If you steal from one author, it is plagiarism; if you steal from many, it is research. Wilson Mizner (1876–1933), American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
writer and entrepreneur
* If you want a thing done well, do it yourself
* If you have never seen the bottom of the tree, you cannot know how tall it stands
* If you must dance with the Devil, you might as well know his favorite song. (H. Anthony Ribadeneira)
* If you've got it, flaunt it
* Ignorance is bliss
* Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
* In for a penny, in for a pound
''In for a Penny, In for a Pound'' is an album composed by Henry Threadgill for his jazz quintet Zooid, featuring Jose Davila, Liberty Ellman, Christopher Hoffman, and Elliot Humberto Kavee. It was released by Pi Recordings and was awarded the 2 ...
* (March comes) in like a lion, (and goes) out like a lamb
* In the kingdom of the blind, the one eyed man is king
* In the midst of life, we are in death
* Into every life a little rain must fall
* It ain't over till/until it's over
* It ain't over till the fat lady sings
"It ain't over till (''or'' until) the fat lady sings" is a colloquialism which is often used as a proverb. It means that one should not presume to know the outcome of an event which is still in progress. More specifically, the phrase is used w ...
* It ain’t what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain’t so.
* It goes without saying
* It is a small world
* It is all grist to the mill
* It is an ill wind (that blows no one any good)
* It is best to be on the safe side
* It is better to be smarter than you appear than to appear smarter than you are.
* It is better to give than to receive
* It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all
* It is better to cultivate a Land with two Bulls, rather working under Boss who never gives Wage when asked
* It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness
* It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive
* It is easy to be wise after the event
* It's Greek to me
* It is like juggling sand (Ian Murray)
* It is never too late
* It is no use crying over spilt milk
* It is no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted
* It is not enough to learn how to ride, you must also learn how to fall.
* It is on
* It is the early bird that gets the worm
* It is the empty can that makes the most noise
* It is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease
* It is what it is
* It needs a hundred lies to cover a single lie
* It never rains but it pours
* It takes a thief to catch a thief
* It takes a whole village to raise a child
* It takes all sorts to make a world
* It takes one to know one
* It takes two to tango
* I'm going to have to give you the pink slip
* It will come back and haunt you
* It will be the same a hundred years hence.
* Islands depend on reeds, just as reeds depend on islands. (Myanmar proverbs)
J
* Jack of all trades, master of none/one/some
* Judge not, that ye be not judged
K
* Keep your chin up
''Keep Your Chin Up'' (Hungarian: ''Fel a fejjel'') is a 1954 Hungarian comedy film directed by Márton Keleti and starring Kálmán Latabár, Violetta Ferrari and Gyula Benkö. It was one of the most popular Hungarian films released during the pe ...
* Keep your chickens separate Dall'Occo, 2021
* Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
* Keep your powder dry
''Keep Your Powder Dry'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Lana Turner, Susan Peters, and Laraine Day. Its plot follows three women who join the Women's Army Corps during World War II. The screenplay was wri ...
. Valentine Blacker, 1834 from ''Oliver's Advice''
* Kill the chicken to scare the monkey Kill the chicken to scare the monkey (, lit. kill chicken scare monkey) is an old Chinese idiom. It refers to making an example out of someone in order to threaten others.
According to an old folktale, a street entertainer earned a lot of money wit ...
.
* Kill the goose that lays the golden egg(s).
* Kill two birds with one stone.
* Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. Lao Tzu
Laozi (), also known by numerous other names, was a semilegendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher. Laozi ( zh, ) is a Chinese honorific, generally translated as "the Old Master". Traditional accounts say he was born as in the state ...
, Chinese philosopher (604 BC – c. 531 BC)[
* Knock on (or touch) wood
* Know which side (one's) bread is buttered (on)
* ]Knowledge is power
The phrase "" (or "" or also "") is a Latin aphorism meaning "knowledge is power", commonly attributed to Sir Francis Bacon. The expression "" ('knowledge itself is power') occurs in Bacon's ''Meditationes Sacrae'' (1597). The exact phrase "" ...
, guard it well.
L
* A language is a dialect with an army and navy
"A language is a dialect with an army and navy" is a quip about the arbitrariness of the distinction between a dialect and a language. It points out the influence that social and political conditions can have over a community's perception of t ...
* The last drop makes the cup run over
* Laugh before breakfast, cry before supper.
* Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone
* Laughter is the best medicine
* Late lunch makes day go faster.
