Proverbs from BritishProverbs

Found 240 related proverbs. Click on any proverb below to view the full analysis and original text.

• A66 AGE breeds aches
• A323 He that shoots always aright forfeits his ARROW
• A336 ARTHUR could not tame woman's tongue
• A337 ARTHUR himself had but his time
• B152 Better a BEAST sold than bought
• B224 As big as a BEGGAR
• B240 Sue a BEGGAR and get (catch) a louse
• B254 Well BEGUN is half done
• B288 The BELLY robs the back
• B344 Two BIGS will not go in one bag
• B352 Fast (Sure) BIND fast (sure) find
• B359 As merry as BIRD on bough (brier)
• B363 A BIRD in the hand is better than (is worth) two in the bush (ten in the wood)
• B393 BIRDS of a feather will flock (fly) together
• B417 He loses many a good BIT that strives with his betters
• B452 If the BLIND lead the blind they both fall into the ditch
• B463 It is easy to draw BLOOD out of a scabby head
• B469 BLOSSOMS ere May not good some say
• B520 The nearer the BONE the sweeter the flesh
• B535 A fortunate BOOR needs but be born
• B597 You will not believe he is bald (dead) till you see his BRAIN
• B783 Better to BUY than to borrow (beg, beg or borrow)
• C140 The CAT knows whose lips (beard) she licks well enough
• C160 An old CAT laps as much milk as (more milk than) a young
• C170 To buy a CAT in a poke
• C175 When the CAT's away the mice will play
• C203 A small CAUSE may produce much grief
• C312 Many kiss (love) the CHILD for the nurse's sake
• C380 The nearer the CHURCH the farther from God
• C386 Claw a CHURL by (Grease a fat sow in) the tail and he (she) will beray your hand
• C460 Let them that be acold blow at the COAL
• C505 To keep a foul COIL¹
• C578 Compare only with thy COMPEERS
• C579 Some complain to prevent COMPLAINT
• C596 A clear CONSCIENCE is a sure card
• C708 Every COUNTRY has its law (fashion)
• C748 A barren COW never loves calf
• C759 Like COW like calf
• C894 You are like the CUCKOO, you have but one song
• C900 Too much CUNNING undoes
• C916 A snarling CUR (dog) has a scurvy coat
• D19 He that will not be ruled by his own DAME (father) must be ruled by his stepdame (stepfather)
• D100 Praise a fair DAY at night
• D173 Of ill DEBTORS men take oats (hay, straw)
• D182 To deceive the DECEIVER is no deceit
• D216 DESPAIR (Love) makes cowards courageous (desperate)
• D286 Ill does the DEVIL preserve his servant
• D383 DISPRAISE by evil men is praise
• D395 DO as you would be done to
• D396 DO it well or do it again
• D443 Beat the DOG before the lion
• D463 A DOG will not cry (bite, yowl) if you strike (beat) him with a bone
• D496 Love me love my DOG
• D618 Constant DROPPING will wear the stone
• D639 DUMMY¹ cannot lie
• E28 EARTH is the best shelter, truth the best buckler
• E73 He that will steal an EGG will steal an ox
• E141 One ENEMY is too much
• E233 The EYE will be where the love is
• E240 He that has one EYE is a king among the blind
• F91 A sparing FATHER and a spending (prodigal) son
• F113 In every FAULT there is folly
• F177 Ask my FELLOW (companion) if I be a thief
• F276 No FIRE without fuel
• F437 No FOLLY to¹ being in love
• F462 A FOOL is ever laughing
• F475 A FOOL will not be foiled
• F493 If you play the FOOL stay for a fellow
• F526 Among twenty-four FOOLS not one wise man
• F541 FOOLS refuse favors
• F558 No FOOLERY to¹ falling-out
• F573 When one treads upon thee draw thy FOOT to thee
• F583 The nimblest FOOTMAN is a false tale
• F587 Ruse¹ the FORD as you find it
• F630 Either a FOX (hare) or a fern bush (fernbrake)
• F687 Better is a FRIEND in court than (A friend in court is worth) a penny in purse
• F702 A good FRIEND never offends
• F717 One may visit a FRIEND sometimes but if he intends to be welcome he must not stay long
• F727 A FRIEND's frown is better than a fool's smiles (foe's kiss)
• F764 To fret like a FROG under a harrow
