Proverbs in English

Proverbs in English Mariana Casals

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

MEANING: Things we already have are more valuable than what we hope to get.

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A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

MEANING: One weak part will make the whole group weak.

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Actions speak louder than words.

MEANING: Actions are a better reflection of one’s character because it’s easy to say things, but difficult to act on them and follow through.

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A fool and his money are soon parted.

MEANING: Foolish people do not know how to use their money wisely.

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A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step.

MEANING: It doesn’t matter how big a task is, it starts with a small step, you start from the beginning/ you start small.

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A leopard can’t/doesn’t change its spots.

MEANING: A person can’t change its innate character, especially the bad parts.

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All good things come to an end.

MEANING: Good experiences eventually come to an end/ good experiences don’t last forever.

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All’s well that ends well.

MEANING: As long as the outcome is good, the problems on the way don’t matter.

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All that glitters is not gold.

MEANING: Things that look good in the outside may not be as valuable or good as they seem.

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Always put your best foot forward.

MEANING: Try as hard as you can or give your best in any given situation.

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An empty vessel makes much noise.

MEANING: Foolish or stupid people are the most talkative.

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An idle brain is the devil’s workshop.

MEANING: If you’ve nothing to do, you’ll likely think of mischief/of bad things.

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A picture is worth a thousand words.

MEANING: It is easier to show or explain something through a picture than through words.

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A rolling stone gathers no moss.

MEANING: A person who is always changing jobs and places has the advantage of less responsibilities, but also the disadvantage of no ďŹ xed place to live.

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A stitch in time saves nine.

MEANING: It’s better to deal with problems immediately rather than wait by when they worsen and become much bigger.

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As you sow, so you shall reap.

MEANING: Your actions – good or bad – determine what you get / the result of your actions.

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A thing begun is half done.

MEANING: A good beginning makes it easier to accomplish the rest of the project.

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Barking dogs seldom bite.

MEANING: People who appear threatening rarely do harm. / People who are making too much noise rarely will be as bad as they seem.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

MEANING: What may seem beautiful to one person may not seem to another.

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Beggars can’t be choosers.

MEANING: People who depend on the generosity of others can’t pick and choose things as per their liking. They’ve to accept what is given to them.

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Better late than never.

MEANING: It is better to get something you desire late than never get it.

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Blood is thicker than water.

MEANING: Relationships with family (or blood relatives) are stronger than other relationships.

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Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

MEANING: Don’t take more responsibility than you can handle.

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Don’t cast pearls before swine.

MEANING: Don’t offer something valuable to someone who doesn’t value or deserve it.

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Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

MEANING: Don’t make plans based on future events that may not happen at all.

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You cross the bridge when you come to it.

MEANING: Deal with a situation when it happens and not unnecessarily worry about it in advance.

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Don’t judge a book by its cover.

MEANING: Just like you can’t form an opinion of a book just by looking at its cover, you can’t form an opinion about someone (or something) from their outward appearance.

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Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

MEANING: Don’t put all your effort into a single course of action, venture, investment, goal, or the like, because if it doesn’t work, you lose everything.

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Don’t put the cart before the horse.

MEANING: Do things in proper order. Avoid doing things the wrong way round or with the wrong emphasis.

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Don’t throw the baby with the bathwater.

MEANING: Don’t discard something valuable while getting rid of something worthless.

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The early bird catches the worm.

MEANING: One who starts early on the work has higher chance of success.

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Easy come, easy go.

MEANING: If you get something easily and then it’s likely that you will lose it just as easily.

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Every cloud has a silver lining.

MEANING: Every bad or negative situation can result in some beneďŹ t to you./ after the rain the sun will come out again.

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Every dog has his day.

MEANING: Even the unluckiest or the most unfortunate will taste success at some point.

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When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

MEANING: When conditions become diďŹƒcult, strong people take action

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Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.

MEANING: If you give someone a small amount of power or freedom to do something, they may try to get a lot more.

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Good things come to those who wait.

MEANING: Patience is often rewarded.

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Ignorance is bliss.

MEANING: If you don’t know about something, you don’t need to bother about it. In other words, if you’re unaware of something, it won’t cause you stress.

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It’s better to be safe than sorry.

MEANING: It’s better to be cautious than to regret it later.

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It’s not over till it’s over.

MEANING: Until the event has completely ended, there is still a chance of success.

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It takes two to tango.

MEANING: Where two parties are involved in a situation, fault usually lies with both if things go wrong. Rarely can one party be blamed entirely.

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Let sleeping dogs lie.

MEANING: Don’t talk about a bad situation people have forgotten and that could unnecessarily create problem in the present.

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No news is good news.

MEANING: If you don’t receive any news about someone or something, it means that everything is ďŹ ne and going normally.

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Once bitten twice shy./ A burnt child dreads the ďŹ re.

MEANING: If you had a bad experience with something you are unlikely to try it again because you still remember the bad/negative consequences.

