English Proverbs and Their Meanings

Please note that whilst we do our best to ensure that the following definitions are as
accurate as possible, their meanings and interpretations can vary.

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NUMBER PROVERB MEANING

1. If you do not have enough money,

A light purse makes a heavy heart you will worry and be unhappy

2. A little body often harbors a great soul This is said about people or things
that are not big, or tall, but instead
have other positive qualities

3. A little fire is quickly trodden out If you deal with a small problem
quickly, it won’t grow into a bigger
problem

4. A man can die but once If death comes now, you will not
have to experience it again

5. A man can do no more than he can You can only do so much - you
shouldn’t worry too much about
trying to achieve things

6. A man is known by the company he keeps Our character or personality is

reflected in our choice of friends

7. A man of words and not of deeds is like a If a man does nothing but talk, he
garden full of weeds produces nothing of value

8. A miserly father makes a prodigal son If you deprive your children when
young, they will behave recklessly
later in life

9. A miss is as good as a mile The size of any failure doesn’t

matter - it is still some form of
failure

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10. A new broom sweeps clean A new boss/leader brings a fresh
way of dealing with problems

11. A nod from a lord is a breakfast for a fool Fools place too much value on
small things when they come from
someone who is superior or has
higher status than them

12. A penny saved is a penny earned It is just as important to save

money as it is to make money

13. A penny soul never came to twopence A petty person can never achieve
success

14. A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder Someone who has a clear

conscience doesn’t have problems
sleeping and has a relaxed mind

15. A rolling stone gathers no moss A person who keeps moving and
changing their circumstances can
avoid their responsibilities

16. A round peg in a square hole A person who does not fit in will
always be different from others

17. A shy cat makes a proud mouse Refers to a situation where a

person takes advantage of another
person's mild nature

18. A silent fool is counted wise It is better to be quiet and be seen

as smart than to be loud and say
something silly

19. A small leak will sink a great ship Small problems, if left unattended,
can have very serious
consequences

20. A soft answer turns away wrath A gentle reply to someone who is
angry can help to calm that person

21. A sound mind in a sound body Physical exercise is an important

part of mental well-being

22. A stitch in time saves nine It is better to fix a problem when it

is small than to wait and let it
become a bigger problem

23. A storm in a teacup A situation in which people are

very angry or upset about

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 something that is not that important

24. A tattler is worse than a thief Gossipping can have bad

consequences

25. A thief knows a thief as a wolf knows a wolf Someone with certain negative
characteristics can easily
recognise others with similar faults

25. A thief passes for a gentleman when stealing Money can hide the fact that a
has made him rich person has done something bad

27. A threatened blow is seldom given Many people make threats but few
actually follow through with them

28. A tree is known by its fruit A person is judged by the results of

his or her actions

29. A wager is a fool's argument Taking a risk is not a solid reason

for doing something

30. A watched pot never boils Something we wait for impatiently

can seem to take forever

31. A wise man changes his mind, a fool never It is wise to reconsider your plans,
will ideas, actions in the light of new
information rather than to blindly
stick to an earlier decision

32. A wolf in sheep's clothing A person with a ​pleasant​ and

friendly​ ​appearance​ can easily hide
the ​fact​ that they have bad
intentions

33. A wonder lasts but nine days Something that is fascinating will
only provide interest for a short
amount of time

34. A word is enough to the wise A wise or intelligent person does

not need things to be constantly
explained to them

35. A word spoken is past recalling It is impossible to withdraw one's

words or undo their effects once
they have been spoken aloud.
Therefore, think before you speak

36. Actions speak louder than words What you do is more important
than what you say because your

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 behaviour shows your real
intentions

37. Adversity is a great schoolmaster You learn a lot when you go

through difficult times

38. Adversity makes strange bedfellows Difficult circumstances will bring a

wide variety of people together

39. After a storm comes a calm Things are often easier to

understand or seem better once a
period of trouble is over

40. After dinner comes the reckoning One cannot have pleasure without
paying for it afterwards

41. After dinner rest a while, after supper walk a Know when it’s best to take action
mile and when it’s best to relax

42. After rain comes fair weather After you experience something
bad, good things tend to follow

43. After us the deluge It doesn’t matter what happens

next, what is done, is done

44. Sickness comes on horseback, but goes Illness comes quickly and takes
away on foot time to go away

45. Beggars can’t be choosers If you’re in a bad situation and

someone offers to help you, you
have to take whatever they give
you and shouldn’t ask for more

