vide Napule e po' muore

Literally “see Naples and then die”. Compare Italian vedi Napoli e poi muori.
Though of unknown origin and authorship, it is likely to have been coined in the city itself when the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (of which Naples was the capital) was at its golden age, that is, during the kingdom of Bourbons.

see Naples and die
see Naples and die#English

see Naples and die (nothing compares to the beauty of Naples, so you can die after you've seen it)

House of Bourbon
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies


vedi Napoli e poi muori

Unknown exact origin or authorship. Popularized by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Compare Neapolitan vide Napule e po' muore.

Italian Journey
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


zobaczyć Neapol i umrzeć

(idiomatic) see Naples and die (nothing compares to the beauty of Naples, so you can die after you've seen it)


ナポリを見て死ね

ja-pos

^ナポリ を みて しね


see Naples and die

Calque of Italian vedi Napoli e poi muori, popularized by a 3 March 1787 letter by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published in his 1816–1817 Italienische Reise. Unknown further derivation, although probably originally in reference to its relative wealth and prosperity as the capital of the Kingdom of Naples in addition to its famous scenery. Compare the various Chinese idioms beginning 生在蘇州／苏州 (Sūzhōu)... praising the surpassing beauty of Suzhou's residents, Hangzhou's scenery, Guangzhou's cuisine, and Liuzhou's coffins and tombs.

cal

I won't say another word about the beauties of the city and its situation, which have been described and praised so often. As they say here, "Vedi Napoli e poi muori!" "See Naples and die!"

1962, Wystan Hugh Auden & al. translating Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as Italian Journey, Pt. 2, letter of 3 March 1787 from Naples, p. 180

One can die at peace after having seen Naples, Italy, nothing else on Earth surpassing its beauty.


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όταν έχεις τέτοιους φίλους, τι τους θέλεις τους εχθρούς • (ótan écheis tétoious fílous, ti tous théleis tous echthroús)

ótan écheis tétoious fílous (romanization)
ti tous théleis tous echthroús (romanization)

The literal meaning is "When you have such friends, what do you want enemies for".

with friends like these who needs enemies

en-όταν_έχεις_τέτοιους_φίλους,_τι_τους_θέλεις_τους_εχθρούς-el-proverb-MAkU71ZH


in the valley of the blind, the one-eyed man is king

in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king#English

Alternative form of in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king


in the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king


het bloed kruipt waar het niet gaan kan

/ɦɛt ˌblut ˈkrœy̯pt ʋaːr ɦɛt nit ˈxaːn kɑn/

Literally, “blood crawls where it cannot walk”.

lit

Vrijdag 2 augustus 2002 was de laatste dag van mijn zomervakantie, maar omdat het bloed kruipt waar het niet gaan kan, checkte ik 's morgens na het ontbijt toch even mijn e mail om te zien of er nog nieuws was.

2004, Peter R. de Vries, Een crimineel liegt niet altijd ... En andere waargebeurde misdaadverhalen, De Fontein:

blood will tell; one's real character eventually shows up

blood is thicker than water
blood is thicker than water


a cavalo dado não se olham os dentes

a cavalo dado não se olha os dentes#Portuguese

Alternative form of a cavalo dado não se olha os dentes


head

you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar

you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar#English

Alternative form of you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar


you catch more flies with honey than vinegar


you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar


запретный плод сладок

запре́тный плод сла́док

запре́тный плод сла́док • (zaprétnyj plod sládok)

запре́тный плод сла́док (canonical)
zaprétnyj plod sládok (romanization)

forbidden fruit is the sweetest
forbidden fruit is the sweetest#English

en-запретный_плод_сладок-ru-proverb-G~c9Rb5Y


pimenta nos olhos dos outros é refresco

Literally, “[chili] pepper on others' eyes is a refreshment”.

m-g

􂀿chili􂁀 pepper on others' eyes is a refreshment

lit

(Brazil) misfortunes seem more bearable when happening to others

(Brazil) when something bad happens to others, it seems amusing to us; schadenfreude


pimenta no cu dos outros é refresco

Literally, “chili pepper on the others' asshole is a refreshment”.

lit

pimenta nos olhos dos outros é refresco#Portuguese

(vulgar) Alternative form of pimenta nos olhos dos outros é refresco


једна ласта не чини пролеће

sh-proverb

једна ласта не чини пролеће (Latin spelling jedna lasta ne čini proleće)

jedna lasta ne čini proleće (romanization)

one swallow does not a summer make
one swallow does not a summer make

en-једна_ласта_не_чини_пролеће-sh-proverb-P-5rXwRC


jedna lasta ne čini proleće

jedna lasta ne čini proleće (Cyrillic spelling једна ласта не чини пролеће)

једна ласта не чини пролеће (Cyrillic)


jedna lasta ne čini proljeće

jedna lasta ne čini proljeće (Cyrillic spelling једна ласта не чини прољеће)

једна ласта не чини прољеће (Cyrillic)


једна ласта не чини прољеће

једна ласта не чини прољеће (Latin spelling jedna lasta ne čini proljeće)

jedna lasta ne čini proljeće (romanization)

en-једна_ласта_не_чини_прољеће-sh-proverb-P-5rXwRC


iver ne pada daleko od klade

iver ne pada daleko od klade (Cyrillic spelling ивер не пада далеко од кладе)

ивер не пада далеко од кладе (Cyrillic)

apple does not fall far from the tree
apple does not fall far from the tree


ивер не пада далеко од кладе

ивер не пада далеко од кладе (Latin spelling iver ne pada daleko od klade)

iver ne pada daleko od klade (romanization)

en-ивер_не_пада_далеко_од_кладе-sh-proverb-NwUZBV8s


tutte le strade portano a Roma

all roads lead to Rome
all roads lead to Rome

all roads lead to Rome (different paths can take to the same goal)


puerco no se rasca en javilla

Literally, “[the] pig doesn't scratch itself on [the] sandbox tree”.

m-g

􂀿the􂁀 pig doesn't scratch itself on 􂀿the􂁀 sandbox tree

lit

shoot yourself in the foot
shoot oneself in the foot

(Dominican Republic) don't shoot yourself in the foot; people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones


head

gresset er alltid grønnere på den andre siden

the grass is always greener on the other side


paese che vai, usanza che trovi

paese che vai, usanze che trovi
paese che vai, usanze che trovi#Italian

Alternative form of paese che vai, usanze che trovi


paese che vai, usanze che trovi

/paˈe.ze ke‿vˈvaj | uˈzan.t͡se ke‿tˈtrɔ.vi/

Literally, “country you go (to), customs you find”.

lit

one should not be surprised by how different someone else's culture and traditions might be, and should therefore accept them


yr euog a ffy heb neb yn ei erlid

/ə ˌreɨ̯ɔɡ a ˌfɨː hɛb ˌneːb ən ei ˈɛrlɪd/

/ə ˌrei̯ɔɡ a ˌfiː heːb ˌneːb ən ei ˈɛrlɪd/

For quotations using this term, see Citations:yr euog a ffy heb neb yn ei erlid.

the lady doth protest too much
the lady doth protest too much#English

the lady doth protest too much, literally “the guilty one flees without anyone pursuing him”, "the wicked flee when no man pursueth"


tale padre, tale figlio

Literally, “such a father, such a son”. Cognate to Spanish de tal padre, tal hijo, Portuguese tal pai, tal filho and French tel père, tel fils.

like father, like son
like father, like son

chip off the old block
chip off the old block

like father, like son, chip off the old block (a son will have traits similar to his father)


head

una mela al giorno leva il medico di torno

/ˈu.na ˈme.la al ˈd͡ʒor.no | ˈlɛ.va il ˈmɛ.di.ko di ˈtor.no/

una mela al giorno toglie il medico di torno#Italian

Alternative form of una mela al giorno toglie il medico di torno


una mela al giorno toglie il medico di torno

/ˈu.na ˈme.la al ˈd͡ʒor.no | ˈtɔʎ.ʎe il ˈmɛ.di.ko di ˈtor.no/

Literally, “an apple a day takes the doctor away (from around)”.

lit

an apple a day keeps the doctor away
an apple a day keeps the doctor away

an apple a day keeps the doctor away (apples are good for your health)


non di solo pane vive l'uomo

man cannot live by bread alone
man cannot live by bread alone


en-proverb

it takes a lot of living to make a house a home

it takes a heap of living to make a house a home#English

Alternative form of it takes a heap of living to make a house a home


it takes a heap o' livin' to make a house a home


趁火打劫

趁火打劫 (canonical)
chin ka da kō (romanization)

to take advantage of chaos for one's own profit


From the poem "A Heap o' Livin'" (1916) by Edgar A. Guest.

We often hear the famous lines quoted that it takes a heap of living to make a house a home, but we have to recognize that the family cannot do it without a house in which to start.

1973, Government of Canada, House of Commons Debates, Official Report, Volume 3, p. 2476 (Google search result)

It may take a heap of living to make a house a home, as the old cross-stitched samplers used to urge, but a commission-collecting realtor cannot deposit a six percent cut of a seller's hearth sentiments in a bank account.

1989, Carlton T. Mitchell, Values in Teaching and Professional Ethics, →ISBN, page 123:

Just as "it takes a heap of living to make a house a home," and just as it takes character to turn an individual into a reliable person, so it takes sustained moral human interactions to make any institution viable.

1995, Max L. Stackhouse, On Moral Business, →ISBN, page 28:

(chiefly US) A house is simply a physical structure and does not count as a home until significant events in the inhabitants' lives have occurred there over a substantial period of time, and they have developed an emotional bond to the house and its immediate environs.


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vor Gericht und auf hoher See ist man in Gottes Hand

The outcome of a court case is solely decided by the judge and can be unpredictable.


niedaleko pada jabłko od jabłoni

/ɲɛ.daˈlɛ.kɔ ˈpa.da ˈjap.kɔ ɔd.jabˈwɔ.ɲi/

Literally, “the apple falls not far from the tree”.

lit

(idiomatic) the apple does not fall far from the tree (child grows up to be similar to its parents, both in behavior and in physical characteristics)


no harm, no fowl

no harm, no foul
no harm, no foul#English


necessity knows no law

"Necessity knows no law."

1919, Boris Sidis, The Source and Aim of Human Progress:

A person who is in great need of something will find a way to obtain it, and violate the law if needed.

nood breekt wet

a person who is in great need of something will find a way to get it, and break the law if needed

desperate times call for desperate measures


chala chimodzi sichiswa nsabwe

head

chala chimodzi sichiswa nsabwe (chalá chimódzi sichiswa nsabwe)

/ˈt͡ʃa.ɽá t͡ʃiˈmó.d͡zi siˈt͡ʃi.sʷa ˈⁿsa.ɓʷe/

Literally, “one finger does not crush a louse”.


η γριά η κότα έχει το ζουμί

head

η γριά η κότα έχει το ζουμί • (i griá i kóta échei to zoumí)

i griá i kóta échei to zoumí (romanization)

(colloquial, humorous) Mature women make better lovers.

en-η_γριά_η_κότα_έχει_το_ζουμί-el-proverb-v4LMNwcf


αλλού τα κακαρίσματα κι αλλού γεννούν οι κότες • (alloú ta kakarísmata ki alloú gennoún oi kótes)

Literal translation: '"The squawking is in one place and the hens give birth in another."

talk is cheap (it is easy to make boastful or unrealistic statements which never come true)

en-αλλού_τα_κακαρίσματα_κι_αλλού_γεννούν_οι_κότες-el-proverb-K9UfNnQ0


cicha woda brzegi rwie

Literally, “still water rips the banks”.

still waters run deep
still waters run deep


έλα παππού μου, να σου δείξω τ' αμπελοχώραφά σου • (éla pappoú mou, na sou deíxo t' ampelochórafá sou)

éla pappoú mou (romanization)
na sou deíxo t' ampelochórafá sou (romanization)

teach grandma how to suck eggs
teach grandma how to suck eggs

(sarcastic) teach grandma how to suck eggs (telling an expert how to do things)

en-έλα_παππού_μου,_να_σου_δείξω_τ'_αμπελοχώραφά_σου-el-proverb-t4EXhp75


το μουνί σέρνει καράβι

το μουνί σέρνει καράβι • (to mouní sérnei karávi)

to mouní sérnei karávi (romanization)
a cunt pulls a boat (literally)

(colloquial, vulgar) one hair of a woman can draw more than a hundred pair of oxen (women have great influence on their male partners/husbands and can have anything done for them)

en-το_μουνί_σέρνει_καράβι-el-proverb-jnN4Bn5V


en-proverb

give them an inch and they'll take a mile

O the tyranny of aristocracy!—give it a furlong, and it will take a mile,—a veto stopped me once from going to Brussels: and now comes a Lettre de cachet ordering me to Paris.

1843, John Bowring, editor, The Works of Jeremy Bentham, volume 10, Edinburgh: William Tait, pages 279–280:

If you had a horse or a small article of property taken, you would recover it by law; not for the value of the article itself, but if you give an aggressor an inch, he will take a mile.

1846, George C. Clark, Means Vs. Anti-Means; or the Trial of the Baptist Church Case in the Rush Circuit Court, 2nd corrected edition, Rushville, Ind., published 1895, page 75:

Show them that those who have defended the nation with the sword can control it by the ballot-box. Give no cowardly scamp an inch, or he will take a mile.

1865, H. Clay Graham, Hialmer's Recollections of the Great Rebellion, Containing Sketches of a Campaign in Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, […], Indianapolis, IN: H. C. Chandler, page 77:

Buy for them beautiful pictures, and encourage them to decorate their rooms each in his or her own childish way. Give them an inch and they will take a mile. Allow them the privilege and they will make your home beautiful.

1869 February, “The Family Circle: The Love of the Beautiful”, in I. W. Wiley, editor, The Ladies' Repository: A Monthly Periodical, Devoted to Literature and Religion (new series; volume 3), volume 29, Cincinnati, OH: Hitchcock & Walden, page 153:

Undertake to make men of students by giving full immunities, and lawlessness, or perhaps we should say carelessness and indifference, results. "Give them an inch and they will take a mile," is the maxim that illustrates their course.

1870 March, “Editor's Table”, in The Yale Literary Magazine, volume 35, number 5, page 248:

Don't let us tempt the devil to tempt us. If we give Satan an inch, he will take a mile.

1881, Charles H. Spurgeon, John Ploughman's Pictures; or, More of His Plain Talk for Plain People, Springfield, OH: Farm and Fireside, page 64:

If Kirishima-san had known the proverb about giving some people an inch and they take a mile, she would have applied it to Jack. The moment she showed the least sign of relenting from the stiff, almost solemn attitude she usually assumed when trying to teach him, and gave him the smallest word of approbation, he immediately took advantage of it.

1899 March, Onoto Watanna, “His Japanese Teacher”, in The Puritan, volume 5, number 2, page 212:

The North therefore felt herself often obliged to give way, which encouraged the South to take a mile the next time when we gave her an ell.

1902, Charles H. Fowler, Historical Romance of the American Negro, Baltimore: Thomas & Evans, page 222:

Let them know that even should they get the best of you now, that you will still be men and demand your rights as such. Never give an inch. If you do, the employer will take a mile.

