一元復始，萬象更新

ㄧ ㄩㄢˊ ㄈㄨˋ ㄕˇ

ㄨㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄍㄥ ㄒㄧㄣ

ваньсянгэнсинь

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ɥɛn³⁵ fu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹ kɤŋ⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

at the beginning of the New Year, everything takes on a new look


everything happens for a reason

I also believe that everything happens for a reason, so as the tears and self-pity subsided, I knew that there must be another way in which my newfound knowledge and Punch's sparkling desire to perform could be utilized.

1978, Donald Myrus, Dog Catalog, page 251:

Okay, everything happens for a reason. All is for the good. Only fear G-d. All the Chassidic dictums about life were racing through my mind.

1996, Tzvi Jacobs, Truths Revealed: Modern Day Stories of Faith & Miracles, page 10:

As she put it, “I keep telling myself,'everything HAPPENS for a reason. 'So, I mean I think everything happens for a reason, and hopefully something positive will come out of it.

1998, Pamela Judith Aronson, Coming of Age in the 1990s: Women's Identities, Life Paths,, and Attitudes Towards Feminism, page 92:

Louise Wilson notes that everything happens for a reason. She believes the adversity she has faced in her life only serves to make her stronger.

2003, Tom Mould, Choctaw Prophecy: A Legacy for the Future, page 161:

Everything happens for a reason. I don't think I would be alive if I did not have that hope.

2005, Charles Edward Jones, Daniel Ledwith, Finding Freedom in Forgiveness, page 136:

At that moment this incredible feeling of peace came over me, and I was filled with a belief that everything happens for a reason. I realized that I lost my job for a reason, and I needed to trust that everything would work out.

2006, Jon Gordon, The 10-minute Energy Solution: A Proven Plan to Increase Your Energy, Reduce Your Stress, and Transform Your Life, page 193:

I also remember when you told us all that your mother would say “Everything happens for a reason” from time to time when you were a girl and that helped with the choice that was made on behalf of the firm.

2019, Jacqueline Harvey, Everything Happens for a Reason, page 412:

Used for consolation, possibly self-consolation, after someone has experienced something unfavorable or unpleasant, and hence encouragement to make the best of the situation.


ogni riccio un capriccio

Literally, “every curl (of hair) a caprice”.


不怕一萬，就怕萬一

ㄅㄨˋ ㄆㄚˋ ㄧ ㄨㄢˋ

ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄆㄚˋ ㄨㄢˋ ㄧ

bat¹ paa³ jat¹ maan⁶, zau⁶ paa³ maan⁶ jat¹

цзю па ваньи

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ pʰä⁵¹ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pʰä⁵¹⁻⁵³ wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹/

bat⁷ paa³ jat⁷ maan⁶, dzau⁶ paa³ maan⁶ jat⁷

/pɐt̚⁵ pʰaː³³ jɐt̚⁵ maːn²² t͡sɐu̯²² pʰaː³³ maːn²² jɐt̚⁵/

one should be prepared for unexpected situations


l'unione fa la forza

Literally, “(the) union makes (the) strength”. Compare French l’union fait la force.

many hands make light work
many hands make light work

united we stand, divided we fall
united we stand, divided we fall

there is strength in numbers
there is strength in numbers

unity is strength; many hands make light work; united we stand, divided we fall; there is strength in numbers


嚴師出高徒

ㄧㄢˊ ㄕ ㄔㄨ ㄍㄠ ㄊㄨˊ

яньши чу гаоту

/jɛn³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ tʰu³⁵/

/jiːm²¹ siː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ kou̯⁵⁵ tʰou̯²¹/

/jɛn³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ tʰu³⁵/

/jiːm²¹ siː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ kou̯⁵⁵ tʰou̯²¹/

A strict teacher produces outstanding students


酒肉穿腸過，佛祖心中留

ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄖㄡˋ ㄔㄨㄢ ㄔㄤˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ

ㄈㄛˊ ㄗㄨˇ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄌㄧㄡˊ

цзюжоу чуань чан го

фоцзу синьчжун лю

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐoʊ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ fu̯ɔ³⁵ t͡su²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ li̯oʊ̯³⁵/

Alcohol and meat pass through my gut, Buddha remains in my heart. But if ordinary people do like me, this is like entering the world of evil.

Jiǔ ròu chuān cháng guò, fózǔ xīnzhōng liú. shìrén ruò xué wǒ, rútóng jìn módào.

酒肉穿腸過，佛祖心中留。世人若學我，如同進魔道。

酒肉穿肠过，佛祖心中留。世人若学我，如同进魔道。

Alcohol and meat pass through the gut while Buddha remains in the heart.

It is fine for a Buddhist to consume meat and alcohol as long as they have Buddha in their heart


the game is not worth the candle

Calque of French le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle.

cal

The process or result is not worth the effort.


il gioco non vale la candela

the game is not worth the candle
the game is not worth the candle


γνῶθι σεαυτόν

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γνῶθῐ σεαυτόν

γνῶθῐ σεαυτόν • (gnôthi seautón)

γνῶθῐ σεαυτόν (canonical)
gnôthi seautón (romanization)


冤冤相報何時了，得饒人處且饒人

冤冤相報何時了，得饒人處且饒人

冤冤相报何时了，得饶人处且饶人

ㄩㄢ ㄩㄢ ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄅㄠˋ ㄏㄜˊ ㄕˊ ㄌㄧㄠˇ

ㄉㄜˊ ㄖㄠˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄔㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄝˇ ㄖㄠˊ ㄖㄣˊ

юаньюаньсянбао хэши ляо

дэжаожэньчуцежаожэнь

dɛžaožɛnʹčucežaožɛnʹ

/ɥɛn⁵⁵ ɥɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pɑʊ̯⁵¹ xɤ³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɤ³⁵ ʐɑʊ̯³⁵ ʐən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐɑʊ̯³⁵ ʐən³⁵/

vengeance begets vengenace, so it is often better to forgive


freedom isn't free

freedom is not free
freedom is not free#English


freedom ain't free

(informal) Alternative form of freedom is not free


freedom is not free

(chiefly US politics) For freedom to exist as a legal right in a country, it has to actively be fought for and protected (e.g. by the military).


en-proverb

it doesn't matter what they say about you as long as they spell your name right

any press is good press
any press is good press#English


As the saying goes, 'every miller draws water to his own mill.'

2019, Pavel A. Strizhak, Sustainability of Fossil Fuels, page 79:

People are primarily concerned with their own interests.


the mill cannot grind with water that is past

(dated) Do not cry over spilt milk; what has already happened cannot be changed or repaired.


chi fa da sé fa per tre

Literally, “(who) does by himself does for three”, or more loosely translated as “he who works by himself does enough for three people”.

lit

it is most efficient to work by oneself without asking for help from others


Gottes Mühlen mahlen langsam

Gottes Mühlen mahlen langsam, mahlen aber trefflich klein

God's mills grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small

Gottes Mühlen mahlen langsam, aber gerecht

the mills of the gods grind slowly
the mills of the gods grind slowly


all roads lead to Sydney

all roads lead to Rome
all roads lead to Rome#English

(Australia) Synonym of all roads lead to Rome


en-proverb

there's more than one way to peel an orange

there's more than one way to skin a cat#English

(rare) Synonym of there's more than one way to skin a cat


there's more than one way to cook an egg


there's more than one way to crack an egg


有其母必有其子

ㄧㄡˇ ㄑㄧˊ ㄇㄨˇ ㄅㄧˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄑㄧˊ ㄗˇ

ю ци му би ю ци цзы

/joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ mu²¹⁴⁻²¹ pi⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐu̯¹³ kʰei̯²¹ mou̯¹³ piːt̚⁵ jɐu̯¹³ kʰei̯²¹ t͡siː³⁵/

like mother, like child
like mother, like daughter


可憐之人必有可恨之處

A pitiful person is certainly despicable somehow.

ㄎㄜˇ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄓ ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄎㄜˇ ㄏㄣˋ ㄓ ㄔㄨˋ

kělián zhī rén bì yǒu kěhèn zhī chù [Phonetic:kěliánzhīrénbìyóukěhènzhīchù]

kʻo³-lien² chih¹ jên² pi⁴ yu³ kʻo³-hên⁴ chih¹ chʻu⁴

кэлянь чжи жэнь би ю кэхэнь чжи чу

/kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ li̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ pi⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xən⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹/


百無一用是書生

ㄅㄞˇ ㄨˊ ㄧ ㄩㄥˋ ㄕˋ ㄕㄨ ㄕㄥ

bǎiwúyīyòng shì shūshēng [Phonetic:bǎiwúyíyòng shì shūshēng]

байуиюн ши шушэн

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʂu⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/

From a line in 雜感, a poem written by Qing dynasty poet Huang Jingren.

Shí yǒu jiǔ rén kān báiyǎn, bǎiwúyīyòng shì shūshēng.

十有九人堪白眼，百無一用是書生。

十有九人堪白眼，百无一用是书生。

Scholars (intellectuals) are good for nothing.


head

Polak, Węgier – dwa bratanki, i do szabli, i do szklanki

/ˈpɔ.laɡ ˈvɛŋ.ɡjɛr ˈdva braˈtan.ki idɔˈʂab.li idɔˈʂklan.ki/

Rhyme, literally, “[a] Pole and [a] Hungarian – two brothers, good for saber and for [a] glass”. Compare Hungarian Lengyel, magyar – két jó barát, együtt harcol, s issza borát.

m-g

􂀿a􂁀 Pole and 􂀿a􂁀 Hungarian – two brothers, good for saber and for 􂀿a􂁀 glass

noncog

Polak, Węgier, dwa bratanki, i do szabli, i do szklanki#Polish

(idiomatic) Alternative spelling of Polak, Węgier, dwa bratanki, i do szabli, i do szklanki


Polak, Węgier, dwa bratanki

Literally, “[a] Pole and [a] Hungarian, two brothers”. Compare Hungarian Lengyel, magyar – két jó barát.

m-g

􂀿a􂁀 Pole and 􂀿a􂁀 Hungarian, two brothers

noncog

(idiomatic) Alternative form of Polak, Węgier, dwa bratanki, i do szabli, i do szklanki


head

Polak, Węgier, dwa bratanki, i do szabli, i do szklanki

Rhyme, literally, “[a] Pole and [a] Hungarian, two brothers, good for saber and for [a] glass”. Compare Hungarian Lengyel, magyar – két jó barát, együtt harcol, s issza borát.

m-g

􂀿a􂁀 Pole and 􂀿a􂁀 Hungarian, two brothers, good for saber and for 􂀿a􂁀 glass

lit

(idiomatic) Pole and Hungarian brothers be (expressing traditional kinship, brotherhood, and camaraderie between Poles and Hungarians)


in der Kürze liegt die Würze

brevity is the soul of wit
brevity is the soul of wit


chi troppo vuole nulla stringe

/ki tˈtrɔp.po ˈvwɔ.le ˈnul.la ˈstrin.d͡ʒe/

Literally, “he who wants too much clasps nothing”. From Aesop's fable The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs. Compare French qui trop embrasse mal étreint and Spanish quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta.

cog

Aesop
The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs


冬至羊，夏至狗

/tʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵³⁻⁵⁵ iɔŋ¹¹ ha⁵³⁻⁵⁵ t͡sz̩⁵³⁻⁵⁵ keu³¹/

(Hakka) eat mutton on winter solstice and dog meat on summer solstice


夏至狗，冇埞走

/haː²² t͡siː³³ kɐu̯³⁵ mou̯¹³ tɛːŋ²² t͡sɐu̯³⁵/

(Cantonese) Dogs have nowhere to hide on summer solstice because they are eaten by the people.


ॳकिस दज़ान दऻर तॖ ब्याख वुशनावान अथॖ

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ॳकिस दज़ान दऻर तॖ ब्याख वुशनावान अथॖ • (ạkis dazān dạ̄r tụ byākh wuśnāvān athụ) (Perso-Arabic أکِس دَزان دٲر تہٕ بیٛاکھ وُشناوان اَتھٕ)

ạkis dazān dạ̄r tụ byākh wuśnāvān athụ (romanization)

/əkis dazaːn dəːr tɨ bjaːkʰ wuʃnaːwaːn atʰɨ/

Literally, "one's beard is burning and another warms their hand". Compare the Hindi proverb जलते घर में हाथ सेंकना (jalte ghar mẽ hāth sẽknā, literally “to warm hands in a burning house”) with a similar meaning.

to take advantage of another's misfortune

en-ॳकिस_दज़ान_दऻर_तॖ_ब्याख_वुशनावान_अथॖ-ks-proverb-pNtNacAS


ॳकिस दज़ान दऻर तॖ ब्याख वुशनावान अथॖ

أکِس دَزان دٲر تہٕ بیٛاکھ وُشناوان اَتھٕ • (ạkis dazān dạ̄r tụ byākh wuśnāvān athụ) (Devanagari ॳकिस दज़ान दऻर तॖ ब्याख वुशनावान अथॖ)

ạkis dazān dạ̄r tụ byākh wuśnāvān athụ (romanization)
ॳकिस दज़ान दऻर तॖ ब्याख वुशनावान अथॖ (Devanagari)

en-أکِس_دَزان_دٲر_تہٕ_بیٛاکھ_وُشناوان_اَتھٕ-ks-proverb-pNtNacAS


każdy sobie rzepkę skrobie

Literally, “everyone grates their own turnip”; a line spoken by the Councillor's Wife in Act 1 of The Wedding by Stanisław Wyspiański:
: Wyście sobie, a my sobie.
Każden sobie rzepkę skrobie.
:: You unto yourselves, and we unto ourselves.
Everyone grates their own turnip.

lit

Każdy sobie jest kierownikiem. I każdy sobie rzepkę skrobie. Ale się uważamy za rodzinę. Jeden drugiemu pomaga.

1993, Adam Gierak, “Hałdziarze”, in Gazeta Wyborcza:

Everyone's their own manager. And it's every man for himself. But we consider ourselves a family. We help each other.

every man for himself
every man for himself

(idiomatic) it's every man for himself; everyone cares most about their own business

Stanisław Wyspiański
The Wedding (1901 play)


जलते घर में हाथ सेंकना

hi-phrase

جلتے گھر میں ہاتھ سینکنا

जलते घर में हाथ सेंकना • (jalte ghar mẽ hāth sẽknā) (Urdu spelling جلتے گھر میں ہاتھ سینکنا)

jalte ghar mẽ hāth sẽknā (romanization)
جلتے گھر میں ہاتھ سینکنا (Urdu)

/d͡ʒəl.t̪eː ɡʱəɾ mẽː ɦɑːt̪ʰ sẽːk.nɑː/

[d͡ʒɐl.t̪eː‿ɡʱɐɾ‿mẽː‿ɦäːt̪ʰ‿sẽːk.näː]

Literally, "to warm one's hand in a burning house". Compare the Kashmiri proverb أکِس دَزان دٲر تہٕ بیٛاکھ وُشناوان اَتھٕ (ạkis dazān dạ̄r tụ byākh wuśnāvān athụ, literally “one's beard is burning and another warms their hand”) with a similar meaning.

