| Proverb | Explanation / Meaning |
A | Absence makes the heart grow fonder. | When you are away from someone you love, you love them even more. |
Accidents will happen. | Some unfortunate events must be accepted as inevitable. | |
Actions speak louder than words. | What a person actually does is more important that what they say they will do. | |
Advice is cheap. | It doesn't cost anything to offer advice. | |
Advice is least heeded when most needed. | When a problem is serious, people often do not follow the advice given. | |
Advisers run no risks. | It's easier to give advice than to act. | |
All cats are grey in the dark. | People are undistinguished until they have made a name. | |
All good things come to those who wait. | Patience brings rewards. | |
All that glitters is not gold. | Appearances can be deceptive. | |
All days are short to Industry and long to Idleness. | Time goes by slowly when you have nothing to do. | |
All is fair in love and war | Things that are done in love or war can often be excused. | |
All's well that ends well | There is a solution to everything even though there are doubts. | |
All that glitters is not gold. | What look good on the outside may not be so in reality. | |
All things grow with time - except grief. | As time goes by, grief subsides little by little. | |
All things are difficult before they are easy. | With practice things become easier. | |
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. | Everybody needs a certain amount of relaxation. It is not good to work all the time. | |
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.* | Eating an apple every day can help to keep you healthy. Other interpretation : A small preventive treatment wards off serious problems. | |
An empty purse frightens away friends. | When one's financial situation deteriorates, friends tend to disappear. | |
An Englishman's home is his castle. | An Englishman's home is a place where he feels safe, enjoys privacy and can do as he wishes. | |
An idle brain is the devil's workshop. | When you work you avoid temptation. | |
An onion a day keeps everyone away.* | *A humoristic version of "an apple a day..." | |
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. | It is easier to prevent something from happening than to repair the damage or cure the disease later. | |
Anger is the one thing made better by delay. | When you are angry, it is best not to speak or act immediately. | |
Any time means no time. | If the date of an event remains vague, it will never happen. | |
April showers bring May flowers. | Something bad or unpleasant today may bring good things in the future. | |
A bad tree does not yield good apples. | A bad parent does not raise good children. | |
A bad workman blames his tools. | Blaming the tools for bad workmanship is an excuse for lack of skill. | |
A bird in hand is worth two in a bush. | It's better to keep what you have than to risk losing it by searching for something better. | |
A broken friendship may be soldered but will never be sound. | Friendships can be rebuilt after a dispute but will never be as strong as before. | |
A burden of one's own choice is not felt. | Something difficult seems easier when it is done voluntarily. | |
A burnt child dreads the fire. | A bad experience will make people stay away from certain things. | |
A cat has nine lives. | 1) Cats can survive many accidents because they land on their feet without injury. 2) Three lives = 3 years to play, 3 years to stray, 3 years to stay. | |
A chain is no stronger than its weakest link. | The strength of a group depends on each individual member. | |
A change is as good as a rest. | A change in routine is often as refreshing as a break or a holiday. | |
A dry March, a wet April and a cool May fill barn and cellar and bring much hay. | Harvest predictions according to the weather. | |
A fault confessed is half redressed. | Confession is the beginning of forgiveness. | |
A flower blooms more than once. | If you miss an occasion, you can avail of it at another time. | |
A fool and his money are soon (easily) parted. | A foolish person usually spends money carelessly. | |
A fool at forty is a fool forever. | If a person hasn't matured by the age of 40, they never will. | |
A friend in need is a friend indeed. | Someone who helps you when you are in trouble is a real friend. | |
A friend to all is a friend to none. | Someone who is a friend to everyone makes none of them feel special. | |
A friend's eye is a good mirror. | A real friend will tell you the truth. | |
A good example is the best sermon. | Giving an example is better than giving advice. | |
A good beginning makes a good end. | If a task is carefully planned, there's a better chance that it will be done well. | |
A good conscience is a soft pillow. | You sleep well when you have nothing to feel guilty about. | |
A guilty conscience needs no accuser. | ||
A leopard cannot change its spots. | It is not possible for a bad or unpleasant person to become good or pleasant. | |
A loaded wagon makes no noise. | Really wealthy don't talk about money. | |
A loveless life is a living death. | ||
A man can die but once. | ||
A man is as old as he feels himself to be. | ||
A man is known by the company he keeps. | A person's character is judged by the type of people with whom they spend their time. | |
A monkey in silk is a monkey no less. | No matter how someone dresses, it's the same person underneath. | |
A new broom sweeps clean. | A newly-appointed person makes changes energetically. | |
A problem shared is a problem halved. | It will be easier to deal with a problem if you discuss it with someone. | |
A rising tide lifts all boats. | Describes something that will be helpful to all. | |
A rolling stone gathers no moss. | If a person keeps moving from place to place, they gain neither friends nor possessions. Another interpretation is that, by moving often, one avoids being tied down! | |
A rotten apple spoils the barrel. | A dishonest or immoral person can have a bad influence on a group. | |
A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner. | Overcoming adversity leads to competence. | |
A stitch in time saves nine. | It's better to deal with a problem at an early stage, to prevent it from getting worse. | |
A stumble may prevent a fall. | Correcting a small mistake may help you to avoid making a bigger one. | |
A swallow does not make the summer. | One good event does not mean that everything is alright. | |
A tree is known by its fruit. | A man is judged by his actions. | |
A watched pot never boils | If you wait anxiously for something, it seems to take a long time. | |
A young idler, an old beggar. | If you don't work, you won't have any money when you're old. | |
After dinner rest a while, after supper walk a mile. | Today 'dinner' is usually called 'lunch', and 'supper' more often called 'dinner'. | |
As you sow, so shall you reap | You have to accept the consequences of your actions. | |
Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies. | There are subjects I'd rather not discuss. |
Saturday, December 25, 2010
List of English proverbs {A}
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