An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?

This was supposedly written by the Swedish historical councellor Axel Oxienstierna in a letter to his son Johan in 1648. By the way, I like proverbs which I quote with the help of Reftag.



Proverb listsEdit

If something is marked with bold it is not really a proverb but an idiomatic expression. When it is marked in bold and italics it refers to a proverb of which the literal meaning I am not sure of. italics means a quintessential proverb. See also my sandbox for proverbs I am considering to add and whose meaning I am unsure of.

Under progress (loners)Edit

  1. Example is better than correction. (English)
  2. A book is a friend. (English)
  3. A foolish friend is like an open enemy. (Russian)
  4. A small hole not mended in time will become a big hole much more difficult to mend. (Chinese)
  5. A prompt refusal has in part the grace of a favour granted. (Latin)
  6. Admiration is the daughter of ignorance. (English)
  7. As the old cock crows, so crows the young. (Jamaican, Scots)
  8. A watched pot never boils. (English)
  9. Better a lean jade than an empty halter. (Spanish)
  10. Best to bite in the sour apple. (Swedish)
  11. Bitter pills may have blessed effects. (English)
  12. Catch not at the shadow and lose the substance. (English)
  13. Comparisons are odious (French)
  14. Cross the stream where it is shallowest. (English)
  15. Don't complain about lack of wind – learn to sail (Swedish)
  16. Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his boots. (English)
  17. Don't make clothes for a not yet born baby. (English)
  18. Genius is one percent imagination and ninety nine percent perspiration.
  19. Good clothes open all doors. (English)
  20. Harm watch is harm catch; A fool knows himself to be a wiseman, a wiseman knows himself to be a fool. (Russian)
  21. He is a fool that thinks not another thinks. (Spanish)
  22. He who asks does not get to choose. (Spanish)
  23. He who becomes a sheep is eaten by the wolf. (Greek)
  24. If they are offered winged ants, people will eat them. (African)
  25. If you don't cherish the little, you don't deserve the more. (Hungarian)
  26. It's a foolish sheep that makes the wolf his confessor. (French)
  27. It is to live twice to be able to enjoy the retrospect of your past life. (Latin)
  28. Intention of required study, the word worth a thousand gold. (Chinese)
  29. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. (English)
  30. Keep your own counsel. (English)
  31. Know thyself. (English)
  32. In doubt, in favour of the accused. (Latin)
  33. Only stretch as far as your blanket reaches. (Hungarian)
  34. One might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb. (Japanese)
  35. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings come great truth. (Russian)
  36. Seldom lies the dell dead by the dyke side. (Scots)
  37. That is a hard battle where non escapeth. (German)
  38. That government is best which governs least. (English)
  39. There is no tree but bears some fruit. (English)
  40. The best place for criticism is in front of your mirror. (English)
  41. The closer to the source, the clearer the water. (Swedish)
  42. The lost sheep may be recovered, the lost time cannot. (Basque)
  43. The talented hawk hides its claws. (Japanese)
  44. The fruit of a good tree is also good. (Italian)
  45. The shoemaker goes barefoot. (German, Polish, Spanish, French, Czech, Latvian, Albanian, Basque, Irish, Lithuanian, Latvian)
  46. The shoemaker's wife and the smith's horse have not shoes. (Scots, Spanish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French)
  47. The show must go on. (English)
  48. There is nothing like trying. (English)
  49. Time is like a sword; if you dont cut it it'll cut you. (Arabic)
  50. Trust arrives walking and departs riding. (Dutch)
  51. Time will tell. (English)
  52. Shit or get off the pot. (English)
  53. War is too important to be left to the generals. (English)
  54. We should not expect to find old heads on young shoulders. (English)
  55. When in doubt, do nothing. (English)
  56. Who talks too much, nobody listens to. (French)
  57. With friends like that, who needs enemies? (English)
  58. Writing is reading twice. (Latin)
  59. You never know what you can do until you try. (English)