(idiomatic) to take advantage of another's misfortune


그 아버지에 그 아들

ko-proverb

그 아버지-에 그 아들

[kɯ a̠bʌ̹d͡ʑie̞ kɯ a̠dɯɭ]

like father, like son
like father, like son


뜬 쉐가 울 넘나

Literally, "Slow cows jump over fences (too)." Used when describing that even the least active people can attempt unexpected feats as well. Compare Korean 뜬 소 울 넘는다 (tteun so ul neomneunda).

cog

appearances are deceptive
appearances are deceptive

you can't judge a book by its cover
you can't judge a book by its cover

appearances are deceptive, you can't judge a book by its cover


irse han os hóspedes e comeremos o galo

[ˈiɾ ˈsaŋ ʊˈsɔspɪðɪs ɪkomeˈremʊlʊ ˈɣalʊ]

Literally, “the guests will be gone and we'll eat the rooster”.

lit

Según las informaciones de Diego López de Haro, los reyes mandaron al señor Diego de Andrade y al conde don Sancho que se fuesen tras ellos a Castilla, y al conde de Altamira, por ser grueso y pesado, de piedad le mandaron quedar. Mas suçedió que un día acabando él de comer llegó un abad o prior, y no sé que le demandó; aborreçiose y díjole: “Frade: irse an os hóspedes e comeremos lo galo”. Fuese el frayle a quejar al rey, y luego le mandaron que se fuese a Castilla dentro de tanto término so pena de muerte.
After Diego López de Haro, the monarchs ordered Sir Diego de Andrade and count Don Sancho to go after them to Castille [from Galicia], but the Count of Altamira, because he was fat and heavy, out of pity was ordered to stay. But one day it happened that, while he was finishing his meal, an abbot or a prior arrived and asked for an I-don't-know-what of him; he became angry and said: "Friar, even the longest night comes to an end". The friar went to the King, and soon the count was ordered to go to Castille under penalty of death.

c1500, Vasco Daponte, Recuento de las casas antiguas del Reino de Galicia [in Spanish with the exception of the allocution]

(idiomatic, archaic) even the darkest night will end


every law has a loophole

every law has its loophole
every law has its loophole#English

Alternative form of every law has its loophole


kaikki ei ole kultaa mikä kiiltää

all that glitters is not gold
all that glitters is not gold


沈黙は金

沈黙は金 (canonical)
chinmoku wa kin (romanization)


雄弁は銀、沈黙は金

ja-pos

ゆうべん は ぎん、ちんもく は きん

雄(ゆう)弁(べん)は銀(ぎん)、沈(ちん)黙(もく)は金(きん) • (yūben wa gin, chinmoku wa kin)

雄弁は銀、沈黙は金 (canonical)
yūben wa gin, chinmoku wa kin (romanization)

Calque of English speech is silver, silence is golden, originally attested as "Speech is silvern, Silence is golden" in Thomas Carlyle's Sartor Resartus.

calque

speech is silver, silence is golden
speech is silver, silence is golden

Sartor Resartus
Thomas Carlyle
ja:雄弁は銀、沈黙は金


九出十三歸

ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄔㄨ ㄕˊ ㄙㄢ ㄍㄨㄟ

цзю чу шисань гуй

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ sän⁵⁵ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵/

/kɐu̯³⁵ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ sɐp̚² saːm⁵⁵ kʷɐi̯⁵⁵/

/kɐu̯³⁵ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ sɐp̚² saːm⁵⁵ kʷɐi̯⁵⁵/

When borrowing $10 from a pawnbroker or usurer, one receives only $9 but will have to repay $13.


head

lieber ein schreckliches Ende, als ein Schrecken ohne Ende

besser ein schreckliches Ende, als ein Schrecken ohne Ende#German

Alternative form of besser ein schreckliches Ende, als ein Schrecken ohne Ende


a trouble shared is a trouble halved

Talking about one's difficulties can alleviate one's worry and stress.


en-proverb

'Where there's no sense there's no feeling,' they would say when they had hurt some creature by accident or through carelessness. By sense they meant wits or understanding, and these they imagined purely human attributes.

1945, Flora Thompson, Lark Rise to Candleford:

Mrs. Hooper says where there's no sense there's no feeling, but I do feel it. It hurts.

1948, Audrey Lillian Barker, Innocents: Variations on a Theme, page 96:

They say where there's no sense there's no feeling; that would make the clods and oafs round here among the most insensitive, unfeeling air and noise polluters in the western world.

2011, Phil Fletcher, Living in Fear of My Next Nadir, page 306:

A living thing of little or no intelligence does not feel pain or other negative sensations.


執輸行頭，慘過敗家

执输行头，惨过败家
執輸行頭慘過敗家

To miss out on an opportunity and getting to the front is worse than ruining one's family.

zap¹ syu¹ haang⁴ tau⁴, caam² gwo³ baai⁶ gaa¹

dzap⁷ sy¹ haang⁴ tau⁴, tsaam² gwo³ baai⁶ gaa¹

/t͡sɐp̚⁵ syː⁵⁵ haːŋ²¹ tʰɐu̯²¹ t͡sʰaːm³⁵ kʷɔː³³ paːi̯²² kaː⁵⁵/

(Cantonese) Not acting quickly and therefore missing out great opportunities is the worst thing in the world.


eochair uaisle éadach

fine feathers make fine birds
fine feathers make fine birds


níor eitigh páipéar bán dúch riamh

Youth is impressionable. (literally "Blank paper never rejected ink.")


xente nova e leña verde, todo é fume

Literally, “young people and green firewood: it's all smoke”

lit

(idiomatic) used to assert, wrongly or otherwise, that young people tend to underdeliver and to boast


köld eru kvenna ráð

From the 13th-century Njáls saga, literally "the schemes of women are cold/cruel". Spoken by Flosi to Hildigunnur after she egged him on to avenge Höskuldur's death – she had done so by placing Höskuldur's blood-filled cloak on Flosi.

women sure can be cold and calculating; women sure can plot cruel schemes


боље врабац у руци него голуб на грани

sh-proverb

боље врабац у руци него голуб на грани

боље врабац у руци него голуб на грани (Latin spelling bolje vrabac u ruci nego golub na grani)

bolje vrabac u ruci nego golub na grani (romanization)

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush#English

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush (literally “better a sparrow in the hand than a dove on the branch”)

en-боље_врабац_у_руци_него_голуб_на_грани-sh-proverb-y0xu0TGN


薑是老的辣

It's the older ginger that is the spicy one.

ㄐㄧㄤ ㄕˋ ㄌㄠˇ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄌㄚˋ

цзян ши лао дэ ла

/t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴ d̥ə⁴ lä⁵¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴ d̥ə⁴ lä⁵¹/

The older the person is, the more seasoned (wiser or more treacherous) they are.


þegar stórt er spurt

þegar stórt er spurt er oft fátt um svör#Icelandic

(idiomatic) ellipsis of þegar stórt er spurt er oft fátt um svör


head

þegar stórt er spurt er oft fátt um svör

(idiomatic) used to gracefully dodge a question; I am unable to give an answer to that question; There are no answers to such big questions

þegar stórt er spurt þá er lítið um svör

þegar stórt er spurt verður oft fátt um svör


薑越老越辣

desc

→ Vietnamese: gừng càng già càng cay (calque)

The older ginger becomes, the spicier it gets.

ㄐㄧㄤ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄠˇ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄚˋ

цзянъюэлаоюэла

/t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɥɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ lä⁵¹/

/kœːŋ⁵⁵ jyːt̚² lou̯¹³ jyːt̚² laːt̚²/

/kœːŋ⁵⁵ jyːt̚² lou̯¹³ jyːt̚² laːt̚²/

(chiefly Cantonese) The older the person is, the more seasoned (wiser or more treacherous) they are.


ọbẹ to dun, owo lo pa a

ọbẹ̀ tó dùn (canonical)
owó ló pa á (canonical)

→ Nigerian Pidgin: soup wey swit, na money kill am (calque)

(figurative) nothing good happens without money

(literal) delicious soups are procured with money


瑞雪兆豐年

ㄖㄨㄟˋ ㄒㄩㄝˇ ㄓㄠˋ ㄈㄥ ㄋㄧㄢˊ

жуйсюэ чжао фэннянь

/ʐu̯eɪ̯⁵¹ ɕy̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵¹ fɤŋ⁵⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵/

a timely snow augurs a year of good harvest


no todo lo que brilla es oro

no es oro todo lo que reluce
no es oro todo lo que reluce#Spanish

Alternative form of no es oro todo lo que reluce


head

ahora es cuando, chile verde, le has de dar sabor al caldo

(Mexico) the floor is now yours; it's your turn to act/speak/shine


tanto peca el que mata a la vaca como el que le agarra la pata

/ˌtanto ˌpeka el ke ˌmata a la ˌbaka ˌkomo el ke le aˌɡara la ˈpata/

[ˌt̪ãn̪.t̪o ˌpe.ka el ke ˌma.t̪a a la ˌβ̞a.ka ˌko.mo el ke le aˌɣ̞a.ra la ˈpa.t̪a]

Literally, “a lot sins who kills the cow as well as who grasps the leg”.

lit

the receiver is as bad as the thief
the receiver is as bad as the thief


grandes mentes piensan igual

great minds think alike
great minds think alike


los caminos del Señor son inescrutables

/los kaˌminos del seˌɲoɾ ˌson ineskɾuˈtables/

[los kaˌmi.noz ð̞el seˌɲoɾ ˌsõn i.nes.kɾuˈt̪a.β̞les]

God works in mysterious ways
God works in mysterious ways


de lo que se come se cría

you are what you eat
you are what you eat


cuantos más, mejor

the more the merrier
the more the merrier


perro viejo no aprende trucos nuevos

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


head

cada quien tiene su manera de matar pulgas

there's more than one way to skin a cat
there's more than one way to skin a cat


en-proverb

it's better to be judged by twelve than to be carried by six

A jury usually consists of twelve people; a coffin may be carried by six.

In a precarious situation, it is wiser to act decisively and be judged by a jury than to be killed through inaction.


všude dobře, doma nejlépe

Literally, “eveywhere is good but home is the best”.

lit

there is no place like home
there is no place like home

east or west, home is best
east or west, home is best


ruka ruku myje

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

one hand washes the other
one hand washes the other


šaty dělají člověka

the tailor makes the man
the tailor makes the man


když se chce, tak to jde

Literally, “when there is a desire, it is possible”.

lit

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

kdo chce, hledá způsoby, kdo nechce, hledá důvody


umarł król, niech żyje król

Calque of French le roi est mort, vive le roi.

calque

the king is dead, long live the king
the king is dead, long live the king

(idiomatic) the king is dead, long live the king


an apple a day keeps the doctor at bay

an apple a day keeps the doctor away#English

Alternative form of an apple a day keeps the doctor away


三十六計，走為上計

ㄙㄢ ㄕˊ ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄐㄧˋ

ㄗㄡˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄕㄤˋ ㄐㄧˋ

saam¹ sap⁶ luk⁶ gai³, zau² wai⁴ soeng⁶ gai³

цзоувэйшанцзи

/sän⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ li̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi⁵¹ t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

saam¹ sap⁹ luk⁹ gai³, dzau² wai⁴ soeng⁶ gai³

sam¹ seb⁶ lug⁶ gei³, zeo² wei⁴ sêng⁶ gei³

/saːm⁵⁵ sɐp̚² lʊk̚² kɐi̯³³ t͡sɐu̯³⁵ wɐi̯²¹ sœːŋ²² kɐi̯³³/

zh-l

走為上計／走为上计 (zǒuwéishàngjì)

If all else fails, retreat; Fleeing is the best stratagem (of the Thirty-Six Stratagems).


head

nothing is said that has not been said before

there is nothing new under the sun#English

Alternative form of there is nothing new under the sun


chi non semina non raccoglie

Literally, “(he) who does not sow does not gather”.

lit

you don't get something for nothing
you don't get something for nothing

you don't get something for nothing (people who do not work hard cannot expect to be successful)


無友不如己者

desc

무우불여기자(無友不如己者)

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (無友不如己者):
* → Korean: 무우불여기자(無友不如己者) (muuburyeogija)

ja-r

己に如かざる者を友とするなかれ

おのれ に しかざる もの を とも と するなかれ

→ Japanese: 己(おのれ)に如(し)かざる者(もの)を友(とも)とするなかれ (onore ni shikazaru mono o tomo to surunakare) (calque)

ㄨˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄐㄧˇ ㄓㄜˇ

wú yǒu bùrú jǐ zhě [Phonetic:wúyǒubùrújízhě]

у ю бужу цзи чжэ

/u³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/mou̯²¹ jɐu̯¹³ pɐt̚⁵ jyː²¹ kei̯³⁵ t͡sɛː³⁵/

The Master said, "If the scholar be not grave, he will not call forth any veneration, and his learning will not be solid. Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Have no friends not equal to yourself. When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them."

The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zǐ yuē: “Jūnzǐ bù zhòng zé bù wēi, xué zé bù gù. Zhǔ zhōngxìn, wú yǒu bùrú jǐ zhě, guò zé wù dàn gǎi.”

