prevention is better than cure

It is better to prevent the creation of a problem than to have to deal with it afterwards.

اَلْوِقَايَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْعِلَاجِ

det er bedre at forebygge end at helbrede

an jo'eun ireun saenggigo nan dwi haegyeolharyeogo hagibodan aye saenggijijocha anke mangneun'ge deo natda

안 좋은 일은 생기고 난 뒤 해결하려고 하기보단 아예 생기지조차 않게 막는게 더 낫다

lúčše boléznʹ predotvratítʹ, čem potóm lečítʹ

лу́чше боле́знь предотврати́ть, чем пото́м лечи́ть

gramm profilaktiki stoit kilogramma lečenija

грамм профилактики стоит килограмма лечения


even Homer nods

even + Homer + nods (“be momentarily inattentive or inaccurate”), alluding to line 359 of Horace’s Ars Poetica indignor quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus (“I become annoyed when the great Homer is being drowsy”). The English translation Homer nods has become standard following Pope (1709), but is due to Dryden (1677).

Horace acknowledges that honeſt Homer''' nods ſometimes: He is not equally awake in every Line: […]

1677, John Dryden, “The Authors Apology for Heroique Poetry; and Poetique Licence”, in The State of Innocence, and Fall of Man: An Opera. Written in Heroique Verse, and Dedicated to Her Royal Highness, the Duchess, London: Printed by T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, at the Anchor in the Lower Walk of the New Exchange, →OCLC:

Thoſe are but Stratagems which Errors ſeem, / Nor is it Homer Nods, but We that Dream.

1709, Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism, London: Printed for W. Lewis in Russell-street, Covent-Garden; and sold by W. Taylor at the Ship in Pater-Noster-Row, T. Osborn in Grays-Inn near the Walks, and J. Graves in St. James's-Street, published 1711, →OCLC, page 12:

He [de Vigneul-Marvin] knows that Homer''' nods sometimes, and that Faults are found in the beſt writers. He is an Author himself, and conſequently may commit an Over-ſight as well as Pindar, Virgil, Horace, and all the moſt celebrated Ancient and Modern Authors.

1713, [Jean] de la Bruyere, N[icholas] Rowe, “Of M. de la Bruyere’s Book, entitul’d, The Characters: Or the Manners of the Present Age”, in The Works of Monsieur De La Bruyere. In Two Volumes. Containing, I. The Moral Characters of Theophrastus. II. The Characters, or, The Manners of the Present Age. III. M. Bruyeres Speech upon His Admission into the French Academy. IV. An Account of the Life and Writings of M. Bruyere. By Monsieur Coste. … Revis’d by the Paris Edition: With an Original Chapter, Of the Manner of Living with Great Men: Written after the Method of M. Bruyere, by N. Rowe, Esq., 6th edition, volume I, London: Printed for E[dmund] Curll, at the Dial and Bible, and J. Pemberton, at the Buck and Sun; both against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet, →OCLC, page 102:

And Homer nods: The Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles played in this year's NFC championship, not NFL championship as we said in a Friday follow-up (since corrected).

2009 April 27, James Taranto, “When Pigs Flu: But … but … Mexico has Socialized Medicine!”, in The Wall Street Journal, archived from the original on 2016-03-22:

Not even the most vigilant and expert are immune to error.

на вся́кого мудреца́ дово́льно простоты́


head

En-us-as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.oga

* 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Book of Proverbs, 26:11
*: As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
Originally from Hebrew:
*::כְּכֶלֶב שָׁב עַל קֵאוֹ כְּסִיל שׁוֹנֶה בְאִוַּלְתּוֹ

Foolish people repeatedly do foolish things.


התפוח לא נפל רחוק מהעץ

התפוח לא נפל רחוק מהעץ

התפוח לא נפל רחוק מהעץ • (hatapuakh lo nafal rakhok meha'ets)

hatapuakh lo nafal rakhok meha'ets (romanization)

the apple doesn't fall far from the tree

en-התפוח_לא_נפל_רחוק_מהעץ-he-proverb-oTa7VZPB


armut dalının dibine düşer

Literally: “the pear falls to its bottom”

(idiomatic) the apple doesn't fall far from the tree


there's a sucker born every minute

(US, slang) There is a great number of fools in the world who can be easily swindled, and they will always exist.

дурако́в не се́ют, не жнут — са́ми родя́тся (durakóv ne séjut, ne žnut — sámi rodjátsja, literally “fools are not sown or reaped – they come into the world themselves”)

nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people


kovářova kobyla chodí bosa

Literally, “the mare of the smith walks barefoot”.

lit

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


head

über Geschmack lässt sich nicht streiten

/ˈʔyːbɐ ɡəˈʃmak lɛst zɪç nɪçt ˈʃtʁaɪ̯tn̩/

/ˈʔyːbɐ ɡəˈʃmak lɛst zɪç nɪçt ˈʃtʁaɪ̯tən/

Literally, “one can't argue over taste”. Calque of Latin dē gustibus nōn est disputandum.

