- A bad workman always blames his tools - A careless or unskilled worker blames bad work on his tools rather than himself.
- A bird in hand is worth two in the bush - Something that one already has is better than going after something seemingly more worthwhile that one may not be able to get.
- A burnt child dreads fire - A bad experience or a horrifying incident may scar one's attitude or thinking for a lifetime.
- A chicken and egg question-A mysterious question which can't be answered
- A constant guest is never welcome-We are apt to grow to dislike friends who visit us too often
- A contented mind is a perpetual feast-Contentment of mind is the cause of lasting happiness.
- A fool and his money are soon parted-A person who spends his money foolishly will soon be penniless
- A friend in need is a friend indeed - A friend who helps when one is in trouble is a real friend.
- A good name is sooner lost than won-It takes a long time to build up a good reputation which can be easily destroyed by misconduct.
- A great talker is a great liar -A smooth and persuasive talker may be a good liar.
- A house divided against itself cannot stand-Discord breaks up families.
- A hungry man is an angry man - A person who does not get what he wants or needs is a frustrated person and will be easily provoked to rage.
- A job worth doing is a job worth doing well-When you do something you should do it as well as you can.
- A leopard cannot change its spots - A person's nature cannot change.
- A light purse makes a heavy heart-We cannot be cheerful when we have financial problems.
- A man is as old as he feels - A person's age is immaterial - it is only when he thinks and feels that he is ageing that he actually becomes old.
- A miss is as good as a mile - Something that one already has is better than something that one may not be able to get
- A new broom sweeps clean - A person newly appointed is always eager and enthusiastic in his work.
- A nod is as good as a wink-A hint or suggestion can be accepted and acted upon without further elaboration.
- A penny saved is a penny gained - By being thrifty one will be able to save up.
- A rolling stone gathers no moss - A person who never settles in one place or who often changes his job will not succeed in life; one who is always changing his mind will never get anything done.
- A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet-It is not what a thing is called that matters, but what it is.
- A stitch in time saves nine- By taking immediate action we can prevent a fault, damage or trouble from getting worse
- A straw will show which way the wind blows- A small incident can reveal an important event
- A thing of beauty is a joy forever- It means that though something beautiful may not last, the happy memory of it will live forever.
- A trouble shared is a trouble halved - Your troubles seem half as great when you discuss them with someone else
- A watched pot never boils - If you watch or wait for something to get done or to happen it seems to take forever
- Absence makes the heart grow fonder -One usually desires another more when he or she is far away.
- Actions speak louder than words - Children usually learn more from the examples set by their elders than from what they are told; a person's character is judged by the thing she does and not by what he says; actions give evidence or proof of.
- All that glitters is not gold - Do not be deceived by things or offers that appear to be attractive.
- All's fish that comes the net-When something comes our way we should consider how it might be useful or benefit us.
- An apple a day keeps the doctor away-It means that apples are so nutritious they keep you in the peak of health.
- An exception to the rule-Something does not conform to or agree with a rule
- An idle brain is the devil's workshop - One who has nothing to do will be tempted to do many mischievous acts.
- An ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit - It is better to be careful and discrete than to be clever.
- An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure-It is even better to be cautious and prevent a misfortune or an accident from happening.
- Any time means no time - When an event is not decided on or planned earlier it will never take place.
- As you make your bed so must you lie on it -You must accept the consequences of your act
- As you sow, so you shall reap - One will either enjoy or suffer the consequences of his earlier actions or inactions.
- Barking dogs seldom bite - Those who make loud threats seldom carry them out.
- Be on the safe side-To take special precautions to avoid making a mistake
- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder-What is beautiful to one person may not be beautiful to others.
- Beggars can't be choosers-Someone in need should be grateful for what is given to him -- even if it's not what he wants or expects
- Better late than never -To do something that is right, profitable, or good a little late is still better than not doing it at all.
- Between a rock and a hard place - To be in a difficult situation from which there seems to be no escape
- Between the devil and the deep sea - To choose between two equally bad alternatives in a serious dilemma.
- Birds of a feather flock together -People of the same sort of character or belief always go together.
- Bite off more than one can chew - To try to do something one is unable to do or incapable of doing.
- Blood is thicker than water - Family ties are stronger than any other.
- Burn the candle at both ends-Those who are always busy and seem to get little rest
- Buy a pig in a poke-Buy something without examining it for faults or checking to see if they are really getting what they believe they have purchased
- Call a spade a spade -If you say that someone calls a spade a spade, you mean that they speak frankly and directly, often about embarrassing or unpleasant subjects; an informal expression.
- Catch as catch can-To do anything or use any means to achieve an aim or reach a goal.
- Catch not at the shadow and lose the substance-We should not waste time on trivial aspects of a matter and neglect the essential matter itself.
