Traditional Proverbs

Traditional Proverbs TRADITIONAL PROVERBS: A barking dog never bites. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush A fool and his money are soon parted. A friend in need is a friend indeed. A new broom sweeps clean. A nod's as good as a wink to a blind man. (e.g., it doesn't make any difference what you do -- they don't know!) A penny saved is a penny earned. A rolling stone gathers no moss. A stitch in time saves nine. A watched pot never boils. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. All that glitters is not gold As you sow, so you shall reap. Bad news travels quickly. Beauty is only skin deep. Better late than never. better safe than sorry Birds of a feather flock together. Chickens will come home to roost. The cream always rises. Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. Don't cry over spilt milk. Don't judge a book by its cover. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Don't spit into the wind. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Every cloud has a sliver lining. God helps those who help themselves. Half a loaf is better than no bread. He laughs best that laughs last. He who hesitates is lost. He who laughs last laughs best. Hunger is the best sauce. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. If the shoe fits, wear it. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Let sleeping dogs lie. look before you leap Make hay while the sun shines Might makes right. Money makes the mare go. Necessity is the mother of invention. Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. One man's meat is another man's poison. One rotten apple spoils the barrel. One swallow doesn't make a summer. Opposites attract. Out of sight, out of mind. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Practice makes perfect. Rome wasn't built in a day. Still waters run deep. the best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice. The early bird catches the worm. The end justifies the means. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. The longest journey begins with a single step. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Too many cooks spoil the broth. Two heads are better than one. Waste not, want not. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. What goes around, comes around. What's good for the goose is good for the gander When in Rome, do as the Romans do. where there's smoke, there's fire Whistling girls and crowing hens always come to some bad ends. Who holds the purse rules the house. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NON-TRADITIONAL PROVERBS: The grass is always greener in the other guy's banana plantation. All that glitters is not phosphate. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make her learn English. A bird in the hand is worth two in hard drive. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NOT QUITE PROVERBS: Better dead than Red. - not p.c., but it reflected some American opinion for a while in the 60s and 70s Make love not war. Hell no we won't go. Would you buy a used war from this man? - oops, I got caught in a time warp Be prepared. - Boy Scout motto, but almost a proverb? Loose lips sink ships. Killing two birds with one stone. a big fish in a small pond better the devil you know... Don't cross your eyes like that or they will stick. Love me, love my dog. cool as a cucumber butter wouldn't melt in his/her mouth he is his father's son __X__ is a double-edged sword __X___ is a mixed-blessing an army travels on its stomach it takes two to have an argument OR it takes two to fight OR it takes two to tango (which can have other meanings besides fighting) it's enough to make your hair curl quiet as a church mouse dead as a door nail as thick as a plank (mentally, that is) OR dumb as a post just like riding a bicycle (you never forget) easy as pie smart as a whip fresh as a daisy old enough to know better, young enough to try She/he looks like the cat that ate the canary (I was/it made me) so mad I could spit That's water under the bridge. The opera isn't over until the fat lady sings. Flattery is nothing but soft soap and soft soap is 90% lye. Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Postition is everything in life. (used when teenagers sprawl on the floor while using the phone) Diamonds are a girl's best friend. Men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses. SNAFU (situation normal, all *#@! up.) ...like casting pearls before swine

TRADITIONAL PROVERBS:

A barking dog never bites.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

A fool and his money are soon parted.

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

A new broom sweeps clean.

A nod's as good as a wink to a blind man. (e.g., it doesn't make any

difference what you do -- they don't know!)

A penny saved is a penny earned.

A rolling stone gathers no moss.

A stitch in time saves nine.

A watched pot never boils.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

All that glitters is not gold

As you sow, so you shall reap.

Bad news travels quickly.

Beauty is only skin deep.

Better late than never.

better safe than sorry

Birds of a feather flock together.

Chickens will come home to roost.

The cream always rises.

Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.

Don't cry over spilt milk.

Don't judge a book by its cover.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Don't spit into the wind.

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

Every cloud has a sliver lining.

God helps those who help themselves.

Half a loaf is better than no bread.

He laughs best that laughs last.

He who hesitates is lost.

He who laughs last laughs best.

Hunger is the best sauce.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

If the shoe fits, wear it.

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Let sleeping dogs lie.

look before you leap

Make hay while the sun shines

Might makes right.

Money makes the mare go.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

One man's meat is another man's poison.

One rotten apple spoils the barrel.

One swallow doesn't make a summer.

Opposites attract.

Out of sight, out of mind.

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Practice makes perfect.

Rome wasn't built in a day.

Still waters run deep.

the best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry

The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.

The early bird catches the worm.

The end justifies the means.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

The longest journey begins with a single step.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Too many cooks spoil the broth.

Two heads are better than one.

Waste not, want not.

We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

What goes around, comes around.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

where there's smoke, there's fire

Whistling girls and crowing hens always come to some bad ends.

Who holds the purse rules the house.

You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

NON-TRADITIONAL PROVERBS:

The grass is always greener in the other guy's banana plantation.

All that glitters is not phosphate.

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make her learn English.

A bird in the hand is worth two in hard drive.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

NOT QUITE PROVERBS:

Better dead than Red. - not p.c., but it reflected some American

    opinion for a while in the 60s and 70s

Make love not war.

Hell no we won't go.

Would you buy a used war from this man? - oops, I got caught in a

    time warp

Be prepared.  - Boy Scout motto, but almost a proverb?

Loose lips sink ships.

Killing two birds with one stone.

a big fish in a small pond

better the devil you know...

Don't cross your eyes like that or they will stick.

Love me, love my dog.

cool as a cucumber

butter wouldn't melt in his/her mouth

he is his father's son

__X__ is a double-edged sword

__X___ is a mixed-blessing

an army travels on its stomach

it takes two to have an argument OR it takes two to fight

OR it takes two to tango (which can have other meanings besides fighting)

it's enough to make your hair curl

quiet as a church mouse

dead as a door nail

as thick as a plank (mentally, that is) OR dumb as a post

just like riding a bicycle (you never forget)

easy as pie

smart as a whip

fresh as a daisy

old enough to know better, young enough to try

She/he looks like the cat that ate the canary

(I was/it made me) so mad I could spit

That's water under the bridge.

The opera isn't over until the fat lady sings.

Flattery is nothing but soft soap and soft soap is 90% lye.

Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

Postition is everything in life.  (used when teenagers sprawl on the

floor while using the phone)

Diamonds are a girl's best friend.

Men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses.

SNAFU (situation normal, all *#@! up.)

...like casting pearls before swine