cal

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


à chaque jour suffit sa peine

LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-à chaque jour suffit sa peine.wav

sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof


l'argent ne fait pas le bonheur

l’ argent ne fait pas le bonheur (canonical)

money can't buy happiness
money can't buy happiness


les murs ont des oreilles

LL-Q150 (fra)-Benoît Prieur-les murs ont des oreilles.wav


le remède est pire que le mal

the cure is worse than the disease
the cure is worse than the disease


fr-proverb

on n’attrape pas des mouches avec du vinaigre

on n'attrape pas des mouches avec du vinaigre

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

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

honey catches more flies than vinegar
honey catches more flies than vinegar

honey catches more flies than vinegar; you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar

on n’attrape pas les mouches avec du vinaigre


qui aime bien, châtie bien

LL-Q150 (fra)-Benoît Prieur-qui aime bien, châtie bien.wav

qui aime bien châtie bien
qui aime bien châtie bien#French

Alternative spelling of qui aime bien châtie bien


LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-avec des si on mettrait Paris en bouteille.wav

Literally, “with 'ifs' one could put Paris in a bottle”.

lit

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

si ma tante en avait, on l'appellerait mon oncle

avec des si, on mettrait Paris en bouteille

if wishes were horses, beggars would ride; if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle


la nuit, tous les chats sont gris

English: all cats are grey in the dark

LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-la nuit, tous les chats sont gris.wav

Literally "(at) the night, all cats are grey".

D’ailleurs Philippe est si peu regardant sur les perfections que quand on le moque de ce qu’il choisit mal ses maîtresses, il répond en riant: «Bah! la nuit, tous les chats sont gris! Il y a beaucoup de superflu dans la beauté des dames, je ne veux que le nécessaire.»

1987, Eve de Castro, Les Bâtards du Soleil, p. 272

Anyway, Philippe pays so little attention to these details that, when he is made fun of because he chooses his mistresses badly, he replies laughing: “Bah! By night, all cats are gray! There is a lot of superfluity in the beauty of ladies, and I only want what is necessary.

all cats are gray in the dark
all cats are grey in the dark


great oaks from little acorns grow

mighty oaks from little acorns grow#English

Alternative form of mighty oaks from little acorns grow


mighty oaks from little acorns grow

Don't give up on the project - mighty oaks from little acorns grow!

Something great can come from a modest beginning.


suutarin lapsilla ei ole kenkiä

/ˈsuːtɑrin ˈlɑpsilːɑ ˈei̯ ˈoleˣ ˈkeŋkiæ/

[ˈs̠uːt̪ɑ̝rin ˈlɑ̝ps̠ilːɑ̝ ˈe̞i̯ ˈo̞le̞k̚ ˈk̟e̞ŋk̟iæ]


it pays to advertise

Good qualities do not get rewarded automatically.


don't shit where you eat

The guiding principle is Don't shit where you eat. Office romances are always destructive of morale and objectivity.

1994 April 14, Nelson Navarro, “Ever faithful, ever true”, in Manila Standard, Philippines, retrieved 2011-08-12:

Limbaugh was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the NAB convention in, of all places, Philadelphia, thus violating the cardinal law of the animal kingdom: Don't shit where you eat.

2003 October 8, Jonathan Valania, “Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Pussy”, in Philadelphia Weekly, retrieved 2011-08-12:

Mitchell refused to indulge in on-set romances with either gender. "You don't shit where you eat," he told me, plainly.

2006 September 19, Michael Musto, “NY Mirror”, in Village Voice, retrieved 2011-08-12:

(idiomatic, vulgar) One should not cause trouble in a place, group, or situation in which one regularly finds oneself, as it will likely backfire

nekálej do vlastního hnízda

One should not cause trouble in a place, group, etc. which one frequents

en puton ne kraĉu, ĉar vi trinki bezonos

don't spit into the well, you may have to drink (from it) one day

ne pljuj v kolódec, prigodítsja vodý napítʹsja

не плюй в коло́дец, пригоди́тся воды́ напи́ться


gözden ırak olan gönülden de ırak olur

* Literally "the one that is far away from the eye, is also far away from the heart".

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


head

ha a hegy nem megy Mohamedhez, Mohamed megy a hegyhez

[hɒ ɒ ˈhɛɟ ˈnɛm mɛɟ ˈmoɦɒmɛthɛz ˈmoɦɒmɛdmɛɟ ɒ ˈhɛchɛz]

if the mountain won't come to Muhammad then Muhammad must go to the mountain


ei savua ilman tulta

no smoke without fire
no smoke without fire


sok jó ember kis helyen is elfér

Literally: "a lot of good people will find enough room even in a small place"
 sok (“many”) + jó (“good”) + ember (“men, people”) + kis (“small”) + helyen (“on a place”) + is (“also”) + elfér (“fit, find room”)

with a bit of good will we can find enough place for everyone


alle veje fører til Rom

all roads lead to Rome
all roads lead to Rome

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


het geluk is met de onwetenden

het geluk is met de dommen
het geluk is met de dommen#Dutch

Alternative form of het geluk is met de dommen


모르는 것이 약이다

ko-pos

모르는 것-이 약-이다

[모(ː)르는거시야기다]

"not knowing is the cure/medicine"; ignorance is bliss


head

quando um burro fala, o outro abaixa a orelha

Literally, “when a donkey speaks, the other one lowers his ear”.

lit

(Brazilian Portuguese spelling) two people should not speak simultaneously, otherwise they would not understand each other