* Learn a language, and you will avoid a war. Arab proverbEnglish
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
proverbial rhyme, "He who fights and runs away, may live to fight another day".
* Loose lips sink ships
Loose lips sink ships is an American English idiom meaning "beware of unguarded talk". The phrase originated on propaganda posters during World War II. The phrase was created by the War Advertising Council and used on posters by the United State ...
* Look before you leap
* Love is blind. ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona
''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as showing his first tentative steps in laying ...
'', Act II, Scene 1 (1591)
* Love of money is the root of all evil.
* Love makes the world go around
* Love will find a way
M
* Make hay while the sun shines
* Make love not war
"Make love, not war" is an anti-war slogan commonly associated with the American counterculture of the 1960s. It was used primarily by those who were opposed to the Vietnam War, but has been invoked in other anti-war contexts since, around the w ...
* Man does not live by bread alone
* Man proposes, heaven disposes
* Manners maketh man
* Many a little makes a mickle
* Many a mickle makes a muckle
* Many a true word is spoken in jest
* Many hands make light work
Many may refer to:
* grammatically plural in number
*an English quantifier used with count nouns indicating a large but indefinite number of; at any rate, more than a few
;Place names
* Many, Moselle, a commune of the Moselle department in Franc ...
* March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb
* Marriages are made in heavenHeywood Broun
Heywood Campbell Broun Jr. (; December 7, 1888 – December 18, 1939) was an American journalist. He worked as a sportswriter, newspaper columnist, and editor in New York City. He founded the American Newspaper Guild, later known as The Newspap ...
(1888–1939), American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
journalist
* Men get spoiled by staying, Women get spoiled by wandering
* Might is right
* Might makes right
Might makes right or Might is right is an aphorism on the origin of morality, with both descriptive and prescriptive senses.
Descriptively, it asserts that a society's view of right and wrong is determined by those in power, with a meaning si ...
* Mighty oaks from little acorns grow
* Milking the bull
Milking the bull is a proverb which uses the metaphor of milking a bull to indicate that an activity would be fruitless or futile.
In the 16th century, the German painter Hans Schäufelein illustrated the proverb on the eight of bells in a dec ...
* Misery loves company
Misery Loves Company may refer to:
* Misery Loves Co., a Swedish industrial metal duo
* ''Misery Loves Company'' (album), a 2000 album by Rosemary's Sons
* "Misery Loves Company" (Porter Wagoner song), 1962
* ''Misery Loves Company'' (TV serie ...
* Moderation in all things
* Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for its living, and a child that is born on the Sabbath day is fair and wise and good and gay.
* Money does not grow on trees
* Money earned by deceit, goes by deceit
* Money is not everything
* Money demands care, you abuse it and it disappears. Rashida Costa
* Money makes the world go around
* Money talks
* Money makes many things, but also makes devil dance
* More haste, less speed
* Mud sticks
* Music has charms to soothe the savage beast
N
* Nature abhors a vacuum
* Necessity is the mother of invention
* Needs must when the devil drives
* Never cast a clout until May be out
* Never give advice unless asked.
* Never give a sucker an even break
* Never judge a book by its cover
* Never let the sun go down on your anger
* Never let the truth get in the way of a good stor
* wikt:never look a gift horse in the mouth, Never look a gift horse in the mouth
* Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today
* Never reveal a man's wage, and woman's age
* Never speak ill of the dead
* Never say die
* Never say neverNo pain, no gain
No pain, no gain (or "No gain without pain") is a proverb, used since the 1980s as an exercise motto that promises greater value rewards for the price of hard and even painful work. Under this conception competitive professionals, such as athletes ...
* No rest for the wicked
* Not all those who wander are lost " All that is gold does not glitter" J.R.R. Tolkien (1954)
* Not happy, Jan!
* Nothing is certain but death and taxes
* Nothing succeeds like success,
* Nothing ventured, nothing gained
O
* Oil and water do not mix
* Of course my horse (trademarked by Guadalupe Schmidt-Mumm)
* Old soldiers never die, (they simply/just fade away). From a Great War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
soldiers' song; the phrase was most notably referred to by U.S. General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was ...
(1880–1964) in his farewell address to the Congress.
* Once a(n) _, always a(n) _
* Once bitten, twice shy
"Once Bitten, Twice Shy" is a 1975 song written and recorded by Ian Hunter, from his debut solo album '' Ian Hunter'', which reached No. 14 in the UK Singles Chart.