- Charity begins at home - A person's first obligation should be to help the member of his own family before he can begin thinking of talking about helping others.
- Children should be seen and not heard-To stop a child from asking questions, talking, or making unnecessary noise.
- Christmas comes but once each year-An excuse to indulge in food and drink and spend money during the Christmas season.
- Cleanliness is next to Godliness - To be clean and tidy is just as important as being spiritually good and religious.
- Cross the stream where it is shallowest-Don't make things difficult for yourself; always find the simplest means of achieving your objective.
- Cry over spilled milk-It's pointless to get upset or feel regret about a loss or mistake that can't be undone
- Curiosity killed the cat-To warn people not to show too much interest in affairs that don't concern them.
- Cut off your nose to spite your face-When people are dissatisfied or angry, they sometimes react by doing foolish things that prove harmful to themselves.
- Cut your coat according to your cloth - Live within your income; don't be too ambitious in your plans
- Dead men tell no lies - (often used as an argument for killing someone whose knowledge of a secret may cause one loss or get into serious trouble.)
- Discretion is the better part of valor - If you say discretion is the better part of valor, you mean that avoiding a dangerous or unpleasant situation is sometimes the most sensible thing to do.
- Do not cross a bridge till you come to it-Do not worry about something before it has happened
- Do not have too many irons in the fire-If we attempt to do too much at once, we shall not do anything properly
- Do not ride the high horse-Do not be arrogant
- Do unto others as you would others do unto you-Treat others as you would like them to treat you.
- Dog eat dog- In competitive situations where each person has his own interests at heart, it is usually the strong and the determined who succeed.
- Don't count your chickens before they are hatched. - Do not make plans based on something that has not happened.
- Don't judge a book by its cover - Do not be deceived by appearances.
- Don't make a mountain out of a molehill - Do not make a big fuss or issue over something minor or small
- Don't put all your eggs in one basket - One should not risk everything he has in a single venture.
- Eat to live, but do not live to eat - Man was created for a divine purpose and he has a destiny with his Creator - he was not born just to enjoy food.
- Empty vessels make the most noise - Those people who have a little knowledge usually talk the most and make the greatest fuss.
- Even Homer sometimes nods-Even the best of us are liable to make mistakes.
- Every cloud has a silver lining - If you say that every cloud has a silver lining, you mean that every sad or unpleasant situation has a positive side to it. If you talk about silver lining you are talking about something positive that comes out of a sad or unpleasant situation.
- Every dog has its day -Everyone will get a period of success or satisfaction during his lifetime.
- Every flow must have its ebb- Life has its ups and downs, neither good fortune nor ill fortune lasts forever.
- Every oak must be an acorn- Everything has to have a small beginning.
- Every one can find fault, few can do better - It is easier to find fault in other people's actions or methods than to do it properly or correctly.
- Experience is the best teacher - The best way to learn a job is to do it.
- Faint heart never won fair lady - To succeed in life one must have the courage to pursue what he wants.
- Fair exchange is no robbery - A contract is fair as long as both the parties understand and agree to the conditions willingly; after a deal is closed neither side can turn around and say that he was unfairly treated.
- Fire is a good servant but a bad master - Fire, like any other manmade tool or device, will serve man well only when it is controlled and used wisely.
- First come, first served - The first in line will be attended to first.
- Fling/throw mud at someone-To say evil or bad things about someone and in doing so, to damage his or her reputation.
- Fools rush in where angels fear to tread - Foolish people tend to act too hastily and do things that wise people would avoid.
- Forgive and forget- Excusing or pardoning someone for doing something
- Fortune knocks once at every man's door - Everyone gets at least one good opportunity in his lifetime; everyone has the opportunity to be successful in life.
- Give someone enough rope and he will hang himself-If we allow someone to continue in his bad ways he'll eventually bring about his own downfall or ruin.
- Give the devil his due - Be just and fair-minded, even to the one who does not deserve much or who is unfriendly or unfair; we should punish a person according to his wrongdoings.
- Go from the sublime to the ridiculous - Move from one situation which is wonderful or perfect to another which is absurd or awful
- God helps those who help themselves - God only helps those people who work hard and make an honest effort.
- Great haste makes great waste - If one does things hastily he will make a lot of mistakes - he will need to spend a lot of time correcting those mistakes later.
- Great minds think alike - Wise people will normally think and behave alike in certain situations.
- Great talkers are little doers - Those people who talk a lot and are always teaching others usually do not do much work.
- Grin and bear it- To put up with discomfort or a bad situation without complaining.
- Habit is second nature - An act done repeatedly and often enough will sooner or later become a habit or second nature.
- Half a loaf is better than none - It's better to have or receive less than one desire than to have or receive nothing at all.
- Have an old head on young shoulders - Youngsters who possess qualities of wisdom one would only expect to find in experienced older people.