46. All are not friends that speak us fair Just because someone says nice
things about you doesn’t mean
they like you

47. All are not hunters that blow the horn Just because someone can do
something doesn’t make them an
expert

48. All are not merry that dance lightly Someone may appear happy but it
may not be true. Don’t be fooled by
appearances

49. All are not saints that go to church Someone's actions can be
deceiving

50. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder What is considered “beautiful” is

not the same for everybody

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51. All bread is not baked in one oven There are different ways to do the
same thing

52. All cats are grey in the dark (in the night) Physical appearance is
unimportant. Looks can be
deceiving

53. All covet, all lose If a person desires to possess

more than what he is entitled to, he
will lose everything

54. All doors open to courtesy People will go out of their way to
help anyone who is polite

55. All is fish that comes to his net Anything that happens can be used
in a positive way

56. All is not lost that is in peril There is still hope that a particular
situation will end favourably or
successfully

57. All's well that ends well A person can forget about how
unpleasant or difficult something
was if the outcome was positive

58. All lay load on the willing horse A person who is good natured and
helpful often finds that everyone
takes advantage of him/her

59. All men can't be first Not everyone can be first

60. All men can't be masters Not everyone can be a leader

61. All promises are either broken or kept A promise can either be broken or
kept

62. All roads lead to Rome Different ​methods​ of doing

something will all ​achieve​ the same
result​ in the end

63. All sugar and honey A person who is charming but

insincere

64. All that glitters is not gold The attractive external appearance
of something is not a reliable
indication of its true nature

65. All things are difficult before they are easy It takes time to learn to do things

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66. All truths are not to be told Some things are better left
unspoken

67. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy Without time off from work, a
person becomes both bored and
boring

68. "Almost" never killed a fly (was never hanged) The word "almost" is the same as
didn’t or never

69. Among the blind the one-eyed man is king Someone with only a few skills is in
a ​better​ position than those people
who have none

70. An apple a day keeps the doctor away Eating an apple each day can help
to keep you healthy

71. An ass in a lion's skin Someone silly trying to portray

themselves as strong and powerful

72. An ​ass is but an hole ass​, though laden with A fool is still a fool even though
gold they may be rich

73. An​ ass​ loaded with gold climbs to the top of Even a fool may achieve
the castle unbelievable things if they have
money

74. An empty hand is no lure for a hawk Offer something valuable to make
someone do something for you, not
just words

75. An empty sack cannot stand upright A poor or hungry person cannot
function properly

76. An empty vessel gives a greater sound than a People with little of importance to
full barrel say often make the most noise

77. An evil chance seldom comes alone Trouble rarely comes alone (singly)

78. An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told When telling the truth keep it
simple

79. An hour in the morning is worth two in the In the morning when you wake up
evening you are full of energy, by evening
when tired things take longer to do

80. An idle brain is the devil's workshop When one has nothing to do, one
is more likely to get into trouble

81. An ill wound is cured, not an ill name You can heal a physical wound but

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 not a bad reputation

82. An oak is not felled at one stroke It takes many attempts to achieve
something difficult

83. An old dog barks not in vain Don’t ignore advice from reliable or
experienced sources

84. An open door may tempt a saint A golden opportunity might

persuade even the most innocent
person to commit a crime

85. An ounce of discretion is worth a pound of Good judgment is often more

learning valuable than knowledge

86. An ox is taken by the horns, and a man by the An ox is taken by its horns but a
tongue man is bound by his word

87. An unfortunate man would be drowned in a When you're unlucky, then

teacup something very small may cause
you problems

88. Anger and haste hinder good counsel If you act without thinking, like
when you're angry or in a hurry,
then you'll make bad decisions

89. Any port in a storm A person will look for anyone or

anything for comfort or help when
in a bad situation

90. Appearances are deceitful Things can look different from the
way they really are

91. Appetite comes with eating You want more after having
something good

92. As drunk as a lord Very intoxicated from alcohol

93. As innocent as a babe unborn Someone without knowledge of evil

94. As like as an apple to an oyster Used to describe a situation in

which two people or things are
completely different from each
other

95. As like as two peas Describes two people or things

which are extremely similar or alike

96. As old as the hills Something which is very old

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97. As plain as the nose on a man's face Very obvious or noticeable

98. As plain as two and two make four Very obvious or easy to
understand

99. As snug as a bug in a rug Very warm and cozy

100. As sure as eggs is eggs To be sure something will happen

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