Under progressEdit

  1. A bad compromise is better than a good lawsuit. (Slovak, Croatian, Czech, Piedmontese, Catalan, Faraoese)
  2. A fish stinks from the head. (Czech, Hungarian, German)
  3. A friend's slap has honest intentions, your enemies' kisses are meant to deceive. (Swedish, Basque)
  4. A store is no sore. (Polish, French, German, English)
  5. A tongue of a fool carves a piece of his heart to all that sit near him. (Polish, Latin, German, English, French)
  6. All are not thieves that dogs bark at. (English, Dutch, German)
  7. All is fish that comes to the net. (Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Romanian, English)
  8. All is not lost that is in danger. (French, Italian, Spanish, , English)
  9. Accusing is proving, when malice and force sit judges; The wolf finds a reason for taking the lamb. (Italian, Spanish, French, German, English)
  10. Adversity is the mother of wisdom. (Portuguese, Italian)
  11. After rain comes fair weather. (Japanese, Swedish)
  12. An honest look covereth many faults. (Swedish, Russian)
  13. Avoid evil and it will avoid thee. (English, Basque)
  14. Avoid the pleasure which will bite tomorrow. (French, Italian, English)
  15. Better bow than break. (Swedish, French, Italian, Spanish, German, English)
  16. Better go about than fall into the ditch. (German, French, Italian, Spanish, English)
  17. Better is the enemy of good. (alla utom spanska)
  18. Better late than never. (Swedish, German)
  19. Better underdone than overdone. (Polish, English)
  20. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. (Italian, French, Latin, German, English)
  21. Bloom where you are planted. (English, Swedish)
  22. By perseverance the snail reached the arc. (English, Provencal, Catalan)
  23. Childen are certain cares but uncertain comforts. (Polish, Latin, Danish, Spanish, English)
  24. Choose a wife rather by your ear than your eye; A man's best fortune or his worst is a wife. (Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, English)
  25. Deeds are fruits, words are but leaves. (German, Italian, French, English)
  26. Deep calls to deep. (Everything except German)
  27. Discretion is the better part of valor. (English, Spanish, Polish, French, Italian, Dutch)
  28. Don't ask the old – ask the experienced. (Polish, Czech)
  29. Don't burn the candle at both ends. (Italian, English, Spanish, French, Dutch)
  30. Don't paint the devil on the wall. (Czech, Swedish, German)
  31. Don't put the cart before the horse. (German, Spanish, Italian, French,, English. Japanese)
  32. Don’t throw out the child along with the bathwater. (Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, English)
  33. Easy come, easy go. (Swedish, Croatian, Flemish. Finnish, Czech)
  34. Every bird must hatch its own eggs. (Danish, Spanish, German, Czech, Italian, Swedish)
  35. Every little helps. (Latin, Danish, Dutch, French, Romanian, English)
  36. Everyone's business is no ones business. (Spanish, English)
  37. Experience is the mother of wisdom. (Portuguese, Italian, Japanese)
  38. Faint heart never won fair lady. (Danish, German, Italian, French, English)
  39. Faith can move mountains. (Swedish, Japanese)
  40. Fear has big eyes. (Czech, Russian)
  41. Fear the man of one book (Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, German, English)
  42. Fight fire with fire. (German, Dutch, Russian, English, Vietnamese)
  43. First come, first served. (Japanese, Swedish, Czech, German, Slovenian)
  44. Follow glory and it will flee, flee glory and it will follow thee (English, French, Latin)
  45. Forewarned, Forearmed. (Latin, Swedish, Italian, English, Portuguese)
  46. Fortune disdains the lazy. (Latin) (Latin, Basque)
  47. If at first you don't succeed try, try and try again. (English, Japanese)
  48. If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. (Welsh, English, German, French, Spanish)
  49. In for a penny in for a pound. (Spanish, English)
  50. It is not what you say, but the way you say it. (English, Dutch)
  51. The first chapter of fools is to think themselves wise. (French, English)
  52. God is on the side of the strongest batallions. (English, German)
  53. God who gives the wound gives the salve. (Croatian, Czech, Spanish, French,, Danish, German)
  54. Good laws have sprung from bad customs (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Latin, German, English)
  55. Good wine needs no bush. (Vietnamese, Hungarian, English, Dutch, Romanian, Italian)
  56. Goose, gander and gosling are three sounds but one thing. (English, Spanish)
  57. Half a loaf is better than no bread. (Dutch, English, Danish)
  58. Haste makes waste. (Portuguese, Bulgarian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Polish, Russian)
  59. Hasty judgment leads to repentance. (Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, German, English)
  60. He had need rise early who would please everybody. (German, French, Italian, Spanish, English)
  61. He complains wrongfully at the sea that suffer shipwreck twice. (Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, German, English)
  62. He gives twice, who gives in a trice. (Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, German, French, Romanian)
  63. He that leaves certainty and sticks to chance,
    When fools pipe, he may dance. (French, German, Spanish, English)
  64. He that lives on hope will die fasting. (French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Latin)
  65. He that swells in prosperity will shrink in adversity. (English, German)
  66. He that waits on another man's trencher, makes many a late dinner. (French, Spanish, English) (wrong)
  67. He that would eat the kernel must crack the nut. (English, French, German)
  68. He who is not with me is against me. (Italian, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, English)
  69. He who laughs last, laughs longest. (Swedish, Vietnamese, Dutch, German, Italian)
  70. He who lives shall see. (Swedish) (Swedish, Dutch, Japanese)
  71. He who serves God has a good master. (Czech, Polish, Portugese, Spanish, French, German)
  72. If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well. (French, Italian, Dutch, English, Spanish)
  73. If the sky falls, we shall catch larks. (French, Italian, Spanish, German)
  74. In for a penny, in for a pound. (Japanese, Latin)
  75. In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. (Swedish, Japanese)
  76. In the house of the hanged man, mention not the rope. (German, Spanish, Italian, French, English)
  77. It is the early bird that gets the worm. (English, Hungarian, Chinese, Japanese)
  78. Joy shared, joy doubled: sorrow shared, sorrow halved. (French, German, Swedish, English)
  79. Learn to walk before you run. (English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish)
  80. Least said, soonest mended. (Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Latin, French, English)
  81. Leave well enough alone. (Spanish, Russian)
  82. Little pitchers have big ears. (French, Swedish, German, English)
  83. Live by the sword, die by the sword. (English, Bulgarian, Vietnamese)
  84. Lose nothing for want of asking. (Italian, German, English)
  85. Many hands make light work. (English, Czech)
  86. Men leap over where the hedge is lower. (Spanish, French, Latin, German, English)
  87. Men talk only to conceal their mind. (Latin, English, Polish, French)
  88. Much is expected where much is given. (Spanish, Italian, French, German, English)
  89. Never ask pardon before you are accused. (English, Spanish)
  90. Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you. (English, Russian)
  91. No book was so bad, but some good might be got out of it. (Italian, Spanish, Latin, German, English)
  92. No need of words, trust deeds. (Latin, Spanish, Polish, Czech, English, Serbian)
  93. Of two evils choose the least. (Romanian, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, English)
  94. Paper is forbearing. (Spanish not found, Italian not found)
  95. Persevere and never fear. (Swedish, Sicilian)
  96. Plough deep while sluggards sleep, and you will have corn to sell and keep. (Czech, Polish, Spanish, English)
  97. Proffer'd service stinks. (Danish, Frisian, English)
  98. Punishment is lame but it comes. (Latin, Czech, Italian, French, English, Spanish)
  99. Only the dead fish follow the stream. (German, Swedish)
  100. Seldom lies the dell dead by the dyke side. (Scottish)
  101. Slow and steady wins the race. (English, Swedish, Russian)
  102. Sow thin, shear thin. (Spanish, French, German, English)
  103. Take things as you find them. (Latin, Spanish, English, German, Latin, Czech)
  104. Tell no noe your secrets. (German) (German, Spanish)
  105. The bird loves her own nest. (Spanish, Italian, German, French, Portuguese, Latin)
  106. The best goods are cheapest in the end. (English, Romanian, Italian)
  107. The eye looks but it is the mind that sees. (Latin, Spanish, Czech, German, English)
  108. The first step to health is to know that we are sick. (Latin, English)
  109. The more you stroke the cat's tail, the more he raises his back. (Lithuanian, Czech, Polish, Danish, German, English)
  110. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. (Dutch, Spanish, German, English, French)
  111. The tongue ever turns to the aching tooth. (Swedish, Basque)
  112. There is no greater torment than to be alone in paradise. (Italian, German, English)
  113. Though thou hast ever so many counsellors, yet do not forsake the counsel of thy own soul. (Polish, Latin, English)
  114. Walk the talk. (English, Romanian)
  115. What is learnt in the cradle lasts to the tomb. (German, Basque)
  116. When all men say you are an ass it is time to bray. (Italian, Spanish, French, German, English)
  117. When thy friend asks, let there be no to-morrow. (Spanish, German, Italian, English)
  118. Without temptation there is no victory. (German, Spanish, Italian, French, English)
  119. We are to learn as long as we live. (Albanian, Karelian, Livonian, Esperanto, Frisian, Veps)
  120. Words are silver, silence is gold.(Swedish, Russian)
  121. Yielding a single results in yielding in many. (Latin proverb) (Latin)
  122. You don't get nothing for nothing. (Spanish, English, Dutch, French, Italian)
  123. Zeal without knowledge is a runaway horse. (English, German)