一人得道，雞犬升天

ㄧ ㄖㄣˊ ㄉㄜˊ ㄉㄠˋ

ㄐㄧ ㄑㄩㄢˇ ㄕㄥ ㄊㄧㄢ

jat¹ jan⁴ dak¹ dou⁶, gai¹ hyun² sing¹ tin¹

цзицюань шэнтянь

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ tɤ³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

jat⁷ jan⁴ dak⁷ dou⁶, gai¹ hyn² sing¹ tin¹

yed¹ yen⁴ deg¹ dou⁶, gei¹ hün² xing¹ tin¹

/jɐt̚⁵ jɐn²¹ tɐk̚⁵ tou̯²² kɐi̯⁵⁵ hyːn³⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵/

The idiom derives from an account of Liu An ascending to heaven in Lunheng

The king of Huainan studied Taoism, recruited Taoist people from all over the world, and gained the respect of the country. He also valued Taoist magicians, so the Taoist magicians gathered in Huainan, and developed strange prescriptions and magic, competing for favors. The king then attained enlightenment, his family ascended to heaven, his livestock all became immortals. The dogs barked in the sky, and the roosters crowed in the clouds.

Wang Chong, Lun Heng (Discussive Weighing), 80 CE

Huáinán wáng xuédào, zhāohuì tiānxià yǒu dào zhī rén, qīng yī guó zhī zūn, xià dàoshù zhī shì, shì yǐ dàoshù zhī shì bìng huì Huáinán, qífāng yìshù, mò bù zhēng chū. Wáng suì dédào, jǔjiā shēngtiān, xùchǎn jiē xiān, quǎn fèi yú tiān shàng, jī míng yú yún zhōng.

淮南王學道，招會天下有道之人，傾一國之尊，下道術之士，是以道術之士並會淮南，奇方異術，莫不爭出。王遂得道，舉家升天，畜產皆仙，犬吠於天上，雞鳴於雲中。

淮南王学道，招会天下有道之人，倾一国之尊，下道术之士，是以道术之士并会淮南，奇方异术，莫不争出。王遂得道，举家升天，畜产皆仙，犬吠于天上，鸡鸣于云中。

When a man attains the Tao, even his pets ascend to heaven.

once a person gains power and influence (as an official), everyone associated with them also benefits


איזהו חכם? הלומד מכל אדם

he-proverb

אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם? הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם

אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם? הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם • ('éizehu hekhakhám? haloméd mikól 'adám)

אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם הַ לּוֹמֵד מִ כָּל אָדָם (canonical)
'éizehu hekhakhám? haloméd mikól 'adám (romanization)

A smart person learns from everyone. (Literally "Who is wise? He who learns from every person.")

en-איזהו_חכם?_הלומד_מכל_אדם-he-proverb-Xj9g4Cz-

איזהו הגיבור? הכובש את יצרו

Who is a Hero? He who controls his impulses.; R. Simon ben Zoma

איזהו העשיר? השמח בחלקו

Who is a rich man? He who is happy with his portion.; R. Simon ben Zoma

איזהו המכובד? המכבד את הבריות

Who is an honorable man? He who honors his fellow man; R. Simon ben Zoma


tilgangurinn helgar meðalið

the end justifies the means
the end justifies the means


head

dime con quién andas, y te diré quién eres

Literally, “tell me with whom you go about, and I'll tell you who you are". andar can also mean "to walk", so another possible translation is "tell me with whom you walk, and I'll tell you who you are”.

m-g

tell me with whom you go about, and I'll tell you who you are". <i class="Latn mention" lang="es">andar</i> can also mean "to walk", so another possible translation is "tell me with whom you walk, and I'll tell you who you are

lit

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


lo que no mata, engorda

Literally, “that which does not kill, fattens”. A translation of a Friedrich Nietzsche quotation.

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger


bros before hos

bros before hoes
bros before hoes#English

Alternative spelling of bros before hoes


bros before hoes

2010, The Big Bang Theory, episode “The Spaghetti Catalyst”
Sheldon: Howard made it very clear that my allegiance should be to male comrades before women who sell their bodies for money.
Leonard: Is it possible that he said Bros before hoes?
Sheldon: Yes, but I rephrased it to avoid offending the hoes.

(US, vulgar, slang) A man should prioritize his male friends over women.

不要重色輕友

a man should prioritize his best friends over his girlfriend or wife

cf. пе́рвым де́лом, пе́рвым де́лом — самолёты, ну а де́вушки?! а де́вушки — пото́м (pérvym délom, pérvym délom — samoljóty, nu a dévuški?! a dévuški — potóm) (a popular movie song, lit. "the airplanes, the airplanes — first of all, what about the girls?! well, and the girls — later")


情人眼裡出西施

情人眼里出西施
情人眼裏出西施
情人眼裡有西施
情人眼中出西施

in the eyes of a lover,Xi Shi (one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China) appears

ㄑㄧㄥˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧㄢˇ ㄌㄧˇ ㄔㄨ ㄒㄧ ㄕ

qíngrén yǎnlǐ chū Xīshī [Phonetic:qíngrényánlǐchūxīshī]

цинжэнь яньли чу Сиши

/t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵ ʐən³⁵ jɛn²¹⁴⁻³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

tsing⁴ jan⁴ ngaan⁵ loey⁵ tsoet⁷ sai¹ si¹

/t͡sʰɪŋ²¹ jɐn²¹ ŋaːn¹³ lɵy̯¹³ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ sɐi̯⁵⁵ siː⁵⁵/

/ʑin²² n̠ʲin⁵⁵ ŋe³³ li³³ t͡sʰəʔ⁴⁴ ɕi⁵⁵ sz̩²¹/

beauty is in the eye of the beholder
beauty is in the eye of the beholder

beauty is in the eye of the beholder; love is blind


quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire

LL-Q150 (fra)-LoquaxFR-quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire.wav

Literally, “when the wine is drawn, one has to drink it”.

lit

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


absent le chat, les souris dansent

Literally, “the cat absent, the mice dance”.