子曰：「君子不重則不威，學則不固。主忠信，無友不如己者，過則勿憚改。」

子曰：「君子不重则不威，学则不固。主忠信，无友不如己者，过则勿惮改。」

Make friends with people that are better than oneself


љубав је слепа

sh-proverb

љубав је слепа (Latin spelling ljubav je slepa)


ljubav je slepa

ljubav je slepa (Cyrillic spelling љубав је слепа)

љубав је слепа (Cyrillic)


الصديق وقت الضيق

head

اَلصَّدِيقُ وَقْتَ الضِّيقِ

اَلصَّدِيقُ وَقْتَ الضِّيقِ • (aṣ-ṣadīqu waqta ḍ-ḍīqi)

اَلصَّدِيقُ وَقْتَ الضِّيقِ (canonical)
aṣ-ṣadīqu waqta ḍ-ḍīqi (romanization)

a friend in need is a friend indeed
a friend in need is a friend indeed


a cal sabater, sabates de paper

Literally, “in the shoemaker's house, paper shoes”.

lit

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


Panu Bogu świeczkę i diabłu ogarek

/ˈpa.nu ˈbɔ.ɡu ˈɕfjɛt͡ʂ.kɛ i ˈdjab.wu ɔˈɡa.rɛk/

Literally, “a candle for the Lord and a candle-stump for the devil”.

lit

(idiomatic) said when someone wants to satisfy two opposing parties for their own interest; run with the hare and hunt with the hounds


qui s'excuse, s'accuse

qui s’excuse (canonical)
s’ accuse (canonical)

qui s’excuse s’accuse
qui s'excuse s'accuse#French

Alternative spelling of qui s’excuse s’accuse


nieszczęścia chodzą parami

misfortunes never come singly
misfortunes never come singly

it never rains but it pours
it never rains but it pours

bad things come in threes
bad things come in threes

(idiomatic) misfortunes never come singly, it never rains but it pours, roughly bad things come in threes


do trzech razy sztuka

Literally, “by [the] third time is [the] trick”.

third time's a charm
third time's a charm


la foi transporte les montagnes

faith will move mountains
faith will move mountains


la foi déplace les montagnes

la foi transporte les montagnes
la foi transporte les montagnes#French

Synonym of la foi transporte les montagnes


en-proverb

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

(simile) The weather in the Northern Hemisphere tends to be unpleasant at the start of March but pleasant at the end.


in like a lion, out like a lamb

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb#English

Synonym of March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb


head

konstit on monet sanoi akka, kun kissalla pöytää pyyhki

konstit on monet
konstit on monet#Finnish


konstit on monet sanoi mummo, kun kissalla pöytää pyyhki


konstit on monet

there's more than one way to skin a cat
there's more than one way to skin a cat


Bụt nhà không thiêng

[ʔɓut̚˧˨ʔ ɲaː˨˩ xəwŋ͡m˧˧ tʰiəŋ˧˧]

[ʔɓʊk̚˨˩ʔ ɲaː˦˩ kʰəwŋ͡m˧˧ tʰiəŋ˧˧]

[ʔɓʊk̚˨˩ʔ ɲaː˦˩ xəwŋ͡m˧˧ tʰiəŋ˧˧]

[ʔɓʊk͡p̚˨˩˨ ɲaː˨˩ kʰəwŋ͡m˧˧ tʰiəŋ˧˧]

[ʔɓʊk͡p̚˨˩˨ ɲaː˨˩ xəwŋ͡m˧˧ tʰiəŋ˧˧]

familiarity breeds contempt
familiarity breeds contempt


śmiałym szczęście sprzyja

/ˈɕmja.wɘm ˈʂt͡ʂɛɲ.ɕt͡ɕɛ ˈspʂɘ.ja/

fortune favors the bold
fortune favors the bold


gapa efter mycket

den som gapar efter mycket mister ofta hela stycket#Swedish

short for den som gapar efter mycket mister ofta hela stycket (“grasp all, lose all”, literally “the one who gapes for much often loses the whole piece”).


den som gapar efter mycket mister ofta hela stycket

From Aesop's fable The Dog and Its Reflection.
Literally, “the one who gapes for much often loses the whole piece”.

lit

Den som gapar efter mycket mister ofta hela stycket, är en klassisk sentens som nu kan tillämpas på de styrande i Stockholms stad. Av den stora renovering av Medborgarhuset på Södermalm som skulle göra om hörsalen till bibliotek och biblioteket till restauranger blev tills vidare intet.

2017 June 13, Mats Wickman, “Det är som om politikerna vill jävlas med oss medborgare [It's as if the politicians want to mess with us citizens.]”, in Svenska Dagbladet:

Grasp all, lose all; a classic sentiment that can now be applied to the authorities in the city of Stockholm. The extensive renovation of the Civic House in Södermalm, intended to transform the auditorium into a library and the library into restaurants, has, for the time being, come to nothing.

den som gapar efter mycket tappar ofta hela stycket


pas vu, pas pris

LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-pas vu, pas pris.wav

(informal) if one is not caught in the act of doing something wrong, one cannot be accused of anything


seura tekee kaltaisekseen

Over time, one tends to start resembling the people one associates with; who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl


血は争えない

ja-pos

血(ち)は争(あらそ)えない • (chi wa arasoenai) ^(←ちはあらそへない (tifaarasofenai)?)

血は争えない (canonical)
chi wa arasoenai (romanization)
tifaarasofenai (romanization)
ちはあらそへない (hiragana historical)

"[one] cannot fight blood": the apple does not fall far from the tree


Qualität kommt von Qual

Literally, “quality comes from/is derived from agony”. Coined around 1980 by journalist Wolf Schneider, later popularised by football coach Felix Magath. However, wordplays with both terms are older and can be traced back to philosopher Jakob Böhme (1575-1624). The two words are etymologically unrelated.


what's old is new again

everything old is new again
everything old is new again#English

Alternative form of everything old is new again


head

den som gapar efter mycket tappar ofta hela stycket

From Aesop's fable The Dog and Its Reflection.
Literally, "The one who gape for much often drop the whole piece".

Alternative form of den som gapar efter mycket mister ofta hela stycket


bi agbada o ba gbona, agbado o le ta

bí agbada ò bá gbóná (canonical)
àgbàdo ò lè ta (canonical)

(figurative) you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs

(literal) if the pan's not hot, the corn won't pop


ka rin ka pọ, yiyẹ ni n yẹni

ká rìn ká pọ̀ (canonical)
yíyẹ ní ń yẹni (canonical)

(figurative) people are best in association with others, and not as loners

ká rìn ká pọ̀, yíyẹ ní ń yẹni, bí tọ̀nà ọ̀run kọ́

(literal) traveling in the company of others shows people in a good light


ọna kan o wọja

ọ̀nà kan ò wọjà

ọ̀nà kan ò wọjà

yo-pos

ọ̀nà kan ò wọjà

ọ̀nà kan ò wọjà

all roads lead to Rome
all roads lead to Rome

(figurative) there's more than one way to skin a cat; all roads lead to Rome (there are many different ways to approach a problem)

(literal) it is not one road only that leads to the market


aisi-nle ẹkun, aja n gbo

head

àìsí-ńlé ẹkùn, ajá ń gbó

àìsí-ńlé ẹkùn, ajá ń gbó

yo-pos

àìsí-ńlé ẹkùn, ajá ń gbó

àìsí-ńlé ẹkùn, ajá ń gbó

àìsí-ńlé ẹkùn (canonical)
ajá ń gbó (canonical)

when the cat's away the mice will play
when the cat's away the mice will play

(figurative) when the cat's away the mice will play

(literal) [in] the leopard's absence from home, the dog barks


aja ki i roro ko ṣọ ojule meji

head

ajá kì í rorò kó ṣọ́ ojúlé méjì

ajá kì í rorò kó ṣọ́ ojúlé méjì

yo-pos

ajá kì í rorò kó ṣọ́ ojúlé méjì

ajá kì í rorò kó ṣọ́ ojúlé méjì

ajá kì í rorò kó ṣọ́ ojúlé méjì (canonical)

(figurative) no one can serve two masters

(literal) a dog is never so fierce that it can guard two doorways


好仔不論爺田地

/hou̯³⁵ t͡sɐi̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ lɵn²² jɛː²¹ tʰiːn²¹ tei̯²²/

(Cantonese) A good son does not count on his family's fortune for his success


働かざる者食うべからず

ja-pos

はたらかざる もの く.う べからず

はたらかざるものくふべからず

働(はたら)かざる者(もの)食(く)うべからず • (hatarakazaru mono kuu bekarazu) ^(←はたらかざるものくふべからず (fatarakazarumonokufubekarazu)?)

働かざる者食うべからず (canonical)
hatarakazaru mono kuu bekarazu (romanization)
fatarakazarumonokufubekarazu (romanization)
はたらかざるものくふべからず (hiragana historical)

[ha̠ta̠ɾa̠ka̠za̠ɾɯ̟ mo̞no̞ kɯ̟ɯ̟ be̞ka̠ɾa̠zɨ]

ja:働かざる者食うべからず


gdzie diabeł nie może, pośle babę

gdzie diabeł nie może (canonical)
babę pośle (canonical)

/ɡd͡ʑɛ ˈdja.bɛw ɲɛ mɔʐɛˌ ˈpɔɕ.lɛ ˈba.bɛ/

Literally, “Where the devil can't do it, he'll send a lady”.

lit

gdzie diabeł nie może, tam babę pośle#Polish

(idiomatic) Alternative form of gdzie diabeł nie może, tam babę pośle


nie miała baba kłopotu

Literally, “[the] lady did not have trouble”.

nie miała baba kłopotu, kupiła sobie prosię#Polish

(idiomatic) Alternative form of nie miała baba kłopotu, kupiła sobie prosię


gdzie diabeł nie może, tam babę pośle

/ɡd͡ʑɛ ˈdja.bɛw ɲɛ mɔʐɛˌ tam ˈba.bɛ ˈpɔɕ.lɛ/

Literally, “Where the devil can't [manage], there he'll send a woman”.

m-g

Where the devil can't 􂀿manage􂁀, there he'll send a woman

lit

(idiomatic) because girls are more resourceful than guys, they can solve any problem, girl power!


head

nie miała baba kłopotu, kupiła sobie prosię

/ɲɛ ˈmja.wa ˈba.ba kwɔpɔtuˌ kuˈpi.wa ˈsɔ.bjɛ ˈprɔ.ɕɛ/

Literally, “[the] lady did not have trouble, she bought herself [a] piglet”.

m-g

􂀿the􂁀 lady did not have trouble, she bought herself 􂀿a􂁀 piglet

lit

(idiomatic) used when someone caused problems for themselves: well, you asked for it!


head

jak się baby nie bije, to jej wątroba gnije

/jak ɕɛ ˈba.bɘ ɲɛ bijɛˌ tɔ jɛj vɔnˈtrɔ.ba ˈɡɲi.jɛ/

Literally, “if you don't beat a woman, then her liver will rot”, chosen for its rhyming nature.

lit

(idiomatic) men are usually the dominant ones in a marriage, which is why they have to hit their wives into submission (usually used to justify violence against women)


工字不出頭

ㄍㄨㄥ ㄗˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄨ ㄊㄡˊ

гун цзы бу чутоу

/kʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵/

/kʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ tʰɐu̯²¹/

/kʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵/

/kʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ tʰɐu̯²¹/

One cannot be successful in life by being a worker


gdyby babcia miała wąsy

Literally, “if a grandma had a moustache”.

gdyby babcia miała wąsy, toby była dziadkiem#Polish

(idiomatic) Alternative form of gdyby babcia miała wąsy, toby była dziadkiem


head

gdyby ciocia miała wąsy, toby był wujaszek

/ˈɡdɘ.bɘ ˈt͡ɕɔ.t͡ɕa ˈmja.wa vɔw̃sɘˌ ˈtɔ.bɘ bɘw vuˈja.ʂɛk/

Literally, “if an aunt had a moustache, then she would be an uncle”.


head

gdyby babcia miała wąsy, toby była dziadkiem

/ˈɡdɘ.bɘ ˈbap.t͡ɕa ˈmja.wa vɔw̃sɘˌ ˈtɔ.bɘ ˈbɘ.wa ˈd͡ʑat.kjɛm/

Literally, “if a grandma had a moustache, then she would be a grandpa”.

lit

if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle
if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle

(idiomatic) if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle


head

Literally, “he who has such friends, needs no enemies”.

lit

with friends like these who needs enemies

wer solche Freunde hat, braucht keine Feinde mehr


sabreden derviş muradına ermiş

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


head

wä de Musik bestellt, dä moss se och bezahle

/ˈʋɛː də ˈmuzik bəˈʃtɛlt ˈdɛː ˈmos‿ə ox bəˈtsaːlə/

Literally: “He who hires the musicians, must also pay them.”

in for a penny, in for a pound
in for a penny, in for a pound

(Ripuarian) in for a penny, in for a pound

wä de Musik bestellt, dä bestemmp, wat se spillt


wä de Musik bestellt, dä bestemmp, wat se spillt

/ˈʋɛː də ˈmuzik bəˈʃtɛlt ˈdɛː bəˈʃtemp ʋat zə ˈʃpilt/

Literally: “He who hires the musicians, decides what they play.” Popularised through a 1992 song by the band Paveier (see quote below), but likely older. Compare the related proverb wä de Musik bestellt, dä moss se och bezahle (“he who hires the musicians, must also pay them”).

Ich hann dat Mädche als eetster jebötz,
 Un doröm es och dat Ding hee jeretz!
 Denn wä de Musik bestellt,
 Dä bestemmp, wat se spillt.

1992, “Ich han de Musik bestellt”performed by Paveier:

I kissed the girl first,
 And that's why this deal is done!
 For who pays the piper,
 Calls the tune.

who pays the piper calls the tune
who pays the piper calls the tune

(Ripuarian) who pays the piper calls the tune


sitä tikulla silmään joka vanhoja muistelee

Literally, “[poke] with a stick the eye of whoever reminisces the old (days)”, or more loosely translated as “if someone thinks back to the old days, poke them in the eye with a stick”

m-g

􂀿poke􂁀 with a stick the eye of whoever reminisces the old (days)

lit

let bygones be bygones
let bygones be bygones

sitä tikulla silmään, joka vanhoja muistelee

joka vanhoja muistelee, sitä tikulla silmään

joka vanhoja muistaa, sitä tikulla silmään


la tercera es la vencida

third time's a charm
third time's a charm


små grytor har också öron

Literally, "small pots also have ears". Compare Danish små gryder har også ører.

little pitchers have big ears
little pitchers have big ears


on n'est jamais trop prudent

on n’ est jamais trop prudent (canonical)

better safe than sorry
better safe than sorry

better safe than sorry, you can never be too careful


il ne faut pas abuser des bonnes choses

enough is as good as a feast
enough is as good as a feast

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

enough is as good as a feast; you can have too much of a good thing


la chance sourit aux audacieux

la fortune sourit aux audacieux
la fortune sourit aux audacieux#French

Alternative form of la fortune sourit aux audacieux


кто не рискует, тот не пьёт шампанского

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кто не риску́ет, тот не пьёт шампа́нского • (kto ne riskújet, tot ne pʹjot šampánskovo)

кто не риску́ет (canonical)
тот не пьёт шампа́нского (canonical)
kto ne riskújet (romanization)
tot ne pʹjot šampánskovo (romanization)

[kto nʲɪ‿rʲɪˈsku(j)ɪt | tot nʲɪ‿ˈp⁽ʲ⁾jɵt͡ʂ ʂɐmˈpanskəvə]

Ru-кто не рискует, тот не пьёт шампанского.ogg

Literally, “who doesn't risk, that one doesn't get to drink champagne”.

lit

fortune favors the bold
fortune favors the bold

God hates a coward, fortune favors the bold

en-кто_не_рискует,_тот_не_пьёт_шампанского-ru-proverb-AzsHKQbQ


c'est le geste qui compte

it's the thought that counts
it's the thought that counts


la fortuna aiuta gli audaci

Literally, “(the) fortune favors the audacious”. Compare French la fortune sourit aux audacieux.


z braku laku dobry kit

Literally, “if there is no sealing wax, putty is good enough”.

lit

beggars can't be choosers
beggars can't be choosers

(idiomatic) beggars can't be choosers, if we can't as we would, we must do as we can


lepszy rydz niż nic

Rhyme, literally, “a saffron milk cap is better than nothing”.


