Sunday, March 15, 2015

50 famous proverbs meaning and examples-PART-3




50 famous proverbs meaning and examples


Proverbs are wise sayings in a language based on the practical experiences of different kinds. They can mostly be used independently to explain a situation in very few words.

Here are some common proverbs used in English which you can also use in your day to day talks to cut the long talk short and still convey it with same conviction.
1. Absence makes the heart grow fonder – Our love for the loved ones grows more with the distance.

The two brothers deeply wish to meet as they haven’t seen each other since 10 years. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

2. Accidents will happen in the best regulated families – Unforeseen can happen with anybody.

You need to be extremely cautious with electricity – The accidents will happen in the best regulated families.

3. Actions speak louder than words – What people do shows more about them than what they just say.
Hearing about her friend’s illness, she directly reached the hospital with a cheque of 50,000 Rs/-. Her concern was evident – after all, actions speak louder than words.

4. Appearances are deceptive – Internal truth of a person is usually different from what is visible outside.
You should not believe strangers immediately. Appearances can be deceptive.

5. Never judge by appearances – Don’t use looks as the criteria to assess someone.
I saw the CEO of a big blue chip company hanging out with his friends at a local market in casual attire. Its true that you can’t judge someone by their appearance.

6. An apple a day keeps the doctor away – An apple eaten everyday keeps you in good health.
My father has always stayed in a good health with his habit of eating an apple everyday. For him, An apple a day keeps the doctor away has worked well.

7. Art is long, life is short. – Life is too short to learn all the art in this world.

She always complained of getting bored. I advised her to learn some music or painting. After all, Art is long, life is short.

8. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater – Be careful to not throw away good things with bad while cleaning.

She deleted some useful files also along with the useless ones while cleaning her computer. I had advised her to be careful and not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

9. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours – If you help me, I’ll help you.
America is pushing the Indian government for FDI in retail. Indian government will get the foreign currency while America gets a big market for its goods. The principle is simple – You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.

10. Beauty is only skin deep – Never judge by appearance – A good looking woman may not necessarily be good by character.
My daughter-in-law is very beautiful but very cunning – Beauty is only skin deep.

11. As you make your bed, so you must lie in it. – Be prepared to face the consequences of your wrong actions.
To full his dreams, he had left his parents alone in their old age. Now his son wants to go abroad with his wife and settle there. He has made his bed, now he must life in it.

12. Honesty is the best policy – Being truthful saves you from many problems. It is the best thing to do.

You may make a quick buck with dishonest means but ultimately you may not get a good night’s sleep. Honesty is the best policy to follow for a happy life.

13. Beggars can’t be choosers – A needy person should accept what is offered without complaining.

She was complaining about the amount of money they had sent. I asked her to accept gratefully what she has got – Beggar’s can’t be choosers.

14. Big is beautiful – Large size is advantageous.

One way to separate good fruits from bad is the size. Big is beautiful.

15. Birds of a feather flock together – People with similar qualities, seek each other’s company.

I am sure she must be a genius doctor. She is a close friend of Dr. Ram, who referred me to her – Birds of a feather flock together.

16. The early bird catches the worm – The quicker one/ first in line gets the opportunities.

He reached first and picked up the best deal. The early bird caught the worm.

17. Once bitten, twice shy – From experience, we learn to avoid situation causing trouble or distress.

Its three years since she divorced her husband. Everyone is forcing her to re-marry but she doesn’t want to. Once bitten, twice shy is the situation she is in.

18. There’s a black sheep in every family – One member in every family doesn’t fit into the characteristic of the family.

My son is the black sheep of our family. All of us are very talkative while he is very reserve.

19. Two blacks don’t make a white – You can not justify something wrong you have done because someone else has also done it.

You can not justify your late night parties just because your friend attends them. Two blacks don’t make a white.

20. If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall- If a person lacking in some expertise leads others, all of them shall fail.

They mistook me to be a great singer and sent their children to learn singing. If a blind leads the blind, both shall fail.

21. In the country of the blind, the one eyed man is king – The person with a little ability in a group of those with absolutely no ability is at an advantage.

In the whole group, Marie is the only one who knows the basics of coding. She is like that one eyed man who is a king in the country of blind.

22. There are none so blind as those who will not see – It is useless explaining those who do not want to understand.

Her son usually misbehaves with the relatives but she doesn’t find anything wrong in him. There are none so blind as those who will not see.