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

quand le chat n'est pas là, les souris dansent

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


en-proverb

En-au-the apple does not fall far from the tree.ogg

It is impossible to look at Madam Rhen, without at once making the conclusion that she is pleasantness, hospitality, and loquacity itself; nor can one look upon her daughter Renetta without thinking, "the apple does not fall far from the tree!"

1842, Frederika Bremer, chapter 10, in E. A. Freidlaender, transl., The Neighbours:

It's important that I know what diseases affect other members of your immediate family, because "the apple does not fall far from the tree."

1978 July 3, Dr. Isador Rosenfeld, “Doctor Asks Patient ‘Where The Action Is’”, in Pittsburgh Press, retrieved 2010-10-16, page C1:

(idiomatic) A child grows up to be similar to its parents, both in behavior and in physical characteristics.

die appel val nie ver van die boom af nie

子肖其父 (zǐ xiāo qí fù, literally “the son is like his father”)

la pomme ne tombe jamais loin de l’arbre

deda naxe, mama naxe, švili ise gamonaxe

დედა ნახე, მამა ნახე, შვილი ისე გამონახე

蛙の子は蛙 (かえるのこはかえる, kaeru no ko wa kaeru, literally “a frog's child is a frog”)

ke mana tumpahnya kuah kalau tidak ke nasi

bilasáana tsikʼidę́ę́ʼ naaltsʼiʼgo, doo nízaadi naaltsʼíid da


cuando llueve, diluvia

when it rains, it pours
when it rains, it pours


misery loves company

Tuvok: [It is curious] That my failure, added to your own, should improve your feelings.

1995, Chris Abbott, “State of Flux”, season 1 episode 11 of Star Trek: Voyager

Misery is easier to bear when one is not the only one miserable.

البؤس يحبّ الصُحبة

misery is easier when one is not the only one

solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris

it is a comfort to the wretched to have companions in misery

la miseria es mas fácil de conllevar cuando uno no es el único


clogs to clogs in three generations

From the common use of clogs by manual workers in north England and following the style of similar phrases which have been attested since 1700. The particular phrasing is perhaps of Lancashire origin. Compare shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.

(UK) Wealth earned in one generation seldom lasts through the third (grandchild's) generation.

富不過三代

wealth earned in one generation seldom lasts

minkä yksi sukupolvi rakentaa, sen toinen kasvattaa ja kolmas hävittää

wealth does not survive three generations


hae vertroewtj zich wie eint haes

/hǽː vɐˈtr̥ùʊ̯ɟ zɪ́x ʍìː ɛ̀ɪ̯nt xǽːs/

Literally, "he can be trusted like a horse"

(figuratively) he is very reliable, he can be trusted


garbage in, garbage out

Officials explained that the quality of the computer's work depends on the quality of the data fed into it. Neil Hoke, administrative assistant to Stewart, quoted an adage of computer men: "Garbage in, garbage out."

1963 April 1, Raymond Crowley, “Robot Tax Collector Seeks Indications of 'Fudging'”, in Times Daily, Alabama, USA, retrieved 2010-07-26:

The old caveat "GIGO"—garbage in, garbage out—is as valid in architectural design as in any other computer-aided activity.

2008, Roger K. Lewis, "'In Architectural Design, Brains and Talent Trump the Best Software," Washington Post, 19 July (retrieved 26 July 2010)

information technology
information technology

(computing, information technology, translation studies) If input data are not complete, accurate, and timely, then the resulting output is unreliable and of no useful value.

eiserchómena dedoména exerchómena dedoména

εισερχόμενα δεδομένα εξερχόμενα δεδομένα

му́сор на вхо́де — му́сор на вы́ходе (músor na vxóde — músor na výxode)

ask a silly question, get a silly answer


there is safety in numbers

There is a purported decrease in the likelihood of being the victim of an attack, accident, or other unfortunate event, as a result of being in a team or group.

人多安全

purported safety as a result of being in a team or group


לא מדבשך ולא מעקצך

he-proverb

לֹא מִדֻּבְשְׁךָ וְלֹא מֵעֻקְצְךָ

לֹא מִדֻּבְשְׁךָ וְלֹא מֵעֻקְצְךָ • (lo miduvsh'khá v'ló me'ukts'khá)

לֹא מִדֻּבְשְׁךָ וְלֹא מֵעֻקְצְךָ (canonical)
lo miduvsh'khá v'ló me'ukts'khá (romanization)

From Midrash Tanhuma.
Literally "not from your honey and not from your stinger".

I have no desire for what you're suggesting to me, not for the good in it and not for the bad in it.


head

rohkea rokan syö, kaino ei saa kaaliakaan

fortune favors the brave
fortune favors the brave

fortune favors the brave; proverb used to motivate someone to do a certain thing


misfortunes never come singly

Bad things or situations always come in groups or streaks, they never come in a single way.


a cat can look at a king

a doctrine which James characteristically parodied as the belief that a cat cannot look at a king unless some higher entity is looking at them both.

