Questions tagged [proverbs]
A simple truth that expresses an idea or fact.
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Proverb for when one is already in a hurry but the condition wastes even more time
I am looking for a proverb (short adage) for when one is already in a hurry but the situation makes the person wait even more.
Today I was in a hurry. I had to reach home at 2 o'clock but the driver ...
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Origin of the saying "let go or be dragged"
Let go or be dragged.
This is a saying often associated with Zen Buddhism (occasionally Stoicism). As far as I can tell, there's no historical connection, and it might well be originally English. ...
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What's the opposite saying to "A broken clock is right twice a day"?
A familiar proverb runs:
A broken clock is right twice a day.
is a saying used to express that even an entity which is typically wrong, would sometimes be right accidentally.
Is there an inverse ...
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Origin of the proverb "There is a lid for every pot"
There is a lid for every pot is a saying that essentially means "There is someone for everyone", most commonly used in the context of romantic relationships. Variations include "Every ...
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Is there an English proverb for “Ogni santo ha i suoi devoti”, which suggests that, to different degrees, every person has someone who likes them?
The Italian proverb “ogni santo ha i suoi devoti” literally, “every saint has their own devotees” is generally used to suggest that, to different degrees, every person has someone who likes them.
A ...
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Whence comes the expression ‘’starve a cold, feed a fever?”
What is the origin of the expression "starve a cold, feed a fever"? It is is used as basic (perhaps incorrect) medical advice for common illnesses.
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The usage of the idiom "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
The idiom "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" conveys [at least] the idea that merely having good intentions is insufficient; one must also take action to realize those ...
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How to parse and punctuate the saying: "United we stand, divided we fall."
Personally, I think the phrase should be punctuated like this:
"United, we stand; divided, we fall."
The thing is, I could envision "United we stand" without a comma perhaps ...
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What is the term/phrase in academic English Literature given to idioms/figure-of-speech/proverbs/narratives that are oxymorons/self-contradictory? [closed]
Unless the employer stuffs my mouth with gold until I gag, I will Not work for them.
What is the term/phrase in academic English Literature given to idioms/figure-of-speech/proverbs/narratives that ...
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"you might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb" grammatical analysis
How is the last part of "you might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb" grammatically correct, that is "as for a lamb"?
Don't we use the structure "as for a something&...
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Can a proverb be used as a double entendre?
My colleague and I have different interpretations of what a double entendre can be. I attempted to make my case using the song “when it rains it pours” sung by Luke Combs as an example.
From what I ...
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Idiomatic expression for "putting off a task until a disaster strikes" [duplicate]
In Russian language there is a proverb "Пока гром не грянет, мужик не перекрестится".
Literal translation would be something like this: the peasant will not cross himself before it begins to ...
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Ignorance is the opposite of bliss
The proverb "ignorance is bliss" is used to express that somebody feels better by not knowing all the details about a topic.
In an existing thread titled "ignorance is not bliss", ...
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Is there such a thing as a new adage?
I was brought up to understand that a proverb that is described as an adage is, by virtue of its longevity, old. Take, for exapmle, the Old Testament book of Proverbs, some of which date back ...
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What's the English equivalent of the Italian 'sputare nel piatto dove si mangia'?
There's an Italian expression, 'sputare nel piatto dove si mangia', that literally means 'to spit on the plate where you eat', but really means:
to have an attitude of contempt, of strong criticism ...
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Origin and evolution of the proverb "A closed mouth catches no flies"
"A closed mouth catches no flies" is a proverb, and the origins of proverbs are almost always strange and murky; I'm not really expecting a definitive answer here. Wiktionary attributes the ...
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Where does this proverb come from? “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”
I am attempting to find the origin or source of this proverb:
“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”
Most sources say that this is a translation of an African proverb,...
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How common is the phrase: "Blessed be nothing"?
The phrase itself is found in one of Emerson's essays:
"Blessed be nothing," and "the worse things are, the better they are," are proverbs which express the transcendentalism of ...
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What is the meaning of "As bare as a bird’s tail?"
I initially found it in a 17th century English-Dutch Dictionary, page 37
I then found it in https://www.bartleby.com/
As bare as a bird’s tail. 1361
Twelve Mery Gestys of the Widow Edyth, 1525, by ...
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Is "Irish potatoes are not boiled twice" a valid proverb?
This "proverb" was used 40 years ago in my dad's school by an English teacher.
My dad says his teacher used it to mean, "Instructions will not be repeated". For example, if a ...
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Saying or expression about modesty [duplicate]
I am looking for a saying or expression in English that is equivalent to "what is an ant that you want to make a meal from?" meaning that, I dont consider myself that important to make such ...
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Are proverbs and metaphors the same thing? [duplicate]
Are all proverbs considered metaphors or does it depend? Here are a couple of proverbs for which I would like to know if they are metaphors or just statements:
Rome wasn't built in a day.
The best-...
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What does 'a death by thousand cuts' mean? [closed]
I learned this is an ancient technique of torture originating from imperial China. But nowadays a lot of articles and blogs use this proverbial expression. I want to know:
What does it mean in a ...
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Effect called when humans overvalue one good event after series of Bad events and Overexaggeration one single bad event after series of Good events
What is the effect called on humans when
When you have seen series of bad events happen to you, and then the next tend to overvalue an negligible good thing happening as a gratitude or grand success ...
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Saying, proverb, phrase for the idea of Absurdity of concentrating on pointless, over-the-top pleasantries than subject that matters the most [duplicate]
We have newly appointed 75+ power-hog manager (old school but in pejorative sense), affected by second childhood and treated like a lame duck (too good to do anything productive).
He is infatuated by ...
