Proverbs from Don Quixote

Found 265 related proverbs. Click on any proverb below to view the full analysis and original text.

• A14 Better is one ACCIPE (take) than twice to say, Dabo tibi (I will give you)
• A41 There is more ADO with one jackanapes than all the bears
• A117 ALL are not thieves that dogs bark at
• A127 ALL covet all lose
• A255 There is no ANSWER for, Go from my house, and, What will you have with my wife?
• A256 The ANT had wings to do her hurt
• A349 An ASS covered with gold is more respected than a good horse with a packsaddle
• A350 An ASS endures his burden but not more than his burden
• A356 An ASS laden with gold climbs to the top of the castle
• B240 Sue a BEGGAR and get (catch) a louse
• B284 The BELLY carries the legs and not the legs the belly
• B350 BILLINGSGATE LANGUAGE
• B360 Better a BIRD in hand than a vulture flying
• B399 There are no BIRDS of this year in last year's nests
• B401 You catch BIRDS by laying salt on their tails
• B456 BLOOD is inherited but virtue is achieved
• B479 Better a BLUSH in the face than a spot in the heart
• B622 He would eat finer BREAD than is made of wheat
• B643 Scratch my BREECH and I will claw your elbow
• B647 Not where one is BRED but where he is fed
• B665 Make a BRIDGE of gold (silver) for a flying enemy
• B768 As soft as BUTTER
• B774 He looks as if BUTTER would not melt in his mouth
• B782 Not worth a BUTTON
• C78 Many can pack the CARDS that cannot play
• C129 As melancholy as a gibbed CAT
• C132 A baited CAT may grow as fierce as a lion
• C163 A scalded CAT (dog) fears cold water
• C190 It is ill CATCHING of fish when the hook is bare
• C202 Remove the CAUSE and the effect will cease
• C230 CHANGE of pasture makes fat calves
• C265 There is not always good CHEER where the chim-ney smokes
• C294 He that sharply CHIDES is ready to pardon
• C354 Look not too high lest a CHIP fall in your eye
• C422 Under a bad CLOAK lies a good drinker
• C540 I CAME, saw, and overcame
• C552 He is not fit to COMMAND (govern) others that cannot command (govern) himself.
• C571 It is good to have COMPANY in trouble (misery)
• C708 Every COUNTRY has its law (fashion)
• C743 He that COVERS thee discovers thee
• C744 COVETOUSNESS (Too much) breaks the bag (sack)
• C753 He that owns the COW goes nearest her tail (takes her by the tail)
• C917 Brabbling CURS never want sore ears
• C929 To set one beside the CUSHION
• D33 He that seeks DANGER perishes therein
• D139 DEATH devours lambs as well as sheep
• D157 Till DEATH all is life
• D195 DELAY breeds danger (is dangerous)
• D231 The DEVIL can transform himself into an angel of light
• D254 The DEVIL is not always at one door
• D256 The DEVIL lurks behind the cross
• D290 One DEVIL is like another
• D332 There is a DIFFERENCE between Peter and Peter
• D338 DILIGENCE is the mother of good fortune (luck)
• D354 DISCRETION is the better part of valor
• D358 A DISEASE known is half cured
• D430 Not worth a DODKIN
• D500 An old DOG will learn no tricks
• D512 To love it as a DOG loves a whip
• D563 When one DOOR is shut another is open
• D637 To dine with DUKE HUMPHREY¹
• D648 He that blows in the DUST fills his eyes with it
• D658 He that eats well and drinks well should do his DUTY well
• E66 As like as one EGG is to another
• E112 The END justifies the means
• E178 Marry your EQUAL
• E181 He is not like to ESCAPE scot-free
• E247 That the EYE sees not, the heart rues not
• F12 An ingenuous FACE is a good letter of recommendation
• F38 He that FALLS today may be up again tomorrow
• F43 Common FAME¹ is seldom to blame
• F87 He whose FATHER is judge goes safe to his trial
• F134 FEAR has a quick ear
• F226 FINGER in dish finger in pouch
• F280 Soft FIRE makes sweet malt
• F447 Bray a FOOL in a mortar, you cannot make him leave his folly
• F467 A FOOL knows more in his own house than a wise man in another's
• F492 If I am a FOOL put you your finger in my mouth
• F499 None is a FOOL always, everyone sometimes
• F551 If FOOLS went not to market bad ware would not be sold
• F561 Better a bare FOOT than no foot at all (none)
• F608 FORTUNE knocks once at least at every man's door
• F617 FORTUNE's wheel is ever turning
• F619 Be sure to build on a good FOUNDATION
• F690 A FRIEND as far as the altar (as conscience permits)