Finished (At least seven international equivalents of a proverb.)Edit

  1. A bad beginning makes a bad ending. (Latin, Sicilian, Polish, Venetian, Italian, Spanish, French)
  2. A bad bush is better than no shelter; Every hair casts its shadow; There is no little enemy. (Czech, Corsican, Catalan, Portuguese, Provençal, Danish, Dutch)
  3. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. (Hungarian, Croatian, Romanian, English, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Norweigan, Swedish, Bosnian, Swedish, Croatian, Hebraic, German, Greek, Czech, French)
  4. A blind may sometimes hit the mark. (Danish, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Slovak, Catalan, Swedish, Norweigan, Flemish, Frisian, Scots)
  5. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link. (English, Dutch, Swedish, Russian, Latvian, Spanish, French)
  6. A closed mouth catches no flies. (Catalan, Czech, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Scots)
  7. A drowning man plucks at a straw.
  8. A fair face and a foul heart.
  9. A fool is ever laughing. (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Latin, German, English)
  10. A fool may give wise man counsel.
  11. A friend is known in adversity, like gold is known in fire. (Japanese, Persian, Esperanto, Welsh, Turkissh, Slovenian, Norweigan, Bulgarian, Vietnamese)
  12. A golden bit does not make the horse any better.
  13. A good marksman may miss.
  14. A good mind possess a kingdom.
  15. A good name is the best of all treasures.
  16. A guilty conscience needs no accuser. (Czech, Polish, Spanish, Latin, Italian, German, English)
  17. A honey tongue and a heart of gall.
  18. A king's favour is no inheritance.
  19. A liar should have a good memory. (Czech, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Latin)
  20. A lie has short legs.
  21. A problem shared is a problem halved. (Italian, Polish, Spanish, French, Latin, Dutch, German, English)
  22. A rolling stone gathers no moss. (Esperanto, Norwegian, Persian, Frisian, Slovenian, Welsh, Karelian, Turkish, French, Swedish)
  23. A mans worst enemies are often those of his own house.
  24. A new broome sweepeth cleane. (Georgian, Swedish, English, Votian, Livonian, Italian, French)
  25. Advice most needed are the least heeded. (In at one ear and out at the other.) (English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Latin, African, German, Albanian, Catalan, Frisian, Scottish Gaellic, Irish, Karelian, Livonian, Maltese, Romanian, Scots, Veps, Votian, Welsh, Esperanto, Persian)
  26. Age and poverty are ill to bear. (Croatian, Polish, Piedmontese, Lombard, Milanese, Norwegian, Danish)
  27. All that glisters is not gold. (Polish, Indian, English, Serbian, Faroese, Portuguese, French, German, Bosnian, Czech, Russian)
  28. All truths are not to be told. (Croatian, Czech, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch)
  29. A new broom sweeps clean.
  30. A watched pot never boils.
  31. An apple does not fall from the tree.
  32. An old dog barks not in vain.
  33. An ounce of patience is worth a pound of brains. (Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish, French, Dutch)
  34. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
  35. All are not friends that speak us fair.
  36. All good things are three. (Swedish, Polish, Spanish, German, Italian, Latvin, Czech, Russian)
  37. All that glimmers is not gold.
  38. The apple does not fall far from the tree.(Japanese, Armenian, Esperanto, Yiddish, Votian, Ukranian, Swedish, Spanish, Slovenian, Croatian, Russian, Romanian, Romansch, Romani, Polish, Norweigan, Latvian, Livonian, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Karelian, Lappish, Lithuanian,‎ German, Frisian, French, Finnish, Estonian, Danish, Dutch, Czech, Albanian, Latin, German, Dutch, Flemish, Walloon, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, Venetian, Romanian, French, Polish, Serbian, Croatin, Hungarian, Estonian)
  39. Barking dogs seldom bite. (German, Turkish, Danish, Serbian, Hungarian, Portuguese, Czech, Itallian, French, Dutch, Croatian)
  40. Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow. (Italian, Poliah, Danish, English, Czech, Portuguese, French)
  41. Better be alone than in bad company. (Czech, Sicilian, Sardinian, Corsican, Venetian, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish, Walloon, Povençal, French, Latin, Icelandic, Swedish, Danih, Frisian, Dutch, German, English)
  42. Better late than never. (Czech, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Swedish)
  43. Better safe than sorry.
  44. Beware of false prophets in sheeps clothing for they may underneath be wolves. (German, Italian, Swedish, French, English, Danish, Romanian)
  45. Birds fly not into our mouth ready roasted. (Icelandic, Russian, Hungarian, Flemish, Estonian, Norweigan, Swedish, Spanish, Russian)
  46. Cast no dirt into the well that gives you water. (Estonian,Slovak, Sicilian, Corsican, Venetian, Milanese, Catalan,Flemish)
  47. Cats eat what hussies spare. (Scots, Estonian, Croatian, Slovak, Czech, Portuguese, Polish)
  48. Children, fools and drunken men tell the truth. (Swedish, Slovak, Croatian, Romanian, Polish, Icelandic, Hungarian, Czech)
  49. Cobblers' children are worst shod. (Afrikaans, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Welsh, Swedish, Scottish Gaellic, Spanish)