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żeby kózka nie skakała, toby nóżki nie złamała

/ˈʐɛ.bɘ ˈkus.ka ɲɛ skakawaˌ ˈtɔ.bɘ ˈnuʂ.ki ɲɛ zwaˈma.wa/

Literally, “if the goat had not been jumping, it would not have broken its leg”.

lit

gdyby kózka nie skakała, toby nóżki nie złamała#Polish

(idiomatic) Alternative form of gdyby kózka nie skakała, toby nóżki nie złamała


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gdyby kózka nie skakała, toby nóżki nie złamała

/ˈɡdɘ.bɘ ˈkus.ka ɲɛ skakawaˌ ˈtɔ.bɘ ˈnuʂ.ki ɲɛ zwaˈma.wa/

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

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

play stupid games, win stupid prizes
play stupid games, win stupid prizes

you get what's coming to you
get what's coming to one

fuck around and find out
fuck around and find out

nawarzyłeś piwa, to musisz je teraz wypić

(idiomatic) If it wasn't for one's earlier actions, one wouldn't now face its negative consequences; as you sow, so shall you reap; sow the wind, reap the whirlwind; play stupid games, win stupid prizes; you get what's coming to you; (vulgar) fuck around and find out


jak się nie ma, co się lubi, to się lubi, co się ma

/jak ɕɛ ɲɛ maˌ t͡sɔ ɕɛ lubiˌ tɔ ɕɛ lubiˌ t͡sɔ ɕɛ ma/

Literally, “if you do not have what you like, you like what you have”.


head

lepszy wróbel w ręku niż cietrzew na sęku

/ˈlɛp.ʂɘ ˈvru.bɛl ˈvrɛŋ.ku ɲiʂ ˈt͡ɕɛt.ʂɛv naˈsɛŋ.ku/

Literally, “a sparrow in the hand is better than a grouse on the knur”.

lit

(idiomatic) a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush


lepszy wróbel w ręku niż sokół na sęku

/ˈlɛp.ʂɘ ˈvru.bɛl ˈvrɛŋ.ku ɲiʂ ˈsɔ.kuw naˈsɛŋ.ku/

Literally, “a sparrow in the hand is better than a falcon on the knur”.


historia zatacza koło

history repeats itself
history repeats itself


historia lubi się powtarzać

Literally, “history likes to repeat itself”.


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darowanemu koniowi w zęby się nie zagląda

/da.rɔ.vaˈnɛ.mu kɔˈɲɔ.vi ˈvzɛm.bɘ ɕɛ ɲɛ zaɡˈlɔn.da/

Literally, “one should not look a gift horse in the teeth”.

lit

don't look a gift horse in the mouth
don't look a gift horse in the mouth

(idiomatic) don't look a gift horse in the mouth

darowanemu koniowi nie zagląda się w zęby


kohtuus kaikessa

moderation in all things
moderation in all things

enough is as good as a feast
enough is as good as a feast

moderation in all things, enough is as good as a feast


dogs have owners, cats have staff

There is a saying that "dogs have owners, cats have staff." This must refer to the fact that dogs are inherently eager to please.

2004, Phil Rosenberg, Don't Walk by Something Wrong! - Learning About Life, Business and Public Service from "The Hr Doctor", page 336:

Someone once said, "Dogs have owners, cats have staff." Dogs are better pets than cats because of the fact that they provide more services for their owners.

2013, Brian Backman, Persuasion Points - 82 Strategic Exercises for Writing High-Scoring Persuasive Essays, page 141:

'It's no good,' said Amana. 'They'll never understand - dogs have owners, cats have staff.

2022, Norin Shaikh, Be A Master Of Your Destiny, page 23:

dogs have masters, cats have staff#English

Synonym of dogs have masters, cats have staff


dogs have masters, cats have staff

The exact date of its first appearance and its author are uncertain.

Somebody once quipped that only dogs have masters; cats have staff!

2002, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats A Journey Into the Feline Heart:

Sneaky Pie Brown, coauthor with Rita Mae Brown of a series of mysteries (including Catch as Cat Can and Claws and Effect), once opined, "Dogs have masters, cats have staff."

2003, Nancy Pearl, Book Lust - Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason:

It was suggsted I get a cat. This was not for me. Dogs have masters, cats have staff.

2007, Cindy Adams, Living a Dog's Life, Jazzy, Juicy, and Me:

A wit once joked, "Dogs have masters, cats have staff." This adage aptly described Loki, but certainly neither Sheba nor Tinker.

2015, Sara Munson Deats, Conrad Gordon Deats, Cats I Have Loved:

Kelly St. Denis, current president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, thinks a cat's independence make (sic) him ruler of the roost: "Dogs have masters. Cats have staff."

2021, Meredith Premium Publishing, PawPrint, Inside a Dog's Brain:

Nevertheless, I have learned that there is an element of truth in the saying "Dogs have masters, cats have staff."

2022, Harry L. Serio, The Other Side of Memory, page 37:

Rachel stopped Joe with one hand on his arm as both of them chuckled at the sight of dozens of cats in perpetual motion, and commented in a low tone, "Dogs have masters. Cats have staff."

2023, Stacia Quick, Moon Rise, A Tucker Family Adventure:

(humorous) A dog will always aim to please and display loyalty to its owner, whereas a cat will always seek to be served and obeyed.


tell its own story

No words can explain the way I'm missing you / Deny this emptiness, this hole that I'm inside / These tears, they tell their own story

tell its own tale
tell its own tale#English


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złej baletnicy przeszkadza nawet rąbek spódnicy

/zwɛj ba.lɛtˈɲi.t͡sɘ pʂɛʂˈka.d͡za ˈna.vɛt ˈrɔm.bɛk spudˈɲi.t͡sɘ/

Literally, “a bad balerina is bothered even by the hem of her skirt”.

lit

złej baletnicy przeszkadza rąbek spódnicy#Polish

(idiomatic, usually derogatory) Alternative form of złej baletnicy przeszkadza rąbek spódnicy


head

złej baletnicy przeszkadza nawet rąbek u spódnicy

/zwɛj ba.lɛtˈɲi.t͡sɘ pʂɛʂˈka.d͡za ˈna.vɛt ˈrɔm.bɛk u spudˈɲi.t͡sɘ/


złej baletnicy przeszkadza rąbek u spódnicy

/zwɛj ba.lɛtˈɲi.t͡sɘ pʂɛʂˈka.d͡za ˈrɔm.bɛk u spudˈɲi.t͡sɘ/

Literally, “a bad balerina is bothered by the hem of her skirt”.


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złej baletnicy przeszkadza rąbek spódnicy

/zwɛj ba.lɛtˈɲi.t͡sɘ pʂɛʂˈka.d͡za ˈrɔm.bɛk spudˈɲi.t͡sɘ/

Literally, “a bad ballerina is bothered by the hem of her skirt”.

lit

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

(idiomatic, usually derogatory) a bad workman always blames his tools

złej tanecznicy przeszkadza nawet rąbek u spódnicy

złej tanecznicy przeszkadza rąbek spódnicy

złej tanecznicy przeszkadza rąbek u spódnicy

złej tanecznicy zawadza rąbek u spódnicy


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złej tanecznicy zawadza rąbek u spódnicy

/zwɛj ta.nɛt͡ʂˈɲi.t͡sɘ zaˈva.d͡za ˈrɔm.bɛk u spudˈɲi.t͡sɘ/

Literally, “a bad balerina is caught by the hem of her skirt”.


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złej tanecznicy przeszkadza rąbek u spódnicy

/zwɛj ta.nɛt͡ʂˈɲi.t͡sɘ pʂɛʂˈka.d͡za ˈrɔm.bɛk u spudˈɲi.t͡sɘ/

Literally, “a bad dancer is bothered by the hem of her skirt”.


head

złej tanecznicy przeszkadza rąbek spódnicy

/zwɛj ta.nɛt͡ʂˈɲi.t͡sɘ pʂɛʂˈka.d͡za ˈrɔm.bɛk spudˈɲi.t͡sɘ/


złej tanecznicy przeszkadza nawet rąbek u spódnicy

/zwɛj ta.nɛt͡ʂˈɲi.t͡sɘ pʂɛʂˈka.d͡za ˈna.vɛt ˈrɔm.bɛk u spudˈɲi.t͡sɘ/


you smelt it, you dealt it

he who smelt it dealt it
he who smelt it dealt it#English

(colloquial) Synonym of he who smelt it dealt it


your vibe attracts your tribe

It's true that your vibe attracts your tribe, and my vibe has been very, very good to me.

2017, Thom Wilder, One More Trip: Jon Wayne's Journey from Addiction to Redemption, page VI:

Remember, your vibe attracts your tribe and these days tribes gather on social media!

2021, Calista, Unicorn Rising: Live Your Truth and Unleash Your Magic, page 212:

(colloquial) People are attracted to you based on your appearance and behavior.


jak Kuba Bogu, tak Bóg Kubie

Literally, “as Kuba does to God, so does God do to Kuba”.

lit

give as good as one gets
give as good as one gets

what goes around comes around
what goes around comes around

(idiomatic) give as good as one gets, measure for measure, tit for tat, what goes around comes around


nie czyń drugiemu, co tobie niemiłe

/ɲɛ t͡ʂɘɲ druɡjɛmuˌ t͡sɔ ˈtɔ.bjɛ ɲɛˈmi.wɛ/

Literally, “do not do to others what you do not like”.


jak trwoga, to do Boga

Literally, “when in trouble, one turns to God”.

(idiomatic) some people are prompted to turn to God during only times of crisis


a little learning is a dangerous thing

a little knowledge is a dangerous thing#English

Alternative form of a little knowledge is a dangerous thing


千里の行も足下に始まる

ja-pos

せんり の こう も そっか に はじまる

千(せん)里(り)の行(こう)も足(そっ)下(か)に始(はじ)まる • (senri no kō mo sokka ni hajimaru)

千里の行も足下に始まる (canonical)
senri no kō mo sokka ni hajimaru (romanization)

Calque of Literary Chinese 千里之行，始於足下 (qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐyú zú xià, literally “a road of a thousand li begins with a step”).

calque

せんりのこうもそっかにはじまる

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step


一年之計在於春，一日之計在於晨

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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

ㄧ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄓ ㄐㄧˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄩˊ ㄔㄨㄣ

ㄧ ㄖˋ ㄓ ㄐㄧˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄩˊ ㄔㄣˊ

jat¹ nin⁴ zi¹ gai³ zoi⁶ jyu¹ ceon¹, jat¹ jat⁶ zi¹ gai³ zoi⁶ jyu¹ san⁴

yī rì zhī jì zàiyú chén [Phonetic:yì nián zhī jì zàiyú chūn

и нянь чжи цзи цзайюй чунь

и жи чжи цзи цзайюй чэнь

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ni̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ən⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵/

yāt nìhn jī gai joih yū chēun, yāt yaht jī gai joih yū sàhn

jat⁷ nin⁴ dzi¹ gai³ dzoi⁶ jy¹ tsoen¹, jat⁷ jat⁹ dzi¹ gai³ dzoi⁶ jy¹ san⁴

yed¹ nin⁴ ji¹ gei³ zoi⁶ yu¹ cên¹, yed¹ yed⁶ ji¹ gei³ zoi⁶ yu¹ sen⁴

/jɐt̚⁵ niːn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ kɐi̯³³ t͡sɔːi̯²² jyː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵn⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ jɐt̚² t͡siː⁵⁵ kɐi̯³³ t͡sɔːi̯²² jyː⁵⁵ sɐn²¹/

一日の計は朝にあり、一年の計は元旦にあり

ichinichi no kei wa ashita ni ari, ichinen no kei wa gantan ni ari

(literally) The whole year's planning lies in the spring, and the whole day's planning lies in the morning


雄辯是銀，沉默是金

ㄒㄩㄥˊ ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄧㄣˊ

ㄔㄣˊ ㄇㄛˋ ㄕˋ ㄐㄧㄣ

hung⁴ bin⁶ si⁶ ngan⁴, cam⁴ mak⁶ si⁶ gam¹

сюнбянь ши инь

чэньмо ши цзинь

/ɕi̯ʊŋ³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ in³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

hùhng bihn sih ngàhn, chàhm mahk sih gām

hung⁴ bin⁶ si⁶ ngan⁴, tsam⁴ mak⁹ si⁶ gam¹

hung⁴ bin⁶ xi⁶ ngen⁴, cem⁴ meg⁶ xi⁶ gem¹

/hʊŋ²¹ piːn²² siː²² ŋɐn²¹ t͡sʰɐm²¹ mɐk̚² siː²² kɐm⁵⁵/

Calque of English speech is silver, silence is golden.

cal

speech is silver, silence is golden
speech is silver, silence is golden


head

is fearr Gaeilge bhriste ná Béarla cliste

Broken Irish is better than clever English; it is better to speak Irish, no matter your skill level, than it is to speak English.


ce qui est fait n'est plus à faire

ce qui est fait n’ est plus à faire (canonical)

Literally, “what is done no longer needs to be done”.

lit

once one has done something, one does not have to worry about it anymore (used to encourage someone to finish what they have to do)


al que no habla, Dios no lo oye

[al ke ˌno ˌa.β̞la | ˌd̪joz ˌno lo ˈo.ʝe]

[al ke ˌno ˌa.β̞la | ˌd̪joz ˌno lo ˈo.ʃe]

[al ke ˌno ˌa.β̞la | ˌd̪joz ˌno lo ˈo.ʒe]

the squeaky wheel gets the grease
the squeaky wheel gets the grease


強扭的瓜不甜

a forcibly twisted melon will not be sweet

ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄋㄧㄡˇ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄍㄨㄚ ㄅㄨˋ ㄊㄧㄢˊ

цян ню дэ гуа бу тянь

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ ni̯oʊ̯²¹⁴ d̥ə⁴ ku̯ä⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

something done grudgingly will not produce satisfactory results


on se päivä huomennakin

tomorrow is another day
tomorrow is another day


head

joka teistä on synnitön, se heittäköön häntä ensimmäisenä kivellä

let him who is without sin cast the first stone


Nowy Rok przybywa dnia o barani skok

Nowy Rok przybywa dnia na barani skok (canonical)

/ˈnɔ.vɘ rɔk pʂɘˈbɘ.va dɲa na.baˈra.ɲi skɔk/

Literally, “the time of longer days comes at a ram's hop for new years”.

lit

na Nowy Rok przybywa dnia na barani skok#Polish

(idiomatic) Alternative form of na Nowy Rok przybywa dnia na barani skok


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na Nowy Rok przybywa dnia na barani skok

/naˈnɔ.vɘ rɔk pʂɘˈbɘ.va dɲa na.baˈra.ɲi skɔk/

(idiomatic) January marks the beginning of time during the year when the days get longer


Totgesagte leben länger

Literally, “those declared dead/moribund live longer”.

lit

Im vergangenen Juni hatten die beiden großen Messen Premium und Neonyt, die bis dato parallel zur Fashion Week stattfanden, ihren Abgang nach Frankfurt am Main angekündigt, sogar das Ende der Berliner Modewoche stand im Raum. Totgesagte leben aber bekanntlich länger.