1982, A J Ayer, “Pragmatism”, in Philosophy in the Twentieth Century, page 71:

a cat may look at a king
a cat may look at a king#English

Alternative form of a cat may look at a king


who pays the piper calls the tune

From the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

The person who pays for something gets to say how it should be done.

wä de Musik bestellt, dä bestemmp, wat se spillt

wes Brot ich ess, des Lied ich sing

more idiomatic, but only partially equivalent

's e am fear a phàigheas am pìobaire a stiùireas am port

you pays your money and you takes your choice

you pays your money and you takes your chances


dē gustibus et colōribus nōn est disputandum

desc

→ French: des goûts et des couleurs, on ne discute pas (calque)

de gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum

/deː ˈɡus.ti.bus et koˈloː.ri.bus noːn est dis.puˈtan.dum/

[d̪eː ˈɡʊs̠t̪ɪbʊs̠ ɛt̪ kɔˈɫ̪oːrɪbʊs̠ noːn ɛs̠t̪ d̪ɪs̠pʊˈt̪än̪d̪ʊ̃ˑ]

/de ˈɡus.ti.bus et koˈlo.ri.bus non est dis.puˈtan.dum/

[d̪ɛː ˈɡust̪ibus ɛt̪ koˈlɔːribus nɔn ɛst̪ d̪ispuˈt̪än̪d̪um]

De gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum—certainly not with a lady. We shall be glad to know, however, if the opinion of our fair and candid correspondent is generally shared.—Ed.

1883, Monthly Notes Of The Library Association of the United Kingdom, volume 4, number 2 (in English), page 40:

dē gustibus nōn est disputandum
de gustibus non est disputandum#Latin

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

Alternative form of dē gustibus nōn est disputandum (“there's no accounting for taste”)


this too shall pass

Calque of Classical Persian اِین نِیز بُگْذَرَد (īn nīz bugzarad). Compare Latin sic transit gloria mundi.

calque

اِین نِیز بُگْذَرَد

Nothing, good or bad, lasts forever; all circumstances are temporary.

an rud a thig leis a' ghaoith, falbhaidh e leis an t-sruth


head

the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you get

the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get#English

Alternative form of the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get


the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you take


the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you take


the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you're going to get


the screwing you get isn't worth the screwing you're going to get


Years later she expressed her disillusionment with sex by saying, "The fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."

1971, Allen Churchill, The Literary Decade, →ISBN:

Maitland got drunk at his parties and threw his arm around you and pulled you over to his wife and made you look down her dress, saying, "The trouble with marriage is that the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."

1999, Ben Sonnenberg, Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy, →ISBN, page 93:

"I can't believe a little pussy got me into dis mess." "Shit happens," Service said. "Sometimes the fucking you get isn't worth the fucking you get."

2008, Joseph Heywood, Blue Wolf In Green Fire, →ISBN, page 63:

(vulgar) The sexual satisfactions that one receives from a spouse or romantic partner are not sufficient to compensate for the significant periods of bad faith and unpleasant treatment which such relationships routinely involve.


paistaa se päivä risukasaankin

every dog has its day
every dog has its day


children should be seen and not heard

Until you can organize yourself and those who share your discontent, and compile and reconstruct some proposals for meeting the needs of gay youths, until you can present them in an adult (and I stress that word — ADULT) manner; lay low, my friend, for children should be seen and not heard.

1978 December 9, Donald Farwell, “Our Angry Young Man”, in Gay Community News, volume 6, number 20, page 4:

Children should behave well and be quiet, especially in the presence of adults.

дете́й должно́ быть ви́дно, но не слы́шно


para bom entendedor, meia palavra basta

/pa.ɾɐ ˈbõ ẽ.tẽ.deˈdoʁ | ˈmej.ɐ paˈla.vɾɐ ˈbas.tɐ/

[pa.ɾɐ ˈbõ ẽ.tẽ.deˈdoh | ˈmeɪ̯.ɐ paˈla.vɾɐ ˈbas.tɐ]

/pa.ɾɐ ˈbõ ĩ.tẽ.deˈdoʁ | ˈmej.ɐ paˈla.vɾɐ ˈbas.tɐ/

[pa.ɾɐ ˈbõ ĩ.tẽ.deˈdoh | ˈmeɪ̯.ɐ paˈla.vɾɐ ˈbas.tɐ]

/pa.ɾɐ ˈbõ ẽ.tẽ.deˈdoɾ | ˈmej.ɐ paˈla.vɾɐ ˈbas.tɐ/

[pa.ɾɐ ˈbõ ẽ.tẽ.deˈdoɾ | ˈmeɪ̯.ɐ paˈla.vɾɐ ˈbas.tɐ]

/pa.ɾɐ ˈbõ ĩ.tẽ.deˈdoɾ | ˈmej.ɐ paˈla.vɾɐ ˈbas.tɐ/

[pa.ɾɐ ˈbõ ĩ.tẽ.deˈdoɾ | ˈmeɪ̯.ɐ paˈla.vɾɐ ˈbas.tɐ]

/pa.ɾɐ ˈbõ ẽ.tẽ.deˈdoʁ | ˈmej.ɐ paˈla.vɾɐ ˈbaʃ.tɐ/

[pa.ɾɐ ˈbõ ẽ.tẽ.deˈdoχ | ˈmeɪ̯.ɐ paˈla.vɾɐ ˈbaʃ.tɐ]