23. Blood is thicker than water – Family relationship is stronger than others.

His brother was aware about his life threatening ailment but he did not call up even once to inquire and they say blood is thicker than water.

24. Half a loaf is better than no bread – Be grateful for what you get rather than complaining for what you don’t have.

Judiciously use the money your father sends you rather than complaining for the things he can’t afford. Half a loaf is better than no bread.

25. You can’t make bricks without straws – You can’t accomplish something without the right material.
Of course, you need to study hard to win a gold medal. You can’t make bricks without straws..  

English Proverbs & Sayings-PART-2

English Proverbs & Sayings=2

 

(A) bad excuse is better than none. Always give an excuse, even if it's a poor one.
Bad news travels fast. People tend to circulate bad news very quickly (accidents, illness, etc.).
 (A) bad penny always turns up. An unwanted or disreputable person constantly comes back.
(A) bad tree does not yield good apples. A bad parent does not raise good children.
(A) bad workman blames his tools. Blaming tools for bad workmanship is an excuse for lack of skill.
 (A) barking dog seldom bites. Someone who constantly makes threats rarely carries them out.
Be just before you are generous. Make sure all your debts are paid before you start offering help to others.
Beauty is only skin deep. A person's character is more important than their appearance.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Different people have different tastes.
Beauty is the wisdom of women.
Wisdom is the beauty of men.
No comment!
Be swift to hear, slow to speak. Listen carefully before speaking.
(The) best advice is found on the pillow. A good night's sleep may help us find an answer to our problem.
(The) best helping hand is at the end of your sleeve. The best way to get something done is to do it yourself.
(The) best things in life are free. You don't have to pay for what is important: happiness, friendship, good health.
Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow. It is preferable to have something sure now than the possibility of something better later.
Better be alone than in bad company. Be careful in the choice of the people you associate with.
Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion. It's better to be the leader of a small group than a subordinate in a bigger one.
Better flatter a fool than fight him. It's better to avoid disputes with stupid people.
Better to drink the milk than to eat the cow. Be careful not to destroy the source of your income or welfare.
Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know. It's better to deal with someone difficult but familiar than change and risk dealing with somebody worse.
Better late than never. It's better to do something, even if it's late, than not do it at all.
Better lose the saddle than the horse. It's better to stop and accept a small loss than continue and risk losing everything.
Better safe than sorry. It's better to be too careful than to be careless and regret it later.
Better be untaught than ill-taught. It's better not to be taught at all than to be taught badly.
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. Don't trust your enemies.
(A) bird in hand is worth two in a bush. It's better to keep what you have than to risk losing it by searching for something else.
Birds of a feather flock together. People of the same sort are usually found together.
(A) black plum is as sweet as a white. People should not be judged by their appearance.
Blood is thicker than water. Family relationships are stronger than relationships with other people.
Blood will out. A person's background or education will eventually show.
(A) book holds a house of gold. There is a wealth of knowledge in books.
(A) broken friendship may be soldered but it will never be sound. Friendships can be rebuilt after a dispute but will never be as strong as before.
(A) burden of one's own choice  is not felt. Something difficult seems easier when it is done voluntarily.
(A) burnt child dreads the fire. A bad experience will make people stay away from certain things.


The 50 most important English proverbs











 

 

 

 

What are proverbs?

Every culture has a collection of wise sayings that offer advice about how to live your life. These sayings are called "proverbs".

How can you use proverbs to learn English?

It's good to know the really common English proverbs because you hear them come up in conversation all the time. Sometimes people say the entire proverb to give advice to a friend. More often, someone will say just part of a proverb like this:
You know what they say: when the going gets tough...
Learning proverbs can also help you to understand the way that people in English-speaking cultures think about the world.
Proverbs can also give you good example sentences which you can memorize and use as models for building your own sentences.


The most important English Proverbs
This is a list of some of the most important and well-known English proverbs. Below each one, there's a simple explanation.
The meanings of some of these phrases have shifted over the years, so a proverb might have originally had a different meaning than the one I explain.

1.      "Two wrongs don't make a right."

When someone has done something bad to you, trying to get revenge will only make things worse.

2.      "The pen is mightier than the sword."

Trying to convince people with ideas and words is more effective than trying to force people to do what you want.

3.      "When in Rome, do as the Romans."

Act the way that the people around you are acting. This phrase might come in handy when you're traveling abroad notice that people do things differently than you're used to.

4.      "The squeaky wheel gets the grease."