2021 January 25, Beate Scheder, “Berliner Fashion Week: Eine neue Idee von Mode”, in Die Tageszeitung: taz, →ISSN:

a creaking door hangs longest
a creaking door hangs longest

there's life in the old dog yet
there's life in the old dog yet

Those people, institutions or customs which are widely believed in irrecoverable decline, often turn out to be the most persistent and may outlast those that now seem livelier; a creaking door hangs longest; there's life in the old dog yet.


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en tiempos de guerra cualquier agujero es trinchera

/en ˌtjempos de ˌɡera kwalˌkjeɾ aɡuˌxeɾo ˌes tɾinˈt͡ʃeɾa/

[ẽn̪ ˌt̪jẽm.poz ð̞e ˌɣ̞e.ra kwalˌkjeɾ a.ɣ̞uˌxe.ɾo ˌes t̪ɾĩnʲˈt͡ʃe.ɾa]

Literally, “In times of war, any hole is a trench”.

lit

(vulgar, colloquial) phrase used by someone who has a strong desire to have sexual intercourse and doesn't care who they would do it with (usually in the context of having sex between men); any hole's a goal

en tiempos de guerra cualquier hoyo es trinchera

en época de guerra cualquier agujero es trinchera

en tiempos de guerra cualquier hueco es trinchera


una imatge val més que mil paraules

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


執輸行頭慘過敗家

zap¹ syu¹ haang⁴ tau⁴ caam² gwo³ baai⁶ gaa¹

dzap⁷ sy¹ haang⁴ tau⁴ tsaam² gwo³ baai⁶ gaa¹

/t͡sɐp̚⁵ syː⁵⁵ haːŋ²¹ tʰɐu̯²¹ t͡sʰaːm³⁵ kʷɔː³³ paːi̯²² kaː⁵⁵/

執輸行頭，慘過敗家 執輸行頭，慘過敗家#Chinese

执输行头，惨过败家 执输行头，惨过败家#Chinese

Alternative form of 執輸行頭，慘過敗家／执输行头，惨过败家


kto mieczem wojuje, ten od miecza ginie

/ktɔ ˈmjɛ.t͡ʂɛm vɔjujɛˌ tɛn ɔdˈmjɛ.t͡ʂa ˈɡi.ɲɛ/

Literally, “who fights with the sword, dies of the sword”. From Polish translations of Gospel of Matthew 26:52.

lit

live by the sword, die by the sword
live by the sword, die by the sword

(idiomatic) live by the sword, die by the sword (one who uses violence can expect a violent response)


上山容易下山難

ㄕㄤˋ ㄕㄢ ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄕㄢ ㄋㄢˊ

шаншань жунъи сяшань нань

/ʂɑŋ⁵¹ ʂän⁵⁵ ʐʊŋ³⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ ʂän⁵⁵ nän³⁵/

It is easier to climb up a mountain than to go down a mountain.


en-proverb

it's easier to ask forgiveness than to get permission

it's better to ask forgiveness than permission#English

Alternative form of it's better to ask forgiveness than permission


麻繩專挑細處斷

A rope's thinnest part is the most vulnerable.

ㄇㄚˊ ㄕㄥˊ ㄓㄨㄢ ㄊㄧㄠ ㄒㄧˋ ㄔㄨˋ ㄉㄨㄢˋ

ma²-shêng² chuan¹ tʻiao¹ hsi⁴ chʻu⁴ tuan⁴

машэн чжуань тяо си чу дуань

/mä³⁵ ʂɤŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu̯än⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹⁻⁵³ tu̯än⁵¹/

The most critical person/step is the one most subject to flaws.


kto mieczem wojuje, od miecza ginie

/ktɔ ˈmjɛ.t͡ʂɛm vɔjujɛˌ ɔdˈmjɛ.t͡ʂa ˈɡi.ɲɛ/

kto mieczem wojuje, ten od miecza ginie#Polish

(idiomatic) Alternative form of kto mieczem wojuje, ten od miecza ginie


head

wer will, findet Wege, wer nicht will, findet Gründe

Literally, “those who want, find ways, those who don't, find reasons (why they can't)”.

lit

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


better is the enemy of good

perfect is the enemy of good
perfect is the enemy of good#English


the perfect is the enemy of the good

Alternative form of perfect is the enemy of good


wou e Wëllen ass, do ass e Wee

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


head

moni kakku päältä kaunis, vaan on silkkoa sisältä

From the 33rd poem in Kalevala, Finland's national epic:
:
Moni on kakku päältä kaunis,
kuorelta kovin sileä,
vaan on silkkoa sisässä,
akanoita alla kuoren.
Many a cake is beautiful on the surface,
smooth is its crust,
but there's only phloem inside,
husks under the crust.

ux

all that glitters is not gold
all that glitters is not gold

all that glitters is not gold (sometimes things, plans, promises etc. that look good on the first sight turn out to be wretched)


the heart wants what the heart wants

the heart wants what it wants
the heart wants what it wants#English

Alternative form of the heart wants what it wants


人事を尽くして天命を待つ

ja-pos

人事を尽くして天命を待つ

じんじ を つくして てんめい を まつ

人(じん)事(じ)を尽(つ)くして天(てん)命(めい)を待(ま)つ • (jinji o tsukushite tenmei o matsu)

人事を尽くして天命を待つ (canonical)
jinji o tsukushite tenmei o matsu (romanization)

Partial calque of Literary Chinese 盡人事，聽天命 (jìn rénshì, tīng tiānmìng). Originally read as 人事を尽くして天命に聴す (jinji o tsukushite tenmei ni makasu) in kanbun kundoku.
Literally "exhausting man's deeds, waiting for God's will", in which the back-formation of this form in pseudo-kanbun would be 盡人事，待天命.

partial calque

man proposes, God disposes
man proposes, God disposes

to do one's level best and leave the rest to God's will; man proposes, God disposes


ചൊട്ടയിലെ ശീലം ചുടലവരെ

head

ചൊട്ടയിലെ ശീലം ചുടലവരെ • (coṭṭayile śīlaṁ cuṭalavare)

coṭṭayile śīlaṁ cuṭalavare (romanization)

/t͡ʃoʈʈɐjile ʃiːlɐm t͡ʃuɖɐlɐʋɐɾe/

Literally, "childhood's habits stay until death".

en-ചൊട്ടയിലെ_ശീലം_ചുടലവരെ-ml-proverb-TAt41UhU


im dalej w las, tym więcej drzew

/im ˈda.lɛj v lasˌ tɘm ˈvjɛn.t͡sɛj dʐɛf/

Literally, “the further into the forest, the more trees”. Compare Ukrainian чим дальше в ліс, тим більше дров (čym dalʹše v lis, tym bilʹše drov).

cog

чим дальше в ліс, тим більше дров

(idiomatic) as the days grow longer, the storms are stronger (the more one gets involved in something, the more problem one can encounter)


head

aurinko paistaa niin hyville kuin pahoillekin

Adapted from the Bible verse Matthew 5:45.

Both good people and bad people may experience good things.


najciemniej jest pod latarnią

Literally, “it is darkest under the lantern”.

lit

(idiomatic) the darkest place is under the candlestick


head

źdźbło w oku bliźniego widzisz, a belki w swoim nie dostrzegasz

/ʑd͡ʑbwɔ ˈvɔ.ku bliʑˈɲɛ.ɡɔ vid͡ʑiʂˌ a ˈbɛl.ki ˈfsfɔ.im ɲɛ dɔsˈtʂɛ.ɡaʂ/

Literally, “you see a blade of grass in the eye of your fellow man, and not see the beam (of wood) in your own”, from the Bible, Matthew. 7:3-5.

lit

judge not, that ye be not judged
judge not, that ye be not judged

(idiomatic) judge not, that ye be not judged, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones


fr-proverb

c’est dans le besoin qu’on reconnaît ses amis

c'est dans le besoin qu'on reconnaît ses amis

/s‿ɛ dɑ̃ l(ə) bə.zwɛ̃ k‿ɔ̃ ʁ(ə).kɔ.nɛ se.z‿a.mi/

c'est dans le besoin qu'on reconnaît ses vrais amis#French

Alternative form of c’est dans le besoin qu’on reconnaît ses vrais amis


有心唔怕遲

/jɐu̯¹³ sɐm⁵⁵ m̩²¹ pʰaː³³ t͡sʰiː²¹/

/jɐu̯¹³ sɐm⁵⁵ m̩²¹ pʰaː³³ t͡sʰiː²¹/

better late than never
better late than never

(Cantonese) it's never too late; better late than never


c’est dans le besoin que l’on reconnaît ses amis

c'est dans le besoin que l'on reconnaît ses amis

/s‿ɛ dɑ̃ l(ə) bə.zwɛ̃ k(ə) l‿ɔ̃ ʁ(ə).kɔ.nɛ se.z‿a.mi/


head

gdzie dwóch się bije, tam trzeci korzysta

/ɡd͡ʑɛ dvux ɕɛ bijɛˌ tam ˈtʂɛ.t͡ɕi kɔˈʐɘs.ta/

Literally, “where two [people] fight, the third one benefits [from it]”.

m-g

where two 􂀿people􂁀 fight, the third one benefits 􂀿from it􂁀

lit

(idiomatic) while two dogs are fighting for bone, a third one runs away with it (when two people are involved in an issue, they might miss that the third party benefits from it)


you don't get owt for nowt

you don't get something for nothing#English

Alternative form of you don't get something for nothing


det som inte dödar härdar

Literally "that which doesn't kill hardens". Based on an aphorism from Friedrich Nietzsche's Twilight of the Idols.

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger

Friedrich Nietzsche
Twilight of the Idols


az ördög nem alszik

From az (“the”) + ördög (“devil”) + nem (“not, does not”) + alszik (“to sleep”), literally “the devil doesn't sleep”.

af

one can never be too careful (one always has to be attentive to potential dangers and temptations)


lời chào cao hơn mâm cỗ

[ləːj˨˩ t͡ɕaːw˨˩ kaːw˧˧ həːn˧˧ məm˧˧ ko˦ˀ˥]

[ləːj˦˩ t͡ɕaːw˦˩ kaːw˧˧ həːŋ˧˧ məm˧˧ kow˧˨]

[ləːj˨˩ caːw˨˩ kaːw˧˧ həːŋ˧˧ məm˧˧ kow˨˩˦]

it's better to greet someone with respect than to serve him an auspicious meal


tầm sư học đạo

[təm˨˩ sɨ˧˧ hawk͡p̚˧˨ʔ ʔɗaːw˧˨ʔ]

[təm˦˩ ʂɨ˧˧ hawk͡p̚˨˩ʔ ʔɗaːw˨˩ʔ]

[təm˦˩ sɨ˧˧ hawk͡p̚˨˩ʔ ʔɗaːw˨˩ʔ]

[təm˨˩ ʂɨ˧˧ hawk͡p̚˨˩˨ ʔɗaːw˨˩˨]

[təm˨˩ sɨ˧˧ hawk͡p̚˨˩˨ ʔɗaːw˨˩˨]

(figurative) one must seek out a good teacher to learn the true way of life


Joan's as good as my lady in the dark

From or alongside the use of Joan as a sexually available member of the lower classes found in related expressions such as He is our Ladies Chaplaine, but serves Ione and Joan's as good as this French lady. Ultimately a calque of Latin and Ancient Greek expressions such as πᾶσα γυνὲ τοῦ λύχνου ἀρθέντος ἡ αὐτή ἐστι (pâsa gunè toû lúkhnou arthéntos hē autḗ esti) and sublata enim lucerna quaevis mulier cuiusvis est similis (“all women are the same when the lamp is removed”), which Plutarch considered only accurate as an excuse to escape lecherous and adulterous men but which Erasmus considered a description of how all women would indulge themselves so long as witnesses and punishment could be avoided.

‘Ioan in the darke is as good as my lady:’
Nay, perhapps better, such ladies there may bee.

1611, John Davies, "Vpon Englishe Prouerbs", Scourge of Folly, §386

Here is as good bread made as in France; and in the night Joan is as good as my lady; and unhappy is that man that is to break his fast at two of the clock in the afternoon and there’s no heart a handful bigger than another; and the stomach is filled with the coarsest victuals; and the little fowls in the air have God for their provider and cater; and four yards of coarse Cuenca cloth keep a man as warm as four of fine Lemster wool of Segovia; and when we once leave this world, and are put into the earth, the prince goes in as narrow a path as the journeyman; and the pope’s body takes up no more room than a sexton’s, though the one be higher than the other; for when we come to the pit all are even, or made so in spite of their teeth and—and good night.

1620, [Miguel de Cervantes], Thomas Shelton, transl., chapter XXXIII, in The Second Part of the History of the Valorous and Witty Knight-errant, Don Quixote of the Mancha. […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Edward Blount, →OCLC:

...in the darke, all Cats are blacke, and Jone is as faire as my Lady...

Night makes no difference 'tvvixt the Prieſt and Clark; / Jone''' as my Lady is as good i'th'dark.

1648, Robert Herrick, “No Difference i’th’Dark”, in Hesperides: Or, The Works both Humane & Divine […], London: […] John Williams, and Francis Eglesfield, and are to be sold by Tho[mas] Hunt, […], →OCLC, page 329:

Sir Sim[on Addlepot]. Faith and troth I do not railly, I deal freely. / Flip [Lady Flippant]. This is the time and place for freedom, Sir. / Sir Sim. Are you handſom? / Flip. Jone'''’s as good as my Lady in the dark certainly; but men that deal freely, never ask queſtions certainly.

1671 March (first performance), [William] Wycherley, Love in a Wood, or, St James’s Park. A Comedy, […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for H[enry] Herringman, […], published 1672, →OCLC, Act II, page 22:

...when Henslowe notes Heywood's next play he has a little more respect for him; for, although the total was again but five pounds, three pounds on February 10, 1598/9 and the rest two days later, the dramatist on both occasions is Mr. Heywood. The only surviving fragment of the piece, ‘Jonne as good as my ladey’, may be a song in Γυναικεῖον with the burden 'What care I how faire she bee...

1931, Arthur Melville Clark, Thomas Heywood, page 12:

The current proverb ‘In the dark Joan is as good as my lady’ carried no moral overtones; it merely reflected upon male anxieties that social superiority might bring some kind of special benefits in terms of the quality of sexual pleasure. A countryman, so the story went, who had given a large sum to have sex with a lady was overheard on his way home from behind a hedge moaning about his wasted money with the line that his Joan at home was as good as the lady had turned out.

