Proverb Explanation / Meaning

When you are away from someone you love,

A Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
you love them even more.
Some unfortunate events must be accepted
Accidents will happen.
as inevitable.
What a person actually does is more
Actions speak louder than words.
important that what they say they will do.
Advice is cheap.
Advice is least heeded when most When a problem is serious, people often do
needed. not follow the advice given.
Advisers run no risks.
People are undistinguished until they have
All cats are grey in the dark.
made a name.
All good things come to those who
Patience brings rewards.
wait.
All that glitters is not gold. Appearances can be deceptive.
All days are short to Industry and long Time goes by slowly when you have nothing
to Idleness. to do.
Things that are done in love or war can often
All is fair in love and war
be excused.
There is a solution to everything even though
All's well that ends well
there are doubts.
What look good on the outside may not be so
All that glitters is not gold.
in reality.
All things grow with time - except
As time goes by, grief subsides little by little.
grief.
All things are difficult before they are
easy.
Everybody needs a certain amount of
All work and no play makes Jack a dull
relaxation. It is not good to work all
boy.
the time.
Eating an apple every day can help to keep
An apple a day keeps the doctor you healthy.
away.* Other interpretation : A small preventive
treatment wards off serious problems.
An empty purse frightens away When one's financial situation deteriorates,
friends. friends tend to disappear.
An Englishman's home is a place where he
An Englishman's home is his castle. feels safe, enjoys privacy
and can do as he wishes.
An idle brain is the devil's workshop. When you work you avoid temptation.
An onion a day keeps everyone away.*
It is easier to prevent something from
An ounce of prevention is worth a
happening than to repair the damage or
pound of cure.
cure the disease later.
Anger is the one thing made better by When you are angry, it is best not to speak or
delay. act immediately.
 If the date of an event remains vague, it will
Any time means no time.
never happen.
April showers bring May flowers.

A bad tree does not yield good apples.

Blaming the tools for bad workmanship is an
A bad workman blames his tools.
excuse for lack of skill.
It's better to keep what you have than to risk
A bird in hand is worth two in a bush.
losing it by searching for something better.
A broken friendship may be soldered
Friendships can be rebuilt after a dispute but
but will
will never be as strong as before.
never be sound.
A burden of one's own choice is not Something difficult seems easier when it is
felt. done voluntarily.
A bad experience will make people stay away
A burnt child dreads the fire.
from certain things.
1) Cats can survive many accidents because
they land on their feet without injury.
A cat has nine lives.
2) Three lives = 3 years to play, 3 years to
stray, 3 years to stay.
A chain is no stronger than its The strength of a group depends on each
weakest link. individual member.
A change is as good as a rest.
A dry March, a wet April and a cool
May
fill barn and cellar and bring much
hay.
A fault confessed is half redressed. Confession is the beginning of forgiveness.
If you miss an occasion, you can avail of it at
A flower blooms more than once.
another time.
A fool and his money are soon (easily) A foolish person usually spends money
parted. carelessly.
If a person hasn't matured by the age of 40,
A fool at forty is a fool forever.
they never will.
Someone who helps you when you are in
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
trouble.
Someone who is a friend to everyone makes
A friend to all is a friend to none.
none of them feel special.
Giving an example is better than giving
A good example is the best sermon.
advice.
If a task is carefully planned, there's a better
A good beginning makes a good end.
chance that it will be done well.
You sleep well when you have nothing to feel
A good conscience is a soft pillow.
guilty about.
A guilty conscience needs no accuser.
It is not possible for a bad or unpleasant
A leopard cannot change its spots.
person to become good or pleasant.
A loaded wagon makes no noise. Really wealthy don't talk about money.
 A loveless life is a living death.
A man can die but once.
A man is as old as he feels himself to
be.
A person's character is judged by the type of
A man is known by the company he
people with whom they spend
keeps.
their time.
No matter how someone dresses, it's the
A monkey in silk is a monkey no less.
same person underneath.
A newly-appointed person makes changes
A new broom sweeps clean.
energetically.
A rising tide lifts all boats. Describes something that will be helpful to all.
If a person keeps moving from place to place,
they gain neither friends nor
A rolling stone gathers no moss. possessions.
Another interpretation is that, by moving
often, one avoids being tied down!
A dishonest or immoral person can have a
A rotten apple spoils the barrel.
bad influence on a group.
A smooth sea never made a skilled
Overcoming adversity leads to competence.
mariner.
It's better to deal with a problem at an early
A stitch in time saves nine. stage, to prevent it from getting
worse.
Correcting a small mistake may help you to
A stumble may prevent a fall.
avoid making a bigger one.
One good event does not mean that
A swallow does not make the summer.
everything is alright.
A tree is known by its fruit. A man is judged by his actions.
If you wait anxiously for something, it seems
A watched pot never boils
to take a long time.
If you don't work, you won't have any money
A young idler, an old beggar.
when you're old.
After dinner rest a while, after supper
walk a mile.
You have to accept the consequences of your
As you sow, so shall you reap
actions.