/pa.ɾɐ ˈbõ ĩ.tẽ.deˈdoʁ | ˈmej.ɐ paˈla.vɾɐ ˈbaʃ.tɐ/

[pa.ɾɐ ˈbõ ĩ.tẽ.deˈdoχ | ˈmeɪ̯.ɐ paˈla.vɾɐ ˈbaʃ.tɐ]

/pa.ɾa ˈbõ ẽ.tẽ.deˈdoɻ | ˈmej.a paˈla.vɾa ˈbas.ta/

[pa.ɾa ˈbõ ẽ.tẽ.deˈdoɻ | ˈmeɪ̯.a paˈla.vɾa ˈbas.ta]

/pa.ɾa ˈbõ ĩ.tẽ.deˈdoɻ | ˈmej.a paˈla.vɾa ˈbas.ta/

[pa.ɾa ˈbõ ĩ.tẽ.deˈdoɻ | ˈmeɪ̯.a paˈla.vɾa ˈbas.ta]

/pɐ.ɾɐ ˈbõ ẽ.tẽ.dɨˈdoɾ | ˈmɐj.ɐ pɐˈla.vɾɐ ˈbaʃ.tɐ/

[pɐ.ɾɐ ˈβõ ẽ.tẽ.dɨˈðoɾ | ˈmɐj.ɐ pɐˈla.vɾɐ ˈβaʃ.tɐ]

/pɐ.ɾɐ ˈbõ ẽ.tẽ.dɨˈdoɾ | ˈmej.ɐ pɐˈla.bɾɐ ˈbaʃ.tɐ/

[pɐ.ɾɐ ˈβõ ẽ.tẽ.dɨˈðoɾ | ˈmej.ɐ pɐˈla.βɾɐ ˈβaʃ.tɐ]

/pɐ.ɾɐ ˈbõ ẽ.tẽ.dɨˈdoɾ | ˈmej.ɐ pɐˈla.vɾɐ ˈbaʃ.tɐ/

[pɐ.ɾɐ ˈβõ ẽ.tẽ.dɨˈðoɾ | ˈmej.ɐ pɐˈla.vɾɐ ˈβaʃ.tɐ]

/pɐ.ɾɐ ˈbõ ẽ.tẽ.dɨˈdo.ɾi | ˈme.ɐ pɐˈla.vɾɐ ˈbaʃ.tɐ/

[pɐ.ɾɐ ˈβõ ẽ.tẽ.dɨˈðo.ɾi | ˈme.ɐ pɐˈla.vɾɐ ˈβaʃ.tɐ]

Literally, “for a good understander, half a word is enough”.

lit

people are often able to understand something not fully explained


o que não mata, engorda

Literally, “what does not kill people, makes them fatter”.

lit

every substance is certainly either edible or lethal

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger (hardships build moral character)


a picture is worth a thousand words

Popularized following a 1911 speech given by Arthur Brisbane where he encouraged advertisers "Use a picture. It's worth a thousand words." By 1915, the phrase in its modern form is attested. A number of other phrases expressing the same idea are are attested throughout the 1800s.

A visualisation is a better description than a verbal description.

Arthur Brisbane
Fred R. Shapiro
Quote Investigator
Wolfgang Mieder
a picture is worth a thousand words

صُورَة تُسَاوِي أَلْف كَلِمَة

visualisation is better than verbal description

een afbeelding zegt meer dan duizend woorden

yksi kuva kertoo enemmän kuin tuhat sanaa

百聞は一見に如かず

ひゃくぶんはいっけんにしかず

jeden obraz jest wart więcej niż tysiąc słów

o pictură spune mai mult decât o mie de vorbe

lúčše odín raz uvídetʹ, čem sto raz uslýšatʹ

лу́чше оди́н раз уви́деть, чем сто раз услы́шать


en-proverb

when the going gets tough, the tough get going

In difficult times, it is the strong-willed who take action.

in difficult times the strong-willed take action

c’est quand le jeu devient dur que les durs commencent à jouer

quando il gioco si fa duro, i duri cominciano a giocare

when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro


fr-proverb

/la vɑ̃.ʒɑ̃s ɛ.t‿œ̃ pla ki s(ə) mɑ̃ʒ fʁwa/

LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid.wav

Literally, “revenge is a dish that is eaten cold”.
The phrase, which became widely used from the 19th century, is also found in other Romance languages, such as Italian la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo and Spanish la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío.

cog

revenge is a dish best served cold
revenge is a dish best served cold

revenge is a dish best served cold (revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed, when the person whom one wants to exact revenge from won't have any inkling that something is coming their way)


Şam şekir lê welat şirîntir e

Literally, "Damascus is sugar, but one's own land is even sweeter."

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


en-proverb

the apple does not fall far from the trunk

the apple does not fall far from the tree#English

Alternative form of the apple does not fall far from the tree


the apple does not fall far from the stem


Hunde, die bellen, beißen nicht

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite


der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm

De-der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm.ogg

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

the apple does not fall far from the tree

Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Birnbaum

satirical variation: The apple falls not far from the pear tree.

Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Pferd

satirical variation: The road apple falls not far from the horse/steed.


der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm

/deːɐ̯ ˈfʁyːə ˈfoːɡl̩ fɛŋt deːn vʊʁm/

Calque of English the early bird catches the worm.

calque

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


der Glaube kann Berge versetzen

faith will move mountains
faith will move mountains


dvakrát meraj, raz strihaj

measure twice and cut once
measure twice and cut once

measure twice and cut once; verify your plans and the information on which they are based before you execute them


pienilläkin padoilla on korvat

pienillä (“small”) + -kin (“also”) + padoilla (“pots”) + on (“have”) + korvat (“ears”), "even the small pots have ears".

little pitchers have big ears
little pitchers have big ears


head

desperate times require desperate measures

desperate times call for desperate measures#English

Synonym of desperate times call for desperate measures


en-proverb

desperate times call for desperate measures

This phrase likely originates with a saying of the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, which appears in his Aphorisms: "For extreme diseases, extreme methods of cure, as to restriction, are most suitable."http://classics.mit.edu/Hippocrates/aphorisms.1.i.html. A similar phrase occurs in Erasmus's Latin adage "Malo nodo, malus quærendus cuneus" (from his 1500 book Adagia, which was first published in English in 1545).http://books.google.com/books?id=VX_Cf4e_66IC&pg=PA73&dq=erasmus+adagia+%22malo+nodo%22&hl=en&ei=nMAFTdu5LISglAfk89CzCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=erasmus%20adagia%20%22malo%20nodo%22&f=false
Another similar Latin saying, "extremis malis extrema remedia," appears in print as early as 1596.http://books.google.com/books?id=fCVDAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA9&dq=%22extremis+malis%22&hl=en&ei=wscFTeWqB8H_lgf2xJz_CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CE0Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=%22extremis%20malis%22&f=false

In adverse circumstances, actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.

非常時期需要非常手段

in adverse circumstances, actions that might have been rejected may become the best choice

重症需下猛藥

lit., "extreme diseases require extreme medicine"

desperate tider kræver desperate handlinger

außergewöhnliche Umstände erfordern außergewöhnliche Maßnahmen

masa-masa sulit melahirkan keputusan-keputusan sulit

ang taong nagigipit, sa patalim kumakapit


Roma no se hizo en un día

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


no se ganó Zamora en una hora

Literally, “Zamora wasn't won in an hour”. In reference to Sancho II who unsuccessfully tried to conquer this Spanish city in 1072 during seven months.

lit

(idiomatic) Rome wasn't built in a day (it takes a long time to do something complicated or impressive)


дарёному коню в зубы не смотрят

head

дарёному коню́ в зу́бы не смо́трят

дарёному коню́ в зу́бы не смо́трят • (darjónomu konjú v zúby ne smótrjat)

дарёному коню́ в зу́бы не смо́трят (canonical)
darjónomu konjú v zúby ne smótrjat (romanization)

[dɐˈrʲɵnəmʊ kɐˈnʲu ˈv‿zubɨ nʲɪ‿ˈsmotrʲət]

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-дарёному коню в зубы не смотрят.wav

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

en-дарёному_коню_в_зубы_не_смотрят-ru-proverb-fKoecdmY


kukin taaplaa tyylillään

Minä en haluaisi myrkynvihreää ja turkoosia kylpyhuonetta, mutta kukin taaplaa tyylillään, luulisin.

I would never want my bathroom decorated in chartreuse and turquoise, but to each his own, I suppose.

to each his own (every person is entitled to their own personal preferences and tastes)


všeho moc škodí

everything in moderation
everything in moderation


vakka kantensa valitsee

vakka (“type of wooden container, bushel”) + kansi (“cap”) + -nsa (“third person possessive suffix”) + valitsee (“chooses”)

suffix

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

a man is known by the company he keeps (people are similar in character to their friends)


ensin työ, sitten leikki

business before pleasure
business before pleasure


a la taula i al llit, al primer crit

Literally, “to the table and to the bed at the first shout”.

lit

used by parents to remind children, chiefly their own, of their obligations


tal faràs, tal trobaràs

said to tell someone that if he does bad things, thus they will suffer bad things too

you make the bed you lie in
you make the bed you lie in


no rest for the wicked

Book of Isaiah
Coverdale Bible
Harold Gray
Little Orphan Annie
Miles Coverdale
Nebuchadnezzar II
no rest for the wicked

From the Book of Isaiah verses 48:22 and 57:20-21, originally Hebrew. First attested in English in 1535, in Coverdale Bible of Miles Coverdale. Quoted in biblical sense for centuries, humorous secular sense popularized from 1930s, particularly due to use as title of popular Little Orphan Annie strip by Harold Gray in 1933. According to rabbinical tradition, the word “wicked” refers only to king Nebuchadnezzar II and his descendants.

(literally) Eternal torment in hell awaits sinners.

(humorous) People who are wicked must work harder than normal people.


