Hundreds of Common Short, Pithy Proverbs Common Proverbs & Sayings A bad penny always turns up. = A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. = A chain is no stronger than its weakest link. = A change is as good as a rest. = A fool and his money are soon parted. = A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees. William Blake = A friend in need is a friend indeed. = A good beginning makes a good ending. = A good man is hard to find. = A hard beginning maketh a good ending. John Heywood = A house divided itself cannot stand. = A house is not a home. = A hungry man is an angry man. = A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. = A leopard cannot change its spots. = A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. = A little of what you fancy does you good. = A man is known by his friends. = A man is known by the company he keeps. = A man’s home is his castle. = A man may well bring a horse to the water, but he cannot make him drink. John Heywood = A miss is as good as a mile. = A new broom sweeps clean. = A nod’s as good as a wink to a blind horse. = A penny for your thoughts. John Heywood = A penny saved is a penny earned. = A person is known by the company he keeps. = A picture paints a thousand words. = A place for everything and everything in its place. = A poor beauty finds more lovers than husbands. = A problem shared is a problem halved. = A prophet is not recognized in his own land. = A rolling stone gathers no moss. = A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1 = A stitch in time saves nine. = A thing of beauty is a joy forever. = A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men. = A watched pot never boils. = A woman’s place is in the home. = A woman’s work is never done. = A worthy woman is far more precious than jewels, strength and dignity are her clothing. Proverbs 3:1 = Absence makes the heart grow fonder. = Absolute power corrupts absolutely. = Actions speak louder than words. = Advice when most needed is least heeded. After a storm comes a calm. = All good things come to he who waits. = All good things must come to an end. = All roads lead to Rome. = All that glitters is not gold. = All the world loves a lover. = All things must pass. = All is well that ends well. John Heywood = All’s fair in love and war. = All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. = All you need is love. = An apple a day keeps the doctor away. = An Englishman’s home is his castle. = An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. = Appearances are deceptive. = April showers bring May flowers. = As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. Proverbs 26:11 = As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7 = As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Proverbs 25:25 = As soon as man is born he begins to die. = As you make your bed, so must you lie in it. = As you sow, so shall you reap. = Ask no questions and hear no lies. = Attack is best form of defense. = Bad news travels fast. = Barking dogs seldom bite. = Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. = Beauty is only skin-deep. = Beggars can’t be choosers. John Heywood = Behind every great man there’s a great woman. = Better late than never. John Heywood = Better safe than sorry. = Better die with honor than live with shame. = Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know. = Better to be alone than in bad company. = Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. = Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt. = Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. = Birds of a feather flock together. = Blood is thicker than water. = Boys will be boys. = Business before pleasure. = Business is business. = Butter would not melt in her mouth. John Heywood = Charity begins at home. = Children are poor men’s riches. = Children suck the mother when they are young and the father when they are old. = Christmas comes but once a year. = Cleanliness is next to godliness. = Clogs to clogs in three generations. = Cold hands, warm heart. = Comparisons are odious. = Count your blessings. = Crime does not pay. = Curiosity killed the cat. = Cut your coat to suit your cloth. = Dead men have no friends. = Dead men tell no tales. = Death always comes too early or too late. = Death closes all doors. = Death is the great leveler. = Death pays all debts. = Diligence is the mother of good fortune. = Discretion is the better part of valor. = Divide and rule. = Do as you would be done by. = Do not wear out your welcome. = Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. = Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. = Don’t burn your bridges behind you. = Don’t change horses in midstream. = Don’t cross the bridge until you come to it. = Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched. = Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face. = Don’t go near the water until you learn how to swim. = Don’t keep a dog and bark yourself. = Don’t let the bastards grind you down. = Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. = Don’t put all yours