1995, Anthony Fletcher, Gender, Sex, and Subordination in England 1500–1800, page 18:

A wife. But what wife and when? Pretty, yes, but godly and modest. He remembers something Taffy said once: ‘A homely Joan is as good as a lady when the lights are out.’ Aye, Taf, he thinks, but best to marry one whose face you can worship. An image of Lucy Tompkins pops unbidden into his mind.

2014, Antonia Senior, Treason’s Daughter, page 169:

all cats are grey in the dark
all cats are grey in the dark#English

(potentially vulgar and offensive, archaic) Synonym of all cats are grey in the dark: Sex is enjoyable regardless of the status, physical attractiveness, or social station of one's partner.

all cats are grey in the dark

Adagia
Anthony Munday
Erasmus
If You Know Not Me, You Know Nobody
Moralia
Plutarch
Thomas Heywood


każdy jest kowalem własnego losu

/ˈkaʐ.dɘ jɛst kɔˈva.lɛm vwasˈnɛ.ɡɔ ˈlɔ.su/

Literally, “everyone is the smith of their own fate”.

lit

(idiomatic) every man is the architect of his own fortune


cada moucho ao seu souto

Literally, “each little owl to its own grove”.

(idiomatic) every man to his trade / house


actions have consequences

All individual actions may result in negative repercussions.


en-proverb

while the grass grows, the steed starves

From Latin dum gramen crescit, equus in moriendo quiescit (“while the grass grows, the horse lies dying”).

der

In the process of trying to achieve something, one's aspirations may be realized too late.


chi si loda s'imbroda

Literally, “(he) who praises himself stains himself”.

lit

self-praise is no recommendation
self-praise is no recommendation


chi si scusa si accusa

Literally, “(he) who excuses himself accuses himself”. Compare French qui s’excuse s’accuse.

lit

a hit dog will holler
a hit dog will holler

one who makes excuses is often guilty of the behavior for which he is excusing himself; he who apologizes admits his guilt; a hit dog will holler


en-proverb

as the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined

From the Epistles to Several Persons (1732): "'Tis education forms the common mind, Just as the twig is bent the tree's inclined."

A person's formative experiences in youth influence their character during adulthood.

jong geleerd is oud gedaan

a person's formative experiences influence their adult character

nuorena vitsa väännettävä

chiefly when talking about teaching someone good manners when they are young

czym skorupka za młodu nasiąknie, tym na starość trąci


self-praise is no recommendation

Empty boasting reflects poorly on the qualities of the braggart.


собака лает, а караван идёт

head

соба́ка ла́ет, а карава́н идёт

соба́ка ла́ет, а карава́н идёт • (sobáka lájet, a karaván idjót)

соба́ка ла́ет (canonical)
а карава́н идёт (canonical)
sobáka lájet (romanization)
a karaván idjót (romanization)

Probably of Turkic origin, compare Turkish it ürür, kervan yürür.

the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on
the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on

en-собака_лает,_а_караван_идёт-ru-proverb-3pTQeWZg

соба́ка ла́ет — ве́тер но́сит, а карава́н идёт


revolutions are not made with rosewater

From Nicolas Chamfort (1789):
:voulez‐vous qu'on vous fasse des révolutions à l'eau rose?
:do you want us to make you revolutions with rosewater?

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs

Transformative changes require sacrifice.


好戰必亡，忘戰必危

ㄏㄠˋ ㄓㄢˋ ㄅㄧˋ ㄨㄤˊ

ㄨㄤˋ ㄓㄢˋ ㄅㄧˋ ㄨㄟ

ㄨㄤˋ ㄓㄢˋ ㄅㄧˋ ㄨㄟˊ

хаочжань би ван

ванчжань би вэй

/xɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹ wɑŋ³⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹ weɪ̯⁵⁵/

/xɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹ wɑŋ³⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵/

From The Methods of the Sima [circa 4th century B.C.].

Thus, even if it has great power, a country that loves to go to war will perish; but even in peace, a country that forgets how to go to war will be endangered.

The Methods of the Sima, circa 4ᵗʰ century BCE

Gùguó suī dà, hàozhàn bì wáng; tiānxià suī ān, wàngzhàn bì wēi.

故國雖大，好戰必亡；天下雖安，忘戰必危。

故国虽大，好战必亡；天下虽安，忘战必危。

a country that loves to go to war will perish, but a country that forgets how to go to war will be endangered


Dumnezeu nu bate cu parul

Literally, “God doesn't beat with the club”.

lit

what goes around comes around
what goes around comes around

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

the chickens come home to roost
the chickens come home to roost

what goes around comes around, sow the wind, reap the whirlwind, the chickens come home to roost


calul de dar nu se caută la dinți

don't look a gift horse in the mouth
don't look a gift horse in the mouth


kissing goes by favor

People often practice favoritism when awarding benefits to others.


nemulțumitului i se ia darul

Literally, “the gift is taken away from the ungrateful”.

lit

beggars can't be choosers
beggars can't be choosers

take it or leave it, beggars can't be choosers


așchia nu sare departe de trunchi

Literally, “the splinter doesn't jump far from the tree trunk”.

lit

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

like father, like son
like father, like son

like mother, like daughter
like mother, like daughter

apple does not fall far from the tree, like father, like son, like mother, like daughter


ce se naște din pisică, șoareci mănâncă

Literally, “whatever is born out of cat, it is mice that it eats”. Attested for the first time, in a slightly different form, as the subtitle of Nicolae Filimon's 1862 novel Ciocoii vechi și noi: "Ce naște din pisică șoareci mănâncă".

lit

the apple does not fall far from the tree, like father, like son, like mother, like daughter


hoțul neprins e negustor cinstit

Literally, “the uncaught thief is an honest merchant”.

lit

benefit of the doubt
benefit of the doubt

(colloquial) one is innocent until proven guilty; one is given the benefit of the doubt


good artists copy, great artists steal

It is better to selectively incorporate elements of other people's work rather than copying them wholesale.


head

póty dzban wodę nosi, póki się ucho nie urwie

/ˈpu.tɘ ˈd͡zban ˈvɔ.dɛ ˈnɔ.ɕi ˈpu.ki ɕɛw̃ˈu.xɔ ɲɛˈur.vjɛ/

Literally, “[the] pitcher carries water until [the] ear is broken”.

m-g

􂀿the􂁀 pitcher carries water until 􂀿the􂁀 ear is broken

lit

(idiomatic) the jug goes to the well until it breaks, the pitcher goes so often to the well that it is broken at last

dopóty dzban wodę nosi, dopóki mu się ucho nie urwie


non giudicare un libro dalla copertina

Literally, “do not judge a book by the cover”.

don't judge a book by its cover
don't judge a book by its cover


muerto el perro, se acabó la rabia

to deal with a problem, it is necessary to nip it in the bud


光陰似箭，日月如梭

ㄍㄨㄤ ㄧㄣ ㄙˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

ㄖˋ ㄩㄝˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄙㄨㄛ

gwong¹ jam¹ ci⁵ zin³, jat⁶ jyut⁶ jyu⁴ so¹

гуанъинь сы цзянь

/ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ in⁵⁵ sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɥɛ⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ su̯ɔ⁵⁵/

gwong¹ jam¹ tsi⁵ dzin³, jat⁹ jyt⁹ jy⁴ so¹

/kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵ jɐm⁵⁵ t͡sʰiː¹³ t͡siːn³³ jɐt̚² jyːt̚² jyː²¹ sɔː⁵⁵/


nul n'a bien s'il ne le compère

nul n’ a bien s’ il ne le compère (canonical)

Compère is from the Old French verb comperer, to pay.

(archaic or humorous) Nothing comes out of nothing.


omi tuntun ti ru, ẹja tuntun ti wọ ọ

omi tuntun ti rú (canonical)
ẹja tuntun ti wọ̀ ọ́ (canonical)

(figurative) each era brings its own fashion

(literal) new waters come, new fish enter


bien tard venu pour néant tenu

what comes too late doesn't count any more


meglio soli che male accompagnati

Literally, “better alone than badly accompanied”. Compare French mieux vaut être seul que mal accompagné.

cog

it is better to be alone than in bad company


auf jeden Topf passt ein Deckel

every Jack has his Jill
every Jack has his Jill


head

De-der Mohr hat seine Schuldigkeit getan, der Mohr kann gehen.ogg

Literally, “the Moor has done his duty, the Moor can go”.
The original quotation was „Der Mohr hat seine Arbeit getan, der Mohr kann gehen“ (“The Moor has done his work, the Moor can go"). It comes from the play Fiesco by Friedrich Schiller. The word Arbeit (“work”) is now more commonly replaced by Schuldigkeit (“duty”).

lit

used when a person who has done a favor or been helpful (or by extension a thing that has been useful) but whose services are no longer needed is ungratefully replaced, dismissed or let go


ṣago n bugo

pot calling the kettle black
pot calling the kettle black

(figurative) pot calling the kettle black

(literal) the demijohn insults the bottle


ruukku käy kaivolla, kunnes se särkyy

the pitcher goes so often to the well that it is broken at last


bán anh em xa mua láng giềng gần

[ʔɓaːn˧˦ ʔajŋ̟˧˧ ʔɛm˧˧ saː˧˧ muə˧˧ laːŋ˧˦ ziəŋ˨˩ ɣən˨˩]

[ʔɓaːŋ˦˧˥ ʔɛɲ˧˧ ʔɛm˧˧ saː˧˧ muə˧˧ laːŋ˦˧˥ jiəŋ˦˩ ɣəŋ˦˩]

[ʔɓaːŋ˦˥ ʔan˧˧ ʔɛm˧˧ saː˧˧ muə˧˧ laːŋ˦˥ jiəŋ˨˩ ɣəŋ˨˩]

(literal) one would sell one's distant brothers and sisters to buy a close neighbor

(figurative) a near neighbor is better than a far-dwelling kinsman


đất có lề quê có thói

[ʔɗət̚˧˦ kɔ˧˦ le˨˩ kwe˧˧ kɔ˧˦ tʰɔj˧˦]

[ʔɗək̚˦˧˥ kɔ˨˩˦ lej˦˩ kwej˧˧ kɔ˨˩˦ tʰɔj˨˩˦]

[ʔɗək̚˦˥ kɔ˦˥ lej˨˩ wej˧˧ kɔ˦˥ tʰɔj˦˥]

(figurative) the customs and habits of each region must be respected


đất lề quê thói

[ʔɗət̚˧˦ le˨˩ kwe˧˧ tʰɔj˧˦]

[ʔɗək̚˦˧˥ lej˦˩ kwej˧˧ tʰɔj˨˩˦]

[ʔɗək̚˦˥ lej˨˩ wej˧˧ tʰɔj˦˥]


in medio stat virtus

Unadapted borrowing from Latin in mediō stat virtūs.


in medio stat virtus

Literally, “virtue lies in between (extremes)”.

lit

The best option lies somewhere between two extremes; it is best to find a middle ground.


giàu vì bạn, sang vì vợ

(literal) men tend to act rich to their friends, classy to their wives

(figurative) men tend to put on different façades when dealing with their friends and their wives

(literal) men are rich thanks to their friends, classy thanks to their wives

(figurative) friends and wives are invaluable to men


mieux vaut être seul que mal accompagné

Literally, “better to be alone than badly accompanied”. Compare Italian meglio soli che male accompagnati.

cog

mieux vaut être seule que mal accompagnée

il vaut mieux être seul que mal accompagné


let the cobbler stick to his last

cobbler, keep to your last
cobbler, keep to your last#English


head

trông lên thì chẳng bằng ai, trông xuống thì cũng chẳng ai bằng mình

[t͡ɕəwŋ͡m˧˧ len˧˧ tʰi˨˩ t͡ɕaŋ˧˩ ʔɓaŋ˨˩ ʔaːj˧˧ t͡ɕəwŋ͡m˧˧ suəŋ˧˦ tʰi˨˩ kʊwŋ͡m˦ˀ˥ t͡ɕaŋ˧˩ ʔaːj˧˧ ʔɓaŋ˨˩ mïŋ˨˩]

[ʈəwŋ͡m˧˧ len˧˧ tʰɪj˦˩ t͡ɕaŋ˧˨ ʔɓaŋ˦˩ ʔaːj˧˧ ʈəwŋ͡m˧˧ suəŋ˦˧˥ tʰɪj˦˩ kʊwŋ͡m˧˨ t͡ɕaŋ˧˨ ʔaːj˧˧ ʔɓaŋ˦˩ mɨn˦˩]

[ʈəwŋ͡m˧˧ ləːn˧˧ tʰɪj˨˩ caŋ˨˩˦ ʔɓaŋ˨˩ ʔaːj˧˧ ʈəwŋ͡m˧˧ suəŋ˦˥ tʰɪj˨˩ kʊwŋ͡m˨˩˦ caŋ˨˩˦ ʔaːj˧˧ ʔɓaŋ˨˩ mɨn˨˩]

nhìn lên mình không bằng ai, nhìn xuống không ai bằng mình

(literally) Looking up, I am no one's equal; looking down, no one is my equal either.

