Proverbs from Philip Massinger

Found 187 related proverbs. Click on any proverb below to view the full analysis and original text.

• A88 As free as the AIR (wind)
• A92 As subtle (clear, thin) as AIR
• A139 ALL is (All stratagems are) lawful in love and war
• A172 Bear (Take, Suffer) this, bear (take, suffer) ALL
• A228 Never less ALONE than when alone (He is never alone who is accompanied with noble thoughts)
• A360 The ASS though laden with gold still eats thistles
• A384 To hang an ASS (groin)
• B179 BECAUSE is woman's reason
• B225 As drunk as a BEGGAR
• B229 The BEGGAR may sing before the thief
• B269 We soon BELIEVE what we desire
• B272 As sound as a BELL
• B352 Fast (Sure) BIND fast (sure) find
• B665 Make a BRIDGE of gold (silver) for a flying enemy
• B703 BUGBEARS (Bugs) to scare babes
• C41 His CANDLE burns within the socket
• C62 He may cast his CAP after him for ever overtaking him
• C77 He has good CARDS to show for it
• C223 The CHANCE of war is uncertain
• C367 After CHRISTMAS comes Lent
• C525 He has a COLT's tooth in his head
• C547 It is better COMING to the beginning of a feast than the end of a fray
• C590 CONFESSION of a fault pardons it
• C595 Safe CONQUEST without bloodshed is the greatest
• C800 CRAFT lies in clouted shoes
• C831 CROCODILE TEARS
• C921 Past CURE past care
• D35 The more DANGER the more honor
• D95 Not worthy to be named the same DAY
• D118 My dancing DAYS are done
• D128 To DEAL (play) aboveboard
• D140 DEATH has a thousand doors to let out life
• D148 DEATH pays all debts
• D233 The DEVIL dances in an empty pocket
• D273 Give the DEVIL his due
• D316 That which is gotten over the DEVIL's back is spent under his belly
• D340 After DINNER sit a while, after supper walk a mile
• D362 He is DISGUISED
• D448 A dead DOG bites (barks) not
• D449 The DOG (wolf) barks in vain at the moon
• E3 Only the EAGLE can gaze at the sun
• E24 To sleep securely on both EARS (on either EAR)
• E198 He sucked EVIL from the dug
• E207 Of two EVILS (ills) choose the least
• E252 You cannot say black is his EYE
• F5 A fair FACE must have good conditions
• F24 FAIR is not fair but that which pleases
• F34 There is no FAITH in man
• F131 Climb not too high for FEAR of falling
• F237 His FINGERS itch to be at it
• F251 Do not blow the FIRE (coal) thou wouldst quench
• F265 FIRE that's closest kept burns most of all
• F268 He is FIRE and tow (flax)
• F278 Put not FIRE to tow (flax)
• F328 To swim like a FISH (duck)
• F354 To send one (To go) away with a FLEA in his ear
• F365 It will not out of the FLESH that is bred in the bone
• F639 The FOX (wolf) preys farthest from his hole (den)
• F785 Add FUEL to the fire
• G3 GAIN savors sweetly from anything
• G125 He that GIVES quickly (in a trice) gives twice
• G480 As sure (right, true) as a GUN
• H47 He that has but HALF an eye may see it
• H114 He has both his HANDS full
• H170 To be able to do HARM and not to do it is noble
• H395 To plow with another's HEIFER
• H403 HELL is broke loose
• H424 Like HEN like chicken
• H819 HUNGER is the best sauce
• I66 INGRATITUDE comprehends (is the worst of) all faults (vices)
• I71 INJURIES are written in brass
• I82 INNOCENCE is bold
• I101 As poor as IRUS
• J16 JACK-IN-A-BOX
• J81 Far from JOVE (Jupiter) far from thunder (lightning)
• J82 JOVE laughs at lovers' perjuries
• L15 To sing LACHRYMAE
• L68 The LAPWING cries most when farthest from her nest
• L92a To LAUGH and cry at once (like rain in sunshine)
• L193 To be (To go) on one's last LEGS
• L194 To stand on his own LEGS
• L202 To have (know) the LENGTH of one's foot
• L279 As swift as LIGHTNING
• L280 LIGHTNING (Thunder) bruises the tree (melts the marrow) but breaks not the bark (skin)
• L290 They are so LIKE that they are the worse for it
• L333 With what LIQUOR a vessel is first seasoned, it will long keep the scent of it
• L403 He is in LOB's POUND (Cob's pound)
• L436 You LOOK as if you were crow-trodden
• L510 LOVE is never without jealousy
• L534 Marry first and LOVE will come after
• L549 When LOVE puts in friendship is gone
• M123 Every MAN is a king (master) in his own house
• M162 He is (is not) a MAN of God's making
• M179 He will be a MAN before his mother
• M297 A MAN or a mouse
• M329 No MAN is a prophet in his own country
• M330 No MAN is a prophet in his own country
• M338 No MAN loves his fetters though made of gold
• M483 One MAN's meat is another man's poison
• M554 MEN must do as they may (can), not as they would
• M571 Old MeN carry an almanac in their bones
• M657 Whose MARE is dead?