• F782 The FRYING PAN said to the kettle, Avaunt, black brows
• G106 GIFTS break through rocks
• G125 He that GIVES quickly (in a trice) gives twice
• G232 He that errs and mends to GOD himself commends
• G237 I owe GOD a death
• G243 Pray to GOD to help you and put your hand to work
• G262 Whom GOD loves, his house is savory to him
• G268 GOD's help is better than early rising
• G427 To the GRAVE with the dead and let them that live to the bread
• G428 We shall lie all alike in our GRAVES
• G439 It is GREEK to me
• G452 All GRIEFS with bread are less
• H59 Mention not a HALTER (rope) in the house of him that was hanged (that hanged himself)
• H157 There goes the HARE away
• H167 HARM watch harm catch
• H275 When the HEAD aches all the body is the worse
• H305 A good HEART conquers ill fortune (overcomes all)
• H309 He is HEART of oak
• H403 HELL is broke loose
• H421 The HEN lays as well upon one egg as many
• H423 Let a HEN live though she has a pip
• H448 Every HERRING must hang by its own gill
• H485 Better my HOG dirty home than no hog at all
• H486 Every HOG has his Saint Martin
• H496 To make a HOG or a dog of it
• H523 He is blind enough who sees not through the HOLES of a sieve
• H544 As sweet as HONEY
• H545 Cover yourself with HONEY and the flies will have you
• H552 HONEY is not for the ass's mouth
• H596 A good HOPE is better than a bad possession
• H640 A flea-bitten HORSE never tires
• H656 He that cannot beat the HORSE (ass) beats the saddle (packsaddle)
• H667 The HORSE (ass) thinks one thing and he that saddles him another
• H678 Look not a given HORSE in the mouth
• H708 You will ride on a HORSE that was foaled of an acorn (You will ride on a wooden horse)
• H727 Like HOST like guest
• H730 The fairer the HOSTESS the fouler the reckoning
• H819 HUNGER is the best sauce
• I32 It is a good ILL that comes alone
• I44 No one (No man) is tied to IMPOSSIBILITIES
• I67 INGRATITUDE is the daughter of pride
• J86 Sudden JOY kills sooner than excessive grief
• K57 He that is drunk is as great as a KING
• K64 A KING (prince) loves the treason but hates the traitor
• K78 KING's chaff is worth other men's corn
• L39 As soon goes the young LAMBSKIN (lamb) to the market as the old ewe's (sheep)
• L70 To sing like a LARK
• L180 As right (straight) as my LEG
• L256 The LIFE of man is a winter's day and a winter's way
• L260 Long LIFE has long misery
• L261 A short LIFE and a merry (sweet)
• L287 LIKE will to like, quoth the devil to the collier
• L328 Scald not your LIPS in another man's pottage
• L340 By LITTLE and little
• L344 Dine with LITTLE, sup with less
• L362 Many a LITTLE (Every little) makes a mickle (a great)
• L370 What costs LITTLE is less esteemed
• L387 He LIVES that overcomes
• L388 He that LIVES long suffers much
• L411 Crooked LOGS make straight fires
• L468 Better a LOUSE (mouse) in the pot than no flesh at all
• L564 He that LOVES well does punish well
• M73 As soon as MAN is born he begins to die
• M75 As the MAN is so is his talk
• M126 Every MAN is the architect of his own fortune
• M146 Give a MAN luck (fortune) and throw him into the sea
• M171 He that can catch and hold, he is the MAN of gold
• M244 A MAN is a man though he have but a hose on his head
• M248 A MAN is known by the company he keeps
• M310 Many MAN serves a thankless master
• M331 No MAN is born wise
• M476 A MAN's praise in his own mouth does stink
• M535 Keep good MEN company and you shall be of the number
• M656 When the MARE has a bald face the filly will have a blaze
• M711 Do as thy MASTER commands thee and sit down at table
• M744 Though the MASTIFF be gentle yet bite him not by the lip
• M768 To match MAY with December (January)
• M858 Of little MEDDLING comes great rest (ease)
• M909 METTLE is dangerous in a blind horse
• M926 Within a MILE of an oak
• M1025 MISUNDERSTANDING brings lies to town
• M1090 Put MONEY in thy purse
• M1103 When the MONEY is paid the arms are broken
• M1177 Tomorrow MORNING I found a horseshoe
• M1274 He that hears MUCH and speaks not all shall be welcome both in bower and hall
• M1289 One must live long to see MUCH
• M1339 He loves MUTTON (sheep's flesh) well that dips (wets) his bread in the wool
• N84 To give and keep there is NEED of wit
• N181 The NIGHTINGALE and the cuckoo sing both in one month