(figuratively) Strive for success but be considerate of others.


en-proverb

no matter how you slice it, it's still the same old baloney

no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney#English

Alternative form of no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney


z piasku bicza nie ukręcisz

Literally, “you won't spin a whip out of sand”.

lit

(idiomatic) one needs the proper tools in order to complete a task


head

kto ma księdza w rodzie, tego bieda nie ubodzie

/ktɔ ma ˈkɕɛn.d͡za v rɔd͡ʑɛˌ ˈtɛ.ɡɔ ˈbjɛ.da ɲɛ uˈbɔ.d͡ʑɛ/

Rhyme, literally, “he who has a priest in his family will not feel the sting of poverty”.

lit

(idiomatic) because priests are rich, if someone has one in their family, they will not know poverty

kto ma księdza w rodzie, temu bieda nie dobodzie


head

kto ma księdza w rodzie, temu bieda nie dobodzie

/ktɔ ma ˈkɕɛn.d͡za v rɔd͡ʑɛˌ ˈtɛ.mu ˈbjɛ.da ɲɛ dɔˈbɔ.d͡ʑɛ/

kto ma księdza w rodzie, tego bieda nie ubodzie#Polish

(idiomatic) Alternative form of kto ma księdza w rodzie, tego bieda nie ubodzie


faint heart never won fair lady

One must take risks in order to achieve a goal; success requires enterprise.

blödes Herz buhlt keine schöne Frau

one must take risks in order to achieve a goal — see also no pain, no gain


錯就要認，打就企定

[if one has] made mistakes, recognize them; [if one is] beaten, stand still

co³ zau⁶ jiu³ jing⁶, daa² zau⁶ kei⁵ ding⁶

tso³ dzau⁶ jiu³ jing⁶, daa² dzau⁶ kei⁵ ding⁶

co³ zeo⁶ yiu³ ying⁶, da² zeo⁶ kéi⁵ ding⁶

/t͡sʰɔː³³ t͡sɐu̯²² jiːu̯³³ jɪŋ²² taː³⁵ t͡sɐu̯²² kʰei̯¹³ tɪŋ²²/

(Cantonese) one should adimit their wrongdoings and accept punishment.


szemet szemért, fogat fogért

From szem (“eye”) + -et (accusative suffix) + szem (“eye”) + -ért (“for”, causal-final case suffix) + fog (“tooth”) + -at (accusative suffix) + fog (“tooth”) + -ért (“for”, causal-final case suffix).

af

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

(idiomatic) an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, tit for tat (compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person)


烏雲遮不住太陽的光輝

ㄨ ㄩㄣˊ ㄓㄜ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄨˋ ㄊㄞˋ ㄧㄤˊ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄍㄨㄤ ㄏㄨㄟ

wu¹ wan⁴ ze¹ bat¹ zyu⁶ taai³ joeng⁴ dik¹ gwong¹ fai¹

wūyún zhēbùzhù tàiyáng de guānghuī [Phonetic:wūyún zhēbúzhù tàiyáng de guānghuī]

wu¹-yün² chê¹-pu⁴-chu⁴ tʻai⁴-yang² tê⁵ kuang¹-hui¹

уюнь чжэбучжу тайян дэ гуанхуэй

/u⁵⁵ yn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹⁻⁵³ tʰaɪ̯⁵¹ jɑŋ³⁵ d̥ə³ ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ xu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵/

wū wàhn jē bāt jyuh taai yèuhng dīk gwōng fāi

wu¹ wan⁴ dze¹ bat⁷ dzy⁶ taai³ joeng⁴ dik⁷ gwong¹ fai¹

wu¹ wen⁴ zé¹ bed¹ ju⁶ tai³ yêng⁴ dig¹ guong¹ fei¹

/wuː⁵⁵ wɐn²¹ t͡sɛː⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ t͡syː²² tʰaːi̯³³ jœːŋ²¹ tɪk̚⁵ kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵ fɐi̯⁵⁵/

[Phonetic: wūyún zhēbúzhù tàiyáng de guānghuī]

the dark clouds cannot cover the glory of the sun


it-pos

meglio tirare a campare che tirare le cuoia

Literally, “better to get along than die”. From a quote by former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti. First attested in 1991.

lit

one's got to do what one's got to do
one's got to do what one's got to do

it is better to advance one's own interests (even through illicit or questionable means) than to surrender oneself; it is best to look out for oneself before examining moral considerations; one's got to do what one's got to do


wie goed doet, goed ontmoet

Literally, “he who does good things shall encounter good things”.

lit

if one does good things for others, one’s own life will be better too (be it through people’s gratitude, transcendental reward, or simply the positive effect on one’s own character and attitude)


Pack schlägt sich, Pack verträgt sich

De-Pack schlägt sich, Pack verträgt sich.ogg

Literally, “the rabble beat each other, the rabble make up”.

lit

„Jahrelang haben sie sich bekriegt und jetzt verbünden sie sich auf einmal.“ – „Tja, Pack schlägt sich, Pack verträgt sich.“
“For years they’ve been at war with each other and now all of a sudden they become allies.” – “Well, the rabble beat each other, the rabble make up.”

„Hoffentlich vertragen sich die Kinder bald wieder!“ – „Ach, bestimmt. Pack schlägt sich, Pack verträgt sich.“
“I hope the children will soon be friendly again.” – “Oh, for sure. The rabble beat each other, the rabble make up.”

It is normal for people (especially impulsive ones) to have big fights or enmities and then suddenly be friendly again.


don't get your hopes up

don't count your chickens before they're hatched#English

Synonym of don't count your chickens before they're hatched


head

don't sell the skin till you have caught the bear


words cut deep

Insults and offensive speech hurt more than physical injuries, and are not easily forgotten.


dripping water hollows a stone

The proverb is a paraphrase of a similar proverb from the biblical Book of Job (14:19), or perhaps a translation of that proverb: אֲבָנִ֤ים ׀ שָׁ֥חֲקוּ מַ֗יִם avanim, shahaqu mayim; literally: rocks - have been graded down (by) water, which has been translated: Water wears away stones, or in the King James version, (because the word mayim for water is seemingly in the plural, ending with -yim ): "The waters wear the stones".

In this case, as in all others of the kind, the report was known to all the chapter before it had been heard by the archdeacon or his wife. The dean heard it, and disregarded it; as did also the dean's wife—at first; and those who generally sided with the Grantlys in the diocesan battles pooh-poohed the tidings, saying to each other that both the archdeacon and Mrs. Grantly were very well able to take care of their own affairs. But dripping water hollows a stone; and at last it was admitted on all sides that there was ground for fear,—on all sides, except at Plumstead.

1861, Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage:

Many minor influences gradually produce a significant effect.


küürakat parandab ainult haud

Literally: "only the grave can cure a hunchback".

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


armastuses ja sõjas on kõik lubatud

/ˈɑrmɑstuses jɑ sɤjɑs on kɤi̯k lub̥ɑtud̥/

[ˈɑrmɑsˌtuses jɑ̈ sɤjɑ̈s on kɤi̯k lub̥ɑtˑud̥]

all's fair in love and war
all's fair in love and war


when the cat's away the mice play

when the cat’s away the mice play (canonical)

when the cat's away the mice will play#English

Alternative form of when the cat's away the mice will play


/vas duː ˈhɔɪ̯tə kanst bəˈzɔʁɡən das fɛʁˈʃiːbə nɪçt aʊ̯f ˈmɔʁɡən/

De-was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe nicht auf morgen.ogg

Literally, “what you can get done today, don't postpone until tomorrow”.

lit

there's no time like the present
there's no time like the present

never put off until tomorrow what you can do today, there's no time like the present

was du heute kannst besorgen, verschiebe nicht auf morgen


head

was du heute kannst besorgen, verschiebe nicht auf morgen

/vas duː ˈhɔɪ̯tə kanst bəˈzɔʁɡən fɛʁˈʃiːbə nɪçt aʊ̯f ˈmɔʁɡən/

was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe nicht auf morgen#German

Alternative form of was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe nicht auf morgen


teamwork makes the dream work

It is easier to achieve major goals when working as a team.


no mill, no meal

(dated, rare) If one does not work, one shall not eat.


yu kan kibri yu granmama, ma yu no kan kibri en kosokoso

Literally, "you can hide your grandmother, but you can't hide her coughing".

a lie has no legs (you can't get away with a lie; the truth will always come out)


live not to eat, but eat to live

eat to live, not live to eat
eat to live, not live to eat#English

Alternative form of eat to live, not live to eat


di ẹndi lopin sinima

(figurative) when something is over, it is over

(literal) "the end" marks the end of a film show


epe la fi n wo epe san

(figurative) one matches the remedy to the affliction

fighting fire with fire
fighting fire with fire

(literal) curses are used to cure curses; fighting fire with fire


iṣe eniyan niṣe ẹranko

(figurative) as animals behave, so do humans; one may learn much about humans by watching animals

(literal) the actions of humans are the actions of animals


aaro ki i gbona kalẹ

ààrò kì í gbóná kalẹ́

ààrò kì í gbóná kalẹ́

yo-pos

ààrò kì í gbóná kalẹ́

ààrò kì í gbóná kalẹ́

(figurative) there is no difficulty that doesn't come to an end; tough times won't last forever

(literal) the hearth does not stay hot until nighttime


bi ina ba jo loko, majala a ṣofofo

bí iná bá jó lóko (canonical)
màjàlà á ṣòfófó (canonical)

(figurative) events that happen afar send their news back home

(literal) when a fire burns in the field its soot will gossip


bi ina ba jo loko, majala a fo wa sile

bí iná bá jó lóko (canonical)
màjàlà á fò wá sílé (canonical)

(literal) when a fire burns in the field the soot flies home


el que la sigue la consigue

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


দিল্লি বহুদূর

Calque of Classical Persian دهلی هنوز دور است (dihlī hanōz dūr ast, literally “Delhi is still far away”). Compare दिल्ली अभी दूर है (dillī abhī dūr hai).

clq

دهلی هنوز دور است

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

there's many a slip twixt cup and lip; there is still much work to be done


hi-proverb

एक गंदी मछली पूरे तालाब को गंदा कर देती है • (ek gandī machlī pūre tālāb ko gandā kar detī hai) (Urdu spelling ایک گندی مچھلی پورے تالاب کو گندہ کر دیتی ہے)

/eːk ɡən.d̪iː mət͡ʃʰ.liː puː.ɾeː t̪ɑː.lɑːb koː ɡən.d̪ɑː kəɾ d̪eː.t̪iː ɦɛː/

[eːk‿ɡɐ̃n̪.d̪iː‿mɐt͡ʃʰ.liː‿puː.ɾeː‿t̪äː.läːb‿koː‿ɡɐ̃n̪.d̪äː‿kɐɾ‿d̪eː.t̪iː‿ɦɛː]

Literally "one dirty fish dirties the whole pond".

en-एक_गंदी_मछली_पूरे_तालाब_को_गंदा_कर_देती_है-hi-proverb-16r3~xWf

एक गंदी मछली पूरे तालाब को गंदा करती है

ek gandī machlī pūre tālāb ko gandā kartī hai

एक गंदी मछली सारे तालाब को गंदा करती है

ek gandī machlī sāre tālāb ko gandā kartī hai

ek gandī machlī sāre tālāb ko gandā kar detī hai

एक गंदी मछली सारे तालाब को गंदा कर देती है


광에서 인심 난다

[광(ː)에서인심난다]

곳간에서 인심 난다
곳간에서 인심 난다#Korean

Alternative form of 곳간에서 인심 난다 (gotganeseo insim nanda, “only the wealthy are generous”)


head

no hi ha millor salsa que la de sant Bernat

[ˈno i ˈa miˈʎo ˈsal.sə kə ˈla ðə ˈsam bərˈnat]

[ˈno i ˈa miˈʎoɾ ˈsal.sa ke ˈla ðe ˈsam beɾˈnat]

Literally, “there is no better sauce than St. Bernard's sauce”, where "St. Bernard's sauce" is a traditional expression referring to hunger.

lit

hunger is the best sauce
hunger is the best sauce


all good things must come to an end

all good things come to an end
all good things come to an end#English

Alternative form of all good things come to an end


kto pierwszy, ten lepszy

Rhyme, literally, “who is first is better”.

first come, first served
first come, first served


comparaison n'est pas raison

comparaison n’ est pas raison (canonical)

/kɔ̃.pa.ʁɛ.zɔ̃ n‿ɛ pɑ ʁɛ.zɔ̃/

Literally, “comparison doesn't equal reason”.

one shouldn't compare things that aren't comparable; it's not the same


age is just a number

Age is not an important attribute in a person.


it-pos

non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco

Literally, “not all (the) doughnuts end up with the hole”.

lit

you can't win them all
you can't win them all

things do not always end up as planned; failure or disappointment is inevitable from time to time; you can't win them all


you can't win them all

(informal) It is impossible to always succeed; failure or disappointment is inevitable from time to time.


fr-proverb

on n’attrape pas les mouches avec du vinaigre

on n'attrape pas les mouches avec du vinaigre

/ɔ̃ n‿a.tʁap pa le muʃ a.vɛk dy vi.nɛɡʁ/

/ɔ̃ n‿a.tʁap pɑ le muʃ a.vɛk dy vi.nɛɡʁ/

on n'attrape pas des mouches avec du vinaigre#French

Alternative form of on n’attrape pas des mouches avec du vinaigre


由儉入奢易，由奢入儉難

ㄧㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄢˇ ㄖㄨˋ ㄕㄜ ㄧˋ

ㄧㄡˊ ㄕㄜ ㄖㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄢˇ ㄋㄢˊ

yu² chien³ ju⁴ shê¹ i⁴, yu² shê¹ ju⁴ chien³ nan²

yóu jyǎn rù shē yì-, yóu shē rù jyǎn nán

you jean ruh she yih, you she ruh jean nan

ю цзянь жу шэ и

ю шэ жу цзянь нань

/joʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐu⁵¹ ʂɤ⁵⁵ i⁵¹ joʊ̯³⁵ ʂɤ⁵⁵ ʐu⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ nän³⁵/

It is easy for a thrifty person to become extravagant, but difficult for an extravagant person to become thrifty


head

indyk myślał o niedzieli, a w sobotę łeb mu ścięli

/ˈin.dɘk ˈmɘɕ.law ɔ.ɲɛˈd͡ʑɛ.liˌ a.fsɔˈbɔ.tɛ ˈwɛb.mu ˈɕt͡ɕɛw̃.li/

Rhyme, literally, “a turkey was thinking about Sunday, and on Saturday, it was beheaded”.

lit

(idiomatic) usually used as a warning against saying too soon what someone plans to do in the future


he who said the rhyme did the crime

he who smelt it dealt it
he who smelt it dealt it#English

(colloquial) A person who uses a rhyming proverb, such as he who smelt it dealt it, in response to a flatus, is likely the one who expelled it.


Pan Bóg nierychliwy, ale sprawiedliwy

/ˈpan.buɡ ɲɛ.rɘxˈli.vɘ ˈa.lɛ spra.vjɛdˈli.vɘ/

Literally, “[the] Lord God is tardish but fair”.

God stays long, but strikes at last
God stays long, but strikes at last

(idiomatic) God stays long, but strikes at last (the guilty shall be punsihed sooner or later)


zemsta jest rozkoszą bogów

Literally, “revenge is the delight of the gods”.

(idiomatic) revenge is sweet; revenge is something pleasureable


gość w dom, Bóg w dom

Literally, “a guest in the house, God in the house”, or more loosely translated as “to host a visitor is like to host God”.

lit

(idiomatic) A host should welcome guests warmly.


head

czym skorupka za młodu nasiąknie, tym na starość trąci

/t͡ʂɘm skɔˈrup.ka zaˈmwɔ.du naˈɕɔŋk.ɲɛ tɘm naˈsta.rɔɕt͡ɕ ˈtrɔɲ.t͡ɕi/

Literally, “what the shell soaks in when it is young, it smells of it in old age”.

lit

(idiomatic) as the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined


cada uno tiene lo que se merece

every man is the architect of his own fortune


small rain lays great dust

Only a small amount of something can change or alter a situation.


en-proverb

you miss 100% of the shots you don't take

True origin unknown, but was most likely popularized by Wayne Gretzky.

To make no attempt to do something guarantees failure, so you should always try.


good work ain't cheap, cheap work ain't good

buy cheap, buy twice
buy cheap, buy twice#English

if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys#English

Synonym of buy cheap, buy twice and if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys


head

wer den Hund ins Bett lässt, steht mit Flöhen auf

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


en-proverb

a prophet is not without honor save in his own country

familiarity breeds contempt
familiarity breeds contempt#English


Very likely to be from John 4:44 "(Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.)" Compare French nul n’est prophète en son pays.