People tend to circulate bad news (accidents,

B Bad news travels fast.
illness etc.) very quickly.
A person's character is more important than
Beauty is only skin deep.
their appearance.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Different people have different tastes.
Beauty is the wisdom of women.
Wisdom is the
beauty of men.
Be swift to hear, slow to speak. Listen carefully before speaking.
Better be alone than in bad company. Be careful in the choice of the people you
 associate with.
It's better to avoid disputes with stupid
Better flatter a fool than fight him.
people.
Better the devil you know than the It's better to deal with somebody difficult but
devil you don't familiar, than change and risk dealing
know with somebody worse.
It's better to do something, even if it's late,
Better late than never.
than not do it at all.
It's better to stop and accept a small loss,
Better lose the saddle than the horse. rather than continue and risk losing
everything.
It's better to be too careful than to be
Better safe than sorry
careless and regret it later.
It's better not to be taught at all than to be
Better untaught than ill-taught
taught badly.
People of the same sort are usually found
Birds of a feather flock together.
together.
Family relationships are stronger than
Blood is thicker than water
relationships with other people.
A person's background or education will
Blood will out.
eventually show.

A person's first duty is to help and care for his

C Charity begins at home.
own family.
Children and fools tell the truth.
A clean body is just as important as a pure
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
soul.
Clear moon, frost soon. If the atmosphere is clear, frost may form.
Clothes don't make the man. Appearances can be deceiving.
Constant occupation prevents
When you work you avoid temptation.
temptation.

A dead person cannot cause difficulties by

D Dead men tell no tales revealing something that it would be
preferable to conceal.
Refers to two people equally matched in wit
Diamond cuts diamond.
or cunning.
Diligence is the mother of good
Hard work brings rewards.
fortune.
Discretion is the better part of valour It is useless to take unnecessary risks.
Diseases of the soul are more
dangerous than
those of the body.
When you are separated from the person you
Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
love, your feelings are even stronger.
People from the same background have the
Dogs of the same street bark alike.
same behaviour.
Don't bark if you can't bite. Don't complain if you can't enforce your point
 of view.
Don't count your chickens before You must not be too confident that something
they're hatched. will be successful.
Don't dig your grave with your own Don't do something yourself which causes
knife and fork. your own downfall.
Don't judge a book by its cover. Don't judge by appearances.

Early to bed and early to rise makes a

E man healthy,
wealthy and wise.
What is suggested sounds easy but it is more
Easier said than done.
difficult to actually do it.
Elbow grease is the best polish. Hard work gives the best results.
The least intelligent people are often the most
Empty vessels make the most noise.
talkative or noisy.
Every ass likes to hear himself bray. People like to listen to themselves talking.
There is a positive or hopeful side to every
Every cloud has a silver lining
unpleasant situation.
You must think of your own interests before
Every man for himself.
the interests of others.
Every man has his price. Everyone's loyalty can be bought for a price.
Every man is the architect of his own
Life is what you make it.
fortune.
Every path has its puddle. Progress is rarely without difficulty.
Every why has a wherefore. There is an explanation for everything.
Everything in the garden is rosy. Everything is satisfactory.
Experience and knowledge result in better
Experience is the father of wisdom.
judgement.