  50. Common fame is often to blame. (Polish, Latin, Dutch, German, English)
  51. Conceal not the truth from thy physcian and (Italian, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Latin, German, English)
  52. Constant dropping wears the stone.
  53. Crooked logs make straight fires. (Czech, Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, Dutch, German, Swedish)
  54. Crows do not pick out eyes out of other crows.
  55. Curiosity killed the cat. (English, Czech, French, Portuguese, Polish, Italian, Dutch, Hungarian)
  56. Deal gently with the bird you mean to catch.
  57. Desperate diseases must have desperate remedies. (Italian, Portuguese, French, Latin, German, English, Spanish)
  58. Diffidence is the right eye of prudence.
  59. Distrust is the mother of safety.
  60. Divide and conquer. (Czech, Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, Dutch, German)
  61. Do as you may if you can't do as you would. (Polish, Scots, Pôrtuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, German)
  62. Do not play with edged tools.
  63. Do not think that one enemy is insignificant, or that a thousand friends are too many. (Portuguese, German, Latin, French, Italian, Czech, English)
  64. Don't add fuel to the fire. (Slovenian, Croatian, Romanian, Romansch, Polish, Hungarian, German, Czech, Albanian, English, Romanian, German, Swedish)
  65. Don't buy the pig in the poke.
  66. Don't blow your own horn. (Maori, Swedish, Hebraic, Dutch, German, Italian, Romanian)
  67. Don’t carry coals to Newcastle. (Danish, Finnish, Russian, German, Swedish, Polish, Hungarian)
  68. Don't change horses in midstream. (German, Russian, French, English, Irish, Swedish, Portuguese)
  69. Don’t go between the tree and the bark.
  70. Don't have too many irons in the fire. (Italian, Persian, Spanish, French, Latin, English, Dutch)
  71. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill. (Swedish, Romanian, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Dutch, Latin, English, Finnish, Hungarian, Russian)
  72. Don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. (Swedish, German, English)
  73. Don't postone till tomorow what you can do today.
  74. Don’t put all the eggs in the same basket. (English, Polish, Finnish, Danish, Swedish, French, Latin)
  75. Don't sell the skin till you have caught the bear. (Estonian, Lithuaian, Romanian, Venetian, Provencal, Flemish, Frisian)
  76. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. (Spanish, Croatian, Dutch, French, Hungarian, Czech, Russian, Swedish, Italian)
  77. Don't wash your dirty linen in public. (Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, French, Czech, German, English, Greek, Catalan, Icelandic, Frisian, Latvian, Norweigan, Romani, Slovak, Esperanto, Japanese)
  78. Drumming is not the way to catch a hare. (German, English, Portuguese, Italian, French, Spanish, Latin)
  79. Dry bread at home is better than roast meat abroad.
  80. Each day brings it own bread. (Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Lithuaian, Italian, Danish, Dutch)
  81. Eagles don't catch flies. (Estonian, Sardinian, Bolognese, Provençal, Catalan, Norwegian, Scots)
  82. Early ripe, early rotten.
  83. Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. (Serbian, Spanish, French, Bosnian, Portuguese, English, Polish, Romanian, Italian)
  84. Envy always shooteth at a high mark. (Czech, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish, French, German)
  85. Envy takes no holiday. (Czech, Polish, Piedmontese, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Swedish)
  86. Eggs and oaths are soon broken.
  87. Even a blind pig may occasionally pick up an acorn. (Swedish, Norwegian, Scots, Flemish, Catalan, Hungarian, Slovak, Danish, Frisian)
  88. Everybody to whom much is given, much is expected. (Spanish, English, Italian, French, German)
  89. Every man is the smith of his own fortune. (Persian. Albanian, Icelandic, Provencal, Rromansch, Slovak, Slovenian, Turkish, Votian, Esperanto)
  90. Every why has a wherefore. (Polish, Italian, Spanish, Frech, Latin, Dutch, German)
  91. Eavesdroppers hear no good of themselves. (Italian, Spanish, French, German, English, Romanian, Scots)
  92. Experience keeps a dear school. (Vietnamese, Portuguese, Czech, Polish, Spanish, Italian, German, Swedish)
  93. Fine words butter no parsnips. (English, Russian, Hungarian, Vietnamese, Romanian, Danish, Portuguese)
  94. For what thou canst do thyself, rely not on another. (Polish, Italian, Spanish, Danish, German, Latin, Swedish)
  95. Forbidden fruit is sweet. (Swedish, Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Russian, Latin, English)
  96. Forget other faults remembering your own; Forgive and forget. (Polish, Piedmontese, Piedmontese, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German)
  97. Fortune favours the bold. (Latin, French, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Swedish, Dutch, German, Italian, Vietnamese, Spanish, English)
  98. Fretting cares make grey hairs. (Czech, Polish, Italian, French, Latin, German, English)
  99. From nothing nothing can come.
  100. Give neither salt nor counsel till you are asked for it. (Latin, Italian, German, French, Romanian, Spanish, English)
  101. Give the devil his due. (German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian)
  102. Gnaw the bone which is fallen to thy lot.