1904 January, A. D. Clark, “Correspondence”, in The Bridgemen's Magazine, volume 3, number 6, page 30:

His language was not clear, but his intent was. To yield to his demands meant that he would take what money I had and perhaps do more mischief; give him an inch and he will take a mile.

1911, A. B. Snider, The Lone Traveler, Portland, OR, page 122:

The easy-going officers are perhaps our worst enemies. We all like them at the schools, and we all take a mile when they give us a foot.

1920 September, Harold E. Briggs, “Looking at the R. O. T. C.”, in Journal of the United States Artillery, volume 53, number 3, Fort Monroe, VA, page 250:

Hardly is a law on the statute books before someone proposes some way to improve it. People who distrust social security anyway are likely to complain about the entering wedge or to say, give an inch and they take a mile.

1945 August, A. J. Altmeyer, “The First Decade in Social Security”, in Social Security Bulletin, volume 8, number 8, page 6:

Give the aggressor an inch and he'll take a mile. Give him a country and he'll ask for a continent. Ten years ago, there were those who hoped to buy “peace in our time” from Hitler; Henry Wallace by the same course would have us today try to buy “peace in our time” from Stalin.

1948 April 8, Thomas E. Dewey, “America's No. 1 Problem—World Peace”, in Public Papers of Thomas E. Dewey Fifty-First Governor of the State of New York, State of New York, published 1948, (address at Dewey for President rally held in the University of Nebraska Coliseum, Lincoln, Nebraska), page 587:

Early in the trial respondent cautioned petitioner against “putting on a show” and added that “if you give him an inch, he'll take a mile. I might as well sit on him now.”

1974, “Taylor v. Hayes, Judge”, in United States Reports, volume 418, page 502:

However, now that you have given me the broad scope I will take advantage of it. When you give me an inch, I will take a mile!

1982 June 9, Scott Fennell, “Petroleum Incentives Program Act”, in House of Commons Debates, Official Report, First Session–Thirty-Second Parliament, 31 Elizabeth II, volume 16, Queen's Printer for Canada, page 18299, column 1:

Granting someone a limited concession will encourage them to take greater liberties.

jepja gishtin, të merr dorën

a limited concession will encourage someone to take greater liberties

فتحناله، دخل بحماره (fataḥnā-lo, daḵal bi-ḥmāro, literally “we opened [our door] to him and he came in with his donkey”)

ræk nogen en lillefinger, og han tager hele armen

kun antaa pahalle pikkusormen, se vie koko käden

tendez-leur la main et ils vous prennent le bras

gib jemandem den kleinen Finger und er nimmt die ganze Hand

נותנים לו אצבע והוא רוצה את כל היד

he's given a finger and he wants the whole arm

notním lo étzba v'hu rotzé et kol hayyád

diberi sejengkal hendak sehasta, diberi sehasta hendak sedepa

jemú pálʹca v rot ne kladí - sapóg ne ostánetsja

ему́ па́льца в рот не клади́ - сапо́г не оста́нется

give one digit and he'll ask a span, give one a span and he'll ask a cubit

dibéré sabuku ménta sajeungkal, dibéré sajeungkal ménta sadeupa

give them an inch and they'll take an ell

give someone an inch and someone will take a mile

give someone an inch and he'll take a yard


η Ρώμη δεν χτίστηκε σε μια μέρα

head

η Ρώμη δεν χτίστηκε σε μια μέρα • (i Rómi den chtístike se mia méra)

i Rómi den chtístike se mia méra (romanization)

Rome wasn't built in a day
Rome wasn't built in a day#English

en-η_Ρώμη_δεν_χτίστηκε_σε_μια_μέρα-el-proverb-vS7ppDeB


sunlight is the best disinfectant

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant," said Puccio in explaining his decision to open the proceeding to reporters.

1989 January 5, Phil Berger, “Lawyers Slug It Out In Tyson-Cayton Case”, in New York Times, retrieved 2016-01-08:

The basic premise of a scoop is that you're bringing important facts to public attention. Your philosophical touchstone is Justice Louis Brandeis' bromide that sunlight is the best disinfectant.

1999 March 15, Michael Kinsley, “The Trouble with Scoops”, in Time, retrieved 2016-01-08:

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant," he said. "We must change our practices and our mindset, moving from a culture of secrecy to one of complete openness and accountability."

2009 June 21, Catherine Bennett, “No one gains from blowing the cover of this secret policeman”, in Guardian, UK, retrieved 2016-01-08:

(usually public policy or management) Transparency about the workings of an organization prevents corruption.

Other People's Money and How the Bankers Use It


一日一蘋果，醫生遠離我

ㄧ ㄖˋ ㄧ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄍㄨㄛˇ

ㄧ ㄕㄥ ㄩㄢˇ ㄌㄧˊ ㄨㄛˇ

jat¹ jat⁶ jat¹ ping⁴ gwo², ji¹ sang¹ jyun⁵ lei⁴ ngo⁵

yīshēng yuǎnlí wǒ [Phonetic:yírì yì píngguǒ

ишэн юаньли во

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ pʰiŋ³⁵ ku̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ɥɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ li³⁵ wɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

yāt yaht yāt pìhng gwó, yī sāng yúhn lèih ngóh

jat⁷ jat⁹ jat⁷ ping⁴ gwo², ji¹ sang¹ jyn⁵ lei⁴ ngo⁵

yed¹ yed⁶ yed¹ ping⁴ guo², yi¹ seng¹ yun⁵ léi⁴ ngo⁵

/jɐt̚⁵ jɐt̚² jɐt̚⁵ pʰɪŋ²¹ kʷɔː³⁵ jiː⁵⁵ sɐŋ⁵⁵ jyːn¹³ lei̯²¹ ŋɔː¹³/

Calque of English an apple a day keeps the doctor away.


luiheid is des duivels oorkussen

/ˈlœy̯ɦɛi̯t ɪs dɛs ˈdœy̯vəls ˈoːrkʏsə(n)/

Literally, “laziness is the head pillow of the devil”.

lit

idle hands are the devil's workshop
idle hands are the devil's workshop


head

zoals het klokje thuis tikt, tikt het nergens

/zoːɑls ɦɛt ˌklɔkjə ˈtœy̯s ˌtɪkt ˌtɪkt ɦɛt ˈnɛrɣə(n)s/

Literally, “the clock ticks nowhere like it ticks at home”.

lit

there's no place like home
there's no place like home


head

/ɪn ɦɛt ˈlɑnt dɛr ˈblɪndə(n)ɪs ˈeːnoːx ˈkoːnɪŋ/

/ɪn(ɦ)ət ˈlɑnt dɛr ˈblɪndə(n)ɪs ˈeːnoːx ˈkoːnɪŋ/

Nl-in het land der blinden is eenoog koning.ogg

Literally, “in the land of the blind, one-eye is king”.

lit

in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king

in het land der blinden is éénoog koning


yr euog a ffu heb neb yn ei erlid

For quotations using this term, see Citations:yr euog a ffu heb neb yn ei erlid.

yr euog a ffy heb neb yn ei erlid
yr euog a ffy heb neb yn ei erlid#Welsh

Obsolete spelling of yr euog a ffy heb neb yn ei erlid.


it took Nixon to go to China

only Nixon could go to China
only Nixon could go to China#English

Alternative form of only Nixon could go to China


devagar e sempre

slow and steady wins the race
slow and steady wins the race

slow and steady wins the race (slowness and patience are helpful for achieving a goal)


is treise dúchas ná oiliúint

a leopard cannot change its spots
a leopard cannot change its spots

a leopard cannot change its spots (literally, ‘instinct is stronger than upbringing’)


is bách iad lucht aon cheirde

birds of a feather flock together
birds of a feather flock together

birds of a feather flock together (literally, ‘people of the same craft are affectionate’)


head

joka toiselle kuoppaa kaivaa, hän itse siihen lankeaa

Of Biblical origin:
Joka toiselle kuoppaa kaivaa, se itse siihen lankeaa, joka kiveä vierittää, jää itse sen alle. (Sananlaskut 26:27https://raamattu.fi/raamattu/KR92/PRO.26/Sananlaskut-26)
If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him." (Proverbs 26:27http://web.mit.edu/jywang/www/cef/Bible/NIV/NIV_Bible/PROV+26.html)

ux

he who digs a pit for others falls in himself. If one tries to cause harm to another person, one will fall into the trap themselves.


head

en-us-if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.ogg

A subject can be identified by observing its habitual characteristics.

ma nij ul loen evel un houad, ma labenn evel un houad, ma neuñv evel un houad, neuze e tle bezañ un houad

si ça ressemble à un canard, si ça nage comme un canard et si ça cancane comme un canard, c’est qu’il s’agit sans doute d’un canard

wenn es aussieht wie eine Ente, schwimmt wie eine Ente und quakt wie eine Ente, dann ist es wahrscheinlich eine Ente

se parece com um pato, nada como um pato e grasna como um pato, então provavelmente é um pato

if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck

when I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck


niets nieuws onder de zon

Politiekers die hun zakken vullen? —Niets nieuws onder de zon! ― Politicians are filling their pockets? —What else is new!

there is nothing new under the sun
there is nothing new under the sun


πιάσ' τ' αβγό και κούρευ' το

πιάσ’ τ’ αβγό και κούρευ’ το

πιάσ’ τ’ αβγό και κούρευ’ το • (piás’ t’ avgó kai koúrev’ to)

πιάσ’ τ’ αβγό και κούρευ’ το (canonical)
piás’ t’ avgó kai koúrev’ to (romanization)

Τι να του πάρει η ασφάλεια για την ζημιά; Πιάσ’ τ’ αβγό και κούρευ’ το!

What can the insurance possibly take off him? [It would be like] trying to get blood from a stone!

Ti na tou párei i asfáleia gia tin zimiá? Piás’ t’ avgó kai koúrev’ to!

get blood from a stone
get blood from a stone

(colloquial, humorous) try to get blood from a stone (try to do something difficult, frustrating, or pointless)

en-πιάσ'_τ'_αβγό_και_κούρευ'_το-el-proverb-JunCDcKP


σκύλος που γαβγίζει δεν δαγκώνει

σκύλος που γαβγίζει δεν δαγκώνει • (skýlos pou gavgízei den dagkónei)

skýlos pou gavgízei den dagkónei (romanization)

The literal meaning is "A dog that barks doesn't bite".

Μην τον φοβάσαι, δεν θα κάνει τίποτα· σκύλος που γαβγίζει δεν δαγκώνει!

Don't be afraid of him, he won't do anything; barking dogs seldom bite!

Min ton fovásai, den tha kánei típota; skýlos pou gavgízei den dagkónei!

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite

barking dogs seldom bite (people who make threats rarely carry them out)

en-σκύλος_που_γαβγίζει_δεν_δαγκώνει-el-proverb-BzWuNN03


esperança é a última que morre

a esperança é a última que morre#Portuguese

Alternative form of a esperança é a última que morre


man kan ikke lære en gammel hund nye kunster

»At man ikke kan lære en gammel hund nye kunster.

2017, Inge Fischer Sørensen, Bundfald, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:

»That one cannot teach an old dog new tricks.

Nogen vil måske indvende, at man ikke kan lære en gammel hund nye kunster.

Someone might protest that one cannot teach an old dog new tricks.

Desværre, Viveca, jeg er en gammel hund, det nok er for sent at lære nye kunster.

2016, Poul Ørum, Af hjertens grund, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:

I am sorry, Viveca, I am an old dog which it is probably too late to teach new tricks.

Ikke fordi han havde ideer om at pacificere ham, man kan jo ikke lære en gammel hund nye kunster, men der kunne måske komme et eller andet sjov ud af at sætte disse tre mennesker sammen.

1964, Arne Hartmann, Alle skibets maend:

Not that he had any intentions of pacifying him, one can, after all, not teach an old dog new tricks, but maybe some fun could come out of putting these three humans together.

you can't teach an old dog new tricks
you can't teach an old dog new tricks


разни хора-разни вкусове

разни хора - разни вкусове

разни хора - разни вкусове • (razni hora - razni vkusove)

разни хора - разни вкусове (canonical)
razni hora - razni vkusove (romanization)

there's no accounting for taste
there's no accounting for taste

en-разни_хора-разни_вкусове-bg-proverb-CBP90E9d

de gustibus non est disputandum
de gustibus non est disputandum

en-разни_хора-разни_вкусове-bg-proverb-HZuDifJM


百年樹人

ㄅㄞˇ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄕㄨˋ ㄖㄣˊ

байняньшужэнь

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ni̯ɛn³⁵ ʂu⁵¹ ʐən³⁵/

/paːk̚³ niːn²¹ syː²² jɐn²¹/

/piɪk̚³²⁻⁴ liɛn²⁴⁻²² su²²⁻²¹ lin²⁴/

/piɪk̚³²⁻⁴ liɛn²³⁻³³ su³³⁻²¹ zin²³/

/piɪk̚³²⁻⁴ nĩ²⁴⁻²² su²²⁻²¹ lin²⁴/

/piɪk̚³²⁻⁴ liɛn²³⁻³³ t͡sʰiu³³⁻²¹ zin²³/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ni̯ɛn³⁵ ʂu⁵¹ ʐən³⁵/

/paːk̚³ niːn²¹ syː²² jɐn²¹/

/piɪk̚³²⁻⁴ liɛn²⁴⁻²² su²²⁻²¹ lin²⁴/

/piɪk̚³²⁻⁴ liɛn²³⁻³³ su³³⁻²¹ zin²³/

/piɪk̚³²⁻⁴ nĩ²⁴⁻²² su²²⁻²¹ lin²⁴/

/piɪk̚³²⁻⁴ liɛn²³⁻³³ t͡sʰiu³³⁻²¹ zin²³/

十年樹木，百年樹人 十年樹木，百年樹人#Chinese

十年树木，百年树人 十年树木，百年树人#Chinese

Short for 十年樹木，百年樹人／十年树木，百年树人 (shínián shùmù, bǎinián shùrén, “it takes a long time for good education to bear fruit (i.e. to produce a competent person)”).


chi ha denti non ha pane e chi ha pane non ha denti

/ˈki a‿dˈdɛn.ti non a‿pˈpa.ne | e‿kˈki a‿pˈpa.ne non a‿dˈdɛn.ti/

Literally, “who has teeth has no bread, and who has bread has no teeth”.

lit

(Tuscany) those who need something usually lack it, while those who have it are unable to enjoy it


家和萬事興

ㄐㄧㄚ ㄏㄜˊ ㄨㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄒㄧㄥ

цзя хэ ваньши син

/t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ xɤ³⁵ wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ɕiŋ⁵⁵/

/kaː⁵⁵ wɔː²¹ maːn²² siː²² hɪŋ⁵⁵/

/ka⁴⁴⁻²² ho²⁴⁻²¹ ban²²⁻²¹ sɯ²²⁻²¹ heŋ⁴⁴/

/ka⁴⁴⁻²² ho²⁴⁻²¹ ban²²⁻²¹ su²²⁻²¹ heŋ⁴⁴/

/t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ xɤ³⁵ wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ɕiŋ⁵⁵/

