What is a proverb?

A proverb is a short, pithy saying that expresses a traditionally held truth or piece of advice, based on common sense or experience.


Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language that best encapsulates a society's values and beliefs is its proverbs.

English ProverbsThis graphic shows the words that are used in English proverbs, with the size of each word indicating how often it occurs.

No collection of proverbs in English would be complete without the proverbs collected and published by the Tudor courtier John Heywood.

As so many proverbs offer advice and uplift many of them are religious in origin, here's an additional list of biblical proverbs.

Here's a list of most of the commonly-used English proverbs, with links to the meaning and origin of many of them.

  • A bad penny always turns up Link to proverb

  • A barking dog never bites

  • A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush Link to proverb

  • A cat may look at a king Link to proverb

  • A chain is only as strong as its weakest link Link to proverb

  • A change is as good as a rest Link to proverb

  • A dog is a man's best friend Link to proverb

  • A drowning man will clutch at a straw Link to proverb

  • A fish always rots from the head down Link to proverb

  • A fool and his money are soon parted Link to proverb

  • A friend in need is a friend indeed Link to proverb

  • A golden key can open any door Link to proverb

  • A good beginning makes a good ending

  • A good man is hard to find Link to proverb

  • A house divided against itself cannot stand

  • A house is not a home

  • A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step Link to proverb

  • A leopard cannot change its spots Link to proverb

  • A little knowledge is a dangerous thing Link to proverb

  • A little learning is a dangerous thing Link to proverb

  • A little of what you fancy does you good Link to proverb

  • A man is known by his friends

  • A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his client Link to proverb

  • A miss is as good as a mile Link to proverb

  • A new broom sweeps clean

  • A nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse Link to proverb

  • A penny saved is a penny earned Link to proverb

  • A person is known by the company he keeps

  • A picture paints a thousand words Link to proverb

  • A place for everything and everything in its place Link to proverb

  • A poor workman always blames his tools

  • A problem shared is a problem halved Link to proverb

  • A prophet is not recognized in his own land

  • A rising tide lifts all boats

  • A rolling stone gathers no moss Link to proverb

  • A soft answer turneth away wrath

  • A stitch in time saves nine Link to proverb

  • A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly

  • A thing of beauty is a joy forever Link to proverb

  • A time and a place for everything - There's

  • A trouble shared is a trouble halved

  • A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men

  • A watched pot never boils Link to proverb

  • A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke

  • A woman's place is in the home Link to proverb

  • A woman's work is never done

  • A word to the wise is enough

  • Absence makes the heart grow fonder Link to proverb

  • Absolute power corrupts absolutely Link to proverb

  • Accidents will happen (in the best-regulated families).

  • Actions speak louder than words

  • Adversity makes strange bedfellows Link to proverb

  • After a storm comes a calm

  • Age of miracles is past - The

  • Ain't over till the fat lady sings - It
  • All good things come to he who waits Link to proverb