  103. Good health is above wealth. (Spanish, Basque)
  104. Good swimmers are often drowned.
  106. Great minds agree.
  107. Grey hairs are honorable. (Danish, Latin, Scottish, Dutch, Spanish, Latin, German)
  108. Handsome is that handsome does. (Scots, English, Vietnamese, Romanian, Dutch, Spanish, German)
  109. Hard words break no bones.
  110. Hawks will not pick out Hawk's eyes.
  111. He that can have patience can have what he will.
  112. He that hath a head of wax must not walk in the sun. (French, Italian, Spanish, German, English, Hungarian, Dutch)
  113. He that promises too much means nothing.
  114. He that steals an egg will steal an ox.
  115. He that will not be counseled cannot be helped. (German, Latin, French, Italian, Polish, Czech, Croatian)
  116. He that will not when he may, when he will he may have nay. (Romanian, Portuguese, Latin, Italian, French, Spanish, English)
  117. He that will not work, shall not eat. (Esperanto, Welsh, Votian, Veps, Slovenian, Slovak, Romansch, Romani, Maltese, Latvian, Livonian, Lithuanian, Karelian, Vietnamese)
  118. He who does not advance goes backwards. (English, German, Latin, Dutch, French, Spanish, Polish)
  119. He who fights and runs away may live to fight another day. (Czech, Italian, Swedish, Spanish, Latin, French, German)
  120. He who is silent consents. (Esperanto,Yiddish, Slovenian, Swedish, Lithuanian, Scottish Gaellic, Frisian)
  121. He who sups with the devil must use a long spoon.
  122. History repeats itself.
  123. Honesty is the best policy. Honesty is the best policy. (Danish, German, Romanian, Czech, Swedish, Italian, French, Latin)
  124. Honey is sweet, but the bees sting. (Scots, German, Dutch, Danish, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese)
  125. If fortune favours, beware of being exalted; if fortune thunders, beware of being overwhelmed. (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Latin, German, English)
  126. If the beard were all, the goat might preach.
  127. If the cat is away, the mice play. (Albanian, Catalan, Estonian, Frisian, Scottish Gaellic, Karelian, Maltese, Norwegian, Provencal, Scots, Swedish, Welsh)
  128. If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain. (Polish, Spanish, Hungarian, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, German, French)
  129. If the shoe fits, wear it. (English, German, Lithuanian, Latvian, Czech, Polish, Icelandic)
  130. If you buy cheaply, you pay dearly.
  131. If you do good, good will be done to you.
  132. If you have no enemies it is a sign that fortune has forgotten you; People only throw stones at trees with fruit on them. (Latin, English, French, Portuguese, German, Spanish, Turkish)
  133. If you turn yourself into a doormat others will walk over you. (Written down as "He that makes himself an ass must not take it ill if men ride him.")
  134. If you want a thing done right, do it yourself (Bulgarian, Catalan, English, Polish, German, Swedish, French, Bulgarian)
  135. In wine there is truth. (Latin, Dutch, French, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Slovakian, Latin, Chinese, Japanese)
  136. Ingratitude is the world's reward.
  137. It's by the head that the cow gives the milk. (Slovene,Croatian,Polish,Frisian,Danish, Italian, Dutch)
  138. It is good fishing in troubled waters. (Bulgarian, Belorussian, Cheremis, Danish, Estonian, Frisian, Lithuanian, Livonian, Provencal, Romansch, Ukranian)
  139. It is not the hen that cackles the most that lays the most eggs. (French, Swedish, Korean, Latin, Slovak, Indonesian, Czech)
  140. It is not wise to open old wounds. (Danish, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Romanian, English)
  141. It is a poor mouse that has only one hole. (Hungarian, Croatian, Czech, Catalan, Provençal, Frisian, Scots, Spanish)
  142. It will all be the same a hundred years hence. (Dutch, Romanian, Italian, Spanish, German, Danish, Portuguese)
  143. Just as one calls into the forest, so it echoes back.
  144. Lead by example. (Latin, English, German, Dutch, Spanish, French, Portuguese)
  145. Learning is the eye of the mind.
  146. Leave a jest when it pleases you best. (Bolognese, Piedmontese, Venetian, Milanese, Catalan, Provencal, Norweigan)
  147. Least said, soonest mended. (Italian, French, English, Italian, Danish, Spanish, German, Romanian, Latin)
  148. Like father, like son. (Basque, Frisian, Irish, Karelian, Gaellic, Livonian, Provencal, Slovak, Slovenian, Veps, Votian, Welsh, Persian, Albanian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Norweigan, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese)
  149. Like mother, like daughter. (Slovak, Slovenian, Veps, Votian, Spanish, Swedish, Welsh, Esperanto, Croatian, Romanian, Romani, Portuguese, Polish, Norweigan, Latvian, Lappish, Karelian, Italian, Hungarian, German, Scottish Gaellic, Frisian, French, Finnish, Estonian, Dutch, Danish, Czech, Breton, Albanian, Latin)
  150. Like will to like. (Romanian, French, Spanish, German, Danish, Latin, Swedish)
  151. Little strokes fell great oaks. (Japanese, Swedish, Spanish, Norweigan, English, Dutch, Danish)
  152. Look before you leap. (Indonesian, Spanish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Swedish)
  153. Look before you leap, for snakes among sweet flowers do creep. (Tuscan, Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, Dutch, German)