People show what they are really like by what

F Facts speak louder than words. they do, rather than by what
they say.
Failure teaches success.
False friends are worse than open
enemies.
Knowing somebody very well may lead to a
Familiarity breeds contempt
lack of respect for them.
Fine words butter no parsnips. No amount of talking can replace action.
The first person in the line will be attended to
First come, first served.
first.
Fool me once, shame on you;
One should learn from one's mistakes.
fool me twice, shame on me.
Fools rush in where angels fear to Inexperienced people act in situations that
tread more intelligent people would avoid
Friendship is love with understanding.
 Gardens are not made by sitting in the
G Nothing is achieved without effort.
shade.
Give someone an inch and they will Give someone a little and they will want more
take a mile. - some people are never satisfied.
Give someone enough rope and they
Give someone enough time and freedom and
will hang
they will get into trouble.
themselves.
God helps those who help themselves.
Good and quickly seldom meet. A well-done job takes time.
Good management is better than good
income.
Great minds think alike.
Large successful operations can begin in a
Great oaks grow from little acorns.
small way.
Grief divided is made lighter

You should be grateful for something, even if

H Half a loaf is better than none.
it's not as much as you wanted.
Hard words break no bones.
If something is done too quickly, it may be
Haste makes waste.
done carelessly and need to be redone.
A person who feels hatred does not see any
Hatred is a blind as love.
qualities in the person he/she hates.
He has enough who is content.
If you delay your decision too long, you may
He who hesitates is lost.
miss a good opportunity.
It's not good to do too many things at the
He who is everywhere is nowhere.
same time.
He who knows nothing, doubts
Knowledge leads us to make choices.
nothing.
The person who provides the money for
He who pays the piper calls the tune.
something should control how it is spent
If you behave in a risky way, you are likely to
He who plays with fire gets burnt.
have problems.
If you are determined to do something you
He who wills the end wills the means.
will find a way.
Don't express your joy, or your triumph, too
He laughs best who laughs last.
soon!
Health is better than wealth.
You call home the place where the people you
Home is where the heart is.
love are.
Honesty is the best policy.
You can obtain more cooperation from others
Honey catches more flies than vinegar.
by being nice.
However long the night, the dawn will
Bad things don't last forever.
break
 In times of prosperity friends are You have many friends when you have no
I
plentiful. difficulties.
If a camel gets his nose in a tent, his
If you let something intrusive enter your life,
body will
your life will become difficult .
follow.
If in February there be no rain, 'tis
neither good
for hay nor grain.
If you are patient in one moment of
anger,
you will avoid 100 days of sorrow.
If you chase two rabbits, you will not
If you try to do two things at the same time,
catch either
you won't succeed in doing either of them.
one.
If you want a friend, be a friend.
If wishes were horses, then beggars Wishing alone is of no use; you must act as
would ride. well.
Possible interpretation: What you do not know
Ignorance is bliss.
causes no worry or sadness.
If you start something, it's better to spend the
In for a penny, in for a pound.
time or money necessary to complete it.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed
man is king.
It never rains but it pours. Misfortunes usually come in large numbers.
The most difficult time is just before a
It is always darkest before the dawn
problem is solved.
Don't express regret for something that has
It's no use crying over spilt milk.
happened and cannot be remedied.
People vary in character and abilities, and this
It takes all sorts to make a world.
is a good thing.

If the law is applied too late, there is no

J Justice delayed is justice denied.
justice.

K Knowledge in youth is wisdom in age.

Knowledge is power.
Kill one to warn a hundred. Warn many by punishing a few.
Kill the goose that lays the golden Destroy something that would be a source of
egg. wealth or success.
If you are kind to people, they will be kind to
Kindness begets kindness.
you

Proverb Explanation / Meaning

L Laughter is the best medicine.