/kaː⁵⁵ wɔː²¹ maːn²² siː²² hɪŋ⁵⁵/

harmony in the family leads to prosperity in all undertakings


head

овоо босгоогүй бол шаазгай хаанаас суух вэ • (ovoo bosgoogüj bol šaazgaj xaanaas suux ve)

it takes two to tango
it takes two to tango

en-овоо_босгоогүй_бол_шаазгай_хаанаас_суух_вэ-mn-proverb-ivI1CTXy


querer es poder

where there's a will, there's a way
where there's a will, there's a way


chcieć to móc

(idiomatic) where there's a will, there's a way


er is niets nieuws onder de zon

There is nothing new under the sun
there is nothing new under the sun


אַלע שוסטערס גייען באָרוועס

אַלע שוסטערס גייען באָרוועס • (ale shusters geyen borves)

ale shusters geyen borves (romanization)

the shoemaker's children go barefoot
the shoemaker's children go barefoot

the shoemaker's children go barefoot (literally, "all shoemakers go barefoot")

en-אַלע_שוסטערס_גייען_באָרוועס-yi-proverb-XtbZAcDt


ko drugome jamu kopa, sam u nju upada

sh-proverb

ko drugome jamu kopa, sam u nju upada (Cyrillic spelling ко другоме јаму копа, сам у њу упада)

ко другоме јаму копа, сам у њу упада (Cyrillic)

With reference to the Old Testament, Ecclesias 10:8: "He who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent." (MEV).

he who digs a pit for others, falls in himself


ко другоме јаму копа, сам у њу упада

ко другоме јаму копа, сам у њу упада

ко другоме јаму копа, сам у њу упада (Latin spelling ko drugome jamu kopa, sam u nju upada)

ko drugome jamu kopa, sam u nju upada (romanization)

he who digs a pit for others falls in himself

en-ко_другоме_јаму_копа,_сам_у_њу_упада-sh-proverb-3pFxXDob


ένα χελιδόνι δεν φέρνει την άνοιξη

head

ένα χελιδόνι δεν φέρνει την άνοιξη • (éna chelidóni den férnei tin ánoixi)

éna chelidóni den férnei tin ánoixi (romanization)

one swallow does not a summer make
one swallow does not a summer make

en-ένα_χελιδόνι_δεν_φέρνει_την_άνοιξη-el-proverb-P-5rXwRC

ένας κούκος δε φέρνει την άνοιξη

one swallow does not a summer make; one cuckoo does not bring Spring


言うは易く行うは難し

ja-phrase

いう は やすく おこなう は かたし

言(い)うは易(やす)く行(おこな)うは難(かた)し • (iu wa yasuku okonau wa katashi)

言うは易く行うは難し (canonical)
iu wa yasuku okonau wa katashi (romanization)

[iɯ̟ β̞a̠ ja̠sɨkɯ̟ o̞ko̞na̠ɯ̟ β̞a̠ ka̠ta̠ɕi]

Literally "Saying [it] is easy [and] executing is difficult".

easier said than done
easier said than done


vyhodíte ho dveřmi a vrátí se oknem

[vɪɦoɟiːtɛ ɦo dvɛr̝mɪ a vraːciː sɛ oknɛm]

Literally, “when you push him out the door, he comes back through the window”.

lit

Gingo – vyhodíte ho dveřmi a vrátí se oknem

2004 April 2, “Gingo - vyhodíte ho dveřmi a vrátí se oknem”, in iDnes.cz:

Jakkoli dobře si můžeme v rámci teoretických úvah zdůvodnit a tisíckrát zopakovat, že tento způsob myšlení je neoprávněný, přesto ho budeme ve svém životě dál používat. Vyhodíte ho dveřmi a vrátí se oknem.

2007, Právník, volume 146, numbers 7–12, page 982:

Ostatně vemlouvavostí a neodbytností se zapsal do paměti více lidí. L Slavíček s úsměvem přiznává, že dědeček byl tak trochu typ, kterého dveřmi vyhodíte a oknem se vrátí.

2010, Zdeněk Vacek, Škodovkou na Sněžku i kolem světa, Praha: Grada, →ISBN, page 33:

Domnívá se, že dnešní historiografie se nemůže vyhnout používání pojmu "kapitalismus": "Vyhoďte kapitalismus dveřmi a on se vrátí oknem. […]"

1988, Ivana Holzbachová, Společnost – dějiny – struktura, Praha: Academia, page 70:


neuč orla létat

Literally, “do not teach an eagle how to fly”.

Napsal mi, že design karoserie si žádá spolupráci několika designérů i modelářů. […] Odepsal jsem: "Hrbku, Hrbku, neuč orla létat. Vyrobil jsem několik aut, kolik ty?"

2015 October 9, Veronika Kudrnová, “Majitel Kaipanu si ve své vlastní automobilce plní sny o sporťáku a vyvíjí elektromobil do města”, in Hospodářské noviny:

He wrot to me that the design of the car body needs a cooperation of several designers and modellers. […] I answered: "Hrbek, Hrbek, don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs. I have made several cars, how many have you?

(colloquial) don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs


光陰矢の如し

ja-pos

こういん や の ごとし

光(こう)陰(いん)矢(や)の如(ごと)し • (kōin ya no gotoshi)

光陰矢の如し (canonical)
kōin ya no gotoshi (romanization)

From 但見時光流似箭 ("surely time and tide flow like an arrow"), as versed by Wei Zhuang (Tang Dynasty, c. 836-910) in his poem 《關河道中》:
Compare Chinese 光陰似箭／光阴似箭 (guāng yīn sì jiàn).

zh-l

光陰似箭／光阴似箭 (guāng yīn sì jiàn)

Huái mò chán shēng liǔshì fēng, yìlóu gāo yǐ xīyáng dōng.
Wǎnglái qiānlǐ lù cháng zài, jùsàn shí nián rén bùtóng.
Dàn jiàn shíguāng liú sì jiàn, qǐ zhī tiāndào qū rú gōng.
Píngshēng zhìyè kuāng Yáo Shùn, yòu nǐ cānglàng xué diàowēng.

槐陌蟬聲柳市風，驛樓高倚夕陽東。
往來千里路長在，聚散十年人不同。
但見時光流似箭，豈知天道曲如弓。
平生志業匡堯舜，又擬滄浪學釣翁。

槐陌蝉声柳市风，驿楼高倚夕阳东。
往来千里路长在，聚散十年人不同。
但见时光流似箭，岂知天道曲如弓。
平生志业匡尧舜，又拟沧浪学钓翁。

time flies like an arrow; time and tide wait for no man; life is short


en-proverb

one woman's trash is another woman's treasure

one man's trash is another man's treasure#English

(rare) Synonym of one man's trash is another man's treasure


snitches get stitches and wind up in ditches

snitches get stitches
snitches get stitches#English


snitches get stitches

Formed because of the rhyme between snitch and stitch.

snitches get stitches and end up in ditches

(idiomatic) People who snitch or tattle will in return receive repercussions.

wie praat, die gaat

people who snitch or tattle will in return receive repercussions


head

aithnichear fear air a' cuideachd a chumas e

aithnichear fear air a' chuideachd a chumas e

a man is known by the company he keeps
a man is known by the company he keeps


am fear a laigheas sa pholl, togaidh e an làthach

if you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas (lit. the man who lies in the bog, he rises in sludge)


fada bho'n t-sùil, fada bho'n chridhe

fada bho'n t-sùil (canonical)
fada bho'n cridhe (canonical)

fada bhon t-sùil, fada bhon chridhe#Scottish_Gaelic

Obsolete spelling of fada bhon t-sùil, fada bhon chridhe.


an rud nach cluinn cluas, cha ghluais e cridhe

an rud nach cluinn cluas (canonical)
cha ghluais e cridhe (canonical)

an rud nach cluinn cluas, cha gluais e cridhe

out of sight, out of mind
out of sight, out of mind

out of sight, out of mind (lit. the thing that an ear won't hear, it won't move a heart)


cha d'fhuair droch-ràmhaich ràmh math a-riamh

a bad workman always blames his tools
a bad workman always blames his tools

a bad workman always blames his tools (lit. a bad oarsman never got a good oar)

cha d'fhuair droch-bhuannaiche a-riamh deagh-chorran


cha d'fhuair droch-bhuannaiche a-riamh deagh-chorran

a bad workman always blames his tools (lit. a bad harvester never got a good scythe)


théid capall don choille ach brisidh aon uallach a cridhe

théid capall don choille ach brisidh aon uallach a chridhe

the straw that broke the camel's back
the straw that broke the camel's back

the straw that broke the camel's back (lit. the colt will go to the forest but one burden will break his heart)


en-proverb

he that mischief hatches, mischief catches

People who behave wickedly receive their just deserts.


kde není žalobce, není soudce

Většina bachařů stejně zastává názor, že všichni kriminálníci jsou simulanti, a žádné léky jim nedávají. Kdo to na ně poví? A kde není žalobce, není soudce.

2001, Jan Cimický, Kouzelné zahrady, Praha: Baronet, →ISBN, page 112:

Anyway, most warders hold the view that all criminals are malingerers, and they don't give them any medicines. Who will tell on them? And where there is no plaintiff, there is no judge.

where there is no plaintiff, there is no judge (if nobody complains, nobody will enforce the law or rule)


hydrate or diedrate

From the similar sound in "hy" and "die". See more at diedrate.

(camping slang, humorous, rare) Dehydration can eventually lead to death; used to encourage children to drink adequate water when camping or doing other outdoor activities.


tomorrow never comes

"I will take you tomorrow," he said.
"Tomorrow never comes," Archie replied with a laugh.

1885, G. A. Henty, chapter 4, in In Freedom's Cause:

Don't wait until tomorrow; tomorrow never comes. Don't wait for some one else to start; start it yourself.

1909, “Fall in Line”, in Seamen's Journal, volume 23, page 11:

Avoid procrastination like the plague. Some people make a habit of putting things off to tomorrow and then find that somehow tomorrow never comes.

2006, Mutea Rukwaru, Successful Time Management, →ISBN, page xv:

A goal or action which is postponed until a future day is often never accomplished; do not procrastinate.

We never go beyond the present. We reach that point but never pass it. Tomorrow never comes. Our existence is enclosed within the divine moment, the eternal now.

1884, Warren Felt Evans, The Divine Law of Cure, page 107:

"But tomorrow they give me to Bu-lot," she said sadly.
"May it be always tomorrow," replied Tarzan, "for tomorrow never comes."

1921, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter 13, in Tarzan the Terrible, A. C. McClurg:

I live among the creatures of the night / I haven't got the will to try and fight / Against a new tomorrow / So I guess I'll just believe it / That tomorrow never comes

1984, Giancarlo Bigazzi, Steve Piccolo, Raf (lyrics and music), “Self Control”, performed by Laura Branigan:

You'll regret it tomorrow.
Tomorrow never comes!

1985 January 11, Jim Davis, Garfield Makes it Big (Garfield) (comic):

The truth is, tomorrow never comes! The minute you step into your tomorrow, it becomes your today.

2008, Jonathan Goodwin, We Support You […] , Xulon Press, →ISBN, page 88:

Tomorrow has no reality, since every day is experienced as today.


ambasciator non porta pena

Literally, “(an) ambassador does not bring pain”, or more loosely translated as “the ambassador cannot be blamed”.

lit

don't shoot the messenger
don't shoot the messenger


head

was der Bauer nicht kennt, das frisst er nicht

A loan translation of German Low German wat de Buur nich kennt, dat frett he nich (“what the farmer doesn’t know, he won’t eat”). Compare also Dutch wat de boer niet kent, dat vreet hij niet.

cog

(more negative) some people are afraid of trying something new

(more positive) some people are content with the simple, traditional ways and do not crave for the latest fashions


viel Feind, viel Ehr

Literally, “many foes, much honour”. The forms viel Feind for viele Feinde and Ehr for Ehre reflect Early Modern German apocope, which was a general phenomenon in the majority of dialects, but only partially established itself in the written standard.

the more enemies one has, the more honour one is due (for example, because it proves one to be independent and upright)


el que no transa no avanza

(Mexico) he who does not compromise, does not progress; he who does not cheat, does not get ahead


once a man, twice a boy

once a man, twice a child
once a man, twice a child#English


once a woman, twice a child

(rare) A woman is born as a child, grows to adulthood, and consequently enters old age, when she deteriorates and reverts to a childlike state.


once a man, twice a child

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-once a man, twice a child.wav

King David being in his childhood, an old man in his ſecond childhood, for all old men are tvvice children, as the proverb is, An old man tvvice a child‡; it happened vvith him, as it doth oftentimes, vvhen vvicked men of a King's childhood take occaſion of evil. / Footnote ‡: Once a Man, tvvice a Child.

1549 March 25 (Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, “Sermon VI. Being the Second Sermon Preached before King Edward VI. March the Fifteenth.”, in The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, Master Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester. […], volume I, London: […] J. Scott, […], published 1758, →OCLC, page 83:

In verification of the old saying, "Once a man, twice a child," Mr. Hood tells of "A School for Adults,"—and gives a picture of aged men, baldheaded and wigged, whose education had been neglected, studying their A, B, C.

1827, “The Progress of Art”, in William Hone, editor, The Table Book, London: […] [F]or William Hone, by Hunt and Clarke, […], →OCLC, page 745, column 2:

Again, it is a saying, ‘once a man twice a child,’ but, of cases without number, it may justly be said, once a man always a man; tens of thousands there are whom this second childhood toucheth not, whose inward vigour evidently increaseth as their outward strength decays, […]

1861, “a Wykehamist” [pseudonym; George Jennings Davies], “The Power of Proverbs to Impress”, in Papers on Preaching and Public Speaking. […], London: Bell and Daldy, […], →OCLC, page 104:

The time will come, dear children, when the mother becomes as a little child. Once a man, twice a child. This must happen to us all if we live to a great age. Bear then, dear ones, with a mother's infirmities, weaknesses, aye, even petulances; you may come to this yourselves.

1888 March, Eliza Allen, “Mother. A Few Words for the Young.”, in Charlotte M[ary] Yonge, editor, The Monthly Packet of Evening Readings for Members of the English Church, volume XV (Third Series), part LXXXVII, London: Walter Smith and Innes (late Mozley), […], →OCLC, page 279:

“I am an old man,” he said; “I avail myself of the privilege of an old man,—to be a child. ‘Once a man, twice a child.’[…]”

1889, Oscar F[itzalan] Safford, “Toward Evening”, in Hosea Ballou: a Marvellous Life-story, 3rd edition, Boston, Mass.: Universalist Publishing House, →OCLC, page 243:

dora: Look at all these games. Once a man, twice a child, my mother used to say. / ansell: What did she mean by that? / dora: She meant that a man grows from a boy, to a man, to a boy again.