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Out of sight, out of mind.

MEANING: If someone or something is not seen for a long time, it’ll be forgotten.

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Too many cooks spoil the broth.

MEANING: If too many people are giving their opinion and making decisions on one thing, they may ruin it.

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Two wrongs don’t make a right.

MEANING: the fact that someone has done something unjust or dishonest is no justiďŹ cation for acting in a similar way.

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What goes around comes around.

MEANING: the consequences of one's actions will have to be dealt with eventually.

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Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

MEANING: If you are determined enough, you can find a way to achieve what you want, even if it is difficult.

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Where there’s smoke there’s fire.

MEANING: If there are rumors or signs that something is true so it must be at least partly true.

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When/While the cat's away, the mice will play MEANING: People will naturally take advantage of the absence of someone in authority to do as they like.

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You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

MEANING: You can't enjoy both of two desirable but mutually exclusive alternatives./ If there are two things that you really want, it is normally impossible to get them both at the same time.

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A watched pot never boils.

MEANING: If something takes time to do, it doesn’t help to constantly check on it. You just have to give it time.

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Birds of a feather ock together.

MEANING: People who are similar spend time together. / People of the same sort or with the same tastes and interests will be found together.

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Don’t put too many irons in the fire.

MEANING: Don’t try to do too many things at the same time; focus on one thing at a time.

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If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

MEANING: If something is already working well, don’t try to change it or improve it.

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If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em./ If you can’t beat them, join them.

MEANING: If you can’t change someone’s behavior or opinion, sometimes it’s better or easier to do what they want to do.

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If you play with ďŹ re, you’ll get burned.

MEANING: If you get involved in something dangerous or beyond your abilities, you will probably experience negative consequences.

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The grass is always greener on the other side.

MEANING: Other people's lives or situations always seem better than one's own.

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There is no free lunch.

MEANING: Nothing is free. Even the things that are free have a hidden cost./ You should not expect to get something good without having to pay for it or make any effort to get it.

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The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

MEANING: The person who complains in a situation is more likely to get something than the one who doesn’t say anything.

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A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client.

MEANING: A man who tries to defend himself, rather than hiring a trained lawyer, is a fool.

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A penny saved is a penny earned.

MEANING: Every small amount helps to build one's savings (i.e. by saving a penny, you have one more penny).

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No one is a prophet in their own land.

MEANING: Sometimes you can’t help or get recognized by the people who are closer to you.

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All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

MEANING: Without time off from work or responsibilities, a person becomes both bored and boring

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There are plenty more ďŹ sh in the sea.

MEANING: Although one’s relationship with someone has failed, there are many other people they can have relationships with./ There will be other (and better) opportunities.

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Another day, another dollar.

MEANING: Life goes on, and it is necessary to work to earn money. / Americans use this phrase to say that everything is ordinary, same routine. Nothing has changed and everything remains the same. @teacher.casals

The apple never falls far from the tree.

MEANING: A child usually has a similar character or similar qualities to his or her parents.

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You've made your bed, now you must lie in it.

MEANING: You must accept the unpleasant results of something you have done.

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One man's trash is another man's treasure.

MEANING: Different people have different ideas about what's valuable.

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One man's trash is another man's treasure.

MEANING: Different people have different ideas about what's valuable.

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A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.

MEANING: A verbal contract is completely useless.

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Bloom where you are planted.

MEANING: Use your talents and gifts regardless of your circumstances and apply them to your beneďŹ t.

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Evil begets evil.

MEANING: "violence only breeds more violence"/ "fighting fire with fire makes bigger fire" and similar things./ Doing evil things will result in more evil.

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Fool me once, shame on you.

Fool me twice, shame on me.

MEANING: After being tricked once, one should learn from one's mistakes and avoid being tricked in the same way again.

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If the shoe fits, wear it.

MEANING: Accept an accurate description of you, even if it is not flattering.

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Jack of all trades (and master of none).

MEANING: A person who can do many different types of work but who is not necessarily very competent at any of them.

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Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas.

MEANING: You will become like your company.

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A rotten apple spoils the (whole) barrel MEANING: It only takes one bad person, thing, element, etc., to ruin the entire group.

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Put one's money where one's mouth is.

MEANING: take action to support one's statements or opinions.

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This, too, shall pass.

MEANING: A Persian adage that means things will often return to normal after bad times.

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Walk the walk and talk the talk.

MEANING: A person should support what they say, not just with words, but also through action.

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You can't have an omelette unless you break the/some eggs.

MEANING: You must sometimes sacriďŹ ce something in order to create a new thing.

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Don't dip your pen in the company's ink.

MEANING: Also “don’t s**t where you eat” (vulgar), it means one should avoid romantic relationships in the workplace.

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A baker's dozen.

MEANING: Thirteen; one more than a usual dozen (12)

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First come, ďŹ rst served MEANING: Used to indicate that people will be dealt with in the order in which they arrive or apply.

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