  154. Love me, love my dog. (Czech, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish, French, Latin, Dutch, German, English)
  155. Love, smoke and cough are hard to hide. (French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese)
  156. Make a virtue out of necessity. (Danish, Provençal, Portuguese, Lombard, Venetian, Corsican, Polish)
  157. Man proposes but god disposes.
  158. Many a true word is spoken in jest. (Spanish, Italian, German, French, Romanian, English)
  159. Many kiss the hand they wish to cut off. (Swedish, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Latin, German )
  160. Men are like fish; the great ones devour the small. (Spanish, Latin, German, Dutch, Albanian, Catalan, Estonian, Scottish Gaellic, Hungarian, Irish, Latvian, Maltese, Norweigan, Provençal, Romansch, Croatian, Croatian, Slovenian, Slovak, Esperanto)
  161. Measure thrice, cut once. (Dutch, Chinese, Votian, Provencal, Romansch, Lithuanian, Albanian, Frisian)
  162. Mild physician putrid wounds.
  163. Misfortune comes on horseback and departs on foot.
  164. Missing out the forest because of all the trees.
  165. Money is there to be spent. (Dutch, German, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish)
  166. More speed, less haste.
  167. Misery loves company.
  168. A mountain never meets a mountain, but a man meets a man. (Persian, Esperanto, Welsh, Veps, Romansch, Romani, Frisian, Mordvin, Maltese, Karelian, Irish, Scottish Gaellic, Catalan, Basque, Albanian)
  169. Necessity knows no law. (Swedish, Romanian, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese)
  170. Never judge by appearances; Judge not a man and things at first sight. (Polish, German, Spanish, Dutch, Czech, Italian. Portuguese, Swedish)
  171. Nobody can serve two masters (Albanian, Catalan, Frisian, Scottish Gaellic, Livonian, Provencal, Romani, Slovenian, Welsh, Esperanto, Mordvin, Norweigan)
  172. No man is indispensable.
  173. No one can be the judge in his own case. (Spanish, Czech, Polish, French, Latin, Dutch, German)
  174. No one knows where the shoe pinches, but he who wears it. (Portuguese, Irish, German, Italian, Romanian, Dutch, Danish, Spanish, Latin, French, English)
  175. No one gets rich quickly if he is honest. (Polish, Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, Swedish, Dutch)
  176. No pain, no gain; Nothing ventured, nothing gained. (Indonesian, Russian, Czech, Croatian, French, Italian, English, Japanese)
  177. Nothing for nothing. (Polish, Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, Dutch, English)
  178. Nothing is new under the sun.
  179. It takes two to tango. (English, Dutch, French, Polish and Turkish, German, Spanish)
  180. Gluttony kills more than the sword; Wine has drowned more than the sea. (Polish, Spanish, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Latin, German)
  181. Heaven helps those who help themselves. (Italian, Croatian, Spanish, Finnish, Icelandic, Latvian, Czech, Hungarian, Latin, Bulgarian, Portuguese, Greek, French)
  182. Of soup and love the first is the best. (Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Venetian, Milanese, Proovencal, Norweigan)
  183. Old habits die hard. (French, Russian, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Latin, Latvian, Vietnamese, Basque, Italian,)
  184. Old is the oldest (Scandinavian)
  185. Once a drunkard always a drunkard; Once a thief always a thief. (Italian, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, English, Mambwe-Lungu)
  186. Once bitten, twice shy.
  187. One swallow does not make a summer (Swedish, Norwegian, Slovak, German, Sardinian, Romansch, Afrikaans)
  188. One today is worth two tomorrows. (Polish, Czech, Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, German)
  189. Opportunity knocks only once. (German, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Spanish, Dutch, Latin)
  190. Out of sight, out of mind.
  191. Out of the frying pan into the fire. (Romanian, Finnish, Polish, Russian, Indian, Hungarian, German)
  192. Patience is a remedy for every sorrow.
  193. Pigs grunt about everything and nothing.
  194. Physician, heal yourself! Czech, Polish, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, German)
  195. Poets are born, but orators are trained.
  196. Preachers say: do as I say, not as i do.
  197. Rats desert a sinking ship.
  198. Reckless youth makes rueful age. (Latvian, Italian, French, Latin, German, English, English [Sic!])
  199. Repetition is the mother of knowledge. (Latin, Swedish, Hungarian, Russian, Czech, German, French)
  200. Second thoughts are best. (Latin, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Romanian, English, Swedish)
  201. Set a herring to catch a whale. (Provencal, Italian, French, Polish, English, Romanian, Dutch)
  202. Set a thief to catch a thief. (Danish, Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, German, Italian)
  203. Shame take him that shame thinketh. (Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, Dutch, German, English)
  204. Shoemaker not above the sandal.
  205. Short prayers reach heaven. (Latin, Danish, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, French)
  206. Still Water runs deep (Bulgarian, Croatian, Indonesian, English, Czech, Danish, Spanish)
  207. Strike while the iron is hot.