• N336 Where NOTHING is, a little does ease
• N358 As sweet as a NUT
• O4 He will have an OAR in every man's boat
• P30 Better a fair PAIR of heels than die at the gallows
• P86 The absent PARTY is still faulty
• P105 PATIENCE and shuffle
• P107 PATIENCE is a plaster for all sores
• P117 PATIENCE is a flower that grows not in every garden
• P131 A good PAYMASTER needs no surety
• P147 He that speaks, sows, and he that holds his PEACE, gathers
• P175 PEDDLER's French
• P181 I will take you a PEG (buttonhole, hole) lower
• P271 They that are whole need not a PHYSICIAN, but they that are sick
• P346 No longer PIPE no longer dance
• P362 Whether the PITCHER (pot) strikes the stone or the stone the pitcher (pot) it will be bad for the pitcher (ill for the pot, ill for the stone)
• P451 POETS are born but orators are made
• P455 He knows one POINT more than the devil
• P501 So long goes the POT (pitcher) to the water (well) that at length it comes home broken
• P506 Touch POT touch penny
• P561 He PREACHES well that lives well
• P634 To come in PUDDING TIME
• P653 He that buys and lies shall feel it in his PURSE
• R31 I smell a RAT
• R36 As sharp as a RAZOR
• R60 There is no REDEMPTION from hell
• R69 There is a REMEDY for all things but death
• R158 As swift as a ROE (deer)
• R163 ROME was not built in one day
• R173 Throw the ROPE in after the bucket
• R185 Under the ROSE
• S23 Hoist your SAIL when the wind is fair
• S121 SAYING is one thing and doing another
• S299 He is as bare as a new-shorn SHEEP
• S323 He casts a SHEEP's EYE at her
• S378 Not worthy to wipe his SHOES
• S470 It is a SIN to belie the devil
• S506 As true (honest) as the SKIN between your brows
• S530 It is good SLEEPING in a whole skin
• S608 She is chaste whom no one has SOLICITED (who has withstood temptation)
• S623 SOMEWHAT (Something) is better than nothing
• S624 Everyone is the SON of his own works
• S626 Marry your SON when you will, your daughter when you can
• S666 There must be all SORTS in the world
• S675 Every SOW to her own trough
• S707 SPARE and spend
• S772 He was born with a silver SPOON (a penny) in his mouth
• S849 Dress up a STICK and it does not seem to be a stick
• S965 A small SUM will serve to pay a short reckoning
• S985 The SUN shines upon all alike
• T110 Set a THIEF (fool) to catch a thief (fool)
• T121a THIEVES are never rogues among themselves
• T165 All THINGS are turned topsy-turvy (upside down)
• T236 He that handles THORNS shall prick his fingers
• T333 TIME reveals (discloses) all things
• T371 TODAY for me tomorrow for thee
• T446 As true as TOUCH
• T487 He that leans on a good TREE a good shade shall cover him
• T504 You ask an elm TREE for pears
• T532 He that seeks TROUBLE never misses it
• T540 TROY was
• T568 TRUTH and oil are ever above
• T571 TRUTH has a good face but ill clothes
• T578 TRUTH is in ale as in history
• T603 The more you stir a TURD (it) the more (worse) it stinks
• T644 TWO to one is odds (is odds at football)
• V30 Many VENTURES make a full freight
• V85 VIRTUE is the true nobility
• W19 WALLS (Hedges), have ears (eyes)
• W97 It will cost hot WATER
• W98 Let none say, I will not drink of this WATER
• W106 To cast WATER into the sea (Thames)
• W144 To know which WAY the wind blows
• W145 To look nine WAYS at once
• W178 There are three WAYS, the university (church), the sea, the court
• W274 Without WELT¹ or guard²
• W335 He that marries a WIDOW and three children marries four thieves
• W359 He that lets his WIFE go to every feast and his horse drink at every water shall neither have good wife nor good horse
• W374 There is one good WIFE in the country and every man thinks he has her
• W401 WILL he nill he
• W455 He has WINDMILLS in his head
• W487 WINE neither keeps secrets nor fulfills promises
• W509 It is a hard WINTER (The hunger must be great) when one wolf eats another
• W575 He is at his WIT's end
• W578 Good WITS jump¹
• W646 A WOMAN and a glass are ever in danger
• W671 A WOMAN's counsel is sometimes good
• W695 WOMEN and hens are lost by gadding
• W754 Many go out for WOOL and come home shorn
• W802 From WORDS to deeds is a great space (distance)
• W857 An ill WORKMAN quarrels with his tools
• W924 The WORTH of a thing is best known by the want