• G97 A GIFT is valued by the mind of the giver
• G176 Better GOD than gold
• G178 Call GOD near when you do sneeze
• G217 GOD sends a curst (shrewd) cow short horns
• G218 GOD sends cold after (according to) clothes
• G224 GOD stays long but strikes at last
• G229 Have GOD and have all
• G251 Those that GOD loves do not live long (The good die young)
• G315 GOOD though long stayed for is good
• G415 GRASS grows not upon the highway (in the market)
• G423 While the GRASS grows the horse (steed) starves
• G483 A greedy GUT would all get
• H21 Pull HAIR and hair and you'll make the carl (the horse's tail) bare
• H39 HALF a word (tale) to a wise man (a good understander) is enough
• H45 HALF the way to know the way
• H72 The HAND that gives gathers
• H108 Your HAND is never worse for doing your own work
• H166 Better the HARM I know than that I know not
• H210 The greatest HATE proceeds from the greatest love
• H265 A scald¹ HEAD (A scald man's head) is soon broken
• H553 HONEY is sweet but the bee stings
• H576 It is better to die with HONOR than to live with shame
• H617 A HORN heard soon though hardly seen
• H650 Have a HORSE of your own, you may borrow another
• H662 The HORSE looks not on the hedge but the corn (hay)
• H704 Where the HORSE lies down, there some hair will be found
• H760 He that has no HOUSE must lie in the yard
• H767 A HOUSE dry overhead is happy
• H768 A HOUSE easier burnt (broken down) than built
• I24 For ILL do well, then fear not hell
• J33 In JANUARY though sun appear March and February pay home full dear
• K9 Better KEEP now than seek anon (than ask)
• K47 KINDNESS is lost that is done to an old man and young child
• K99 The KINSMAN's ear will hear it
• L42 The LAME returns sooner than his servant
• L51 Good LAND must not be left because of a bad landlord
• L149 LEARN not and know not
• L201 At LENGTH the string cracks by being over-strained
• L219 A LIAR should have a good memory
• L355 A LITTLE given seasonably excuses a great gift
• L362 Many a LITTLE (Every little) makes a mickle (a great)
• L423 LONG LOOKED FOR comes at last
• L537 No LOVE to¹ a father's
• L550 Where LOVE fails we espy all faults
• M74 As the blind MAN casts his staff (shoots the crow)
• M116 Every MAN has (No man is without) his faults
• M123 Every MAN is a king (master) in his own house
• M252 A MAN is not so soon healed as hurt
• M329 No MAN is a prophet in his own country
• M330 No MAN is a prophet in his own country
• M362 Respect a MAN, he will do the more
• M379 A sober MAN a soft answer
• M448 Every MAN's neighbor is his looking glass
• M478 An old MAN's best praise is his prayer
• M479 An old MAN's end is to keep sheep
• M489 A rich MAN's money hangs him oftentimes (is his enemy)
• M650 The MARE lame, the colt the like
• M701 MARRYING is marring
• M733 The MASTER's eye makes the horse fat
• M764 A cold MAY and a windy makes a full barn and a findy¹
• M789 Two hungry (ill) MEALS make the third a glutton
• M793 The MEAN (The merry mean) is the best
• M939 To cry for spilt MILK
• M941 He that comes first to the MILL grinding first
• M946 The MILL stands that wants water
• M1031 He who MOCKS shall be mocked
• M1194 Better a thigging¹ MOTHER than a riding father
• M1208 The MOTHER-IN-LAW does not remember that she has been a daughter-in-law
• M1215 The MOUNTAIN was in labor and brought forth a mouse
• M1231 It is a bold (wily) MOUSE that breeds (nestles) in the cat's ear
• N47 NATURE passes nurture
• N101 Two NEGATIVES make an affirmative
• N179 What is done by NIGHT appears by day
• N272 He that promises too much (all) means NOTHING
• N274 He who still keeps home knows NOTHING
• N315 NOTHING seek nothing find
• N330 There is NOTHING so secret but it may be discovered
• N355 A NURSE's tongue is privileged to talk
• O42 Better ONE die (perish, suffer) than all
• O61 That ONE is bad makes hundreds sad