2011, Biblica, Holy Bible: New International Version, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, →ISBN, Psalms 55:21:


head

De-Dienst ist Dienst und Schnaps ist Schnaps.ogg

Literally, “work is work and liquor is liquor”.

lit

there should be no drinking during work hours and no shop talk in bars

(by extension) one should keep work life and private life separated


l'amour est aveugle

love is blind (a person who is in love can see no faults or imperfections in the person whom they love)


quand on aime on ne compte pas

when you love, you don't count the cost (when one loves someone, one is ready to do anything for them; when one loves something, one is ready to devote a lot of time or money to it)


il silenzio è d'oro

Literally, “(the) silence is golden”. Compare French le silence est d’or.


y'all means all

I stay here to continue to insist, as the saying goes, that y'all means all, that the loudest, crudest voices don't get to have the last word. Oh, I could move to a liberal enclave in the no-nonsense North, but I like a bit of nonsense,[…]

2018 May 16, Susan Cushman, Southern Writers on Writing, Univ. Press of Mississippi, →ISBN:

"Y'all means all," I proclaimed from the pulpit. The message was simple enough : If we're going to be a welcoming church , we've got to open the doors to everyone. No exceptions. Some folks nodded in approval , but others looked[…]

2019, Rob Lee, A Sin by Any Other Name: Reckoning with Racism and the Heritage of the South, Convergent Books, →ISBN, page 118:

You see, to Sherri and to the library, "Y'all" means "all." All. No exceptions. Everyone deserves to be respected and have a space to explore and learn. Everyone is loved and cherished by God. For Jesus, "y'all" means "all.

2022 March 22, Andy Stanton-Henry, Recovering Abundance: Twelve Practices for Small-Town Leaders, Fortress Press, →ISBN, page 221:

(Southern US) Bigotry and intolerance are unacceptable; no one should be discriminated against.


மின்னுவதெல்லாம் பொன்னல்ல

head

மின்னுவதெல்லாம் பொன்னல்ல • (miṉṉuvatellām poṉṉalla)

all that glitters is not gold
all that glitters is not gold

en-மின்னுவதெல்லாம்_பொன்னல்ல-ta-proverb-LT6ObsJh


காலம் பொன் போன்றது

காலம் பொன் போன்றது • (kālam poṉ pōṉṟatu)


ovella que berra bocado que perde

bleating sheep loses a bite
bleating sheep loses a bite

(idiomatic) literally and idiomatically: bleating sheep loses a bite (the opportunity can be lost on idle chat)


gold is where you find it

From the era of gold prospecting, where gold was sometimes found in unlikely places.

Opportunities, or things of value, may be found unexpectedly.


una golondrina no hace verano

Literally, “one swallow doesn't make a summer”, a calque of Ancient Greek μία χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ (mía khelidṑn éar ou poieî, “one swallow does not make a spring”); the reference to summer instead of spring is shared with various other European languages (see the descendants at the Greek entry).

cal

μία χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ

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


สี่ตีนยังรู้พลาด นักปราชญ์ยังรู้พลั้ง

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สี่ตีนยังรู้พลาด นักปราชญ์ยังรู้พลั้ง

สี่ตีนยังรู้พลาด นักปราชญ์ยังรู้พลั้ง

/siː˨˩.tiːn˧.jaŋ˧.ruː˦˥.pʰlaːt̚˥˩.nak̚˦˥.praːt̚˨˩.jaŋ˧.ruː˦˥.pʰlaŋ˦˥/

สี่ (sìi, “four”) + ตีน (dtiin, “foot”) + ยัง (yang, “still”) + รู้ (rúu, “to know”) + พลาด (plâat, “to miss, fail”) + นักปราชญ์ (nák-bpràat, “philosopher, wise person”) + ยัง (yang, “still”) + รู้ (rúu, “to know”) + พลั้ง (pláng, “to err, slip”), in which พลาด (plâat, “to miss, fail”) and พลั้ง (pláng, “to err, slip”) also form พลาดพลั้ง (“to err, make a mistake”), and พลาด (plâat, “to miss, fail”) rhymes with ปราชญ์ (bpràat, “philosopher, scholar”). This proverb literally means even a four-footed creature misses (i.e., trips and falls despite having four feet), (and) even a wise person makes a slip of the tongue (i.e., makes a mistake).

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en-สี่ตีนยังรู้พลาด_นักปราชญ์ยังรู้พลั้ง-th-proverb-2lp2Fdv0


scratch a liberal and a fascist bleeds

scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist#English

Alternative form of scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist


en-proverb

scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist

Originated with the Black Panther Party.
One of the variations of the proverb formula scratch (somebody) and you'll find a (somebody else). Compare for example Russian поскреби русского - найдёшь татарина (poskrebi russkovo - najdjóšʹ tatarina).

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поскреби русского - найдёшь татарина

(politics) People who identify as liberals (usually rather than leftists) are not uncomfortable with fascist beliefs.


好生破家囝，孬生髧眉兒

ho² sên¹ pua³ gê¹ gian², mo² sên¹ dam³ bhai⁷ ri⁵

/ho⁵²⁻³⁵ sẽ³³⁻²³ pʰua²¹³⁻⁵⁵ ke³³⁻²³ kĩã⁵² mo⁵²⁻³⁵ sẽ³³⁻²³ tam²¹³⁻⁵⁵ bai¹¹ d͡zi⁵⁵/

(Teochew) It is better to give birth to a squanderer than an idiot


sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata

Literally, “wet bride, lucky bride”. Compare French mariage pluvieux, mariage heureux.

rain on one's wedding day brings good luck


mariage pluvieux, mariage heureux

LL-Q150 (fra)-Benoît Prieur-mariage pluvieux, mariage heureux.wav

LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-mariage pluvieux, mariage heureux.wav

LL-Q150 (fra)-M2D2V2 (Kvardek du)-mariage pluvieux, mariage heureux.wav

Literally, “rainy wedding, happy marriage.” Compare Italian sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata.

lit

Rain on one's wedding day brings good luck.


don't fish off the company dock

you don't dip your pen in company ink#English

Synonym of you don't dip your pen in company ink


don't fuck in the factory

Pseudo-anglicism, derived from don't + fuck + in + the + factory. The expression is not found in English texts and is unknown in the English-speaking world.

pseudo-loan

[…] „Don't fuck in the factory“, gab Jens grinsend zurück, „also fällt Katja schon mal raus, es sein denn, du wechselst zum BND, dann wäre Darija draußen. Oder du entscheidest dich zwischen schwarz, rot oder blond.“

2015 October 6, Kay Wünsche, Der Abtrünnige: Die Pentarchie-Verschwörung, novum pro Verlag, →ISBN:

[…] »Don't fuck in the Factory« oder »Appetit holen okay, gegessen wird zu Hause«, geht auch gar nicht. Das passt doch überhaupt nicht mehr in unsere gefräßige und oberflächliche McDonald's- und Tinder-Kultur. »Mein Vater ist wie ich kein[…]

2021 March 10, Jürgen Neff, Blutgrätsche: Fußball-Krimi, Gmeiner-Verlag, →ISBN:

[…] Don't fuck in the factory! Er stellte sich vor, wenn er sich nachts schlaflos und schwitzend im Bett hin und her wälzte, dass sie an seiner Seite läge und ihm die Stirn abtupfte, links von ihm in dem Bett, das viel zu groß ist für eine[…]

2021 April 19, Artur Kilian Vogel, Der Zeitungsmann, dem die Sprache verloren ging: Roman, Cameo, →ISBN:

(uncommon) you don't dip your pen in company ink


the laborer is worthy of his hire

People deserve to be rewarded for their efforts.


fortune favors the daring

fortune favors the bold
fortune favors the bold#English

Alternative form of fortune favors the bold


三里不同調，十里不同音

ㄙㄢ ㄌㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄉㄧㄠˋ

ㄕˊ ㄌㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄧㄣ

saam¹ lei⁵ bat¹ tung⁴ diu⁶, sap⁶ lei⁵ bat¹ tung⁴ jam¹

сань ли бутун дяо

ши ли бутун инь

/sän⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ ti̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ in⁵⁵/

sāam léih bāt tùhng diuh, sahp léih bāt tùhng yām

saam¹ lei⁵ bat⁷ tung⁴ diu⁶, sap⁹ lei⁵ bat⁷ tung⁴ jam¹

sam¹ léi⁵ bed¹ tung⁴ diu⁶, seb⁶ léi⁵ bed¹ tung⁴ yem¹

/saːm⁵⁵ lei̯¹³ pɐt̚⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ tiːu̯²² sɐp̚² lei̯¹³ pɐt̚⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ jɐm⁵⁵/

Describes the linguistic diversity of Fujian province.


your network is your net worth

(finance) Possessing the right or certain professional connections will ensure financial success in one's career.


your net worth is your network

your network is your net worth
your network is your net worth#English

Alternative form of your network is your net worth


爛船都有三斤釘

a broken ship still has three catties of nails

/laːn²² syːn²¹ tou̯⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³ saːm⁵⁵ kɐn⁵⁵ tɛːŋ⁵⁵/

(Cantonese) No matter how bad something is, there is still some value in it.


high tech揩嘢，low tech撈嘢

/haːi̯⁵⁵ tʰɛːk̚⁵ haːi̯⁵⁵ jɛː¹³ lou̯⁵⁵ tʰɛːk̚⁵ lou̯⁵⁵ jɛː¹³/

Pun on homophonous pairs high vs 揩 (haai1) and low vs 撈／捞 (lou1).

(Hong Kong Cantonese) high-tech makes one get into troubles, low-tech makes one earn a lot


寧在人前全不會，莫在人前會不全

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寧在人前全不會，莫在人前會不全

宁在人前全不会，莫在人前会不全

ㄋㄧㄥˊ ㄗㄞˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄑㄩㄢˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄨㄟˋ

ㄇㄛˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄏㄨㄟˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄩㄢˊ

нинцзайжэньцяньцюаньбухуэй

моцзайжэньцяньхуэйбуцюань

/niŋ³⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ xu̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵/

it is better not to be in public at all than to be imperfect in public


imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Copying or mimicking another individual is a sign of admiration of that person.


time is the great healer

Next to God, time is the great healer; and human love, guided by tact, can often achieve signal success.

1883, Edward Payson Roe, His Sombre Rivals:

As Brexit tears the country apart, let time be the great healer – there are strong arguments for doing so come March 2019[.]

2018 October 26, Nigel Gardner, “Britain, this is not a wind-up: change your clocks to EU time”, in The Guardian:

time is a great healer
time is a great healer#English

Alternative form of time is a great healer


time is a great healer

"Time is a great healer, Mr. Hythe; but the reminiscences of my early struggles with fate cannot be easily erased.[…]"

1913, Percy F. Westerman, chapter XXXIII, in The Rival Submarines:

Time is a great healer, but twelve years is not long enough.

1914 December 9, Punch, or the London Charivari, volume 147:

time heals all wounds
time heals all wounds#English


en-proverb

Say the punch line loud and clear. You can even increase your volume and really emphasize the last word. Sometimes it's not what you say but how you say it.

2018, Alyson Connolly, Public Speaking Skills For Dummies:

The tone and delivery of communication is at least as important as what is actually being said.


ein Esel schilt den andern Langohr

ein Esel schimpft den andern Langohr#German

Alternative form of ein Esel schimpft den andern Langohr


ein Esel schimpft den andern Langohr

Literally, “one donkey calls another long-ear”.

lit

the pot calling the kettle black
the pot calling the kettle black

(idiomatic) the pot calling the kettle black


ein Esel schilt den anderen Langohr

De-ein Esel schilt den anderen Langohr.ogg


мир тесен

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мир те́сен • (mir tésen)

мир те́сен (canonical)
mir tésen (romanization)

it's a small world (used to express surprise at meeting an acquaintance or discovering a personal connection in a distant place or an unexpected context)


diabeł nie śpi

(idiomatic) Alternative form of licho nie śpi


licho nie śpi

Literally, “the likho does not sleep”, or more loosely translated as “the devil never sleeps”. Compare Hungarian az ördög nem alszik, Czech čert nikdy nespí, Slovak čert nikdy nespí.

lit

a bad penny always turns up
a bad penny always turns up

(idiomatic) a bad penny always turns up (one can never be too careful)


one hand can't hold two watermelons

one can't hold two watermelons in one hand#English

Alternative form of one can't hold two watermelons in one hand


en-proverb

one can't carry two watermelons under one arm


många bäckar små

många bäckar små gör en stor å
många bäckar små gör en stor å#Swedish

Ellipsis of många bäckar små gör en stor å.


många bäckar små gör en stor å

Literally, “many small streams make a big river”. Confer French les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières.

cog

Till Gyllenpalmska Famillen hafva sedan sista redovisning influtit: En skärf från 2:ne Enkor till den fattiga famillen. Många bäckar små göra en stor å, 2 R:dr R:gd d. 17 Juli 1815.

1815 August 9, N. S. Colliander, “Allmän Kungörelse [Publick Notice]”, in Wexiö Tidning, number 61, page 4:

Unto the Family of Gyllenpalm hath since the last account been received: A small gift from two widows to the poor family. Many a little makes a mickle, 2 Rixdollars, the 17th of July, 1815.

Fem tusen riksgäldsettor, svarade gumman, det är hvad jag lagt tillsamans efter tretti års stultande vid tiggarstafven, ty många bäckar små gör en stor å... också är det i dag jämt tretti år sedan jag blef öfverkörd på gatan och lytt för hela mitt lif.

1900 June 16, August Blanche, “Bilder ur verkligheten [Pictures from Life]”, in Stockholms-Tidningen, number 3200 A, page 3:

Five thousand rixdollars, replied the old woman, that's what I’ve gathered after thirty years of hobbling with the beggar's staff, for many a little makes a mickle... and it is today just thirty years since I was run over in the street and crippled for life.

Och de har också haft det svårt på sistone. Men många bäckar små gör en stor å som den gamla kvinnan sa när hon kissade i havet.

2022, 35:59 from the start, in Ulrika Lindfors-Davis, transl., The Sandman, season 1, episode 11 (overall work in English), spoken by Fate Crone (Souad Faress):

And indeed have they have had a difficult time of late. Still, every litte bit helps as the old woman said when she pissed in the sea.

En fru sa till mig att hon bara kan lägga in en liten summa på ett presentkort, jag svarade henne att av många bäckar små gör en stor å. Alla måste prioritera sin egen jul, men om det blir över kan man dela med sig åt andra. Även små donationer är viktiga.

2023 December 22, Anne Teir-Siltanen, “Lyckade julklappsinsamlingar i Vasa: ”Vartenda år blir man lika förbluffad” [Successful Christmas gift collections in Vasa: "Every year, one is equally astonished"]”, in Yle:

A woman told me she could only contribute a small amount to a gift card. I responded that many small contributions can lead to something great. Everyone needs to prioritise their own Christmas, but if there's anything left over, it's wonderful to share with others. Even small donations matter.

many a mickle makes a muckle
many a mickle makes a muckle