Learn to walk before you run. Don't rush into doing something until you know how to do it.
Learning is a treasure that will follow Education is something you keep forever.
its owner
 everywhere.
Least said soonest mended. The more discreet you are, the less damage you cause.
Let bygones be bygones. Let's forgive and forget past quarrels.
Liars need good memories.
Lightning never strikes in the same
An unusual event is not likely to occur again in exactly the sam
place twice
Like father, like son. A son's character can be expected to resemble his father's.
Look before you leap. Consider possible consequences before taking action.
Disclosing important information ( to the enemy or a competito
Loose lips sink ships.
losses.
Losers weepers, finders keepers. If you lose something you weep, if you find something you keep
Love is blind. A person in love does not see the faults of the person he/she lo

M Make a silk purse out of a sow's ear Manage to produce something good using poor material.
Man is the head of the family;
woman is the neck that turns the head.
Man proposes, God disposes. Our destiny depends on God's will.
Manners make the man. Possibly: a person's manners show their origins.
Many hands make light work. Sharing work makes work easier.
Marry in haste, repent at leisure. If you get married too quickly, you may spend all your life regret
Memory is the treasure of the mind.
Men make houses, women make
homes.
Might as well be hanged for a sheep
If the penalty is going to be the same, you might as well commit
as (for) a lamb
Money begets money. If you have money you can make more money.
Money doesn't grow on trees. You shouldn't waste money because it is not plentiful.
Money is the root of all evil. Money is the main cause of wrongdoing and problems.

N Necessity is the mother of invention. The need for something forces people to find a way of obtaining
Need teaches a plan. Necessity will make you find a solution.
Never put off till tomorrow what can
Don't postpone something you can do now.
be done today
Never say die. Never give up.
Nobody is perfect.
No man can serve two masters. It's impossible to follow instructions from two different sources.
No man is an island. We all need other people.
If the news was bad, we would hear of it. Since we have heard
No news is good news.
we can assume that all is well.
No smoke without fire. There could be some truth in the rumour...
No wind, no waves. Similar to : 'no smoke without fire'.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You cannot expect to achieve anything if you don't take risks.
O Once bitten, twice shy. After an unpleasant experience, people are careful to avoid som
One father is more than a hundred
schoolmasters.
One good turn deserves another. You should be helpful to someone who helps you.
One of these days is none of these days. 'One of these days' remains vague.
One today is worth two tomorrow. What you have today is better than what is promised or hoped
One man's meat is another man's
People don't always like the same things.
poison
One man's trash is another man's
What is useless to one person could be valuable to another.
treasure.
One swallow doesn't make a summer. A single satisfactory event does not mean that all the others wi
Only real friends will tell you when
your face is Only a real friend will tell you the truth.
dirty.
Opportunity seldom knocks twice. Don't miss opportunities that come along.
Out of the mouths of babes and
Children often speak wisely.
sucklings
Out of sight, out of mind. We tend to forget people who are absent.

Refers to a person who is careful about spending small amounts

P Penny wise, pound foolish.
not careful about spending large amounts of money.
People who live in glass houses
should not throw One should not criticize others for faults similar to one's own.
stones.
Practice makes perfect. Doing something repeatedly is the only way to become good at
Practise what you preach Do yourself what you advise others to do.
It is easier to prevent something from happening than to repair
Prevention is better than cure the
disease later.
Pride comes before a fall. Don't be too self-confident or proud; something may happen to
Procrastination is the thief of time Delaying an action for too long is a waste of time.
Put all your eggs in one basket Risk everything by relying on one plan (by putting all one's mon

R Revenge is sweet. There is satisfaction in returning an injury.

Rome was not built in a day. It takes a long time to do a job properly. You should not expect

S Save me from my friends. Friends can be more dangerous than enemies.