1971, Plays and Players, volume 19, London: Hansom Books, →ISSN, →OCLC, scene iii, page 64, column 1:

Give them an inch, they take a yard / Give them a yard, they take a mile / Once a man and twice a child / And everything is just for a while

1980 June 10, Bob Marley (lyrics and music), “Real Situation”, in Uprising, performed by Bob Marley and the Wailers, New York, N.Y.: Island Records, →OCLC:

The child in people sometimes comes out after one reaches a certain stage in life, which makes the saying, "Once a man twice a child" to be the truth.

2005, Camyl Sosa Belanger, Eva Gabor, an Amazing Woman: ‘Unscrupulous’, New York, N.Y.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 201:

A man is born as a child, grows to adulthood, and consequently enters old age, when he deteriorates and reverts to a childlike state.

反老还童

a man is born as a child, grows to adulthood, and consequently enters old age, when he deteriorates and reverts to a childlike state


head

kdo chce, hledá způsoby, kdo nechce, hledá důvody

[ˈɡdo ˈxt͡sɛ ǀ ˈɦlɛdaː ˈspuːsobɪ ǀ ˈɡdo ˈnɛxt͡sɛ ǀ ˈɦlɛdaː ˈduːvodɪ]

Literally, “those who want seek means, those who don't seek reasons”.

lit

Kdo chce, hledá způsoby, kdo nechce, hledá důvody. Pán zjevně hledal jen důvody, jak a proč něco nepůjde.

2013, Jiří Jemelka, Prodej – dřina nebo hra, Praha: Grada Publishing, →ISBN, page 85:

Those who want seek means, those who don't seek reasons. It was clear that the man was just seeking reasons why something would not be possible.

where there is a will there is a way
where there is a will there is a way

those who want to do something find a way to do it, and those who do not find reasons for why it is not possible; where there is a will there is a way

kdo chce, hledá způsob, kdo nechce, hledá důvod


head

kdo chce, hledá způsob, kdo nechce, hledá důvod

[ˈɡdo ˈxt͡sɛ ǀ ˈɦlɛdaː ˈspuːsop ǀ ˈɡdo ˈnɛxt͡sɛ ǀ ˈɦlɛdaː ˈduːvot]

Literally, “those who want, search for a way, those who do not want, search for a reason”.

lit

kdo chce, hledá způsoby, kdo nechce, hledá důvody#Czech

Alternative form of kdo chce, hledá způsoby, kdo nechce, hledá důvody


املای نانوشته غلط ندارد

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املای نانوشته غلط ندارد

املای نانوشته غلط ندارد • (emlâ-ye nâ-nevešte ğalat nadârad)

emlâ-ye nâ-nevešte ğalat nadârad (romanization)

Literally, “an unwritten dictation has no errors”.

... در ارائه گزارش به مافوق، زمانیکه شخص مامور مورد استنطاق قرار می گیرد با یک جمله «پیش می آید، املای نانوشته غلط ندارد» سروته ماجرا جمع می شود.

2014 August 13, “املای نانوشته غلط ندارد!!”, in Islamic Republic News Agency:

... when reporting to the top, when the person in charge is addressed, with a single statement "such is life; [only] an unwritten dictation has no errors" the story is finished off.

... dar erâ'e-ye gozâreš be mâfowq, zamânike ke šaxs-e ma'mur mowred-e estentâq qarâr mi-girad bâ yek jomle-ye "piš mi-âyad, emlâ-ye nâ-nevešte ğalat nadârad" sar-o-tah-e mâjarâ jam' mi-šavad.

if there are no mistakes, it's probably because no action has been taken; or, when judging a person's mistakes, one should consider the how much they accomplished; such is life, you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette

en-املای_نانوشته_غلط_ندارد-fa-proverb-Q~YL9~yq


ఎరుక పిడికెడు ధనము

ఎరుక పిడికెడు ధనము • (eruka piḍikeḍu dhanamu)


před heřmánkem smekni, před bezinkou klekni

[ˈpr̝̊ɛd‿ɦɛr̝maːŋkɛm ˈsmɛkɲɪ ǀ ˈpr̝̊ɛd‿bɛzɪŋkou̯ ˈklɛkɲɪ]

Literally, “take your hat off to camomile, kneel down before black elder”.

lit

Toho dne jsme šly řezat květy černého bezu. Bábi říkala : „Před heřmánkem smekni, před bezinkou klekni." Heřmánek, častěji se říkalo kamilky, byl pro zdraví i pro krásu; byl na čaj, na obklady, na všelijaké záněty a křeče, na bolení břicha i zubů[…]

1992, Anna Graf, Jak říkala babička, Praha: Tezaurus, →ISBN, page 113:

That day we went cutting black elder blossoms. My grandma used to say: “Take your hat off to camomile, kneel down before black elder.” Camomile, or kamilky as it used to be called, was applied for one's good health and beauty; it was used to make tea, medical compress, for various inflammations and cramps, for stomachache and toothache […]

Matricaria recutita
Matricaria recutita#Translingual

Sambucus nigra
Sambucus nigra#Translingual

the proverb expresses the awareness of high healing powers of camomile (Matricaria recutita) and even higher ones of black elder (Sambucus nigra)

před heřmánkem smekni, před bezem klekni


en-proverb

en-au-given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.ogg

Coined by American computer programmer, author, and advocate for the open source movement (*1957) Eric S. Raymond in his 1999 essay and book The Cathedral and the Bazaar.

coin

software engineering
software engineering

(software engineering) Given a large enough beta tester and codeveloper base, almost every problem will be characterized quickly and the fix will be obvious to someone.


oko za oko, ząb za ząb

Literally, “[an] eye for [an] eye, [a] tooth for [a] tooth”.

m-g

􂀿an􂁀 eye for 􂀿an􂁀 eye, 􂀿a􂁀 tooth for 􂀿a􂁀 tooth

lit

eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth

(idiomatic) eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth


head

is fheàrr teine beag a gharas na teine mòr a loisgeas

too much of a good thing
too much of a good thing

You can have too much of a good thing; less is more etc. (literally "better is the small fire that warms than the great fire that burns")

is fheàrr an teine beag a gharas na an teine mòr a loisgeas


haraka haraka haina baraka

Literally, “hurry hurry has no blessing”.


hoe groter geest, hoe groter beest

/ɦu ˌɣroː.tər ˈɣeːst ɦu ˌɣroː.tər ˈbeːst/

Literally, “the greater the mind, the greater the beast”.

lit

intellectually gifted people are more liable to indulgent or unethical behaviour


女賢しゅうして牛売り損なう

ja-pos

おんな さかしゅうして うし うりそこなう

おんなさかしうしてうしうりそこなう

女(おんな)賢(さか)しゅうして牛(うし)売(う)り損(そこ)なう • (onna sakashūshite ushi urisokonau) ^(←おんなさかしうしてうしうりそこなう (onnasakasiusiteusiurisokonau)?)

女賢しゅうして牛売り損なう (canonical)
onna sakashūshite ushi urisokonau (romanization)
onnasakasiusiteusiurisokonau (romanization)
おんなさかしうしてうしうりそこなう (hiragana historical)

Literally, "a clever woman fails to sell a cow."


sticks in a bundle can't be broken

sticks in a bundle are unbreakable#English

Synonym of sticks in a bundle are unbreakable


one cannot break a twig in a bundle

Alternative form of sticks in a bundle are unbreakable


sticks in a bundle are unbreakable

Sticks in a bundle can’t be broken but sticks taken singly can be easily broken. Same applies to people.

2013, “The Father, His Sons, and The Bundle of Sticks”, in Fables of Aesop, retrieved 2017-05-21:

Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. So says the inspirational Kenyan proverb extolling the power of Unity.

2014 August 17, Morgana West, “Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable”, in Glaston Centre, UK, retrieved 2017-05-13:

The children learn that there is a whole lot more that they can do together. . . . [W]hen you join together, like sticks in a bundle, you are much stronger.

2016 April 7, “Sticks In A Bundle Can't Be Broken: There is Strength in Numbers”, in SylRenner.com, retrieved 2017-05-13:

Scotty: My wee granny used to say, "Ya cannae break a stick in a bundle."

2016, Simon Pegg et al., Star Trek Beyond, approx 110 min.

A group of people who are cooperating can succeed in a situation where an individual person cannot.


กำขี้ดีกว่ากำตด

th-proverb

กำขี้ดีกว่ากำตด • (gam-kîi-dii-gwàa-gam-dtòt)

From กำ (gam, “to grasp; to hold (in the hand); to grip”) + ขี้ (kîi, “excrement”) + ดี (dii, “good”) + กว่า (gwàa, “more; over; than”) + กำ (gam, idem) + ตด (dtòt, “fart”); literally "having shit in the grip is better than having fart in the grip".

com

half a loaf is better than none
half a loaf is better than none

(idiomatic) something is better than nothing; half a loaf is better than none.


en-proverb

better to light one candle than to curse the darkness

better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness#English

Alternative form of better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness


todos los caminos conducen a Roma

todos los caminos llevan a Roma
todos los caminos llevan a Roma#Spanish

Alternative form of todos los caminos llevan a Roma


a buen fin no hay mal tiempo

all's well that ends well
all's well that ends well


todos los caminos llevan a Roma

all roads lead to Rome
all roads lead to Rome


todo vale en la guerra y en el amor

Literally, “all's fair in love and war”.

en la guerra y en el amor todo vale#Spanish

Alternative form of en la guerra y en el amor todo vale


oil and water don't mix

I don't think you quite realise, Benneville, what it means to be married to a native woman. It will mean that you lose friends, home, and everything that is worth living for to an Englishman. You would not be likely to make friends with the other natives. Oil and water don't mix. . .

1974, K. Jamiluddin, The Tropic Sun: Rudyard Kipling & the Raj, page 29:

Less dramatic than open bigotry, but equally problematic, is theignorance displayed by shop stewards and officials subscribing to what Barker (1981) has called the 'new racism' , the 'reasonable', and ' acceptable' racism of the 'I'm not racist but . . . oil and water don't mix' kind.

1989, Richard Jenkins, John Solomos, Racism and Equal Opportunity Policies in the 1980s, page 171:

She say that when nigger people step out o' they place and start for rub shoulders with Bacra, trouble just 'round the corner. She say oil and water don't mix, and she going beat me if I keep company with you.

2007, H. Nigel Thomas, Return to Arcadia, page 33:

Black people and white people should not form relationships; an admonition against miscegenation.

And the Mennonite boys don't consider her suitable. As you know, oil and water don't mix.

2012, Larry Warkentin, Bloodline: of Peasants, Pilgrims and Poets, page 231:

(more generally) Some people, things or characteristics do not go together.

Oil and water don't mix because oil is nonpolar and water is polar.

2015, Kathy Wollard, How Come?: Every Kid's Science Questions Explained, page 59:

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see oil, water, don't, mix.


wo gehobelt wird, fallen Späne

wo gehobelt wird, da fallen Späne#German

Alternative form of wo gehobelt wird, da fallen Späne


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thuận vợ thuận chồng, tát Biển Đông cũng cạn

[tʰwən˧˨ʔ vəː˧˨ʔ tʰwən˧˨ʔ t͡ɕəwŋ͡m˨˩ taːt̚˧˦ ʔɓiən˧˩ ʔɗəwŋ͡m˧˧ kʊwŋ͡m˦ˀ˥ kaːn˧˨ʔ]

[tʰwəŋ˨˩ʔ vəː˨˩ʔ tʰwəŋ˨˩ʔ t͡ɕəwŋ͡m˦˩ taːk̚˦˧˥ ʔɓiəŋ˧˨ ʔɗəwŋ͡m˧˧ kʊwŋ͡m˧˨ kaːŋ˨˩ʔ]

[tʰ⁽ʷ⁾əŋ˨˩˨ vəː˨˩˨ tʰ⁽ʷ⁾əŋ˨˩˨ cəwŋ͡m˨˩ taːk̚˦˥ ʔɓiəŋ˨˩˦ ʔɗəwŋ͡m˧˧ kʊwŋ͡m˨˩˦ kaːŋ˨˩˨]

[tʰ⁽ʷ⁾əŋ˨˩˨ jəː˨˩˨ tʰ⁽ʷ⁾əŋ˨˩˨ cəwŋ͡m˨˩ taːk̚˦˥ ʔɓiəŋ˨˩˦ ʔɗəwŋ͡m˧˧ kʊwŋ͡m˨˩˦ kaːŋ˨˩˨]

Literally, “If husband and wife are in harmony, they can bail all the water out of the South China Sea”.

lit

"Thuận vợ thuận chồng tát Biển Đông cũng cạn"-câu thành ngữ như gắn vào chuyện tình đẹp của chàng sĩ quan trẻ, Thượng úy Hoàng Đăng Lợi […] và vợ là Nguyễn Thị Thuận[…]

2023, Hoàng Hanh, “Thuận vợ thuận chồng...”, in Báo Quân đội nhân dân:

"If husband and wife are in harmony, they can empty out the South China Sea by slapping it." This proverb seems to be tailored to the beautiful love story of the young Senior Lieutenant Hoàng Đăng Lợi […] and his wife Nguyễn Thị Thuận […]

a harmonious married couple can achieve pretty much anything

thuận vợ thuận chồng, tát bể Đông cũng cạn


巧婦難為無米之炊

the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice

ㄑㄧㄠˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄋㄢˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄨˊ ㄇㄧˇ ㄓ ㄔㄨㄟ

haau² fu⁵ naan⁴ wai⁴ mou⁴ mai⁵ zi¹ ceoi¹

цяофу наньвэй умичжичуй

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵¹ nän³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ u³⁵ mi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵/

haau² fu⁵ naan⁴ wai⁴ mou⁴ mai⁵ dzi¹ tsoey¹

/haːu̯³⁵ fuː¹³ naːn²¹ wɐi̯²¹ mou̯²¹ mɐi̯¹³ t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯⁵⁵/

make bricks without straw
make bricks without straw


湖廣熟，天下足

ㄏㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄤˇ ㄕㄨˊ

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄗㄨˊ

/xu³⁵ ku̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂu³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ t͡su³⁵/

/wuː²¹ kʷɔːŋ³⁵ sʊk̚² tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²² t͡sʊk̚⁵/

Used to refer to the fertility of land in Hunan and Hubei.


搬起石頭砸自己的腳

ㄅㄢ ㄑㄧˇ ㄕˊ ˙ㄊㄡ ㄗㄚˊ ㄗˋ ㄐㄧˇ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄐㄧㄠˇ

pan¹ chʻi³ shih²-tʻou⁵ tsa² tzŭ⁴-chi³ tê⁵ chiao³

бань ци шитоу цза цзыцзи дэ цзяо

/pän⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ tʰoʊ̯³ t͡sä³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ t͡ɕi²¹⁴ d̥ə⁴ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

搬石頭砸自己的腳 搬石頭砸自己的腳#Chinese

搬石头砸自己的脚 搬石头砸自己的脚#Chinese

Synonym of 搬石頭砸自己的腳／搬石头砸自己的脚 (bān shítou zá zìjǐ de jiǎo)


一年之計在於春

the whole year's planning lies in the spring

ㄧ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄓ ㄐㄧˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄩˊ ㄔㄨㄣ

yī nián zhī jì zàiyú chūn [Phonetic:yì nián zhī jì zàiyú chūn]

и нянь чжи цзи цзайюй чунь

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ni̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ən⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ niːn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ kɐi̯³³ t͡sɔːi̯²² jyː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵn⁵⁵/

一年之計在於春，一日之計在於晨 一年之計在於春，一日之計在於晨#Chinese

一年之计在于春，一日之计在于晨 一年之计在于春，一日之计在于晨#Chinese

Short for 一年之計在於春，一日之計在於晨／一年之计在于春，一日之计在于晨 (yī nián zhī jì zàiyú chūn, yī rì zhī jì zàiyú chén, “early planning is the key to success”).