• M768 To match MAY with December (January)
• M960 Like a MILLER's mare
• M967 He weeps MILLSTONES
• M975 A willing MIND makes a light foot
• M1003 With a MISCHIEF
• M1034 As blind as a MOLE
• M1055 MONEY does either serve as a slave (servant) or command as a master
• M1217 To promise MOUNTAINS (golden mountains)
• N147 Ill NEWS flies faster than good
• N169 A fine (fit) NIGHT to run away with another man's wife (to steal away a fair lady)
• N229 To bore one's NOSE
• N232 To hold up one's NOSE at anything
• N331 They that have NOTHING need fear to lose nothing
• O27 OIL of angels¹
• O30 To add OIL to (pour oil on) the fire
• O114 To gape like an OYSTER for the tide
• P37 The straighter (higher) grows the PALM the heavier the weight it bears
• P101 Not to go forward on the PATH (way) of virtue is to go backward
• P123 Fat PAUNCHES make lean pates
• P133 As small (big) as a PEA
• P187 To sit on PENNILESS BENCH¹
• P307 To stare like a stuck PIG
• P423 Stolen PLEASURES are sweetest
• P458 POISON is hidden in golden cups
• P461 To stink like (worse than) a POLECAT
• P602 Great PROMISE small performance
• P614 Too much PROTESTING makes the truth suspected
• R4 To lie at RACK and manger
• R35 RAWHEAD and bloodybones
• R68 The REMEDY (cure) is worse than the disease
• R147 ROBIN GOODFELLOW
• R163 ROME was not built in one day
• R164 To go (hop) to ROME with a mortar¹ on one's head
• R200 He is only fit for RUFFIAN's HALL
• S24 Make not your SAIL too big for the ballast (the boat)
• S88 To build on SAND
• S473 Successful (Prosperous) SIN passes for virtue
• S475 Compelled SINS are no sins
• S507 He is ready to leap out of his SKIN for joy
• S517 When (If) the SKY (heaven) falls we shall have (catch) larks
• S523 Base is the SLAVE that pays (is commanded)
• S572 The SMOKE of a man's own house (country) is better than the fire of another's
• S577 I will SMOKE you
• S584 He has eaten a SNAKE
• S656 SORROW is dry
• S842 He is STEEL (metal) to the back
• S868 To wear yellow STOCKINGS and cross garters
• S891 To mark with a white STONE
• S927 It is hard (folly, in vain) to strive against the STREAM
• S931 STREAMS back to their springs do never run
• S964 To be sick of the SULLENS
• S979 The rising, not the setting, SUN is worshiped by most men
• S1019 SUSPICION (Accusation) is no proof
• S1052 The SWORD is tried on the anvil
• T48 Thereby hangs a TALE
• T59 TALK (Prate) is but talk (prate), but it is money buys land
• T109 Save a THIEF from the gallows and he will cut your throat
• T206 The THINGS that are above us are nothing to us
• T216 When THINGS are at the worst they will mend
• T249 His THREAD is spun
• T311 Take TIME (occasion) by the forelock, for she is bald behind
• T312 Take TIME when time comes (while time serves)
• T333 TIME reveals (discloses) all things
• T380 TOMORROW is a new day
• T423 From the TEETH outwards
• T518 I know a TRICK worth two of that
• T546 To sound one's own TRUMPET
• U17 UNSIGHT unseen
• V52 It is a great VICTORY that comes without blood
• V81 VIRTUE is its own reward
• W28 Born in the WANE of the moon
• W78 To anger a WASP
• W87 As WATER in a smith's forge, that serves rather to kindle than quench
• W273 WELSH PARSLEY
• W318 You have leaped a WHITING
• W422 Keep (Save) your WIND (breath) to cool your pottage (porridge, broth)
• W455 He has WINDMILLS in his head
• W520 There is no WISDOM (law) below the girdle
• W640 Who has a WOMAN has an eel by the tail
• W652 A WOMAN has nine lives, like a cat
• W672 A WOMAN's heart and her tongue are not relatives
• W728 A WONDER lasts but nine days
• W820 Not WORDS but deeds
• W882 This WORLD is a stage and every man plays his part
• W917 The WORST goes foremost