 You can get better service if you complain about something. If you wait patiently, no one's going to help you.

5.      "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

Strong people don't give up when they come across challenges. They just work harder.

6.      "No man is an island."

You can't live completely independently. Everyone needs help from other people.

7.      "Fortune favors the bold."

 People who bravely go after what they want are more successful than people who try to live safely.

8.      "People who live in glass houses should not throw stones."

Don't criticize other people if you're not perfect yourself.

9.      "Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."

Bad things might happen, so be prepared.

10. "Better late than never."

It's best to do something on time. But if you can't do it on time, do it late.

11. "Birds of a feather flock together."

People like to spend time with others who are similar to them.

12. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

If you have an enemy, pretend to be friends with them instead of openly fighting with them. That way you can watch them carefully and figure out what they're planning.

13. "A picture is worth a thousand words."

Pictures convey emotions and messages better than written or spoken explanations. That's why PhraseMix has illustrations :)

14. "There's no such thing as a free lunch."

Things that are offered for free always have a hidden cost.

15. "There's no place like home."

Your own home is the most comfortable place to be.

16. "Discretion is the greater part of valor."

acting brave and maybe getting hurt.

17. "The early bird catches the worm."

You should wake up and start work early if you want to succeed.

18. "Never look a gift horse in the mouth."

If someone offers you a gift, don't question it.

19. "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."

When you try to do something great, you'll probably make a few people annoyed or angry. Don't worry about those people; just focus on the good results.

20. "God helps those who help themselves."

Tweet This! Don't just wait for good things to happen to you. Work hard to achieve your goals.

21. "You can't always get what you want."

Don't whine and complain if you don't get what you wanted.

22. "Cleanliness is next to godliness."

Be clean. God likes that.

23. "A watched pot never boils."

If something takes time to finish, don't watch it too closely because it will seem like it's taking forever.

24. "Beggars can't be choosers."

If you're asking for a favor from someone else, you have to take whatever they give you.

25. "Actions speak louder than words."

Just saying that you'll do something doesn't mean much. Actually doing it is harder and more meaningful.

26. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Don't try to improve something that already works fairly well. You'll probably end up causing new problems.

27. "Practice makes perfect."

You have to practice a skill a lot to become good at it.

28. "Too many cooks spoil the broth."

When there are too many people trying to lead and give their opinions, it's confusing and leads to bad results. Jobs and projects should have one or two strong leaders.

29. "Easy come, easy go."

When you get money quickly, like by winning it, it's easy to spend it or lose it quickly as well.

30. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

If someone's paying you or helping you out, you have to be careful not to make them angry or say bad things about them.

31. "All good things must come to an end."

You can't keep having good luck or fun forever; eventually it will stop.

32. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

When you try to change someone's behavior and it doesn't work, you might have to change instead. For example, if you're trying to get your classmates to focus on studying but they want to party, maybe you should just party with them.

33. "One man's trash is another man's treasure."

Different people have different ideas about what's valuable.

34. "There's no time like the present."

If you need to do something, don't wait until later. Do it now.

35. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Different people have different ideas about what's beautiful.

36. "Necessity is the mother of invention."

When you're really in need, you think of creative solutions to your problems.

37. "A penny saved is a penny earned."

Save your money. Saving money is just like making money.

38. "Familiarity breeds contempt."

When you're around someone for too long, you get tired of them and annoyed by them.

39. "You can't judge a book by its cover."

! Things sometimes look different than they really are. A restaurant that looks old and small might have amazing food, for example.

40. "Good things come to those who wait."

Be patient. Eventually something good will happen to you.

41. "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."

! Have a backup plan. Don't risk all of your money or time in one plan.

42. "Two heads are better than one."

When two people cooperate with each other, they come up with better ideas.

43. "The grass is always greener on the other side of the hill."

People tend to want whatever they don't have.

44. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Don't do mean things to people.

45. "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link."

If one member of a team doesn't perform well, the whole team will fail.

46. "Honesty is the best policy."

Don't lie.

47. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Tweet This! Sometimes it's good to be away from your partner, because it makes you want to see each other again.

48. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

 If you try to help someone, but they don't take your advice or offers, give up. You can't force someone to accept your help.

49. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

! Your plans might not work out, so don't start thinking about what you'll do after you succeed. Wait until you've already succeeded, and then you can think about what to do next.

50. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

Don't trust other people to do important things for you. You have to do things yourself to control the quality of the results.

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