Famous Proverbs

1] He loses his thanks who promises and delays

2] Every one thinks his own sack heaviest

3] Hypocrisy is a homage that vice pay to virtue

4] Better the foot slip than the tongue

5] The noblest vengeance is to forgive

6] Every beginning is hard

7] Our worst misfortunes are those which never befall us

8] Whether the pitcher strikes the stone, or the stone the pitcher, it is bad for the pitcher

9] Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.

10] Knowledge is the mother of all virtue; all vice proceeds from ignorance

11] Children and fools must not play with edged tools

12] Cruelty is more cruel, if we defer the pain

13] Covetousness is always filling a bottomless vessel

14] It is poor dog that is not worth the whistling

15] The pen is the tongue of the hand

16] Every man for himself, and the devil take the hindmost

17] Virtue and happiness are mother and daughter

18] Discretion of speech is more than eloquence.

19] In a gambling house, there are no fathers and sons.

20] Poor men go to heaven as soon as rich

21] It is safer to hear and take counsel, than give it.

22] Necessity breaks iron

23] A spear you can see can easily be avoided; a hidden arrows is difficult to guard against.

24] He who cannot bear misfortune is truly unfortunate.

25] To the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet. To a thirsty man any drink is sweet.

26] A fault confessed is half redressed

27] Put too much lemon-grass into the curry and you’ll spoil the flavour

28] It takes all sorts to make a world

29] Giving much to the poor, doth enrich a man’s store.

30] First try and then trust

31] Never put off till tomorrow what may be done today

32] The highest branch is not the safest roost

33] The purse of the patient protracts the disease

34] A house divided against itself cannot stand

35] The absent party is always to blame.

36] The peacock has fair features, but foul feet.

37] Luck for fools and chance for the ugly

38] It needs more skill than I can tell to play the second fiddle well

39] It is n time to stoop when the head is off.

40] Advise none to marry or to go to war

41] Safety lies in the middle course

42] God defend me from my friends; from enemies, I can defend myself.

43] He is not poor that has little, but he that desires much

44] Better be first in a village than second at Rome

45] All’s grist that comes to the mill.

46] He who serves is not free

47] Many kiss the hand they wish to cut off

48] Findings are keepings

49] A wise man changes his mind, a fool never.

50] Call no man happy till he is dead

51] He that desires but little has no deed of much

52] He that has a fellow-ruler, has an over-ruler. ¶ There is no good accord, where every man would be a lord

53] The result justifies the deed

54] All is vanity.

55] What everybody says must be true

56] He who sits chatting about nothing loses his candle

57] Be not too bold with your biggers or betters

58] New things are fair

59] Second thoughts are best

60] As you brew, so shall you drink.

61] Love your friend with his fault

62] Self do, self have

63] A true friend is forever a friend

64] Mirth without measure is madness

65] The weeds overgrow the corn.

66] Better to have one eye than be blind altogether

67] He who waits for another man’s platter has a cold meal

68] Brute strength without reason falls of its own weight

69] Out of the frying-pan into the fire

70] The best remedy against an ill man, is much ground between

71] The eye of the master will do more work than both his hands

72] He that has a wife, has strife

73] Least said, soonest mended

74] An arrow shot upright falls on the shooter’s head

75] A thief passes for a gentle man when stealing has made him rich

76] At the end of the game, the king and pawn go in to the same bag.

77] Union (or Unity) is strength

78] Sweet are the uses of adversity

79] The peony, though large, is useless; the date blossom, though small, yields fruit

80] After a dream of a wedding, comes a corpse

81] Look after your money and don’t make your neighbour a thief

82] A merchant that gains not, loses

83] Exchange is no robbery

84] If the father is spotted, the son will be speckled

85] The tongue stings

86] No man fears what he has seen grow

87] If you have no honey in your pot, have some in your mouth.

88] The devil looks after his own

89] Health is great riches

90] See which way the cat jumps

91] A good payer is master of another’s purse

92] Patience surpasses learning

93] Give and spend, and God will send

94] Armies are maintained for years to be used on a single day.

95] Give me fire and I’ll give you light

96] Honest is the best policy

97] No good building without a good foundation.

98] Anger begins with folly and ends with repentance.

99] Save a stranger from the sea and he’ll turn your enemy

100] The courteous one learns his courtesy from the discourteous.