eggs in one basket. = Don’t put new win into old bottles. = Don’t rock the boat. = Don’t spoil the ship for a hap worth of tar. = Don’t try to teach your Grandmother to suck eggs. = Don’t try to walk before you can crawl. = Don’t upset the apple-cart. = Don’t wash your dirty linen in public. = Doubt is the beginning not the end of wisdom. = Early to bed and early to rise, make a man healthy, wealthy and wise. = Easier said than done. = Easy come, easy go. = Empty vessels make the most noise. = Enough is as good as a feast. = Enough is enough. = Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. Proverbs 17:28 = Every bird loves to hear himself sing. = Every dark cloud has a silver lining. = Every dog has his day. = Every family has a skeleton in the closet. = Every garden may have some weeds. = Every man has his faults. = Every man has his price. = Every man is his own worst enemy. = Every picture tells a story. = Every stick has two ends. = Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die. = Experience is the best teacher. = Experience is the mother of wisdom. = Failing to plan is planning to fail. = Failure teaches success. = Faint heart never won fair lady. = Faith will move mountains. = Fame is a magnifying glass. = Familiarity breeds contempt. = Fear is stronger than love. = Fear of death is worse than death itself. = Fight fire with fire. = Fine feathers make fine birds. = Finders keepers, losers weepers. = First come, first served. = First things first. = First think, and then speak. = Fish and guests smell after three days. = Flattery will get you nowhere. = Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. = Forewarned is forearmed. = Fortune favors the brave. = Friends are like fiddle strings, they must not be screwed too tight. = Garbage in, garbage out. = Give credit where credit is due. = Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile. = Give the devil his due. = God help the rich, the poor can look after themselves. = God helps them that help themselves. = Good fences make good neighbors. = Good talks save the food. = Good things come to those who wait. = Goodness is better than beauty. = Gray hairs are death’s blossoms. = Great minds think alike. = Half a loaf is better than no bread. = Handsome is as handsome does. = Half a loaf is better than none. John Heywood = Hard work never did anyone any harm. = Haste makes waste. John Heywood = He is not wise that is not wise for himself. = He is the best general who makes the fewest mistakes. = He that is master of himself, will soon be master of others. = He that knows nothing, doubts nothing. = He that lives on hope will die fasting. = He that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. Proverbs 28:20 = He that marries for money will earn it. = He that plants a tree plants for posterity. = He that plants thorns must never expect to gather roses. = He that seeks trouble never misses. = He that spareth his rod hateth his son. Proverbs 2:4 = He who hesitates is lost. = He who laughs last laughs longest. = He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword. = He who pays the piper calls the tune. = He who sups with the devil has need of a long spoon. = He who would climb the ladder must begin at the bottom. = He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star. William Blake = Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. = History repeats itself. = Home is where the heart is. = Honesty is the best policy. = If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. = If God had meant us to fly, he’d have given us wings. = If at first you don’t succeed try, try and try again. = If ifs and ands were pots and pans there’d be no work for tinkers. = If life deals you lemons made lemonade = If the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain. = If wishes were horses beggars would ride. = If you can’t be good, be careful. = If you can’t beat them, join them. = If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. = Ignorance is bliss. = Ignorance of the law excuses no man. = Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. = In for a penny, in for a pound. = In the kingdom of the blind the one eyed man is king. = In the midst of life we are in death. = Into every life a little rain must fall. = It goes without saying. = It never rains but it pours. = It is a bold mouse that nestles in the cat’s ear. = It is an equal failing to trust everybody, and to trust nobody. = It’s all grist to the mill. = It’s an ill wind that blows no one any good. = It’s best to be on the safe side. = It’s better to give than to receive. = It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. = It’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness. = It’s better to travel hopefully than to arrive. = It’s never too late. = It’s no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted. = It’s not worth crying over spilt milk. = It’s the early bird that gets the worm. = It’s the empty can that makes the most noise. = It’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. = It never rains, but it pours. = It takes a thief to catch