  208. Take counsel of one's pillow. (Spanish, Swedish, Italian, French, Latin, German, Portuguese)
  209. Take heed of enemies reconciled and of meat twice boiled.
  210. Take the will for the deed. (Scots, Czech, Polish, French, German, English, Italian)
  211. The best defence is a good offence. (Italian, Swedish, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, English, Portuguese, Greek)
  212. The covetous man is good to none and worst to himself. (Hungarian, Polish, Italian, Latin, Danish, Dutch, German)
  213. The last will be first, and the first last. (Italian, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, English, Hawaiian)
  214. The more the merrier. (Polish, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, German, English, Slovak)
  215. The remedy is worse than the disease. (Arabic, Spanish, Scats, Latin. German, Portuguese, Kikuyu, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Afrikaans, Polish, Dutch, Italian, Tamil, Catalan, Marathi, English)
  216. The voice of the people is the voice of God.
  217. There are too many chiefs and not enough indians. (Galician, German, Danish, Norweigan, Swedish, Icelandic, Spanish)
  218. There is danger in delay. (Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, German, English, Scots)
  219. There is no accounting for taste. (Latin, Thai, Swedish, French, Portuguese, English, Russian, Romanian)
  220. There is no little enemy. (Spanish, Latin, German, English, Swedish)
  221. There is no rule without an exception. (Czech, Swedish, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch)
  222. There is no smoke without fire.
  223. There is none as deaf as he who not wants to hear.
  224. Time and tide wait for no man. (Danish, Scots, Danish, Polish, Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish)
  225. Time is precious. (Maltese, Hungarian, Greek, German, English, Sicilian, Spanish)
  226. Today me, tomorrow thee. (Italian, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, German)
  227. Too many cooks ruin the broth.
  228. True love never grows old.
  229. Truth gives a short answer, lies go round about. (Obscurity envelops truth.) (English, Latin, German, Polish, French, Spanish, Portuguese)
  230. United we stand, divided we fall; Union is strength. (Croatian, Czech, Vietnamese, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Flemish)
  231. You can catch more flies with a drop of honey than with a barrel of vinegar. (Danish, Dutch, Italian, German, French, Romanian, English)
  232. You can't milk a bull. (Czech, Polish, Italian, Spanish, French, German, English)
  233. You get what you pay for. (Polish, Italian, Catalan, Spanish, French, Latin, German)
  234. You see the splinter in another's eye but fail to see the beam in your own. (Votic, Veps, Romani, Mordvin, Maltese, Lappish, Karelian)
  235. You might as well try to hold an eel by the tail. (Slovak, Sardinian, Corsican, Portuguese, Catalan, Norweigan, Danish)
  236. You must meet roughness with roughness.
  237. You must not run after two hares at the same time. (English, Latvian, Dutch, Romanian, Danish, Italian, Afghan, German, French)
  238. Walls have ears. (Irish, French, Korean, Hungarian, Dutch, Portuguese, Greek, Vietnamese)
  239. Wealth rarely brings happiness. (Latin, French, Italian, German, English)
  240. Well begun, is half done. (Albanian, Basque, Catalan, Turkish, Scottish Gaelic, Karelian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Romani, Romansch, Slovak, Slovenian, Esperanto, Polish)
  241. Who digs a trap for others ends up in it himself.
  242. What is bred in the bone will not go out of the flesh.
  243. What everyone says must be true. (Italian, Spanish, French, Dutch , English, Czech)
  244. What goes around comes around.
  245. What you reap is what you sow. (Turkish, Hungarian, Vietnamese, Polish, Finnish, Latin, Estonian, Croatian, Portuguese, French, Slovak, Italian, Swedish)
  246. Whatever measure you deal out to others will be dealt back to you. (Catalan, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Latin, Italian, German, Portuguese)
  247. When in doubt, leave it out. (Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, Dutch, German, English)
  248. When one door closes another opens. (Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Scots)
  249. When the head is sick, the whole body is sick. (Italian, German, Latin, Spanish, French, Hungarian, English)
  250. When the pig is proffered, hold up the poke. (Czech, Polish, Corsican, Spanish, Latin, German, English)
  251. Where god has a church the devil will have his chapel. (Italian, French, Latin, German, English)
  252. Where there is a will, there is a way. (Afghan, Korean, Italian, Indian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Polish, Romanian, Hungarian)
  253. While the grass grows the steed starves. (Swedish, Polish, Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, Danish, German, English)
  254. Who falls short in the head must be long in the heels. (Swedish, Czech, Polish, Spanish, French, Dutch, English)
  255. Who has not served cannot command. (Polish, French, Latin, German, English, Italian, Portuguese)
  256. Whom fortune wishes to destroy, she first makes mad.
  257. Wise men learn by other men's mistakes, fools by their own. (Hungarian, Swedish, Sardinian, Venetian, Milanese, Provençal, Norweigan)
  258. Wisdom goes not always by years.