The song was included in the 2017 feature-length biographical documentary, ...
* One good turn deserves another
* Once the poison, twice the charm
* One half of the world does not know how the other half lives
* One hand washes the other
* One kind word can warm three winter months
* One man's meat is another man's poison
* One man's trash is another man's treasure
* One might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb
* One might as well throw water into the sea as to do a kindness to rogues
* One law for the rich and another for the poor
* Opportunity does not knock until you build a door
* One swallow does not make a summer
''One Swallow Does Not Make a Summer'' ( sv, En fluga gör ingen sommar) is a 1947 Swedish comedy film directed by Hasse Ekman. The film starrs Eva Henning, Hasse Ekman, Sonja Wigert and Lauritz Falk.
Cast
* Eva Henning as Inga Brantemo, sec ...
* One who believes in Sword, dies by the Sword
* One who speaks only one language is one person, but one who speaks two languages is two people. Turkish Proverb
P
* Parsley seed goes nine times to the Devil
* Patience is a virtue
* Pearls of wisdom
* Penny wise and pound foolish
* Penny, Penny. Makes many.
* People who live in glass houses should not throw stones
* Physician, heal thyself
* Possession is nine-tenths of the law
* Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely
* Practice makes perfect
* Practice what you preach
* Preaching to the choir
* Prevention is better than cure
* Pride comes/goes before a fall (O.T.),
* Procrastination is the thief of time
* Putting the cart before the horse
* Put your best foot forward
* Put your money where your mouth is
R
* Red sky at night shepherds delight; red sky in the morning, shepherds warning
* Respect is not given, it is earned.
* Revenge is a dish best served cold
* Revenge is sweet
* Rome was not built in one day
* Right or wrong, my country
* Rules were made to be broken.
S
* See a pin and pick it up, all the day you will have good luck; See a pin and let it lay, bad luck you will have all day
* See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil
* Seeing is believing
* Seek and ye shall find
* Set a thief to catch a thief
* Shiny are the distant hills
* Shrouds have no pockets
* (Speech is silver but) Silence is golden
* Slow and steady wins the race
* Slow but sure
* Smooth move
* Snake in the grass
* Softly, softly, catchee monkey
* Some are more equal than others (George Orwell, Animal Farm)
* Sometimes we are the student. Sometimes we are the master. And sometimes we are merely the lesson – Jacalyn Smith
* Spare the rod and spoil the child
* Speak as you find
* Speak of the devil and he shall/is sure/will appear
* Speak softly and carry a big stick
* Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me
* Still waters run deep
* Strike while the iron is hot
* Stupid is as stupid does
* Success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan
* (A) swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly
T
* Take care of the pennies, and the pounds will take care of themselves
* Talk is cheap
* Talk of the Devil, and he is bound to appear
* Talk of Angels, and hear the flutter of their wings
* Tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are
* Tell the truth and shame the Devil (Shakespeare, Henry IV),
* The age of miracles is past
* The apple does not fall/never falls far from the tree
* The best defence is a good offence
* The best-laid schemes of mice and men often go awry
* The best things in life are free
* The bigger they are, the harder they fall
* The boy is father to the man
* The bread never falls but on its buttered side
* The child is the father of the man
* The cobbler always wears the worst shoes
* The comeback is greater than the setback
* The course of true love never did run smooth
* The customer is always right
* The darkest hour is just before the dawn
* The devil finds work for idle hands, The Devil finds work for idle hands to do
* The Devil looks after his own
* The die is cast
* The early bird catches the worm
* The end justifies the means
* The enemy of my enemy is my friend
* The exception which proves the rule
* The female of the species is more deadly than the male
* The good die young
* The grass is always greener on the other side, The grass is always greener (on the other side) (of the fence)
* The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (poem), The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world
* The husband is always the last to know
* The innocent seldom find an uncomfortable pillow. William Cowper, English poet (1731–1800)
* The labourer is worthy of his hire
* It is the last straw that broke the camel's back, straw that breaks the camel's back
* The law is an ass. From English writer Charles Dickens' novel ''Oliver Twist''
* The leopard does not change his spots
* The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing
* The light is on but nobody is home
* The longest day must have an end
* The longest journey starts with a single step
* The Moon is made of green cheese
* The more the merrier
* The more things change, the more they stay the same
* The only disability in life is a bad attitude. Scott Hamilton
* The only way to understand a woman is to love her
* The old wooden spoon beats me down
* The only way to find a friend is to be one
* The pen is mightier than the sword
* The pot calling the kettle black
* The proof of the pudding is in the eating
* The road to hell is paved with good intentions, The road to Hell is paved with good intentions
* The shoemaker's son always goes barefoot
* The squeaky wheel gets the grease
* The streets are paved with gold
* The way to a man's heart is through his stomach
* The work praises the man.