  • All good things must come to an end

  • All is grist that comes to the mill Link to proverb

  • All publicity is good publicity Link to proverb

  • All roads lead to Rome

  • All that glisters is not gold Link to proverb

  • All that glitters is not gold

  • All the world loves a lover

  • All things come to those that wait Link to proverb

  • All things must pass Link to proverb

  • All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

  • All you need is love

  • All's fair in love and war Link to proverb

  • All's for the best in the best of all possible worlds

  • All's well that ends well Link to proverb

  • A miss is as good as a mile Link to proverb

  • An apple a day keeps the doctor away Link to proverb

  • An army marches on its stomach

  • An Englishman's home is his castle Link to proverb

  • An exception to every rule - There's

  • Always more fish in the sea - There's

  • An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth

  • An ill wind that blows no one any good - It's

  • An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

  • Another day, another dollar

  • Any port in a storm Link to proverb

  • Appearances can be deceptive

  • Apple a day keeps the doctor away - An

  • Apple never falls far from the tree - The

  • April is the cruellest month

  • April showers bring forth May flowers

  • Army marches on its stomach - An

  • As thick as thieves Link to proverb

  • As you make your bed, so you must lie upon it

  • As you sow so shall you reap Link to proverb

  • Ashes to ashes dust to dust Link to proverb

  • Ask a silly question and you'll get a silly answer Link to proverb

  • Ask no questions and hear no lies

  • Attack is the best form of defence

  • Bad money drives out good

  • Bad news travels fast Link to proverb

  • Bad penny always turns up - A

  • Barking dog never bites - A

  • Be careful what you wish for

  • Beat swords into ploughshares Link to proverb

  • Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Link to proverb

  • Beauty is only skin deep Link to proverb

  • Beggars should not be choosers Link to proverb

  • Behind every great man there's a great woman Link to proverb

  • Best defence is a good offence - The

  • Best is the enemy of the good - The

  • Best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley - The

  • Best things in life are free - The

  • Better late than never Link to proverb

  • Better safe than sorry

  • Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't

  • Best to be on the safe side - It's

  • Better to give than to receive - It's

  • Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all - It's

  • Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness - It's

  • Better to remain silent and be thought a fool that to speak and remove all doubt

  • Better to travel hopefully than to arrive - It's

  • Between two stools one falls to the ground Link to proverb

  • Beware of Greeks bearing gifts Link to proverb

  • Beware the Ides of March Link to proverb

  • Big fish eat little fish

  • Bigger, the better - The

  • Bigger they are, the harder they fall - The

  • Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush - A

  • Birds of a feather flock together Link to proverb

  • Blessed are the peacemakers Link to proverb

  • Blood is thicker than water Link to proverb

  • Blue are the hills that are far away

  • Bottom line is the bottom line - The

  • Boy is father to the man - The

  • Boys will be boys

  • Bread always falls buttered side down Link to proverb

  • Brevity is the soul of wit Link to proverb

  • Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your doorLink to proverb

  • Business before pleasure

  • Caesar's wife must be above suspicion

  • Carpe diem (Pluck the day; Seize the day)