Quotes found here and thereEdit

  • Ce qui fait que si peu de personnes sont agréables dans la conversation, c'est que chacun songe plus à ce qu'il veut dire qu'à ce que les autres disent.
    • Réflexions diverses, IV: De la conversation.
  • Ever notice that "What the heck?" is always the right decision?
    • Attributed to Nancy Reagan in The Non-Designers Design Book (1995).
  • They who are very indulgent to themselves seldom have much consideration for others.
    • the adviser: a book for young people
  • My father always used to say that sucess is 50 % planning and 50 % luck.
    • House of Cards
    • Guessed meaning: ?? Shame is a sign ofggood heartedness for young people. But old people should know better: they should knoe that shame is an obstacle.
    • Aristotle.
    • Guessed meaning: Basically that some good hearted people project themselves on others so that they can't see their wicked nature.
    • William James, Talks to Teachers on Psychology and to Students on Some of Life's Ideals, 1911
  • Seek first the virtues of the mind; and other things either will come, or will not be wanted.
    • Guessed meaning: We should seek to improve our mind and by effect our skills and vice versa. Then we will know what will be of use to us.
    • Francis Bacon
  • A short pencil is better than a long memory.
    • How to Study and Teach Bible
  • You don't really understand your thoughts until you express them in words.
    • How to Study and Teach Bible
  • You must guide your students to become actively involved in your teaching process.
    • How to Study and Teach Bible
  • People don't do what is expected; they do what is inspected.
    • How to Study and Teach Bible
  • When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense seek no other sense, but take every word at its primary literary meaning.
    • attributed to David L. Cooper, 1850 in How to Study and Teach Bible
  • All men know what they want but they don't know how to ask.
    • Murder by numbers. (2002)
  • In my class there are cool people, and then there are the nerds, which I avoid.
    • Overheard from a seven year old girl talking to her dad.
  • Identify your needs. Find friends worth your time. A good friend does not try to push you in a certain way but loves you for who you are.
    • Heard from a lecture
    • Tony Hawk, American businessman, entrepreneur, skateboard pro. Interviewed by Gary Cohn for Entrepreneur Magazine (October 2009)


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# {{cite book | last1 = Kelly | first = Walter Keating | edition = | year = 1859 | title = Proverbs of all nations | publisher = W. Kent & co. (late D. Bogue) | page = X | pages = 238}}

# {{cite book | last1 = Mawr | first = E.B. | year = 1885 | title = Analogous Proverbs in Ten Languages | page = X | pages = 107 }}

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  1. Flonta, Teodor (2002). God and the Devil: Proverbs in 9 Euorpean Languages. Teodor Flonta. p. BLANK. ISBN 1875943412. 


Last modified on 17 April 2014, at 12:21