a thief. = It takes one to know one. = It takes two to tango. = Jack of all trades, master of none. = Keep your chin up. = Keep your powder cry. = Keep your mouth shut and your ears open. = Kill not the goose that lays the golden eggs. = Last ship, best ship. = Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone. = Laughter is the best medicine. = Lend your money and lose your friend. = Let bygones be bygones. = Let not the sun go down on your wrath. = Let sleeping dogs lie. = Let the buyer beware. = Let the dead bury their dead. = Let the punishment fit the crime. = Life begins at forty. = Life is a bowl of cherries. = Life is what you make it. = Lightning never strikes twice in the same place. = Like a lame man’s legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. Proverbs 26:7 = Like father, like son. = Like mother, like daughter. = Little pitchers have big ears. = Live and learn. = Live and let live. = Live for today for tomorrow may never come. = Look before you leap. John Heywood = Look on the bright side. = Love conquers all. = Love is blind. = Love makes the world go round. = Love me, love my dog. John Heywood = Love sees no faults. = Love will find a way. = Luck has a slender anchorage. = Mad as a march hare. John Heywood = Make hay while the sun shines. = Make love, not war. = Man cannot live by bread alone. = Many hands make light work. John Heywood = Marriages are made in heaven. = Marry in haste, repent at leisure. = May as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb. = Mind your own business. = Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. = Misery loves company. = Money doesn’t grow on trees. = Money isn’t everything. = Money makes the world go round. = Money talks. = More haste, less speed. = More things belong to marriage than four bare legs in a bed. John Heywood = Music has charms to soothe the savage beast. = Nature abhors a vacuum. = Necessity is the mother of invention. = Necessity never made a good bargain. = Never judge a book by its cover. = Never judge from appearances. = Never look a gift horse in the mouth. = Never love with all your heart, it only ends in breaking. = Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. = Never say die. = Never speak ill of the dead. = Never too late to learn. = Never too late to repent. = No man can serve two masters. = No man is an island. = No man is indispensable. = No man ought to look a given horse in the mouth. John Heywood = No news is good news. = No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. = No pain, no gain. = No rest for the wicked. = No time like the present. = Nothing is certain but death and taxes. = Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. John Heywood = Nothing succeeds like success. = Nothing ventured, nothing gained. = Oil and water don’t mix. = Old habits die hard. = Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away. = One good turn deserves another. John Heywood = One man’s loss is another man’s gain. = One of these day is none of these days. = One swallow maketh not a summer. John Heywood = Only fools and horses work. = Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. = Opportunity seldom knocks twice. = Out of sight, out of mind. = Out of the frying pan into the fire. John Heywood = Patience is a virtue. = Pearls of wisdom. = People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. = Penny wise, pound foolish. = Poor men seek meat for their stomach, rich men stomach for their meat. = Possession is nine tenths of the law. = Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely. = Practice makes perfect. = Practice what you preach. = Prevention is better than cure. = Pride comes before a fall. = Procrastination is the thief of time. = Put your best foot forward. = Rain, rain, go away, come again another day. = Rats desert a sinking ship. = Red sky at night, Shepard’s delight; red sky in the morning, Shepard’s warning. = Revenge is a dish best served cold. = Robbing Peter to pay Paul. = Rome wasn’t built in a day. John Heywood = Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. = Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. = Seeing is believing. = Set a thief to catch a thief. = Silence is golden. = Six hours’ sleep for a man, seven for a woman and eight for a fool. = Something is better than nothing. = Sorrow for a husband is like a pain in the elbow, sharp and short. = Spare the rod and spoil the child. = Speak not of my debts unless you mean to pay them. = Speak when you are spoken to. = Still waters run deep. = Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. Proverbs 9:17 = Strike while the iron is hot. = Stupid is as stupid does. = Sweet things are bad for the teeth. = Take heed of enemies reconciled, and of meat twice boiled. = Talk is cheap. = Talk of the devil and he is sure to appear. = That which does not kill us makes us stronger. = The Devil finds work for idle hands to do. = The best defense is a good offense. = The best go first. = The best of friends must part. = The best things in life are free. = The bigger they are, the harder they fall. = The