1. A bad excuse is better than none. |
Giving a poor excuse is better than not having an excuse as a poor excuse may be believed. |
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2. A bad workman blames his tools. |
Workers who do not have the necessary ability to do something successfully blames their equipment or tools. |
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3. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. |
What you actually have now is more valuable than something you may get, so avoid risking what you have to get it. |
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4. A bully is always a coward. |
A bully is one who picks on someone who is weaker and cannot fight back. |
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5. A burnt child dreads fire. |
Someone who has a bad experience tends to always avoid such experience. |
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6. A dog is man's best friend. |
Dogs are more faithful than any human companion. |
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7. A chip off the old block. |
A person who has similar character or appearance as that of his or her parent. |
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8. A cold hand and a warm heart. |
This is used to say to someone with cold hands in order to stop them being shy or embarrassed. |
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9. A drowning man will clutch at a straw. |
When a person is desperate or in a very difficult situation, he will seize any opportunity to save or improve himself. |
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10. A fate worse than death |
An experience that is so bad that we wish we need not have to go through |
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11. A fool and his money are soon parted. |
There is a tendency for foolish people to be easily cheated or lose their money. |
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12. A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
If someone is your true friend, he will stand by you in times of difficulties. |
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13. A friend to all is a friend to none. |
A person who tries to be friends with everyone will end up being friends with no one. |
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14. A good beginning is half the battle |
A good start to an undertaking is halfway to making a success of it. |
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15. A good beginning makes a good ending |
Thorough preparation ensures a successful ending. |
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16. A good tale is none the worse for being told twice. |
It is all right to tell a story, joke, etc. a second time if it is a good story. This proverb is often used to justify repeating a story. |
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17. A good wife/husband makes a good husband/wife. |
A wife or husband who treats the family well will find her or his spouse doing the same. |
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18. A guilty conscience needs no accuser. |
People who have done wrong unconsciously express their guilt in what they say or how they behave, or think they are always the subject of other people's talk. |
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19. A heavy purse makes a light heart. |
People who have plenty of money are happy and free from worry. |
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20. A hungry man is an angry man. |
Hunger makes a man angry. |
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21. A man is as old as he feels; a woman is as old as she looks. |
A man may feel younger on a good day and older on a bad day, and a woman makes herself look younger or older by using clothing and make-up to make herself younger or older than she actually is. |
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22. A man is known by the company he keeps. |
People's judgement of you may be based on the reputation or character of the people you associate with. |
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23. A miss is as good as a mile. |
If you miss, you miss even though you almost hit the target. |
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24. A penny saved is a penny earned/gained. |
However small the amount you save, it is still wise to save. |
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25. A rich man's joke is always funny |
Wealthy people are surrounded by flatterers who strive to win their favour by laughing at all their jokes even though they are not funny. |
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26. A rolling stone gathers no moss. |
People who move or travel around freely or easily have less personal responsibility or attachment. |
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27. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. |
It the qualities inherent in someone or something that matter and not whatever name they are called. |
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28. A small leak will sink a great ship. |
Unimportant or insignificant problem can escalate into big or serious problem. |
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29. A stitch in time saves nine. |
It is better to deal with problems early than to wait until they get worse. |
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30. A watched pot never boils. |
When we watch impatiently to happen, it seems to take longer than usual to happen. |
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31. A wolf in sheep's clothing. |
There are people who hide the fact that they are evil with a pleasant and friendly appearance. |
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32. A woman's work is never done. |
The household chores are unending being repeated day after day. |
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33. A word spoken is past recalling. |
This is a reminder that we should think carefully before speaking because we cannot take back what we have said. |
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34. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. |
One's feeling of affection increases when a close one such as a family member or a friend is not in one's company. |
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35. Actions speak louder than words. |
What one does is more important than what one says. |
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36. Action without thought is like shooting without aim. |
One should think before one acts in order to get what one wants. |
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37. All roads lead to Rome. |
All the methods of doing something will achieve the same result in the end. |
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38. All that glitters is not gold. |
Things are not always as valuable as they appear to be. |
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39. All things are possible with God. |
Anything might happen as nothing is impossible to the divine will. |
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40. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. |
One should take a break from work for leisure or relaxation to prevent harm to one's health, quality of work or personal relationships. |
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41. All's fair in love and war. |
One can skip all reasonable behaviour when in love and war. |
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42. All's well that ends well. |
When everything ends in a good or satisfactory way, all difficulties one encounters along the way can be forgotten. |
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43. Always a bridesmaid, never the bride. |
Someone who is never the most important person in a situation. |
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44. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. |
This proverb lays emphasis on fruit as an important element in one's healthy diet. |
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45. An Englishman's home is his castle. |
English people believe that they should be able to control what happens in their own homes, and that no one else should tell them what to do there. |
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46. As you make your bed, so must you lie on it. |
You must accept the consequences of your foolish action or decision. |
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47. As you sow, so you shall reap. |
Whether you do something good or bad determines what will happen to you in the future. |
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48. Ask a silly question and you get a silly answer. |
If you ask a question that cannot be answered, or to which the answer is obvious, you are likely to receive a humorously inappropriate or nonsensical reply. |
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49. Ask no questions and you'll be told (or hear) no lies. |
It is better you do not ask questions of someone who is not willing to answer and so may tell a lie. |