* The worm will turn
* There ain't no such thing as a free lunch
* There are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream
* There are none so blind as those who will not see attributed variously to Edmund Burke or George Santayana
* There are two sides to every question
* There but for the grace of God go I
* There is an exception to every rule
* There are always more fish in the sea
* There is honour among thieves
* There is many a good tune played on an old fiddle
* There is many a slip 'twixt cup and lip
* There is more than one way to skin a cat
* There is no accounting for tastes
* There is no fool like an old fool
* There's no need to wear a hair shirt
* There is no place like home
* There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out.
* There is no smoke without fire/Where there is smoke, there is fire
* There is no such thing as a free lunch
* There is no such thing as bad publicity
* There is no time like the present
* The Disobedient Child, There are none so deaf as those who will not hear
* There's nowt so queer as folk
* There is one born every minute
* There is safety in numbers
* They that sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind
* Third time is a charm
* Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it George Santayana
* Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones
* Those who know many languages live as many lives as the languages they know. Czech proverbLao Tzu
Laozi (), also known by numerous other names, was a semilegendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher. Laozi ( zh, ) is a Chinese honorific, generally translated as "the Old Master". Traditional accounts say he was born as in the state ...
, Chinese philosopher (604 BC – c. 531 BC)[
* To each his own.
* To err is human, to forgive divine
* To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world. Chinese proverb]
U
* Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown
* United we stand, divided we fall
* Use it or lose it
* Ugly is as ugly does
* Up a creek without a paddle
* Unity is strength
V
* Variety is the spice of life. William Cowper, English poet (1731–1800)
* Virtue is its own reward
W
* Walk softly but carry a big stick. 26th U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, 1900 in letter relating an old African proverb
* Walls have ears
* Walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs
* Waste not, want not
* Well begun is half done
* What does not kill me makes me stronger (disambiguation), What does not kill me makes me stronger
* Well done is better than well said.
* What cannot be cured must be endured
* What goes around, comes around
* What goes up must come down
* What you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts
* What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander
* What the eye does not see (the heart does not grieve over.)
* When in Rome, do as the Romans do, When in Rome, (do as the Romans do). Ambrose, St. Ambrose 347AD
* Whatever floats your boat
* When it rains it pours.
* When life gives you lemons, make lemonadeAlt URL
/ref>
* When the cat is away, the mice will play
* When the going gets tough, the tough get going
* When the oak is before the ash, then you will only get a splash; when the ash is before the oak, then you may expect a soak
* When you have seen one, you have seen them all
* What is learnt in the cradle lasts to the tombs.
* What the eye does not see, the heart does not grieve over
* Where there is a will there is a way
* Where there is muck there is brass
* Where there is life there is hope.
* Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
* While there is life there is hope
* Belling the cat, Who will bell the cat?
* Whom the Gods love die young
* Why keep a dog and bark yourself?
* With great power comes great responsibility. Often attributed to Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man
* Woman is the root of both good and evil
* Wonders will never cease
* Work expands so as to fill the time available
* Worrying never did anyone any good
Y
* You are never too old to learn
* You are what you eat
* You can have too much of a good thing
* You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink
* You can never/never can tell
* You cannot always get what you want
* You cannot burn a candle at both ends.
* You cannot have your cake and eat it too
* You cannot get blood out of a stone
* You cannot make a silk purse from a sow's ear
* You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs
* You cannot make bricks without straw
* You cannot push a rope
* You cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
* (You cannot) teach an old dog new tricks
* You cannot unscramble eggs
* You cannot win them all
* You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar
* You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain
* You pay your money and you take your choice
* Youth is wasted on the young
* You may/might as well be hanged/hung for a sheep as (for) a lamb
* You must have rocks in your head
* You scratch my back and I will scratch yours
* You'll never get if you never go
* You've got to separate the wheat from the chaff
* You've made your bed and you must lie in/on it
Z
* Zeal without knowledge is fire without light.
Notes
References
External links
*
*
* , list of proverbs, idioms and quotes
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Proverbial Phrases
Lists of phrases
Oral tradition
Proverbs, List