  • Cat may look at a king - A

  • Chain is only as strong as its weakest link - A

  • Change is as good as a rest - A

  • Charity begins at home Link to proverb

  • Charity covers a multitude of sins

  • Cheaters never win and winners never cheat

  • Cheats never prosper

  • Child is the father of the man - The

  • Children and fools tell the truth

  • Children should be seen and not heard Link to proverb

  • Christmas comes but once a year

  • Cleanliness is next to godliness

  • Clothes maketh the man

  • Cobbler always wears the worst shoes - The

  • Cold hands, warm heart

  • Comparisons are odious Link to proverb

  • Count your blessings

  • Course of true love never did run smooth - The

  • Cowards may die many times before their death

  • Crime doesn't pay Link to proverb

  • Curiosity killed the cat

  • Customer is always right - The

  • Cut your coat to suit your cloth

  • Darkest hour is just before the dawn - The

  • Dead men tell no tales

  • Devil is in the details - The

  • Devil looks after his own - The

  • Devil makes work for idle hands to do - The

  • Devil take the hindmost - The

  • Different strokes for different folks Link to proverb

  • Discretion is the better part of valour

  • Distance lends enchantment to the view

  • Do as I say, not as I do

  • Do as you would be done by Link to proverb

  • Do unto others as you would have them do to you Link to proverb

  • Dog is a man's best friend - A

  • Don't bite the hand that feeds you

  • Don't burn your bridges behind you

  • Don't cast your pearls before swine Link to proverb

  • Don't change horses in midstream Link to proverb

  • Don't count your chickens before they are hatched Link to proverb

  • Don't cross the bridge till you come to it

  • Don't cut off your nose to spite your face

  • Don't get mad, get even

  • Don't keep a dog and bark yourself Link to proverb

  • Don't leave your manners on the doorstep

  • Don't let the bastards grind you down Link to proverb

  • Don't let the cat out of the bag Link to proverb

  • Don't let the grass grow under your feet

  • Don't meet troubles half-way

  • Don't mix business with pleasure

  • Don't put all your eggs in one basket

  • Don't put the cart before the horse Link to proverb

  • Don't put new wine into old bottles

  • Don't rock the boat

  • Don't shoot the messenger

  • Don't spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar

  • Don't shut the stable door after the horse has bolted Link to proverb

  • Don't sweat the small stuff

  • Don't throw pearls to swine

  • Don't teach your Grandma to suck eggs Link to proverb

  • Don't throw good money after bad Link to proverb

  • Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater Link to proverb

  • Don't trust anyone over thirty

  • Don't try to run before you can walk

  • Don't try to walk before you can crawl

  • Don't upset the apple-cart Link to proverb

  • Don't wash your dirty linen in public

  • Doubt is the beginning not the end of wisdom

  • Drowning man will clutch at a straw - A

  • Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise Link to proverb

  • Each to their own

  • Early bird catches the worm - The

  • East is east, and west is west

  • East, west, home's best

  • Easy come, easy go

  • Easy to be wise after the event - It's

  • Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die Link to proverb

  • Empty vessels make the most noise

  • End justifies the means - The

  • English are a nation of shopkeepers - The

  • Englishman's home is his castle - An

  • Enough is as good as a feast Link to proverb

  • Enough is enough Link to proverb

  • Even a worm will turn Link to proverb

  • Every cloud has a silver lining Link to proverb

  • Every dog has its day Link to proverb

  • Every little helps

  • Every man for himself, and the Devil take the hindmost

  • Every man has his price Link to proverb

  • Every picture tells a story

  • Every stick has two ends

  • Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die

  • Everything comes to him who waits

  • Exception which proves the rule - The

  • Eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth - An

  • Failing to plan is planning to fail Link to proverb

  • Faint heart never won fair lady

  • Fair exchange is no robbery Link to proverb

  • Faith will move mountains Link to proverb

  • Familiarity breeds contempt

  • Fat is in the fire - The

  • Feed a cold and starve a fever

  • Female of the species is more deadly than the male - The

  • Fight fire with fire Link to proverb

  • Fight the good fight Link to proverb

  • Finders keepers, losers weepers

  • Fine words butter no parsnips Link to proverb

  • Fire is a good servant but a bad master

  • First come, first served

  • First impressions are the most lasting

  • First things first

  • Fish always stink from the head down Link to proverb

  • Fish and guests smell after three days

  • Flattery will get you nowhere

  • Fool and his money are soon parted - A

  • Fools rush in where angels fear to tread Link to proverb

  • For everything there is a season Link to proverb

  • For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the man was lost

  • Forewarned is forearmed Link to proverb

  • Forgive and forget

  • Fortune favours the brave

  • Friend in need is a friend indeed - A

  • From the sublime to the ridiculous is only one step

  • Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains Link to proverb

  • Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration Link to proverb

  • Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day...

  • Give a dog a bad name and hang him

  • Give a man enough rope and he will hang himself

  • Give credit where credit is due

  • Give the Devil his due Link to proverb

  • Go the extra mile

  • God helps those who help themselves

  • Goes without saying - It

  • Golden key can open any door - A

  • Good beginning makes a good ending - A

  • Good die young - The

  • Good fences make good neighbours Link to proverb

  • Good man is hard to find - A

  • Good talk saves the food

  • Good things come in small packages

  • Good things come to those that wait Link to proverb

  • Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence - The

  • Great minds think alike Link to proverb

  • Great oaks from little acorns grow Link to proverb

  • Half a loaf is better than no bread Link to proverb

  • Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world - The

  • Handsome is as handsome does

  • Hard cases make bad law Link to proverb

  • Hard work never did anyone any harm

  • Haste makes waste Link to proverb

  • He that goes a-borrowing, goes a-sorrowing

  • He who can does, he who cannot, teaches Link to proverb

  • He who fights and runs away, may live to fight another day

  • He who hesitates is lost

  • He who laughs last laughs longest Link to proverb

  • He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword

  • He who pays the piper calls the tune

  • He who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon

  • Hear all, see all, say nowt, tak' all, keep all, gie nowt, and if tha ever does owt for nowt do it for thysen

  • Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned Link to proverb

  • Hindsight is always twenty-twenty

  • History repeats itself

  • Hold with the hare and run with the hounds - You can't

  • Home is where the heart is

  • Honesty is the best policy Link to proverb

  • Honey catches more flies than vinegar Link to proverb

  • Honour among thieves - There's

  • Hope springs eternal

  • Horses for courses

  • House divided against itself cannot stand - A

  • House is not a home - A

  • Husband is always the last to know - The

  • If anything can go wrong, it will

  • If a job is worth doing it is worth doing well

  • If at first you don't succeed try, try and try again

  • If God had meant us to fly he'd have given us wings

  • If ifs and ands were pots and pans there'd be no work for tinkers

  • If it ain't broke, don't fix it Link to proverb

  • If life deals you lemons, make lemonade

  • If the cap fits, wear it Link to proverb

  • If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain Link to proverb

  • If the shoe fits, wear it Link to proverb

  • If wishes were horses, beggars would ride Link to proverb

  • If you build it they will come

  • If you can't be good, be careful

  • If you can't beat em, join em

  • If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen Link to proverb

  • If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas

  • If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys

  • If you want a thing done well, do it yourself

  • Ignorance is bliss

  • Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery Link to proverb

  • In for a penny, in for a pound

  • In the kingdom of the blind the one eyed man is king

  • In the midst of life we are in death

  • Into every life a little rain must fall

  • It ain't over till the fat lady sings

  • It goes without saying

  • It never rains but it pours Link to proverb

  • It takes a thief to catch a thief

  • It takes all sorts to make a world

  • It takes one to know one

  • It takes two to tango

  • It's all grist to the mill Link to proverb

  • It's an ill wind that blows no one any good Link to proverb

  • It's best to be on the safe side

  • It's better to give than to receive Link to proverb

  • It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all Link to proverb

  • It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness Link to proverb

  • It's better to travel hopefully than to arrive Link to proverb

  • It's easy to be wise after the event

  • It's never too late

  • It's no use crying over spilt milk

  • It's no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted

  • It's the early bird that catches the worm Link to proverb

  • It's the empty can that makes the most noise

  • It's the singer not the song

  • It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease

  • Jack of all trades, master of none Link to proverb

  • Jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, but never jam today Link to proverb

  • Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - A

  • Judge not, that ye be not judged

  • Keep your chin up Link to proverb

  • Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

  • Keep your powder dry Link to proverb

  • Know which side your bread is buttered Link to proverb

  • Labourer is worthy of his hire - The

  • Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone

  • Laughter is the best medicine

  • Law is an ass - The

  • Least said, soonest mended

  • Leopard cannot change its spots - A

  • Less is more Link to proverb

  • Let bygones be bygones Link to proverb

  • Let not the sun go down on your wrath Link to proverb

  • Let sleeping dogs lie

  • Let the buyer beware Link to proverb

  • Let the dead bury the dead

  • Let the punishment fit the crime

  • Let well alone

  • Life begins at forty Link to proverb

  • Life is just a bowl of cherries

  • Life is what you make it

  • Life's not all beer and skittles Link to proverb

  • Lightning never strikes twice in the same place

  • Like father, like son

  • Little knowledge is a dangerous thing - A

  • Little learning is a dangerous thing - A

  • Little of what you fancy does you good - A

  • Little pitchers have big ears Link to proverb

  • Little strokes fell great oaks

  • Little things please little minds

  • Live and learn

  • Live and let live

  • Live for today for tomorrow never comes

  • Longest journey starts with a single step - The

  • Look before you leap Link to proverb

  • Love of money is the root of all evil Link to proverb

  • Love is blind Link to proverb

  • Love makes the world go round

  • Love thy neighbour as thyself Link to proverb

  • Love will find a way

  • Make hay while the sun shines Link to proverb

  • Make haste slowly

  • Make love not war

  • Man does not live by bread alone Link to proverb

  • Man is known by his friends - A

  • Man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his client - A

  • Manners maketh man

  • Many a good tune played on an old fiddle - There's

  • Many a little makes a mickle Link to proverb

  • Many a mickle makes a muckle
  • Many a slip 'twixt cup and lip - There's

  • Many a true word is spoken in jest Link to proverb

  • Many are called but few are chosen Link to proverb

  • Many hands make light work

  • March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb

  • March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers

  • Marriages are made in heaven

  • Marry in haste, repent at leisure Link to proverb

  • Might is right

  • Mighty oaks from little acorns grow Link to proverb

  • Misery loves company

  • Miss is as good as a mile - A

  • Moderation in all things

  • Monday's child is fair of face
  • Money doesn't grow on trees

  • Money is the root of all evil Link to proverb

  • Money isn't everything

  • Money makes the world go round

  • Money talks

  • More haste, less speed Link to proverb

  • More the merrier - The

  • More things change, the more they stay the same - The

  • More ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream - There are

  • Music has charms to soothe the savage breast Link to proverb

  • Nature abhors a vacuum

  • Necessity is the mother of invention Link to proverb

  • Needs must when the devil drives Link to proverb

  • Ne'er cast a clout till May be out Link to proverb

  • Never give a sucker an even break Link to proverb

  • Never go to bed on an argument

  • Never judge a book by its cover

  • Never let the sun go down on your anger

  • Never look a gift horse in the mouth Link to proverb

  • Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today

  • Never rains but it pours - It

  • Never speak ill of the dead

  • Never tell tales out of school

  • Never too late - It's

  • New broom sweeps clean - A

  • Nine tailors make a man

  • No accounting for tastes - There's

  • No fool like an old fool - There's

  • No man can serve two masters

  • No man is an island Link to proverb

  • No names, no pack-drill Link to proverb

  • No news is good news

  • No one can make you feel inferior without your consent

  • No pain, no gain

  • No place like home - There's

  • No rest for the wicked Link to proverb

  • No smoke without fire - There's

  • No such thing as a free lunch - There's

  • No such thing as bad publicity - There's

  • No time like the present - There's

  • No use crying over spilt milk - It's

  • No use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted - It's

  • Nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse - A

  • None so blind as those who will not see - There's

  • None so deaf as those who will not hear - There's

  • Nothing new under the sun

  • Nothing is certain but death and taxes Link to proverb

  • Nothing succeeds like success Link to proverb

  • Nothing ventured, nothing gained

  • Oil and water don't mix

  • Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away. Link to proverb

  • Once a thief, always a thief

  • Once bitten, twice shy

  • One good turn deserves another Link to proverb

  • One half of the world does not know how the other half lives

  • One hand washes the other

  • One man's meat is another man's poison Link to proverb

  • One might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb

  • One law for the rich and another for the poor

  • One swallow does not make a summer Link to proverb

  • One volunteer is worth ten pressed men

  • One year's seeding makes seven years weeding

  • Only fools and horses work

  • Opera ain't over till the fat lady sings - The