دروغ مصلحت آمیز به از راست فتنه انگیز

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دروغ مصلحت آمیز به از راست فتنه انگیز • (doruğ-e maslehat-âmiz beh az râst-e fetne-angiz)

From the first story of Saadi's Gulistan.

An expediential lie is better than a truth that causes trouble

en-دروغ_مصلحت_آمیز_به_از_راست_فتنه_انگیز-fa-proverb-wMsy9hnd


ఋషిమూలము నదీమూలము

ఋషిమూలము నదీమూలము • (r̥ṣimūlamu nadīmūlamu)

The origin of a sage is as obscure as that of a river.


ఒక చెంప కొట్టితే పాలు, వక చెంప కొట్టితే నీళ్లు • (oka cempa koṭṭitē pālu, vaka cempa koṭṭitē nīḷlu)

oka cempa koṭṭitē pālu (romanization)
vaka cempa koṭṭitē nīḷlu (romanization)

If you slap one cheek, milk (comes); If you slap the other cheek, water (comes). (Said of "a very tender, delicate boy.")

en-ఒక_చెంప_కొట్టితే_పాలు,_వక_చెంప_కొట్టితే_నీళ్లు-te-proverb-EH2aOeH6


గంగలో ములిగినా కాకి హంస అవుతుందా

గంగలో ములిగినా కాకి హంస అవుతుందా • (gaṅgalō muliginā kāki haṁsa avutundā)

gaṅgalō muliginā kāki haṁsa avutundā (romanization)

Though it bathe in the Ganges, will a crow become a swan.

en-గంగలో_ములిగినా_కాకి_హంస_అవుతుందా-te-proverb-n-odq2Vr


గంధము అమ్మిన చోట కట్టెలు అమ్మినట్టు

గంధము అమ్మిన చోట కట్టెలు అమ్మినట్టు • (gandhamu ammina cōṭa kaṭṭelu amminaṭṭu)

gandhamu ammina cōṭa kaṭṭelu amminaṭṭu (romanization)

Like selling firewood where sandal had been sold. (Said of "the ruin what once was beautiful".)

en-గంధము_అమ్మిన_చోట_కట్టెలు_అమ్మినట్టు-te-proverb-gTpjRUh8


గంధపొడి మోశే గాడిదెవలె

గంధపొడి మోశే గాడిదెవలె • (gandhapoḍi mōśē gāḍidevale)

gandhapoḍi mōśē gāḍidevale (romanization)

en-గంధపొడి_మోశే_గాడిదెవలె-te-proverb-0eyRTl56


知識就是力量

ㄓ ˙ㄕ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄕˋ ㄌㄧˋ ㄌㄧㄤˋ

ㄓ ㄕˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄕˋ ㄌㄧˋ ㄌㄧㄤˋ

чжиши цзюши лилян

/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩² t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ li̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ li̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/t͡siː⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵ t͡sɐu̯²² siː²² lɪk̚² lœːŋ²²/


గాడిదె గాడిదే, గుర్రము గుర్రమే

గాడిదె గాడిదే, గుర్రము గుర్రమే • (gāḍide gāḍidē, gurramu gurramē)

gāḍide gāḍidē (romanization)
gurramu gurramē (romanization)

en-గాడిదె_గాడిదే,_గుర్రము_గుర్రమే-te-proverb-FyXT7BJQ


яҙмыштан уҙмыш юҡ

яҙмыштан уҙмыш юҡ • (yaźmıştan uźmış yuq)

[jɑð.mɯ̞ʂˈtɑn‿oð.mɯ̞ʂ‿joq]

Compare with analogous phrases in other languages:
Tatar язмыштан узмыш юк (yazmıştan uzmış yuk),
Kazakh жазмыштан озмыш жоқ (jazmyştan ozmyş joq),
Kyrgyz жазмыштан озмуш жок (jazmıştan ozmuş jok),
Uzbek yozmishdan o'zmish yo'q (“there is no escape from fate”).

cog

язмыштан узмыш юк

жазмыштан озмыш жоқ

жазмыштан озмуш жок

every bullet has its billet
every bullet has its billet

there is no escape from fate; no flying from fate, every bullet has its billet


అక్క మనది అయితే, బావ మనవాడా

head

అక్క మనది అయితే, బావ మనవాడా • (akka manadi ayitē, bāva manavāḍā)

akka manadi ayitē (romanization)
bāva manavāḍā (romanization)

The sister is ours, but is the sisters's husband ours also?

en-అక్క_మనది_అయితే,_బావ_మనవాడా-te-proverb-rSK2bvgF


అందరూ అందలము యెక్కితే, మోశేవారు యెవరు

అందరూ అందలము యెక్కితే, మోశేవారు యెవరు • (andarū andalamu yekkitē, mōśēvāru yevaru)

andarū andalamu yekkitē (romanization)
mōśēvāru yevaru (romanization)

If all get into the palankin, who will be the bearers?

en-అందరూ_అందలము_యెక్కితే,_మోశేవారు_యెవరు-te-proverb-34otXTQT


అందరికీ శకునము చెప్పే బల్లి కుడితితోట్టెలో పడ్డట్టు • (andarikī śakunamu ceppē balli kuḍititōṭṭelō paḍḍaṭṭu)

/an̪d̪aɾikiː ɕakunamu t͡ɕepːeː balːi kuɖit̪it̪oːʈːeloː paɖːaʈːu/

[and̪aɾikiː ʃakunamu t͡ʃepːeː balːi kuɖit̪it̪oːʈːeloː paɖːaʈːu]

The lizard which tells the fortunes of all fell itself into the tub of rice-washings.

en-అందరికీ_శకునము_చెప్పే_బల్లి_కుడితితోట్టెలో_పడ్డట్టు-te-proverb-0nZLebGf


అన్నమయం ప్రాణమయం

అన్నమయం ప్రాణమయం • (annamayaṁ prāṇamayaṁ)

Sustained by food, dependent on life. Said of "the body".


అదే వూరు అయితే, కోళ్లు కుయ్యవా

అదే వూరు అయితే, కోళ్లు కుయ్యవా • (adē vūru ayitē, kōḷlu kuyyavā)

adē vūru ayitē (romanization)
kōḷlu kuyyavā (romanization)

If that be a village, will the cocks not crow? Applied to "the evidence of a fact".

en-అదే_వూరు_అయితే,_కోళ్లు_కుయ్యవా-te-proverb-ZM2x24yR


అదృష్టం కలిశివస్తే, ఆలు పెండ్లామవుతుంది

అదృష్టం కలిశివస్తే, ఆలు పెండ్లామవుతుంది • (adr̥ṣṭaṁ kaliśivastē, ālu peṇḍlāmavutundi)

adr̥ṣṭaṁ kaliśivastē (romanization)
ālu peṇḍlāmavutundi (romanization)

When good fortune comes, your wife will become your spouse. Said in joke to "a man who fancied that he had been very fortunate".

en-అదృష్టం_కలిశివస్తే,_ఆలు_పెండ్లామవుతుంది-te-proverb-dyGh8izR


అత్త చచ్చిన ఆరు మాసాలకు కోడలి కంట నీరు వచ్చినదట • (atta caccina āru māsālaku kōḍali kaṇṭa nīru vaccinadaṭa)

Six months after the death of the mother-in-law, tears came into the eyes of the daughter-in-law.

en-అత్త_చచ్చిన_ఆరు_మాసాలకు_కోడలి_కంట_నీరు_వచ్చినదట-te-proverb-TsHXsWC9


అన్నము పెట్టినవారిల్లు కన్నము పెట్టవచ్చునా • (annamu peṭṭinavārillu kannamu peṭṭavaccunā)

May you break into the house of him who who has fed you?

en-అన్నము_పెట్టినవారిల్లు_కన్నము_పెట్టవచ్చునా-te-proverb-NPzM8xk9


అన్ని రుచులూ సరేగాని, అందులో వుప్పు లేదు • (anni ruculū sarēgāni, andulō vuppu lēdu)

anni ruculū sarēgāni (romanization)
andulō vuppu lēdu (romanization)

All the flavours are right, but there is no salt in it. Said of "badly prepared food".

en-అన్ని_రుచులూ_సరేగాని,_అందులో_వుప్పు_లేదు-te-proverb-MX4LlUFo


అన్నీ తెలిశినవాడూ లేడు, యేమీ తెలియనివాడూ లేడు • (annī teliśinavāḍū lēḍu, yēmī teliyanivāḍū lēḍu)

annī teliśinavāḍū lēḍu (romanization)
yēmī teliyanivāḍū lēḍu (romanization)

There is no one who knows everything, there is no one who knows nothing.

en-అన్నీ_తెలిశినవాడూ_లేడు,_యేమీ_తెలియనివాడూ_లేడు-te-proverb-F15lUjYG


అబద్ధమాడినా గోడ పెట్టినట్టు వుండవలెను

అబద్ధమాడినా గోడ పెట్టినట్టు వుండవలెను • (abaddhamāḍinā gōḍa peṭṭinaṭṭu vuṇḍavalenu)

If you do tell a lie, let it be like a wall.

en-అబద్ధమాడినా_గోడ_పెట్టినట్టు_వుండవలెను-te-proverb-YxZvv7-A


అమావాస్య కూడు నిత్యం దొరుకునా

అమావాస్య కూడు నిత్యం దొరుకునా • (amāvāsya kūḍu nityaṁ dorukunā)

amāvāsya kūḍu nityaṁ dorukunā (romanization)

en-అమావాస్య_కూడు_నిత్యం_దొరుకునా-te-proverb-pSOK-gpa


అభిషేకం చేశిన అగ్నివలె వున్నాడు

అభిషేకం చేశిన అగ్నివలె వున్నాడు • (abhiṣēkaṁ cēśina agnivale vunnāḍu)

abhiṣēkaṁ cēśina agnivale vunnāḍu (romanization)

en-అభిషేకం_చేశిన_అగ్నివలె_వున్నాడు-te-proverb-nsfGtcCn


అయ్య కదురువలె, అమ్మ కుదురువలె

అయ్య కదురువలె, అమ్మ కుదురువలె • (ayya kaduruvale, amma kuduruvale)

ayya kaduruvale (romanization)
amma kuduruvale (romanization)

The husband like a spindle, the wife like a mortar.

en-అయ్య_కదురువలె,_అమ్మ_కుదురువలె-te-proverb-f2i4ea1v


అయ్యో అంటే, ఆరు నెలల పాపం వస్తున్నది

అయ్యో అంటే, ఆరు నెలల పాపం వస్తున్నది • (ayyō aṇṭē, āru nelala pāpaṁ vastunnadi)

ayyō aṇṭē (romanization)
āru nelala pāpaṁ vastunnadi (romanization)

If you say "Alas!" it will equal six months' sin. (Applied to "pitying an atrocious sinner".)

en-అయ్యో_అంటే,_ఆరు_నెలల_పాపం_వస్తున్నది-te-proverb-zXdXNZr7


అశ్వత్థ ప్రదక్షణము చేసి, కడుపు పట్టి చూచుకొన్నదట • (aśvattha pradakṣaṇamu cēsi, kaḍupu paṭṭi cūcukonnadaṭa)

aśvattha pradakṣaṇamu cēsi (romanization)
kaḍupu paṭṭi cūcukonnadaṭa (romanization)

While she was going round the holy fig tree, she felt for signs of pregnancy. (Expecting the result to be obtained at the very commencement of an enterprise.)

en-అశ్వత్థ_ప్రదక్షణము_చేసి,_కడుపు_పట్టి_చూచుకొన్నదట-te-proverb-cM8dQCkL


ఆకలి కాకుండా నీకు ఔషధము యిస్తాను, నీ యింట్లో చద్ది నాకు పెట్టు అన్నాడట • (ākali kākuṇḍā nīku auṣadhamu yistānu, nī yiṇṭlō caddi nāku peṭṭu annāḍaṭa)

ākali kākuṇḍā nīku auṣadhamu yistānu (romanization)
nī yiṇṭlō caddi nāku peṭṭu annāḍaṭa (romanization)

"I'll give medicine to keep away hunger, give me your breakfast", said the quack.

en-ఆకలి_కాకుండా_నీకు_ఔషధము_యిస్తాను,_నీ_యింట్లో_చద్ది_నాకు_పెట్టు_అన్నాడట-te-proverb-jSBIwlXq


ఆకాశం గద్ద తన్నుకొని పోయినది

ఆకాశం గద్ద తన్నుకొని పోయినది • (ākāśaṁ gadda tannukoni pōyinadi)

ākāśaṁ gadda tannukoni pōyinadi (romanization)

The sky was kicked away by the kite. (Said in answer to an impertinent question.)

en-ఆకాశం_గద్ద_తన్నుకొని_పోయినది-te-proverb-bS6DDT5g


ఆచారం ముందర, అనాచారం వెనక

ఆచారం ముందర, అనాచారం వెనక • (ācāraṁ mundara, anācāraṁ venaka)

ācāraṁ mundara (romanization)
anācāraṁ venaka (romanization)

Purity first and impurity after. (Impurity always attends purity.)

en-ఆచారం_ముందర,_అనాచారం_వెనక-te-proverb-iPLqmWPy


ఆచార్యునికి ద్రోహము చేశినా, ఆత్మకు ద్రోహం చెయ్యరాదు • (ācāryuniki drōhamu cēśinā, ātmaku drōhaṁ ceyyarādu)

ācāryuniki drōhamu cēśinā (romanization)
ātmaku drōhaṁ ceyyarādu (romanization)

Though you cheat your priest you should not cheat your own life. (Take good care of yourself, even though your priest badly. Said by a selfish, greedy man.)

en-ఆచార్యునికి_ద్రోహము_చేశినా,_ఆత్మకు_ద్రోహం_చెయ్యరాదు-te-proverb-H2hqGM4M


ఆడదాని బుద్ధి అపర బుద్ధి

ఆడదాని బుద్ధి అపర బుద్ధి • (āḍadāni buddhi apara buddhi)

āḍadāni buddhi apara buddhi (romanization)

A woman's sense is wrong sense. (Literally in the back of head.)

en-ఆడదాని_బుద్ధి_అపర_బుద్ధి-te-proverb-FJqQnPE4


अंधों में काना राजा

hi-proverb

अंधों में काना राजा

اندھوں میں کانا راجا

अंधों में काना राजा • (andhõ mẽ kānā rājā) (Urdu spelling اندھوں میں کانا راجا)

andhõ mẽ kānā rājā (romanization)
اندھوں میں کانا راجا (Urdu)