- Have eyes in the back of one's head - An ability to know what is happening not within the scope of one's vision.
- He laughs best who laughs last - A person who does his best is the one who will get the greatest satisfaction in the end.
- He who pays the piper calls the tune-The person who pays for something has the right to do as he wants.
- Hide your light under a bushel-Concealing your talents, skills or abilities
- History tends to repeat itself-What has happened once is liable to happen again.
- Hitch one's wagon to a star-To Move forward in a way to improve your chances of achieving success.
- Home is where the heart is-No matter where you are, 'home' is where you feel most comfortable and content.
- Honesty is the best policy - Being honest is believed to be the best route to take.
- If it's not one thing it's another - The troubles seem to go on and on without end.
- If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch-Those without knowledge should not try to teach the ignorant.
- If wishes were horses, beggars would ride- If we could get all the things we wanted just by making a wish, everyone would have all he ever wanted.
- If you can't lick them, join them-If you cannot defeat an opponent or get him to change his ideas, plans or way of doing things, the best thing is to change your ideas, plans, etc.
- In for a penny, in for a pound-If we decide to do something, we should commit ourselves to it boldly and completely.
- It is useless to flog a dead horse-It is no use spending your time and energy on an activity or belief that is already widely rejected or outdated.
- It never rains but it pours-Events, especially misfortunes, always come together and not one at a time.
- It takes all sorts to make a world - You should not expect everyone to think and act as you do.
- It takes two to make a quarrel - Both parties in a quarrel should share the blame or take responsibility for it; no one can start a quarrel all by himself.
- It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good - A bad or evil occurrence.
- It's never too late to mend - It is never too late to correct one's mistakes or faults.
- It's no use crying over spilt milk - It is pointless to feel remorseful over a thing lost that can never be found or a mistake done that can never be corrected or rectified.
- Jack of all trades and master of none - Is a person who can do almost anything, but he rarely excels in any of them.
- Jump from the frying pan into the fire - To go from a bad position to a worse one.
- Keep the wolf from the door- To avoid hunger and poverty
- Kindle not a fire you cannot put out-Do not start something you cannot control or resolve
- Laugh and the world laughs with you- When someone is in a happy, cheerful mood, people like being with him.
- Least said, soonest forgotten- The less we say about it the sooner the incident will be forgotten.
- Let bygones by bygones - One should consider forgiving one's and forget all the bad deeds done by others.
- Let not the pot call the kettle black - A person who has a fault should not point out the same fault in another; do not criticize another person as you may have the same weakness.
- Let sleeping dogs lie - One should preferably avoid discussing issues that are likely to create trouble.
- Life is just a bowl of cherries-Life is full of happiness and pleasure
- Like a bull in a china shop-A clumsy or tactless person
- Like father, like son, like mother, like daughter - (used to describe a child's behavior when he or she acts like the father or mother )
- Lock the stable door after the horse has bolted-Once a mistake has been made or an error committed, it's too late to take precautions to prevent it from happening.
- Look at the bright side - Be optimistic
- Look before you leap - Avoid acting hastily, without considering the possible consequences.
- Losers weepers, finders keepers-If someone loses something, he weeps -- but if someone finds it, he keeps it.
- Love me, love my dog-If we want a person's friendship we must accept him totally, faults and all.
- Make hay while the sun shines - Seize opportunities
- Many hands make light work-Many people sharing a job or tasks make easier work of it.
- Money is the root of all evil - Crimes and wickedness are associated with money.
- Necessity is the mother of invention - When a person is in great need of something, he will find a way of getting it.
- Never do things by halves - One should not do an incomplete or imperfect job - certain tasks must not be left half done; they must be done away with immediately.
- No news is good news - When there is no news, it is likely that everything is all right.
- Once bitten twice shy - If a person has been tricked once he will more be careful and alert the next time.
- One man's meat is another man's poison - No two persons are alike - every one has his own preferences, likes and dislikes.
- One swallow doesn't make a summer - One success doesn't guarantee complete success
- Out of sight, out of mind - You will soon forget friends you do not meet or keep in contact with.
- Possession is nine points of the law-In disputes over property ownership, the person in possession of something is sometimes said to have nine-tenths a chance of winning it in a legal argument
- Practice makes perfect - It is believed that if one practices a certain skill often, he will excel in it
- Prevention is better than cure - It is better to be careful beforehand than to try to solve a problem after it has arisen.
- Promises are like pie crust-Most promises cannot be kept
- Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them-If you are rich and successful, you will attract many friends, but if you should suffer hardship or have misfortune (adversity), your friends will quickly depart.
- Put a quart into a pint pot- Doing something that's impossible
- Robbing Peter to pay Paul - (this is quoted when one takes another loan to pay off an earlier loan ) taking from one to give another.
- Someone's bark is worse than his bite-People sometimes bark but in time we learn they're not always as frightening as they seem.