• O103 The black OX never trod on his foot
• P34 One PAIR of heels (legs, feet) is worth two pair of hands
• P82 It is tedious PARTING with a thing we love
• P113 PATIENCE provoked turns to fury
• P145 He is wise that can hold his PEACE
• P190 Better PENNY in silver than any brother
• P281 As merry as a PIE (magpie)
• P399 When PLAY (game, jest) is best it is time to leave
• P400 PLAY with me and hurt me not, jest with me and shame me not
• P457 One POISON expels another
• P465 Standing POOLS gather filth
• P535 POWER weakens the wicked
• P602 Great PROMISE small performance
• R8 After RAIN (showers) comes fair weather (the sun)
• R83 A false REPORT rides post
• R127 Little betwixt RIGHT and wrong
• S76 Cast brine SALT into the sea
• S137 A SCHOLAR may be gulled thrice, a soldier owl'd¹ but once
• S193 A SECRET is too little for one, enough for two, too much for three
• S221 Better SOLD than bought
• S278 Single long, SHAME at length
• S448 Better SILENT than saucy
• S471 Old SIN breeds (makes) new shame (repentance)
• S483 February SINGING never stints stinging
• S648 Where the SORE is there is the hand
• S676 Little knows the fat SOW (man) what the lean does mean
• S709 SPARE to speak spare to speed
• S711 Better SPARED than ill spent
• S811 An ill (poor) STAKE that cannot stand one year in a hedge (the ground)
• S837 It is ill (hard) STEALING from a thief
• S838 When the STEED (horse) is stolen shut the stable door
• S885 A rolling STONE gathers no moss
• S900 Between two STOOLS the tail (ass) goes (comes) to ground
• S902 He that has STORE of bread may beg his milk merrily
• S907 The worst STORE, a maid unbestowed
• S911 No STORY without sticklers
• S1037 SWEET appears sour when we pay
• T52 Believe no TALES from an enemy's tongue
• T145 That THING which is rare is dear
• T158 Too much of one THING is good for nothing
• T165 All THINGS are turned topsy-turvy (upside down)
• T186 In three THINGS a man may be deceived: in a man till known, in a tree till down, in the day till done
• T231 I will not pull the THORN out of your foot and put it into my own
• T314 There is a TIME for all things (Everything has its time)
• T333 TIME reveals (discloses) all things
• T424 Good that the TEETH guard the tongue
• T604 The more you tramp on a TURD, it grows the broader
• V25 VENGEANCE (Divine vengeance) comes slowly but surely
• V31 VENUS was choice, yet a wart (mole) on her cheek
• W7 It is evil (ill, not good) WAKING of a sleeping dog
• W72 He was slain that had WARNING, not he that took it
• W79 To stir a WASP's nest
• W99 Much WATER goes by the mill that the miller knows not of
• W270 The older the WELSHMAN the more madman
• W282 No WHEAT (corn) without its chaff
• W337 Long a WIDOW weds with shame
• W356 He that has a WIFE has strife (care)
• W371 Refuse a WIFE with one fault and take one with two
• W428 Puff not against the WIND
• W519 No WISDOM to¹ silence
• W521 What is not WISDOM (discretion) is danger
• W526 WISDOM (Knowledge) is better than riches
• W544 Better WIT than wealth
• W617 The WOLF must die in his own skin
• W654 A WOMAN is never without an excuse
• W675 A WOMAN's strength is in (A woman's weapon is) her tongue
• W704 WOMEN are tempted by gifts
• W777 A WORD and a stone let go (A word spoken) cannot be called back
• W778 A WORD before (in time) is worth two behind (afterwards)
• W785 Bad WORDS make a woman worse
• W794 Fair WORDS (promises) make fools fain
• W830 Wise WORDS and great seldom agree
• W851 A WORK ill done must be twice done
• W895 The WORLD is a wide parish
• W901 The WORLD is round (turns as a ball)
• W918 The WORST is behind
• W922 We never know the WORTH of water till the well goes dry
• W935 Everything helps, quoth the WREN when she pissed in the sea
• W942 All WRONG comes to wrack
• Y29 You must not count your YEARLINGS till May Day