/ən.d̪ʱõː mẽː kɑː.nɑː ɾɑː.d͡ʒɑː/

[ɐ̃n̪.d̪ʱõː‿mẽː‿käː.näː‿ɾäː.d͡ʒäː]

LL-Q1568 (hin)-AryamanA-अंधों में काना राजा.wav

in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king


like mother, like daughter

(idiomatic) A daughter takes after her mother.

anyja lánya

stating the similarity of a daughter to her mother

the apple does not fall far from the tree


ఆయన వుంటే, విస్తరి అయినా కుట్టును

head

ఆయన వుంటే, విస్తరి అయినా కుట్టును • (āyana vuṇṭē, vistari ayinā kuṭṭunu)

āyana vuṇṭē (romanization)
vistari ayinā kuṭṭunu (romanization)

If he were here, he would at least stitch the leaf platter.

en-ఆయన_వుంటే,_విస్తరి_అయినా_కుట్టును-te-proverb-ncw05cGm


ఆవుల సాధుత్వమూ, బ్రాహ్మణుల పేదరికమూ లేదు • (āvula sādhutvamū, brāhmaṇula pēdarikamū lēdu)

āvula sādhutvamū (romanization)
brāhmaṇula pēdarikamū lēdu (romanization)

There is no meekness in cows, nor poverty in Brahmins.

en-ఆవుల_సాధుత్వమూ,_బ్రాహ్మణుల_పేదరికమూ_లేదు-te-proverb-xgPib89I


ఆవగింజ అట్టె దాచి గుమ్మడి కాయ గుల్లకాసుగా యెంచేవాడు • (āvagiñja aṭṭe dāci gummaḍi kāya gullakāsugā yeñcēvāḍu)

penny wise and pound foolish
penny wise and pound foolish

A man who saves a mustard seed and thinks pumpkin worth a shell-coin. (penny wise and pound foolish.)

en-ఆవగింజ_అట్టె_దాచి_గుమ్మడి_కాయ_గుల్లకాసుగా_యెంచేవాడు-te-proverb-WJSNd~RH


al freír de los huevos lo verá

Literally, “you shall see when the eggs are fried”. First appeared in El ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (1605).

lit

the proof of the pudding is in the eating


ఆశ ఆలి మీద, ఆధారం చాప మీద

head

ఆశ ఆలి మీద, ఆధారం చాప మీద • (āśa āli mīda, ādhāraṁ cāpa mīda)

āśa āli mīda (romanization)
ādhāraṁ cāpa mīda (romanization)

His desire is on his wife and his support on his mat. (Nothing for it but resignation.)

en-ఆశ_ఆలి_మీద,_ఆధారం_చాప_మీద-te-proverb-HVB1P~LN


ఇచ్చేటప్పుడు కాముని పండగ, పుచ్చుకొనేటప్పుడు దీపావళి పండగ • (iccēṭappuḍu kāmuni paṇḍaga, puccukonēṭappuḍu dīpāvaḷi paṇḍaga)

iccēṭappuḍu kāmuni paṇḍaga (romanization)
puccukonēṭappuḍu dīpāvaḷi paṇḍaga (romanization)

Giving is like Kama's festival, taking is like the feast of Dipavali.

en-ఇచ్చేటప్పుడు_కాముని_పండగ,_పుచ్చుకొనేటప్పుడు_దీపావళి_పండగ-te-proverb-5-Lz~NAD


ఇరుసుకు కందెన పెట్టక, పరమేశ్వరుని బండి అయినా పారదు • (irusuku kandena peṭṭaka, paramēśvaruni baṇḍi ayinā pāradu)

irusuku kandena peṭṭaka (romanization)
paramēśvaruni baṇḍi ayinā pāradu (romanization)

Without grease to the axle, even Paramesvara's chariot will not run.

en-ఇరుసుకు_కందెన_పెట్టక,_పరమేశ్వరుని_బండి_అయినా_పారదు-te-proverb-DLKLEDSa


ఇల్లు కాలినా యిల్లాలు చచ్చినా గొల్లు మానదు • (illu kālinā yillālu caccinā gollu mānadu)

If the house be burnt or the goodwife die, there will certainly be lamentations.

en-ఇల్లు_కాలినా_యిల్లాలు_చచ్చినా_గొల్లు_మానదు-te-proverb-U5-IY8rJ


ఈ నెలలో వడ్డీ లేదు, వచ్చే నెలలో మొదలూ లేదు • (ī nelalō vaḍḍī lēdu, vaccē nelalō modalū lēdu)

ī nelalō vaḍḍī lēdu (romanization)
vaccē nelalō modalū lēdu (romanization)

There is no interest for you this month, and no principal for you next month. (Said by a cheat to his creditor.)

en-ఈ_నెలలో_వడ్డీ_లేదు,_వచ్చే_నెలలో_మొదలూ_లేదు-te-proverb-mLq~RXMz


ఈ పిల్లి ఆ పాలు తాగునా

ఈ పిల్లి ఆ పాలు తాగునా • (ī pilli ā pālu tāgunā)

Would this cat have drunk that milk? (A demure humbug.)

en-ఈ_పిల్లి_ఆ_పాలు_తాగునా-te-proverb-g5Sn1BfF


ఉన్నది వక కూతురు, వూరెల్లా అల్లుండ్లు

ఉన్నది వక కూతురు, వూరెల్లా అల్లుండ్లు • (unnadi vaka kūturu, vūrellā alluṇḍlu)

unnadi vaka kūturu (romanization)
vūrellā alluṇḍlu (romanization)

He has but one daughter, but the whole village is (full of) sons-in-law. i.e. they all wish to marry her.

en-ఉన్నది_వక_కూతురు,_వూరెల్లా_అల్లుండ్లు-te-proverb-b1vrM-jk


ఉపనయనమునాటి మాట వుండక పోదు

ఉపనయనమునాటి మాట వుండక పోదు • (upanayanamunāṭi māṭa vuṇḍaka pōdu)

upanayanamunāṭi māṭa vuṇḍaka pōdu (romanization)

The word (taught) on the day of Upanayana will not be forgotten. (Said by a Lazy fellow.)

en-ఉపనయనమునాటి_మాట_వుండక_పోదు-te-proverb-VYEyy4b~


ఉతికేవానికిగాని చాకలి వుతకడు

ఉతికేవానికిగాని చాకలి వుతకడు • (utikēvānikigāni cākali vutakaḍu)

utikēvānikigāni cākali vutakaḍu (romanization)

A washerman will only wash for one who thrashes him.

en-ఉతికేవానికిగాని_చాకలి_వుతకడు-te-proverb-QOshjmaL


ఊరు వున్నది, చిప్ప వున్నది

ఊరు వున్నది, చిప్ప వున్నది • (ūru vunnadi, cippa vunnadi)

ūru vunnadi (romanization)
cippa vunnadi (romanization)

There is the village and here is my cup. (Said by a beggar.)

en-ఊరు_వున్నది,_చిప్ప_వున్నది-te-proverb-MzCeQvE1


ఊర పిచ్చుక మీద వాడి వజ్రాయుధమా

ఊర పిచ్చుక మీద వాడి వజ్రాయుధమా • (ūra piccuka mīda vāḍi vajrāyudhamā)

ūra piccuka mīda vāḍi vajrāyudhamā (romanization)

Is a sharp Vajrayudha (to be used) on a sparrow?

en-ఊర_పిచ్చుక_మీద_వాడి_వజ్రాయుధమా-te-proverb-WOGaKdMV


ఉట్టిమీద వెన్న వుండగా, వూరెల్లా నేతికి దేవులాడనేల • (uṭṭimīda venna vuṇḍagā, vūrellā nētiki dēvulāḍanēla)

uṭṭimīda venna vuṇḍagā (romanization)
vūrellā nētiki dēvulāḍanēla (romanization)

While there is butter in the net why hunt through the whole village for ghee?

en-ఉట్టిమీద_వెన్న_వుండగా,_వూరెల్లా_నేతికి_దేవులాడనేల-te-proverb-8yIVWJQo


ఎద్దును యెక్కినవాడే లింగడు, గద్దను యెక్కినవాడే రంగడు • (eddunu yekkinavāḍē liṅgaḍu, gaddanu yekkinavāḍē raṅgaḍu)

eddunu yekkinavāḍē liṅgaḍu (romanization)
gaddanu yekkinavāḍē raṅgaḍu (romanization)

He who rides on a bullock is Lingadu (Siva), he who rides on a kite is Rangadu (Vishnu) i.e the two are but one under different forms. (Said by Smartas)

en-ఎద్దును_యెక్కినవాడే_లింగడు,_గద్దను_యెక్కినవాడే_రంగడు-te-proverb-FIU6Dk8V


ఎద్దును అడిగా గంత కట్టడము

ఎద్దును అడిగా గంత కట్టడము • (eddunu aḍigā ganta kaṭṭaḍamu)

eddunu aḍigā ganta kaṭṭaḍamu (romanization)

Are you to ask the bullock before putting on packsaddle?

en-ఎద్దును_అడిగా_గంత_కట్టడము-te-proverb-FuufcOxr


ఎక్కడ కొట్టినా, కుక్కకు కాలు కుంటు

ఎక్కడ కొట్టినా, కుక్కకు కాలు కుంటు • (ekkaḍa koṭṭinā, kukkaku kālu kuṇṭu)

ekkaḍa koṭṭinā (romanization)
kukkaku kālu kuṇṭu (romanization)

Wherever you strike a dog, he will limp.

en-ఎక్కడ_కొట్టినా,_కుక్కకు_కాలు_కుంటు-te-proverb-P4AZTVlI


ఎక్కుమంటే యెద్దుకు కోపం, దిగమంటే కుంటివానికి కోపం • (ekkumaṇṭē yedduku kōpaṁ, digamaṇṭē kuṇṭivāniki kōpaṁ)

ekkumaṇṭē yedduku kōpaṁ (romanization)
digamaṇṭē kuṇṭivāniki kōpaṁ (romanization)

If you say "Mount" the bullock is angry; If you say "Get off" the lame man is angry. (It is hard to please every one.)

en-ఎక్కుమంటే_యెద్దుకు_కోపం,_దిగమంటే_కుంటివానికి_కోపం-te-proverb-r0ehq2zn


ఎలుక యేట్లో పోతేనేమి, పులి బోనున పోతేనేమి • (eluka yēṭlō pōtēnēmi, puli bōnuna pōtēnēmi)

eluka yēṭlō pōtēnēmi (romanization)
puli bōnuna pōtēnēmi (romanization)

What if the rat is carried down the river? What if the tiger is caught in the trap? (Who cares?)

en-ఎలుక_యేట్లో_పోతేనేమి,_పులి_బోనున_పోతేనేమి-te-proverb-jjzxMtjt


ఏట్లో పారే నీళ్లు యెవరు తాగితే యేమి

ఏట్లో పారే నీళ్లు యెవరు తాగితే యేమి • (ēṭlō pārē nīḷlu yevaru tāgitē yēmi)

ēṭlō pārē nīḷlu yevaru tāgitē yēmi (romanization)

What matters it who drinks the water flowing in the river? (A right common to all.)

en-ఏట్లో_పారే_నీళ్లు_యెవరు_తాగితే_యేమి-te-proverb-bTDOCAPB


ఏతాంపాటకు యెదురు పాట లేదు

ఏతాంపాటకు యెదురు పాట లేదు • (ētāmpāṭaku yeduru pāṭa lēdu)

ētāmpāṭaku yeduru pāṭa lēdu (romanization)

There was no rival song to the Etam song.

en-ఏతాంపాటకు_యెదురు_పాట_లేదు-te-proverb-Q0Pi9JM4


ఏనుగ మీద దోమ వాలితే యెంత బరువు

ఏనుగ మీద దోమ వాలితే యెంత బరువు • (ēnuga mīda dōma vālitē yenta baruvu)

ēnuga mīda dōma vālitē yenta baruvu (romanization)

If a musquito light on an elephant, what weight?

en-ఏనుగ_మీద_దోమ_వాలితే_యెంత_బరువు-te-proverb-3iNBFvkZ


ఏరు అయినా మూడు నేరములు కాస్తుంది

ఏరు అయినా మూడు నేరములు కాస్తుంది • (ēru ayinā mūḍu nēramulu kāstundi)

ēru ayinā mūḍu nēramulu kāstundi (romanization)

Even a river will forgive three offenses. (Referring to the three times which a man is said so sink before drowning., The duty of forgiveness.)

en-ఏరు_అయినా_మూడు_నేరములు_కాస్తుంది-te-proverb-b8tquCdZ


hvor der er vilje, er der vej

where there is a will there is a way
where there is a will there is a way


den enes død, den andens brød

Literally, “the death of one [person], the bread of another [person]”.

m-g

the death of one 􂀿person􂁀, the bread of another 􂀿person􂁀

lit

the misfortune of one person may be fortunate for someone else


head

lige ved og næsten slår ingen mand af hesten

almost doesn't count
almost doesn't count


man må smede, mens jernet er varmt

Literally, “one must do smithing while the iron is hot”.

lit

one must strike while the iron is hot
one must strike while the iron is hot

one must strike while the iron is hot; one must seize opportunities before they vanish


kommer tid, kommer råd

kommer (“comes”) + tid (“time”) + kommer (“comes”) + råd (“counsel”) (see råd)


man skal kravle, før man kan gå

Literally, “one must crawl before one can walk”.

lit

one must start with the fundamentals before moving on to more advanced practices


Rom blev ikke bygget på en dag

Rome wasn't built in a day
Rome wasn't built in a day


ఒక్క ప్రొద్దు మాట కుక్క యెరుగునా

head

ఒక్క ప్రొద్దు మాట కుక్క యెరుగునా • (okka proddu māṭa kukka yerugunā)

okka proddu māṭa kukka yerugunā (romanization)

en-ఒక్క_ప్రొద్దు_మాట_కుక్క_యెరుగునా-te-proverb-XBV8uI0-


ఒక చేత పసుపు, వక చేత ముసుకు

ఒక చేత పసుపు, వక చేత ముసుకు • (oka cēta pasupu, vaka cēta musuku)

oka cēta pasupu (romanization)
vaka cēta musuku (romanization)

In one hand turmeric, in the other hand a hood.

en-ఒక_చేత_పసుపు,_వక_చేత_ముసుకు-te-proverb-AkBWHSSN


కండ్లకు గంతకట్టి అడవిలో వదిలిపెట్టబడ్డ వానివలె • (kaṇḍlaku gantakaṭṭi aḍavilō vadilipeṭṭabaḍḍa vānivale)

Like blindfolding (and pinioning) a man and leaving him in the jungle. (Putting a man into great difficulties.)

en-కండ్లకు_గంతకట్టి_అడవిలో_వదిలిపెట్టబడ్డ_వానివలె-te-proverb-3WF4qBzH


కంసాలి వద్ద వుండవలె, కుంపట్లో వుండవలె

కంసాలి వద్ద వుండవలె, కుంపట్లో వుండవలె • (kaṁsāli vadda vuṇḍavale, kumpaṭlō vuṇḍavale)

kaṁsāli vadda vuṇḍavale (romanization)
kumpaṭlō vuṇḍavale (romanization)

It must be with the goldsmith, or in the chafing dish. (Said of gold made away with by a swindling goldsmith.)

en-కంసాలి_వద్ద_వుండవలె,_కుంపట్లో_వుండవలె-te-proverb-iC93G4Vc


కట్టినవారు వకరు అయితే, కాపురం చేసేవారు వకరు • (kaṭṭinavāru vakaru ayitē, kāpuraṁ cēsēvāru vakaru)

kaṭṭinavāru vakaru ayitē (romanization)
kāpuraṁ cēsēvāru vakaru (romanization)

The builder (of a house) is one and he who lives in it is another.

en-కట్టినవారు_వకరు_అయితే,_కాపురం_చేసేవారు_వకరు-te-proverb-~bfZ7kOt


కరువున కడుపు కాల్చినమ్మను యెన్నటికీ మరవను • (karuvuna kaḍupu kālcinammanu yennaṭikī maravanu)

I shall never forget the lady who burnt my stomach (i.e. who fed me insufficiently) in the famine time.

en-కరువున_కడుపు_కాల్చినమ్మను_యెన్నటికీ_మరవను-te-proverb-V0~GbbIk


తలచుట్టము తోకపగ

తలచుట్టము తోకపగ • (talacuṭṭamu tōkapaga)

I like the head but hate the tail. (literally I avow one kinsman and disavow another.)