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50. Barking dogs seldom bite. |
People who make the most or loudest threats are unlikely to carry out their threats. |
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51. Barking up the wrong tree. |
Have a wrong idea of getting something that is desired. |
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52. Be born with a silver spoon in your mouth. |
To be born into a rich family. |
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53. Beggars can't be choosers. |
We must be grateful for what is given to us, otherwise we would have nothing. |
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54. Beat about the bush. |
To avoid or delay talking about something by talking about something else that is irrelevant or insignificant. |
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55. Beauty is but skin-deep. |
Beauty exists on the surface only, and may conceal an unpleasant character. |
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56. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. |
Not everyone will agree that the same thing or person is attractive which means beauty is subjective. |
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57. Beggars must not be choosers. |
When we cannot get something better, what we get we must be grateful and without complaint. |
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58. Better a devil you know than a devil you don't know. |
It is wiser to deal with someone familiar although you do not like them than to deal with someone who you do not know, who might be worse. |
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59. Better an old man's darling than a young man's slave. |
It is better to be married to an older man who will care for you lovingly than to a younger man who may ill-treat you. |
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60. Better late than never. |
Someone arrives or something happens later as one wishes is better than not at all. |
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61. Between the devil and the deep blue sea. |
One has two choices which are both undesirable. |
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62. Birds of a feather flock together. |
People tend to associate with others who have same interests or possess similarly bad character. |
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63. Bite off more than one can chew. |
To try to do more than one is able to do. |
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64. Blood is thicker than water. |
The affection between members of a family is much stronger than any other relationship. |
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65. Blow one's own trumpet. |
To praise oneself for one's own achievements |
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66. Born with a silver spoon in the mouth. |
To be born into a rich family. |
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67. Both poverty and prosperity come from spending money – prosperity from spending it wisely. |
Spending money without thought or care for the consequences makes one poor while spending money to get good returns on investments makes one succeed financially. |
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68. Boys will be boys. |
Boys must be excused for their bad behaviour. |
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69. Bread always falls buttered side down. |
It often happens that the least desired of all possible outcomes will result. |
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70. Burn the candle at both ends. |
Work so hard for too long. |
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71. Business is business. |
There is no sympathetic feeling in business. |
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72. Call a spade a spade. |
Say the truth about someone or something even if the truth is not respectful, polite or pleasant. |
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73. Cast pearls before swine. |
To offer something that is very valuable to someone who does not understand how valuable it is. |
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74. Charity begins at home. |
Caring for someone should begin with those closest and dearest to you before others. |
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75. Children should be seen and not heard. |
In the presence of adults, children should not speak unless spoken to. |
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76. Christmas comes but once a year. |
Excessive spending and enjoying the pleasure of Christmas or other celebrations are justified as they don't happen often. |
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77. Civility costs nothing. |
There is nothing to lose by being polite. |
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78. Cleanliness is next to godliness. |
It emphasizes the importance of personal hygiene and cleanliness. |
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79. Cold hands, warm heart. |
Those whose hands are cold to the touch are supposedly kind and affectionate by nature; this is used to comfort someone whose hands are cold to stop them from feeling embarrassed. |
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80. Cross the bridge only when you come to it. |
You will not think or worry about something until it actually happens. |
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81. Curiosity killed a cat. |
Desire to find out about something can lead you into trouble. |
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82. Cut your coat according to your cloth. |
Spend only as much money as you can afford, and do not try to live beyond your means. |
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83. Dead men tell no tales. |
People who are dead cannot tell secrets, so it may be expedient to kill somebody who could betray a secret or give information about the criminal activities of others. |
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84. Death pays all debts. |
Dead people do not owe anything to people who are living. |
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85. Desires are nourished by delays. |
A desire or wish becomes stronger if it is not satisfied immediately. |
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86. Desperate diseases need desperate remedies. |
When we are in a particularly difficult situation, it is right or reasonable to take drastic action. |
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87. Diamond cut diamond. |
One cunning person is a match for another. |
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88. Discretion is the better part of valour. |
It is often wiser to be careful than to take unnecessary risks. |
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89. Don't bite off more than you can chew. |
Don't take on a difficult task that you cannot tackle. |
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90. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. |
One should not be unkind or ungrateful to those on whom one depends for financial or other support. |
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91. Don't build your castles in the air. |
Don't have plans or hopes that are unlikely ever to become real. |
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92. Don't burn your bridges behind you. |
Be wise enough not to make an irrevocable decision before thinking carefully as one can never be sure of what the future holds. |
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93. Don't count your chickens before they are hatched. |
It is better not to optimistically assume one will get or be successful until one has actually got it or succeeded. |
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94. Don't cry out before you're hurt. |
There is no need to upset yourself about something bad that may or may not happen. |
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95. Don't cry over spilt milk. |
Don't feel sorry about an earlier mistake or misfortune that cannot be put right. |
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96. Don't get mad, get even. |
Take positive action to retaliate for a wrong that has been done to you, rather than wasting your time and energy in angry recrimination |
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97. Don't halloo till you're out of the wood. |
Avoid any show of victory, achievement, relief until you are certain that you have overcome the difficult circumstances. |
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98. Don't judge a book by its cover. |
Do not judge someone or something from outward appearance as we don't know what that someone or something is like. |
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99. Don't meet trouble half-way. |
Don't worry about problems before they actually happen. |
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100. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. |
Don't risk doing only one thing but spread your risks so that if it fails you will not lose everything. |