  • Opportunity never knocks twice at any man's door

  • Opposites attract

  • Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - An

  • Out of sight, out of mind Link to proverb

  • Parsley seed goes nine times to the Devil

  • Patience is a virtue

  • Pearls of wisdom

  • Pen is mightier than sword - The

  • Penny saved is a penny earned - A

  • Penny wise and pound foolish

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

  • Person is known by the company he keeps - A

  • Physician, heal thyself Link to proverb

  • Picture paints a thousand words - A

  • Place for everything and everything in its place - A

  • Poor workman always blames his tools - A

  • Possession is nine points of the law

  • Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely Link to proverb

  • Practice makes perfect

  • Practice what you preach

  • Prevention is better than cure

  • Price of liberty is eternal vigilance - The

  • Pride comes before a fall Link to proverb

  • Procrastination is the thief of time Link to proverb

  • Problem shared is a problem halved - A

  • Proof of the pudding is in the eating - The

  • Prophet is not recognized in his own land - A

  • Put your best foot forward Link to proverb

  • Quid pro quo Link to proverb

  • Rain before seven, fine before eleven

  • Red sky at night shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning Link to proverb

  • Revenge is a dish best served cold Link to proverb

  • Revenge is sweet

  • Rising tide lifts all boats - A

  • Road to hell is paved with good intentions - The

  • Rob Peter to pay Paul Link to proverb

  • Rolling stone gathers no moss - A

  • Rome wasn't built in a day Link to proverb

  • See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck you'll have all day Link to proverb

  • See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

  • Seeing is believing

  • Seek and you shall find Link to proverb

  • Set a thief to catch a thief

  • Share and share alike Link to proverb

  • Shoemaker's son always goes barefoot - The

  • Shrouds have no pockets

  • Silence is golden Link to proverb

  • Slow but sure

  • Soft answer turneth away wrath - A

  • Softly, softly, catchee monkey

  • Spare the rod and spoil the child Link to proverb

  • Speak as you find

  • Speak softly and carry a big stick Link to proverb

  • Squeaky wheel gets the grease - The

  • Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me Link to proverb

  • Still waters run deep

  • Stitch in time saves nine - A

  • Strike while the iron is hot Link to proverb

  • Stupid is as stupid does

  • Success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan

  • Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves Link to proverb

  • Takes a thief to catch a thief - It

  • Takes all sorts to make a world - It

  • Takes one to know one - It

  • Talk is cheap

  • Talk of the Devil, and he is bound to appear Link to proverb

  • Tell the truth and shame the Devil Link to proverb

  • That which does not kill us makes us stronger

  • The age of miracles is past

  • The apple never falls far from the tree Link to proverb

  • The best defence is a good offence

  • The best is the enemy of the good

  • The best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley Link to proverb

  • The best things in life are free

  • The bigger, the better

  • The bigger they are, the harder they fall

  • The bottom line is the bottom line

  • The boy is father to the man

  • The bread always falls buttered side down

  • The child is the father of the man

  • The cobbler always wears the worst shoes Link to proverb

  • The course of true love never did run smooth Link to proverb

  • The customer is always right Link to proverb

  • The darkest hour is just before the dawn Link to proverb

  • The Devil has all the best tunes Link to proverb

  • The Devil is in the details Link to proverb

  • The Devil looks after his own

  • The Devil makes work for idle hands to do Link to proverb

  • The Devil take the hindmost Link to proverb

  • The early bird catches the worm

  • The empty can that makes the most noise - It's

  • The end justifies the means

  • The English are a nation of shopkeepers Link to proverb

  • The exception which proves the rule Link to proverb

  • The fat is in the fire Link to proverb

  • The female of the species is more deadly than the male

  • The good die young

  • The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence Link to proverb

  • The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world

  • The husband is always the last to know

  • The labourer is worthy of his hire

  • The law is an ass Link to proverb

  • The leopard does not change his spots Link to proverb

  • The longest journey starts with a single step Link to proverb

  • The more the merrier Link to proverb

  • The more things change, the more they stay the same

  • The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings Link to proverb

  • The pen is mightier than sword Link to proverb

  • The price of liberty is eternal vigilance

  • The proof of the pudding is in the eating

  • The road to hell is paved with good intentions Link to proverb

  • The shoemaker's son always goes barefoot Link to proverb

  • The singer not the song - It's

  • The squeaky wheel that gets the grease - It's

  • The truth will out Link to proverb

  • The wages of sin is death Link to proverb

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

  • The whole is greater than the sum of the parts

  • There are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream Link to proverb