కాచిన చెట్టుకు రాళ్ల దెబ్బలు

కాచిన చెట్టుకు రాళ్ల దెబ్బలు • (kācina ceṭṭuku rāḷla debbalu)

kācina ceṭṭuku rāḷla debbalu (romanization)

en-కాచిన_చెట్టుకు_రాళ్ల_దెబ్బలు-te-proverb-afGG1E4L


los casis no cuentan

close only counts in horseshoes
close only counts in horseshoes

a miss is as good as a mile
a miss is as good as a mile

almost doesn't count; close only counts in horseshoes; a miss is as good as a mile


het is de Moriaan gewassen

Literally, “it is the washing of the Moor”. Probably after Jeremiah 13, 23. Compare English wash the blackamoor white.

lit

(probably offensive) it is a vain effort, it is no use, it is pointless


yesterday's gone

yesterday is gone
yesterday is gone#English


yesterday is gone

Yesterday is gone indeed, and gone never to return.

1873, Francis Bourdillon, “The Odd Five Minutes; Or, Short Chapters on Serious Subjects”, in Google books, Religious Tract Society, page 108:

Yesterday is gone; yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. Gone with it are its mistakes and cares, its aches and pains, its faults and blunders.

1945, American Farm Youth, Volumes 11-12, page 28:

Today is the day when we can enjoy life, for yesterday is gone, and tomorrow never comes.

2010 April 25, Mark Vernon, “Ideas for modern living: Carpe diem”, in Guardian, UK, retrieved 2017-07-10:

I wake up every morning and tell myself, "There's nothing I can do about yesterday, yesterday is gone."

2017 March 31, John Meyer, “Seeking to bring hope to those with cancer, Littleton man heads to North Pole”, in Denver Post, retrieved 2017-07-10:

It is impossible to change or to relive what has already happened.


gieo gió, gặt bão

[zɛw˧˧ zɔ˧˦ ɣat̚˧˨ʔ ʔɓaːw˦ˀ˥]

[jɛw˧˧ jɔ˨˩˦ ɣak̚˨˩ʔ ʔɓaːw˧˨]

[jɛw˧˧ jɔ˦˥ ɣak̚˨˩˨ ʔɓaːw˨˩˦]

sow the wind, reap the whirlwind
sow the wind, reap the whirlwind

as you sow, so shall you reap
as you sow, so shall you reap

(idiomatic) sow the wind, reap the whirlwind; as you sow, so shall you reap


en-proverb

you don't look at the mantelpiece when you poke the fire

you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire#English

Alternative form of you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire


you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire

(humorous) A woman's facial attractiveness is irrelevant when considering her as a sexual partner.

ninguna mujer es fea si se la mira por donde mea


食飯皇帝大

/t͡sia(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ pŋ̍³³ hɔŋ²³⁻³³ te²¹⁻⁴¹ tua³³/

/t͡sia(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ pŋ̍²² hɔŋ²⁴⁻²² te²¹⁻⁵³ tua²²/

/t͡sia(ʔ)⁴⁻¹¹ pŋ̍³³ hɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ te¹¹⁻⁵³ tua³³/

/t͡sia(ʔ)²⁴⁻² pŋ̍⁴¹ hɔŋ²⁴⁻²² te⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ tua⁴¹/

/t͡sia(ʔ)¹²¹⁻²¹ puĩ²² hɔŋ¹³⁻²² te²¹⁻⁵³ tua²²/


民以食為天

ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄧˇ ㄕˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄧㄢ

минь и ши вэй тянь

/min³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/mɐn²¹ jiː¹³ sɪk̚² wɐi̯²¹ tʰiːn⁵⁵/

/miŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ ĩ⁵²⁻³⁵ t͡siaʔ⁴⁻² ui⁵⁵⁻¹¹ tʰĩ³³/

/min³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/mɐn²¹ jiː¹³ sɪk̚² wɐi̯²¹ tʰiːn⁵⁵/

Identically from the Book of Han, whose earlier version in the Records of the Grand Historian goes as follows

To the king the people are "heaven," and to the people food is "heaven" (which is to say, a sine qua non).

The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Wángzhě yǐ mínrén wèi tiān, ér mínrén yǐ shí wèi tiān.

王者以民人為天，而民人以食為天。

王者以民人为天，而民人以食为天。


rosso di sera, bel tempo si spera

Literally, “red of the evening, good weather is hoped for”.

lit

when the sky is red at sunset, there's a reasonable chance of good weather the following day


håbet er lysegrønt

hope springs eternal
hope springs eternal


สิบปากว่าไม่เท่าตาเห็น

th-proverb

สิบปากว่าไม่เท่าตาเห็น

สิบปากว่าไม่เท่าตาเห็น • (sìp-bpàak-wâa-mâi-tâo-dtaa-hěn)

/sip̚˨˩.paːk̚˨˩.waː˥˩.maj˥˩.tʰaw˥˩.taː˧.hen˩˩˦/

สิบ (sìp, “ten”) + ปาก (bpàak, “mouth”) + ว่า (wâa, “to say”) + ไม่ (mâi, “not”) + เท่า (tâo, “equal”) + ตา (dtaa, “eye”) + เห็น (hěn, “to see”).

com

Seeing is believing.
seeing is believing

en-สิบปากว่าไม่เท่าตาเห็น-th-proverb-z7~1~EjI


don't buy green bananas

Refers to the time that it takes green bananas to ripen and be edible.

I don't buy green bananas anymore. I only buy one yellow banana, for I may not be around tomorrow.

2010, Norman Molesko, Retiring and Senior Living...Experiencing the Second Half of Life:

"I'm so old, I don't buy green bananas!" "Don't say that, Granma! You're not so old..."

2010, Susan Lynn Meyer, Skating with the Statue of Liberty:

(humorous) Don't make long-term plans, as you may not live/survive long enough to accomplish them.


en-proverb

sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you

(US) Sometimes you win and sometimes you are defeated; everybody has successes and failures.


অকারণে কিছুই ঘটে না

head

অকারণে কিছুই ঘটে না • (okarone kichui ghoṭe na)

/ɔkaɾɔne‿kit͡ʃʰu̯i‿ɡʱɔʈe‿na/

no smoke without fire
no smoke without fire

no smoke without fire (Gossip or accusations are often substantiated by fact)


打者愛也

ㄉㄚˇ ㄓㄜˇ ㄞˋ ㄧㄝˇ

/tä²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀaɪ̯⁵¹ jɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/taː³⁵ t͡sɛː³⁵ ɔːi̯³³ jaː¹³/

/taː³⁵ t͡sɛː³⁵ ɔːi̯³³ jaː¹³/


臨淵羨魚，不如退而結網

Rather than long for fish next to a pool, it would be better to go home and weave a net.

ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄩㄢ ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄩˊ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄊㄨㄟˋ ㄦˊ ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄨㄤˇ

lín yuan siàn yú, bù rú tuèi ér jié wǎng

lin² yüan¹ hsien⁴ yü², pu⁴ ju² tʻui⁴ êrh² chieh² wang³

lín ywān syàn yú-, bù rú twèi ér jyé wǎng

lin iuan shiann yu, bu ru tuey erl jye woang

линь юань сянь юй

бу жу туй эр цзе ван

/lin³⁵ ɥɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ y³⁵ pu⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ tʰu̯eɪ̯⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

One should take practical steps to achieve one's aim.


死人に口無し

ja-pos

死(し)人(にん)に口(くち)無(な)し • (shinin ni kuchi nashi)

死人に口無し (canonical)
shinin ni kuchi nashi (romanization)

[ɕiɲ̟iɲ̟ ɲ̟i kɯ̟t͡ɕi na̠ɕi]

dead men tell no tales
dead men tell no tales

It is easy to pass the buck to the dead because they can not defend themselves.


escoba nueva barre bien

a new broom sweeps clean
a new broom sweeps clean


la pluma es más poderosa que la espada

the pen is mightier than the sword
the pen is mightier than the sword


de casi no se muere nadie

Literally, “nobody ever dies from an almost”.

lit

a miss is as good as a mile; almost doesn't count


más vale prevenir que curar

Literally, “it's worth more prevent/warn/foresee than cure/treat”.

lit

better safe than sorry
better safe than sorry


a quien madruga, Dios le ayuda

Literally, “God helps those who rise early”.

the early bird gets the worm
the early bird gets the worm


una imagen vale más que mil palabras

Literally, “a picture is worth more than a thousand words”.

lit

a picture is worth a thousand words
a picture is worth a thousand words


el ojo del amo engorda al caballo

Literally, “the eye of the owner fattens the horse”.

lit

the owner of a company has to be careful watching it


el fin justifica los medios

Literally, “the ends justify the means”. Compare el fin no justifica los medios.

the end justifies the means
the end justifies the means

the ends justify the means
the ends justify the means

the end justifies the means, the ends justify the means


head

muchas manos en un plato causan arrebato

too many cooks spoil the broth
too many cooks spoil the broth


más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando

Literally, “a bird in the hand is worth more than one hundred in flight”.

lit

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

más vale pájaro en mano que ver ciento volando

más vale pájaro en mano que buitre volando


de la mano a la boca desaparece la sopa

Literally, “from the hand to the mouth disappears the soup”.

lit

there's many a slip twixt cup and lip
there's many a slip twixt cup and lip


mi casa y mi hogar cien doblas val

Literally, “my house and my home is worth one hundred doblas”. The dobla was a former currency of Spain. The verb form val is an apocopic form of vale in order to rhyme with hogar (see assonant rhyme).

lit

there's no place like home
there's no place like home


mañana será otro día

tomorrow is another day
tomorrow is another day


genio y figura hasta la sepultura

[ˌxe.njo i fiˌɣ̞u.ɾa ˌas.t̪a la se.pul̪ˈt̪u.ɾa]

Literally, “genius and player until (the) burial”.

a leopard cannot change its spots
a leopard cannot change its spots


head

a buen entendedor, pocas palabras bastan

/a ˌbwen entendeˌdoɾ | ˌpokas paˌlabɾas ˈbastan/

[a ˌβ̞wẽn ẽn̪.t̪ẽn̪.d̪eˌð̞oɾ | ˌpo.kas paˌla.β̞ɾaz ˈβ̞as.t̪ãn]

Literally, “to a good understander, few words are enough”.

lit

a nod is as good as a wink
a nod is as good as a wink


條條大路通羅馬

ㄊㄧㄠˊ ㄊㄧㄠˊ ㄉㄚˋ ㄌㄨˋ ㄊㄨㄥ ㄌㄨㄛˊ ㄇㄚˇ

тяотяо далу тун Лома

/tʰi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ tʰi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu⁵¹ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵ lu̯ɔ³⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tʰiːu̯²¹ tʰiːu̯²¹ taːi̯²² lou̯²² tʰʊŋ⁵⁵ lɔː²¹ maː¹³/

Calque of English all roads lead to Rome.

calque

all roads lead to Rome
all roads lead to Rome


en-proverb

Application of the adage that "you cannot put the same shoe on every foot" produces no hardship whatsoever, since the terms of the trust may be made exactly to fit the business to be undertaken.

1921, John Harold Sears, Trust Estates as Business Companies, →ISBN, page 416:

What I tell these misinformed inmates is that you cannot put the same shoe on every foot.

2012, Jayson Williams, Humbled Letters from Prison, →ISBN, page 230:

Publilius Syrus said it a long time ago: You can't put the same shoe on every foot.

2014, James Gunn, Some Dreams Are Nightmares, →ISBN:

A method or technique that works in one situation does not necessarily work in all situations.


one nail drives out another

New people, things, or customs eventually supplant older ones.


new brooms sweep clean

a new broom sweeps clean
a new broom sweeps clean#English

Alternative form of a new broom sweeps clean


no rose without a thorn

(figurative) To enjoy a pleasant subject or thing, one must take trouble and hardship


As my old granny would have commented: "Zeal without knowledge is a runaway horse." The mosque was all frenzy, made so by factions inspired by Middle Easterners who discovered fertile ground in Brixton.

"And what are you, if I may ask?" Sol said, tapping his partner's knee. Alfred answered deliberately. He pointed to his eyes. "A realist. A pragmatist, after long and hard experience. Dreams are for fools and idiots, and zeal without knowledge is a runaway horse."

2014, August Franza, AMERICA ARRIBA!: Don Quijote and Sancho Panza in the 21st Century, →ISBN:

Proverbs 19:2 states that it is not good to have zeal without knowledge. A similar British proverb is “zeal without knowledge is a runaway horse." Zeal defines the earnestness and good intentions that remain essential to the church. However, the congregation's enthusiasm, coupled with inexperience in cross-cultural ministry, can result in an inability to listen and receive help from their host.

2014, David Wesley, A Common Mission, →ISBN:

They do not understand that “zeal without knowledge is a runaway horse” and that's why they are unproductive.

2016, Johnstone Kayandabila, Leadership's Big Idea: High-Potential Leaders in the Making, →ISBN:

Enthusiasm of an inexperienced person will cause harm.

set a beggar on horseback and he'll ride to the Devil


安物は高物

ja-pos

安(やす)物(もの)は高(たか)物(もの) • (yasumono wa takamono)

安物は高物 (canonical)
yasumono wa takamono (romanization)

Literally, “cheap things are expensive things”.

lit

penny wise and pound foolish
penny wise and pound foolish

you get what you pay for
you get what you pay for

penny wise and pound foolish; you get what you pay for


a closed mouth catches no flies

Unknown. Equivalent expressions are found in several languages, so it is difficult to tell if it originated in English or a different language.

It's better to not say anything than to say something suspicious or troublesome.


en-proverb

It is said that a new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows the corners – this does not apply to Mbombela’s social scene.