- Spare the rod and spoil the child - A child who is not punished and showed the error of his ways will become unruly.
- Speech is silver, silence is golden - Talk may be beneficial, but sometimes acquiescence may be the best option to take.
- Still waters run deep - One who is usually silent and goes about his business quietly may be a very wise person.
- Strike while the iron is hot - Seize a good opportunity as quickly as possible.
- Teach an old dog new tricks - It is impossible to change someone's ways or habits, especially if he is old and resists change
- That's where the shoe pinches- That's the source or cause of a problem or an annoyance
- The best fish swim near the bottom-The best things are hard to come by
- The blind leading the blind-A person helping or advising someone knows as little about the subject as the person who is being advised.
- The buck stops here-It means final decision or total responsibility for an action
- The darkest hour is that before dawn-Even when things seem at their very worst, they may shortly improve.
- The devil finds work for idle hands- Unless one keeps busy doing useful or constructive things he could be tempted into mischief or evil.
- The devil has the best tunes-To do something unworthy because it gives you pleasure
- The last straw that broke the camel's back - The final thing that, when added to a bad or unpleasant situation, causes failure or ruin.
- The longest day must have an end -All difficult jobs or situations also have an end.
- The mountain labors and brings forth a mouse-To work hard and long on a project that turns out to be pretty useless.
- The pen is mightier than the sword-The written word is more to be feared than physical violence
- The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike-No matter how good or bad a person, he must still face the everyday problems that confront us all.
- The sins of the fathers will be visited upon the children- People will be punished for the wrongs committed by their parents, forefathers, or those who have preceded them.
- The sky is the limit - There is no upper limit to something
- The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak- To do something unworthy just because it gives you the pleasure
- The thin end of the wedge - That something can appear to be small and of no particular importance - yet it can turn out to be the beginning of a major problem.
- The truth will out-Truth about something will eventually be discovered or made known
- The way to a man's heart is through his stomach-Most men love to eat so feed your husband well and he will always love you.
- There are none so blind as those that will not see- People, who never admit they might be wrong, refuse to listen to the opinions or ideas of anyone
- There are none so deaf as those who will not hear- People sometimes hear only what they want to hear
- There are two sides to every question - There are always two ways of looking at something
- There is no place like home-Even a simple home is the best place in the world for the people who live in it.
- There's more than one way to skin a cat-There is more than one way of getting a job done
- There's no smoke without fire - Rumors do not spread unless there is some element of truth in them.
- Time and tide wait for no one - Time is precious, once it is past no one can go back and claim it thus everyone should be mindful of how his time is spent.
- Time heals old wounds- The passing of time helps us to forget things that have caused us pain or made us unhappy.
- To err is human, to forgive divine - It is only normal for man to make mistakes and do wrong, but for one to forgive another for his wrong is indeed great and gracious act.
- To put the cart before the horse - To do something in an incorrect order
- Too many cooks spoil the broth - Too many people doing the same thing at the same time will not be successful
- Truth is stranger than fiction - Real life can be more incredible than anything which can be imagined
- Turn up like a bad penny- Something or someone disliked just won't go away
- Two heads are better than one - It is always better to get the view of another than to rely entirely on one's own judgment.
- Two wrongs do not make a right- If a person does something to harm or offend us, that's wrong. If we do something to harm them back, that's wrong too.
- Two's company, three's a crowd - It is always fun while there are only two people whereas the third person is an unwelcome intrusion.
- Uneasy is the head that wears the crown- Notable or important people are often concerned about losing their positions.
- Variety is the spice of life- Life becomes very monotonous without some break or change in the daily routine.
- Waste not, want not-If we're careful and waste nothing we'll never go without things we need.
- We never miss the water till the well runs dry -You only realize the importance of something when it is gone
- Wear out one's welcome-One is no longer welcome, usually because he has become a nuisance
- What's done can't be undone - In life there are some things once done or decisions once made cannot be changed; malicious words once uttered or harmful actions once done cannot be taken back.
- When in
- When poverty comes in the door, love flies out the window- As soon as a happily married couple begins having financial problems and the bills pile up their love will disappear.
- When the cat is away the mice will play - When law enforcers are not present, certain public members will take the opportunity to break the law
- Where there's a will there's a way - When a person really wants to do something, he will find a way of doing it.
- Who keeps company with wolves, will learn to howl- If we associate with bad companions we, too, will become bad
- Worship the ground somebody walks on - Very much in love with somebody
- You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink-We can help, show or encourage someone to do something but we can't make him do what he is unwilling or unable to do
- You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear-You cannot change a person's real character
- You can't have your cake and eat it - You must choose between two things as it is impossible to have both at the same time
- You pays your money and you takes your chances-A humorous way of saying that we sometimes must trust in luck when buying something.
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