Saying is one thing, doing is another. People don't always do what they announce.
Short reckonings make long friends. Debts paid quickly encourage friendship.
Sickness in the body brings sadness
to the mind.
Snug as a bug in a rug. Feeling very comfortable.
Spare the rod and spoil the child If you don't punish a child when he does wrong, you will spoil his
 Sticks and stones will break my bones
but names Physical attacks may harm me, but cruel words will not.
will never hurt me
Still waters run deep. A quiet person can have much knowledge or wisdom.
It's better to deal with a problem in its early stages, because if
A stitch in time saves nine
worse.
Stolen fruit is the sweetest. What is forbidden is the most tempting.

T Tall oaks grow from little acorns. Great things may come from small beginnings.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Children resemble their parents.
The best advice is found on the pillow. After a good night's sleep we may find an answer to our problem
The devil looks after his own. Success comes to those who deserve it least .
The devil makes work for idle hands People who have no work, or are idle, often get into or make tro
The die is cast. A decision has been made and it's impossible to change it.
The early bird catches the worm. If you want to do something successfully, you should do it as so
The end justifies the means. Wrong or unfair methods may be used if the result of the action
The first step is the hardest. The most difficult thing is to begin.
The more haste, the less speed. A person makes more progress if they do things less quickly.
The more you have, the more you
want.
The mouse that has but one hole is
If you depend on just one thing, and it fails you, you will have no
quickly taken.
The pen is mightier than the sword Words and communication have greater effect than war and fig
The proof of the pudding is in the
The real value of something can be judged only after it has been
eating.
The road to hell is paved with good
It's not enough to intend to do something, you must actually do
intentions.
The tongue wounds more than a
Insults can be more hurtful than physical injuries.
lance.
The truth is in the wine. People speak more freely under the influence of alcohol.
The way to a man's heart is through
Feed a man well and he will love you.
his stomach.
The wish is father to the thought. You think that something is true because you want it to be so.
There is a black sheep in every flock. There is always one who doesn't behave or perform like the oth
There is no fool like an old fool. A older person is expected to behave more sensibly.
There is safety in numbers Being in a crowd makes you feel more confident.
Time and tide wait for no man. Delaying a decision will not prevent events from taking place.
Time has wings. Time goes by quickly.
Time is money. Time is valuable and should not be wasted.
To err is human, to forgive divine It is human nature to make mistakes, therefore one should forg
Too many cooks spoil the broth. If too many people are involved in something, it will not be don
(Humoristic version of above :
Too many clicks spoil the
browse!)
 Trust not a horse's heel nor a dog's
tooth.
Truth is stranger than fiction. Events in real life are sometimes stranger than in fiction.
Two wrongs don't make a right It is wrong to harm someone because they have harmed you.

U Union is strength.

V Variety is the spice of life. Doing a lot of different things makes life more interesting.
Virtue is its own reward. You should not expect praise for acting in a correct or moral wa

W Walls have ears. Be careful. People could be listening.

Waste not, want not. If you never waste anything, you will have it when you need it.
What the eye doesn't see, the heart
doesn't grieve If a person doesn't know about something, it cannot hurt them.
over.
What a man says drunk, he thinks
People speak more freely under the influence of alcohol.
sober.
What soberness conceals,
People are less discreet under the influence of alcohol.
drunkenness reveals.
When the cat's away, the mice play. People misbehave when their boss, or the person in authority, i
You should adopt the customs of the people or country you are
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
and behave in the same way.
When poverty come in the door, love
goes out the
window.
Where there's life there's hope.
Where there's a will, there's a way. A person with determination will find a way of doing something
Who makes himself a sheep will be
Possible interpretation: an easily influenced person can be mis
eaten by the wolves.
Wisdom is better than strength.
Wonders will never cease! Expresses surprise at an unexpected pleasure or event (ironic).
Worry often gives a small thing a big
Worrying over small details can make them seem worse.
shadow.

Y You are what you eat.

You are never too old to learn.
You never know what you can do until
you try.
You scratch my back and I'll scratch
You help me and I'll help you.
yours.