28 May 2017, “Does the song “Amadlozi” by the late Brenda Fassie ring a bell?”, in Mpulanga News:

Chibnall, like Moffat, like Davies, like Capaldi, Tennant, and many others involved in the triumphant reboot, is a lifelong Doctor Who fan. His arrival should remind us of the full version of the old adage: a new broom sweeps clean but an old broom knows the corners. There are lives in the old Doctor yet.

It has been noted that the new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners. Every now and then, the older broom must trust the young broom's judgment.

2011, Sylvia Bronner Walker, Little Nuggets for Life's Experiences, →ISBN:

(Commonwealth) New management imposes radical changes, but those with prior experience have more knowledge.

a new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners

a new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows all the corners


lo bueno, si breve

Literally, “what's good, if brief”. Ellipsis of lo bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno.

ellipsis

lo bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno#Spanish

Alternative form of lo bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno


en-proverb

close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades

close only counts in horseshoes
close only counts in horseshoes#English

Alternative form of close only counts in horseshoes


head

if at first you don't succeed, try try again

indicates the importance of persistence in the pursuit of success.


lo bueno, si breve, dos veces bueno

Literally, “what's good, if brief, twice good”.


ang gaba dili magsaba

Literally, “[[[bad]]] karma comes without a noise”.

punishment for one's wrongdoings or transgressions will come unexpectedly


سلامة الإنسان في حفظ اللسان

head

سَلَامَةُ اَلْإِنْسَانِ فِي حِفْظِ اللِّسَانِ • (salāmatu l-ʔinsāni fī ḥifẓi l-lisāni)

salāmatu l-ʔinsāni fī ḥifẓi l-lisāni (romanization)

the safety of mankind (is) in the protection of the tongue; one should watch their speech to be safe and sound.

en-سلامة_الإنسان_في_حفظ_اللسان-ar-proverb-RRYNdjub


who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl

Do not associate with a person who is malicious, selfish, or unkind As a proverb goes, “Who keeps company with the wolf, will learn to howl” (in other words, “If you touch vermillion, you will become of the same color”).

2012, Yukiko Inoue-Smith, A Shawl of Mist: Tanka, →ISBN:

Do not associate with a person who is malicious, selfish, or unkind As people say, “Who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl."

2015, Yukiko Inoue-Smith, A Jungle Named Academia: Approaches to Self-Development and Growth, →ISBN:

Believe it or not but you one way or another have the same bad aspects in your personality. “Who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl” is said for a reason.

A person tends to take on the characteristics of those with whom he or she associates.

朱に交われば赤くなる

しゅにまじわればあかくなる

if you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas

if you fly with the crows, you get shot with the crows

who keeps company with wolves, will learn to howl


every rose has its thorn

He is ſo good that there is no trouble in him, for that is the imperfection of all earthly good things, as there is a drop of honey, ſo there is a drop of gall; Every Roſe hath its thorn;

1656, Anthony Burges, “Sermon XI: Treateth of Eternall Life in the Nature and Properties of it”, in CXLV Expoſitory Sermons Upon the whole 17th Chapter of the Gospel According to St. John, […], London: […] Abraham Miller for Thomas Underhill, page 57:

The Tryals you have had of thoſe things which the World dotes upon hath taught you to deſpiſe them, and you have found by experience that neither the endowments of Nature, nor the advantages of Fortune, are ſufficient for happineſs: that every Roſe hath its thorn,and there may be a Worm at the root of the faireſt Gourd, ſome ſecret and undiſcerned grief which may make a perſon deſerve the pity of thoſe who perhaps do admire or envy their ſuppoſed felicity:

1677, Henry Scougal, The Life of God in the Soul of Man: or, The Nature and Excellency of the Chriſtian Religion, London: […] Charles Smith; William Jacob, pages 96-97:

Bill—just remember every rose has it's ^([sic]) thorn and you have Lee King.

2011, Lee King, Bill Christian Private Investigator in: The Yadkin River Werewolf Case, →ISBN:

But every rose has its thorn, and the sharpest was yet to jab us.

2014, Sophia Loren, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: My Life, →ISBN, page 32:

However, every rose has its thorn, and alopecia universalisis no different.

2014, Turney Hall, An Eagle Soars: One Man's Journey to Baldness, →ISBN:

Every good situation happens with misfortune or adversity.


every rose has a thorn

He pricked a finger. Every rose has a thorn. Isabella is a rose. Her father is a thorn.

2007 -, Mary Louise McCaffrey, A Handful of Sand, →ISBN:

I then See it a rose with a thorn on it the last One there and I grab it and tell the guy I will take it with a card saying to my True love let this rose be a gift to you Even though every rose has a thorn But my heart will always be yours.

2010, Cordan Stough, A World of Fantasy and Disaster, →ISBN, page 103:

However, every rose has a thorn.

2012, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Little Star: A Novel, →ISBN, page 45:

Perhaps, like every rose has a thorn, every latent-variable SEM model begins with a contirmatory Factor analysis (CFA) model.

2013, Todd D. Little, Longitudinal Structural Equation Modeling, →ISBN, page 71:

every rose has its thorn
every rose has its thorn#English

Alternative form of every rose has its thorn


om smagen kan der ikke diskuteres

Ja, om Enkeltheder kan man jo være uenig, man siger, om Smagen kan der ikke diskuteres, men der er intet, der diskuteres mere om.

Det er sagt indtil Ulidelighed, men aabenbart ikke for ofte, at om Smagen kan der ikke diskuteres.

1944, Ex libris: tidsskrift for exlibris-kunst:

Hver Forlægger yder vel, hvad han finder kunstnerisk forsvarligt, men om Smagen kan der ikke diskuteres.

1924, Povl Engelstoft, Svend Dahl, Den Nye litteratur: dansk litteraturtidende ...:

there's no accounting for taste
there's no accounting for taste


ปากกาคมกว่าดาบ

th-proverb

ปากกาคมกว่าดาบ • (bpàak-gaa-kom-gwàa-dàap)

From ปากกา (bpàak-gaa, “pen”) + คม (kom, “sharp”) + กว่า (gwàa, “than”) + ดาบ (dàap, “sword”); literally "pen is sharper than sword"; calque of English the pen is mightier than the sword.

calque

the pen is mightier than the sword
the pen is mightier than the sword

(idiomatic, metonymically) the pen is mightier than the sword.


ปากคนยาวกว่าปากกา

th-proverb

ปากคนยาวกว่าปากกา • (bpàak-kon-yaao-gwàa-bpàak-gaa)

/paːk̚˨˩.kʰon˧.jaːw˧.kwaː˨˩.paːk̚˨˩.kaː˧/

From ปาก (bpàak, “mouth”) + คน (kon, “human”) + ยาว (yaao, “long”) + กว่า (gwàa, “than”) + ปาก (bpàak, “mouth”) + กา (gaa, “crow”); literally "the mouth of a man is longer than the beak of a crow".

com

(idiomatic) gossip is louder than earshot.

en-ปากคนยาวกว่าปากกา-th-proverb-PZa7d4yH


IAR

Ignore all rules
ignore all rules#English

(initialism, Wikimedia jargon) Ignore all rules.


et æble om dagen holder lægen borte

Det gamle mundheld om, at „et æble om dagen holder lægen borte“, nævner en frugt og gør det af en grund.

2017, Anthony William, translated by Frank Robert Pedersen, Den medicinske seer: Sandheden om sygdom og hvordan du helbreder dig selv, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN:

„Et æble om dagen holder lægen borte,“ citerer Kirsten på engelsk.

2016, Estrid Ott, Piger i Pension, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:

Hvis et æble om dagen holder lægen borte, hvad holder et hvidløg så borte? Alle andre!

2011, 10001⁄2 gåde, Politikens Forlag, →ISBN, page 59:

Et gammelt ordsprog siger jo, at et æble om dagen holder lægen borte.

2013, Niels Stærup, Kryddersnaps, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:

Æblejuice har et sundheds-image og passer godt ind i det velkendte slogan: »Et æble om dagen holder lægen borte« (An apple a day - keeps the doctor away - if you hit him!).

an apple a day keeps the doctor away
an apple a day keeps the doctor away

(uncommon) an apple a day keeps the doctor away


the tongue wounds more than a lance

sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me

Insults and offensive speech hurt more than physical injuries.


a contented mind is a perpetual feast

From a quiet heart is a continual feast, the translation of Proverbs 15, 15 in the Miles Coverdale Bible from 1535:
:All the dayes of the poore are miserable, but a quyete herte is as a cotynuall feast.

It has been observed that "a contented mind is a perpetual feast", and has been remarked, that persons of destitute of ambition and avarice, are peculiarly likely to enjoy long life.

1826, The House Book, or Family Chronicle of Useful Knowledge, and Cottage Physician: Combining Medicine, Cookery, Diet, General Economy, Health, Sea-bathing, Gardening, Manufactures, Arts, etc., ... Including Upwards of a Thousand Select Recipes and Prescriptions:

If they are content with this sort of locomotion, happy are they — "a contented mind is a perpetual feast."

1846, Harry Hieover, Stable Talk and Table Talk: Or, Spectacles for Young Sportsmen, page 131:

True enjoyment is entirely independent of outward circumstances. It depends upon the proper and harmonious development and action of the mind, and upon a conscious harmony with the will of God ; and those who perhaps seek enjoyment least have it most abundantly. "A contented mind is a perpetual feast."

1866, E.O. Haven, THE PILLARS OF TRUTH: A Series of SERMONS ON THE DECALOGUE, pages 233–234:

Of course, a contented mind is a perpetual feast, and many argue that it is better to live with a bad situation than move to an even worse one.

2012, Giovanni Boniolo, The Art of Deliberating, →ISBN:

In addition, it includes ecological-friendly concept of consumption which values thrift and moderate development such as “a contented mind is a perpetual feast” and “restraint of desire”.

2016, Qingzhou Xu, Materials Engineering and Environmental Science, →ISBN:

Contentment is more a matter of attitude than circumstances.

知足常樂

contentment derives from attitude more than circumstances


no gain without pain

And on a programme of works of this magnitude, passengers will need to be mindful of the age-old maxim of 'no gain without pain'.

2020 September 23, Paul Stephen, “East Coast upgrade: changes to schedule... but on schedule”, in Rail, page 31:

no pain, no gain
no pain, no gain#English


水可載舟，亦可覆舟

ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄎㄜˇ ㄗㄞˋ ㄓㄡ

ㄧˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄓㄡ

shui³ kʻo³ tsai⁴ chou¹, i⁴ kʻo³ fu⁴ chou¹

шуй кэ цзай чжоу

и кэ фу чжоу

/ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵ i⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵/

soey² ho² dzoi³ dzau¹, jik⁹ ho² fuk⁷ dzau¹

/sɵy̯³⁵ hɔː³⁵ t͡sɔːi̯³³ t͡sɐu̯⁵⁵ jɪk̚² hɔː³⁵ fʊk̚⁵ t͡sɐu̯⁵⁵/

水能載舟，亦能覆舟 水能載舟，亦能覆舟#Chinese

水能载舟，亦能覆舟 水能载舟，亦能覆舟#Chinese

Alternative form of 水能載舟，亦能覆舟／水能载舟，亦能覆舟 (shuǐ néng zài zhōu, yì néng fù zhōu)


little strokes fell great oaks

“Little strokes fell great oaks,” says the steady worker. “One stroke fells not an oak,” makes a piece of advice to the impetuous. In danger the insignificant may console themselves with the reflection that “Oaks may fall and reeds brave the storm.

1873, The Dublin University Magazine: A Literary and Political Journal, page 685:

(idiomatic) Small but persistent efforts can lead to big results.


有志者事竟成

ㄧㄡˇ ㄓˋ ㄓㄜˇ ㄕˋ ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄔㄥˊ

ю чжи чжэ ши цзин чэн

/joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵/

/jɐu̯¹³ t͡siː³³ t͡sɛː³⁵ siː²² kɪŋ³⁵ sɪŋ²¹/


天無絕人之路

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄨˊ ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄓ ㄌㄨˋ

тянь у цзюэ жэнь чжи лу

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ u³⁵ t͡ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ ʐən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ lu⁵¹/

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ mou̯²¹ t͡syːt̚² jɐn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ lou̯²²/

/tʰĩ⁴⁴ bɤ²³⁻³³ t͡suat̚⁴⁻³² zin²³ t͡si⁴⁴⁻³³ lɔ³³/

/tʰĩ⁴⁴ bo²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡suat̚⁴⁻³² lin²⁴ t͡si⁴⁴⁻³³ lɔ³³/

/tʰi⁵⁵ ɦu³³ ʑiɪʔ¹¹ n̠ʲin²² t͡sz̩²² lu²³/

Heaven never bars one's way; there is always a way out.


生於憂患，死於安樂

ㄕㄥ ㄩˊ ㄧㄡ ㄏㄨㄢˋ

sang¹ jyu¹ jau¹ waan⁶, sei² jyu¹ on¹ lok⁶

ssŭ³ yü² an¹-lê⁴

шэн юй юхуань

/ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ y³⁵ joʊ̯⁵⁵ xu̯än⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ ˀän⁵⁵ lɤ⁵¹/

/sɐŋ⁵⁵ jyː⁵⁵ jɐu̯⁵⁵ waːn²² sei̯³⁵ jyː⁵⁵ ɔːn⁵⁵ lɔːk̚²/

… Men for the most part err, and are afterwards able to reform. They are distressed in mind and perplexed in their thoughts, and then they arise to vigorous reformation. When things have been evidenced in men's looks, and set forth in their words, then they understand them. If a prince have not about his court families attached to the laws and worthy counsellors, and if abroad there are not hostile States or other external calamities, his kingdom will generally come to ruin. From these things we see how life springs from sorrow and calamity, and death from ease and pleasure.

Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

...... Rén héng guò, ránhòu néng gǎi. Kùn yú xīn, héng yú lǜ, érhòu zuò. Zhēng yú sè, fā yú shēng, érhòu yù. Rù zé wú fǎjiā bìshì, chū zé wú díguó wàihuàn zhě, guó héng wáng. Ránhòu zhī shēng yú yōuhuàn, ér sǐ yú ānyuè yě.

……人恒過，然後能改。困於心，衡於慮，而後作。徵於色，發於聲，而後喻。入則無法家拂士、出則無敵國外患者，國恒亡。然後知生於憂患，而死於安樂也。

……人恒过，然后能改。困于心，衡于虑，而后作。征于色，发于声，而后喻。入则无法家拂士、出则无敌国外患者，国恒亡。然后知生于忧患，而死于安乐也。

Life springs from sorrow and calamity; death comes from ease and pleasure.


en-proverb

an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure

It is better to prevent a disease than to have to cure it.

an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure

It has been said, that the wisdom of a nation is seen in the spirit of their common sayings and proverbs; ours has one in point to the present purpose, that the ounce of prevention is more worth than the pound of cure.

1786, J. Z. Holwell, A new experiment for the prevention of crimes:

(idiomatic, by extension) Precaution and prevention of an undesirable thing is preferable to dealing with its potential consequences.