Important Proverbs

IMPORTANT PROVERBS

IMPORTANT PROVERBS

Absence makes heart grow fonder- If people are parted for a time, they tend to appreciate each other more.

Action speaks louder than words- What one does is more important than what one says.

All is fair in love and war- All tactics are permissible when fighting for someone or against someone.

All is well that ends well- If the final result is good, earlier failures are forgotten.

All that glitters is not gold- Appearances can be deceptive.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy-Without proper leisure, the worker and his work suffer.

As you make the bed, you must lie in it- Each person must bear the consequences of his own actions.

As the King, so are the subjects- People follow their leader.

An angel when pleased, a devil when indignant- There are certain strange persons who when in good mood go out of the way to help you but when in bad mood may go to the other extreme and try to harm your interests.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away- Good and nutritious food keeps you healthy and happy.

An army marches on its stomach- An army needs arms as well as food.

An empty vessel makes much noise- Shallow water makes much noise. Persons having little knowledge tend to brag and prattle.

A bad workman quarrels with his tools- One tries to cover up one’s lack of skill by putting blame on the tools at one’s disposal.

Barking dogs seldom bite- People shouting in loud voice are usually harmless.

Beauty is only skin deep- It is inners qualities, not the outward appearance, that show the true nature of a person.

Beggars cannot be choosers- People in need must accept what is given.

Better late than never- It is better to do something, even if it should have been done earlier, than not to do it at all.

Between two stools we come to the ground- If we try to attain two aims at the same time we are bound to fall with regard to both of them.

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush- It is better to be content with what we have than to reject it in the hope of getting something better than one may perhaps not obtain.

Birds of a feather flock together- People of similar character make friends with one another.

Blood is thicker than water- Relationship between the people of the same family is stronger than other relationships.

A burnt child dreads fire- Those who have suffered are wary.

The child is father of the man- The character of a fully grown person is the product of childhood influences.

Coming events cast their shadows before-What is going to happen can be guessed from preliminary events.

Contentment is happiness- One who is satisfied with what one has is always happy.

Cowards die many a time before their death- If a man is coward, he will be afraid of every bad experience.

Cross the stream where it is the shallowest-Find the simplest way of doing things.

Cut your coat according to your cloth- We must adjust our expenditure to our income.

A day after the fair (To lock the stable door when the steed is stolen)- To do something, to take any precautions when it is too late.

Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched- Don’t be too hopeful of your chances.

Don’t cross a bridge; until you come to it-Don’t worry about things before they happen.

A drowning man catches a straw- A person in extreme difficulties will try every means of escape, even though he knows that it is unlikely to be successful.

The early bird catches the worm- Early or prompt action leads to success.

Every cloud has a silver lining- Something good will always comes from a difficult or unpleasant moment or situation.

Every dog has his day- Every person, however unfortunate or unimportant, has a time in his life when he is successful or victorious.

Every house has its skeleton- In every family there is something of which the family is ashamed of.

Experience is the best teacher- One learns more from experience of doing something than from any advice or training.

Example is better than precept- It is better to do something good and set an example for others than merely give moral instructions.

Familiarity breeds contempt- A long and close relationship, esp. between two people, causes feelings of scorn and dislike to develop.

Fine feathers make fine birds- People judge others by just their appearances.

First come first served- The man who has arrived and finished his work first, has the best chance of success.

Forbidden fruit is the sweetest- Forbidden things are the most attractive and exciting.

Fortune favours the brave- People who act courageously deserve and get good luck.

A good appetite needs no sauce- Hunger is the best sauce.

It is never too late to mend- It is never too late to improve or change one’s behaviour, attitude, etc., in order to lead a better life.

It is no use crying over spilt milk- If one cannot change a bad result, there is no use making oneself unhappy about it.

It never rains but it pours- Misfortunes tend to follow each other in quick succession.

It take two to quarrel- When a quarrel breaks out, two people and not only one, are at fault.

Look before you leap- Don not act without considering the possible consequences of the action.

Little things please little minds- People whose mental abilities are not fully developed get satisfaction from doing childish things.

Make hay while the sun shines- Make use of the favourable opportunities when they present themselves.

Many a little makes a mickle- Man drops make a shower.

Might is right- Power to enforce one’s will, gives one the right to do so.

Money begets money- The rich become richer the poor, the poorer.

Money makes the man and mare go- You cannot get anything if you have money enough to spend it to.

Money is the root of all evil- The desire to have riches is the cause of all crimes and evils.

Necessity is the mother of invention- When one is faced with a difficult problem, one will use one’s imagination and skill in trying to deal with it.

No pains, no gains- No gain without pain. Nothing can be gained without certain amount of effort or discomfort.

One good turn deserves another- If a person has received help from someone, it is fair to help him in return.

One man’s meat is another man’s poison-Different people like different things.

One man’s fault is another man’s lesson- Man learns a lot from other men’s experiences.

One man’s loss is another man’s gain- The loss incurred by one person results into gain for someone else.

One swallow doesn’t make a summer- It is unwise to form a general opinion on the basis of a single event.

Out of sight, out of mind- Absent friends are soon forgotten.

Penny wise, pound foolish- Careful in small matters, careless in more important matters.

A rolling stone gathers no moss- A person who constantly changes his job, place of living, etc.

Rome was not built in a day- Am important task requires patience and perseverance.

Set a thief to catch a thief- Somebody experienced in crime or cunning, is the most suitable person to catch another person of that type.

Still waters run deep- S person who is quiet and says little has often a lot of knowledge of a subject.

A stitch in time saves nine- One must mend a fault as soon as it is noticed. It will save much time, cost and trouble.

Strike while the iron is hot- One must act at the most favourable moment, when one is most likely to succeed.

Too many cooks spoil the broth- A job, activity, etc. will be spoilt or damaged if too many people try to do it at the same time.

Truth will be out- The truth about a situation or event cannot be hidden forever.

Union is strength- United we stand (divided we fall).

When good cheer is lacking, friends are packing- When a person becomes poor, all his friends desert him. As long as he is well-off they go to him for some selfish ends.

A word is enough for the wise- A wise man can understand what is meant by a hint alone.

You cannot have a cake and eat it- You can choose only one of the two alternatives not both.

You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs- One’s purpose cannot be attained without some sort of sacrifice.

You scratch my back, and I will scratch yours-Policy of mutual help is always advantageous.