boy is father to the man. = The burnt child dreads the fire. = The cobbler always wears the worst shoes. = The darkest hour is just before the dawn. = The early bird catches the worm. = The ends justify the means. = The exception which proves the rule. = The fat is in the fire. John Heywood = The female of the species is more deadly than the male. = The first step is the hardest. = The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. = The green new broom sweepeth clean. John Heywood = The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. = The hours of folly are measured by the clock, but of wisdom no clock can measure. William Blake = The last straw breaks the camel’s back. = The longest journey starts with a single step. = The love of money is the root of all evil. = The moon is made of a green cheese. John Heywood = The more one knows, the less one believes. = The more the merrier. John Heywood = The more things change, the more they stay the same. = The more you get, the more you want. = The pen is mightier than the sword. = The pot calls the kettle black. = The proof of the pudding is in the eating. = The Spaniard is a bad servant but a worse master. = The tide tarrieth for no man. John Heywood = The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. = There are none so blind as those who will not see. = There are only twenty-four hours in a day. = There are two sides to every question. = There but for the grace of God go I. = There is a time and a place for everything. = There is but one good mother-in-law and she is dead. = There is no honor among thieves. = There is more than one way to skin a cat. = There is safety in numbers. = There’s a black sheep in every flock. = There’s always more fish in the sea. = There’s more than one way to skin a cat. = There’s no fool like an old fool. = There’s no place like home. = There’s no smoke without fire. = There’s no such thing as a free lunch. = There’s no such as bad publicity. = There’s no time like the present. = There’s none so deaf as they who will not hear. = There’s one born every minute. = There’s one law for the rich, and another for the poor. = They that dance must pay the fiddler. = They who love most are least valued. = Things are not always what they seem. = Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night. William Blake = Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. = Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. = Those who sleep with dogs will rise with fleas. = Time and tide wait for no man. = Time cures all things. = Time flies. = Time trieth truth. = Time is a great healer. = Time is money. = Today is the first day of the rest of your life. = Tomorrow is a new day. = To err is human, to forgive divine. = To the victor go the spoils. = To talk without thinking is to shoot without aiming. = To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive. = Tomorrow is another day. = Tomorrow never comes. = Too many cooks spoil the broth. = True love never grows old. = Trust is the mother of deceit. = Truth is stranger than fiction. = Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed. Proverbs 12:19 = Turn the other cheek. = Two heads are better than one. John Heywood = Two is company, three is a crowd. = Two wrongs do not make a right. = United we stand, divided we fall. = Variety is the spice of life. = Virtue is its own reward. = Walk softly but carry a big stick. = Walls have ears. = War is death’s feast. George Herbert = Waste not, want not. = Went in one ear and out the other. John Heywood = What you don’t know can’t hurt you. = When in doubt, do nothing. = When in Rome, do as the Romans do. = When the cat’s away, the mice will play. = When the iron is hot, strike. John Heywood = When the sun shineth, make hay. John Heywood = When the sword of rebellion is drawn, the sheath should be thrown away. = Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14 = Where there is no trust there is no love. = Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18 = Where there’s a will, there’s a way. = Witches and harlots come out at night. = Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. Proverbs 23:13-14 = Without justice, courage is weak. = Worrying never did anyone any good. = You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. = You can’t get blood out of a stone. = You can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear. = You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs. = You can’t make bricks without straw. = You can’t please everyone. = You can’t take it with you when you die. = You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. = You can’t tell a book by its cover. = You can’t win them all. = You cannot have it both ways. = You cannot have your cake and eat it. = You cannot unscramble eggs. = You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. = You don’t get something for nothing. = You have to kiss a lot of toads before you find a handsome prince. = Young men may die, old men must. = You win some, you lose some. = Youth is wasted on the young.
Posted on: Mon, 26 May 2014 11:14:17 +0000