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What is a saying for "a bookish inexperience preaching the experienced"
Like Preaching to the choir means to speak for or against something to people who already agree with one's opinions.
What is saying when an idealist, bookish inexperience, fresh-out-of-college ...
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English equivalent of "To those you try to help, he says I am only right." [closed]
There is an old Indian Marathi saying (Mhan in marathi)
Jyacha karava bhala to mhanato majhach khara (Pronunciation: Jya-ch
K-ra-v Bh-l, To Mh-n-to Ma-zch Kh-r)
It means
Those you try to help say ...
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Any similar idioms to "Don't blow your own horn/trumpet"? [closed]
I am looking for idioms in English which convey a message that a person should not testify about his own character.
Any ideas?
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What's the equal and opposite proverb of "Variety is the spice of life"?
It is a little-known law that most proverbs have an equal and opposite. For example...
Too many cooks spoil the broth: Many hands make light work.
Fortune favours the brave: Fools rush in where ...
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Synonym for asking for a discount just before closing a deal
In persian we have this phrase which translates to "the seasoning for the deal" or "نمک معامله" in the exact literature. Now, a realtor friend, as it is common in persian culture, ...
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Looking for an aphorism/verse for "If you ask for less, you are more likely to receive it" (or the double inverse)
Looking for an aphorism/verse for the sentiment...
If you ask for less, you are more likely to receive it
...in the context of luck or prayers being answered.
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Is there a proverb that describes a self-important person of low standing?
For example, when someone thinks they rule the roost in a company, but in reality they don't have an important position.
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Does "don't cry over lost Bitcoins" really work? [closed]
There's the old saying:
Don't cry over spilled milk!
Its meaning, AFAIK, is that you should not cry/be sad/get hung up over losing something trivial which can easily be replaced. If you spill some ...
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An idiom expressing the circularity of tool making
Is there an idiom or a proverb like "in order to make a knife you need to use another knife", or, better, "in order to make a sharp knife you need to use a duller knife", ...
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Proverb, quote or phrase which convey that the approach, ideas that are meant to improve the system or process are the onces which fail them [duplicate]
I am looking for a proverb, quote or phrase describing the processes (or structures or ideas) which are supposed to bring in efficiency, enhance the gaps and increases in-efficiencies, but instead ...
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Metaphor similar to "one apple spoils the whole bunch"?
I am trying to describe sectarianism that starts from the oldest generation and seeps down to their children and grandchildren and I am getting major writer's block when trying to find a metaphorical ...
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proverbial idiom that fits the point that "Main contractor asking (polite forcing) subcontractor to spoon feed his own duty in its entirety"
In business, a main contractor is the one who takes up the responsibility of the whole project which he understands he can undertake in its entirety, some without and part with help of a subcontractor....
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Does English have a version of "pouring water on a goose"?
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/verkan
Det där har lika mycket verkan som att hälla vatten på en gås.
That has as much effect as pouring water on a goose.
It means that something is futile or ...
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Idioms: Exploiting/Taking Advantage of Others (negative connotation) [duplicate]
Could you please give me an idiom, proverb, or saying that describes someone who exploits and take advantage of others?
An idiomatic expression that has a negative connotation.
Or maybe to say that ...
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What is a good proverb in response to "two wrongs don't make a right"?
In an ideal world, I know "two wrongs do not make a right" but in the real world (or at least mine) I have often found that although they may not make a right, they often stop further "...
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Is there a proverb in English to convey the meaning "Attempting to catch a flying bird by accidentally releasing the one in hand."? [duplicate]
Attempting to catch a flying bird by accidentally releasing the one in
hand.
For example, pursuing other attractive objects for getting more benefit but accidentally losing the benefits from the ...
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fantasy and reality sayings
You should never act out a fantasy because the reality never matches up.
Is this a famous saying (especially about sexual fantasies)? Or is there any sayings or quotes similar to this?
I read this in ...
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The bigger the tree, the further the fruit falls
I overheard this once, but can't seem to find the origin of this quote. I checked Bartlet, Times, Yale, and Oxford, so I'm positive I heard it wrong. It might have been "the taller the tree."...
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what is its proverb in English [duplicate]
there is a famous proverb in Nepal, i.e. कागले कान समात्यो भन्दैमा म कागको पछि लग्नु. The meaning of this proverb to believe other blindly. For example: "The man said someone that the crow ...
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Idioms or expressions defining either getting paid fully or being appreciated
I am looking for a common English expression/idiom that defines a situation below:
I have done some work for someone, and in return, they are not going to pay me the full payment. Then I will tell ...
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What does "You can't bolt your door with a boiled carrot" mean?
There's an Irish expression: "You can't bolt your door with a boiled carrot."
Are there any Irishmen or women who can tell me what it means?
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Spoken word equivalent for "paper does not refuse ink"
This phrase advises a healthy skepticism of the written word.
Is there a similar idiom that advises skepticism of the spoken word?
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Idiom/proverb: if you keep calling someone a mouse, they might start thinking they're a mouse
I know there is a similar idiom in English and in other languages like Chinese languages, but I can't remember the exact idiom.
It's something like "if you keep calling an elephant a mouse, it might ...
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How would a native speaker react to the proverbial phrase: "Life is lethal"?
Would it sound completely wrong?
Would it be understood humoristically?
Would "deadly" be better?
It's an attempt to translate the humoristic German sentence:
Das Leben ist tödlich.
I often use ...
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English alternative for 'gesture for wise, stick for fool'
There is a proverb in Urdu language which translates to "gesture for wise, stick for fool". We use it to mean that a gesture is enough for a wise person, he will understand only by gesture and fool is ...
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