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ENGLISH   PROVERBS  &  SAYINGS
 (proverbs and sayings commonly used in everyday conversation)
 


 
 

Alphabetical list of proverbs - L - Z
 with an explanation where necessary  
 

 

Proverb

Explanation / Meaning

L

  Learn to walk before you run.  Don't rush into doing something until you know how to do it.
   Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner
 everywhere.		   Education is something you keep forever.
   Let bygones be bygones.   Let's forgive and forget past quarrels.
   Liars need good memories.  
   Lightning never strikes in the same place twice   An unusual event is not likely to occur again in exactly the same circumstances.
   Like father, like son.   A son's character can be expected to resemble his father's.
   Look before you leap.   Consider possible consequences before taking action.
   Loose lips sink ships.   Disclosing important information ( to the enemy or a competitor) could result in large
  losses.
   Love is blind.   A person in love does not see the faults of the person he/she loves.
     

M

  Make a silk purse out of a sow's ear  Manage to produce something good using poor material.
   Man is the head of the family;
 woman is the neck that turns the head.		  
   Man proposes, God disposes.  Our destiny depends on God's will.
   Manners make the man.  Possibly:  a person's manners show their origins.
   Many hands make light work.  Sharing work makes work easier.
   Marry in haste, repent at leisure.

 If you get married too quickly, you may spend all your life regretting it.
   Memory is the treasure of the mind.  
   Men make houses, women make homes.

 
   Might as well be hanged for a sheep as (for) a lamb  If the penalty is going to be the same, you might as well commit the greater offence.
   Money begets money.  If you have money you can make more money.
   Money is the root of all evil.  Money is the main cause of wrongdoing and problems.
     

N

  Necessity is the mother of invention.   The need for something forces people to find a way of obtaining it.
   Never put off till tomorrow what can be done today   Don't postpone something you can do now.                                        
   Never say die.   Never give up.
   Nobody is perfect.  
   No man is an island.   We all need other people.
   No news is good news.   If the news was bad, we would hear of it.  Since we have heard nothing,
  we can assume that all is  well.
   Nothing ventured, nothing gained.   You cannot expect to achieve anything if you don't take risks.
     
 O  Once bitten, twice shy.   After an unpleasant experience, people are careful to avoid something similar.
   One good turn deserves another.   You should be helpful to someone who helps you.
   One of these days is none of these days.  'One of these days' remains vague.
   One today is worth two tomorrow.

  What you have today is better than what is promised or hoped for.
   One man's meat is another man's poison   People don't always like the same things.
   Only real friends will tell you when your face is
 dirty.		  Only a real friend will tell you the truth.
   Opportunity seldom knocks twice.   Don't miss opportunities that come along.
   Out of sight, out of mind.

 We tend to forget people who are absent.
     
 P  Penny wise, pound foolish.   Refers to a person who is careful about spending small amounts of money, but
  not careful about spending large amounts of money.
   People who live in glass houses should not throw
 stones.		   One should not criticize others for faults similar to one's own.
   Practice makes perfect.

  Doing something repeatedly is the only way to become good at it.
   Practise what you preach   Do yourself what you advise others to do.
   Prevention is better than cure

  It is easier to prevent something from happening than to repair the damage or cure the
  disease later.
   Pride comes before a fall.   Don't be too self-confident or proud; something may happen to make you look foolish.
   Procrastination is the thief of time   Delaying an action for too long is a waste of time.
   Put all your eggs in one basket   Risk everything by relying on one plan (by putting all one's money in one business).
     
 R  Revenge is sweet.  There is satisfaction in returning an injury.
   Rome was not built in a day.   It takes a long time to do a job properly.  You should not expect to do it quickly.
     

S

  Save me from my friends.  Friends can be more dangerous than enemies.

 

  Saying is one thing, doing is another.  People don't always do what they announce.

 

  Short reckonings make long friends.  Debts paid quickly encourage friendship.
   Sickness in the body brings sadness to the mind.

 
   Snug as a bug in a rug.  Feeling very comfortable.
   Spare the rod and spoil the child  If you don't punish a child when he does wrong, you will spoil his character.
   Sticks and stones will break my bones but names
 will never hurt me

 Physical attacks may harm me, but cruel words will not.
   Still waters run deep.   A quiet person can have much knowledge or wisdom.
   A stitch in time saves nine   It's better to deal with a problem in its early stages, because if you don't, it will get
  worse.
   Stolen fruit is the sweetest.  What is forbidden is the most tempting.
     
T  Tall oaks grow from little acorns.   Great things may come from small beginnings.

 

  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.   Children resemble their parents.
   The best advice is found on the pillow.   After a good night's sleep we may find an answer to our problem.

 

  The devil looks after his own.   Success comes to those who deserve it least  .

 

  The devil makes work for idle hands   People who have no work, or are idle, often get into or make trouble.
   The die is cast.   A decision has been made and it's impossible to change it.
   The early bird catches the worm.   If you want to do something successfully, you should do it as soon as you can.
   The end justifies the means.   Wrong or unfair methods may be used if the result of the action is good.
   The more haste, the less speed.   A person makes more progress if they do things less quickly.
   The more you have, the more you want.

 
   The pen is mightier than the sword   Words and communication have greater effect than war and fighting.
   The proof of the pudding is in the eating.  The real value of something can be judged only after it has been tried or tested.
   The road to hell is paved with good intentions.   It's not enough to intend to do something, you must actually do it.
   The tongue wounds more than a lance.   Insults can be more hurtful than physical injuries.
   The truth is in the wine.   People speak more freely under the influence of alcohol.
   The wish is father to the thought.

  You think that something is true because you want it to be so.
   There is no fool like an old fool.   A older person is expected to behave more sensibly.
   There is safety in numbers   Being in a crowd makes you feel more confident.
   Time and tide wait for no man.   No one can delay the passing of time.
   Time has wings.

 Time goes by quickly.
   Time is money.  Time is valuable and should not be wasted.
   To err is human, to forgive divine   It is human nature to make mistakes, therefore one should forgive.
   Too many cooks spoil the broth.

  If too many people are involved in something, it will not be done properly.
   Trust not a horse's heel nor a dog's tooth.  
   Truth is stranger than fiction.   Events in real life are sometimes stranger than in fiction.
   Two wrongs don't make a right   It is wrong to harm someone because they have harmed you.
     

U

  Union is strength.  
     

V

   Variety is the spice of life.

  Doing a lot of different things makes life more interesting.
    Virtue is its own reward.   You should not expect praise for acting in a correct or moral way.
     
 W  Walls have ears.   Be careful.  People could be listening.
   Waste not, want not.   If you never waste anything, you will have it when you need it.
   What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve
 over.		   If a person doesn't know about something, it cannot hurt them.
   What a man says drunk, he thinks sober.

  People speak more freely under the influence of alcohol.
   What soberness conceals, drunkenness reveals.   People are less discreet under the influence of alcohol.
   When the cat's away, the mice play.   People misbehave when their boss, or the person in authority, is absent.

 		  When in Rome, do as the Romans do.   You should adopt the customs of the people or country you are visiting,
  and behave in the same way.
   When poverty come in the door, love goes out the
 window.		  
   Where there's life there's hope.

 
   Where there's a will, there's a way.   A person with determination will find a way of doing something.
   Who makes himself a sheep will be eaten by the wolves.   Possible interpretation:  an easily influenced person can be mislead.
   Wisdom is better than strength.  
   Wonders will never cease!   Expresses surprise at an unexpected pleasure or event (ironic).
     

Y

  You are what you eat.  
   You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.   You help me and I'll help you.
previous page :  proverbs A-K

 

 

 

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