  • There are none so blind as those, that will not see

  • There are two sides to every question

  • There but for the grace of God, go I Link to proverb

  • There's a time and a place for everything Link to proverb

  • There's an exception to every rule Link to proverb

  • There's always more fish in the sea

  • There's honour among thieves

  • There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle

  • There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip

  • There's more than one way to skin a cat Link to proverb

  • There's no accounting for tastes

  • There's no fool like an old fool Link to proverb

  • There's no place like home

  • There's no smoke without fire

  • There's no such thing as a free lunch Link to proverb

  • There's no such thing as bad publicity Link to proverb

  • There's no time like the present

  • There's none so blind as those who will not see

  • There's none so deaf as those who will not hear

  • There's nowt so queer as folk

  • There's one born every minute Link to proverb

  • There's safety in numbers

  • They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind

  • Thing of beauty is a joy forever - A

  • Third time lucky Link to proverb

  • Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it

  • Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

  • Those who sleep with dogs will rise with fleas

  • Trouble shared is a trouble halved - A

  • Thou shalt not kill Link to proverb

  • Time and tide wait for no man Link to proverb

  • Time flies

  • Time is a great healer

  • Time is money

  • Time will tell

  • 'tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all Link to proverb

  • To err is human; to forgive divine Link to proverb

  • To every thing there is a season

  • To the victor go the spoils

  • To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive Link to proverb

  • Tomorrow is another day Link to proverb

  • Tomorrow never comes

  • Too many cooks spoil the broth

  • Truth is stranger than fiction Link to proverb

  • Truth will out Link to proverb

  • Two blacks don't make a white

  • Two heads are better than one Link to proverb

  • Two is company, but three's a crowd

  • Two sides to every question - There are

  • Two wrongs don't make a right

  • Variety is the spice of life

  • Virtue is its own reward

  • Volunteer is worth twenty pressed men - A

  • Wages of sin is death - The

  • Walls have ears

  • Walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs Link to proverb

  • Waste not want not

  • Watched pot never boils - A

  • Way to a man's heart is through his stomach - The

  • What can't be cured must be endured

  • What goes up must come down

  • What you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts

  • What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander

  • When in Rome, do as the Romans do Link to proverb

  • When the cat's away the mice will play

  • When the going gets tough, the tough get going

  • When the oak is before the ash, then you will only get a splash; when the ash is before the oak, then you may expect a soak

  • What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over

  • Where there's a will there's a way

  • Where there's muck there's brass Link to proverb

  • While there's life there's hope

  • Whole is greater than the sum of the parts - The

  • Whom the Gods love die young

  • Why keep a dog and bark yourself? Link to proverb

  • Woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke - A

  • Woman's place is in the home - A

  • Woman's work is never done

  • Women and children first Link to proverb

  • Wonders will never cease

  • Word to the wise is enough - A

  • Work expands so as to fill the time available

  • Worrying never did anyone any good

  • You are never too old to learn

  • You are what you eat Link to proverb

  • You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar Link to proverb

  • You can choose your friends but you can't choose your family

  • You can have too much of a good thing

  • You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink Link to proverb

  • You can't have your cake and eat it too

  • You can't get blood out of a stone Link to proverb

  • You can't get blood out of a turnip Link to proverb

  • You can't hold with the hare and run with the hounds Link to proverb

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

  • You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs

  • You can't make bricks without straw

  • You can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds

  • You can't take it with you [when you die]

  • You can't teach an old dog new tricks Link to proverb

  • You can't judge a book by its cover

  • You can't win them all

  • You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar

  • You pays your money and you takes your choice

  • You reap what you sow Link to proverb

  • You win some, you lose some

  • Youth is wasted on the young