得饒人處且饒人

ㄉㄜˊ ㄖㄠˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄔㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄝˇ ㄖㄠˊ ㄖㄣˊ

дэжаожэньчуцежаожэнь

dɛžaožɛnʹčucežaožɛnʹ

/tɤ³⁵ ʐɑʊ̯³⁵ ʐən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐɑʊ̯³⁵ ʐən³⁵/

(idiomatic) sometimes it's better to forgive someone than to persist on looking further into the mistake made by the said person


head

some days you get the bear, other days the bear gets you

One cannot always overcome a powerful adversary.


ei ole hoppu hyväksi, eikä kiire kunniaksi

more haste, less speed
more haste, less speed


欲速則不達

yù sù zé bù dá

ㄩˋ ㄙㄨˋ ㄗㄜˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄚˊ

yù sù zé bù dá

yù sù zé bù dá

юй су цзэ бу да

/y⁵¹⁻⁵³ su⁵¹ t͡sɤ³⁵ pu⁵¹ tä³⁵/

/jʊk̚² t͡sʰʊk̚⁵ t͡sɐk̚⁵ pɐt̚⁵ taːt̚²/

/iɔk̚⁴⁻³² sɔk̚³² t͡siɪk̚³²⁻⁴ put̚³²⁻⁴ tat̚⁴/

/y⁵¹⁻⁵³ su⁵¹ t͡sɤ³⁵ pu⁵¹ tä³⁵/

/jʊk̚² t͡sʰʊk̚⁵ t͡sɐk̚⁵ pɐt̚⁵ taːt̚²/

The Master said, "Do not be desirous to have things done quickly; do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished."

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

Zǐyuē: “Wú yù sù, wú jiàn xiǎolì. Yù sù, zé bù dá; jiàn xiǎolì, zé dàshì bùchéng.”

子曰：「無欲速，無見小利。欲速，則不達；見小利，則大事不成。」

子曰：「无欲速，无见小利。欲速，则不达；见小利，则大事不成。」

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

haste makes waste; slow and steady wins the race


it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings

First appeared in 1976 in a Dallas Morning News article dated March 10, 1976. Popularized by sports coach Dick Motta in 1978. Generally understood to be in reference to opera sopranos, who were typically heavyset.

There are more developments yet to come; one should not presume to know the outcome of an event which is still in progress.

Dallas Morning News
Dick Motta
Dr Stephen Juan
The Register

Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben.

그 살찐 아가씨가 노래할 끝난게 아닙니다

geu saljjin agassiga noraehal kkeunnan'ge animnida

dopóki piłka w grze, wszystko jest możliwe

chan eil am bonnach beag bruich fhathast

don't count your chickens before they're hatched


he who laughs last laughs hardest

he who laughs last laughs best
he who laughs last laughs best#English

Alternative form of he who laughs last laughs best


every silver lining has a cloud

A great partnership isn't a self-maintaining entity. Perseverance and persistence make it thrive. For every silver lining has a cloud. Ignorance of this reality is not an option.

2007, Diab A. Shetayh, Actuality : The Reality Requiem:

Every good situation has the potential to turn bad.

elk voordeel heeft zijn nadeel

every good situation has the potential to turn bad


he who laughs last laughs best

Success is enjoyed more after having previously endured ridicule.

wie die laaste lag, lag die lekkerste

success is better after you've endured ridicule

kojto se smee posleden, se smee naj-dobre

който се смее последен, се смее най-добре

kdo se směje naposled, ten se směje nejlíp

joka viimeksi nauraa, se parhaiten nauraa

geláei kalýtera ópoios geláei teleftaíos

γελάει καλύτερα όποιος γελάει τελευταίος

最後に笑う者が最もよく笑う

さいごにわらうものがもっともよくわらう

saigo ni warau mono ga mottomo yoku warau

deen am leschte laacht, laacht am beschten

kdor se zadnji smeje, se najslajše smeje

Cười người hôm trước, hôm sau người cười.


a cavall regalat, no li miris el dentat

you don't look a gift horse in the mouth


ets el que menges

you are what you eat
you are what you eat


don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs

From a 1707 translation by John Stevens of comical works of Francisco de Quevedo (1580 – 1645).
"You would have me teach my Grandame to suck Eggs"

Don't presume to give advice to those who are more experienced.

Francisco de Quevedo
Teaching grandmother to suck eggs

on n’apprend pas à un vieux singe à faire la grimace

ce n’est pas à un vieux singe qu’on apprend à faire des grimaces

ne učí plávatʹ ščúku, ščúka znájet svojú naúku

не учи́ пла́вать щу́ку, щу́ка зна́ет свою́ нау́ку

na ionnsaich do sheanmhair lit' a dhèanamh


会者定離

会者定離 (canonical)
eshajōri (romanization)

From 遺教經 (The Sutra on the Buddha's Bequeathed Teachings, a Chinese translation; the original version in Sanskrit has been lost.):
Literal translation (kanbun kundoku) in Japanese:
世(よ)皆(みな)常(つね)無(な)し、会(あ)えば必(かなら)ず離(はな)る有(あ)り。
Yo mina tsune nashi, aeba kanarazu hanaru ari.
Everything about the world is impermanent. A meeting is always accompanied with a parting.

ja-usex

世 皆 常 無し、会えば 必ず 離る 有り。

よ みな つね なし、あえば かならず はなる あり。

世皆無常，會必有離。

世皆无常，会必有离。

(Buddhism) those who meet must part (Every human relationship will end someday due to the transient nature of life.)


君辱臣死

ㄐㄩㄣ ㄖㄨˇ ㄔㄣˊ ㄙˇ

ㄐㄩㄣ ㄖㄨˋ ㄔㄣˊ ㄙˇ

цзюньжучэньсы

/t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ ʐu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ ʐu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ ʐu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

(literary) If the king is disgraced, the king's servant must die.


אין חדש תחת השמש

head

אֵין חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

אֵין חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ • (ein khadásh tákhat hashémesh)

אֵין חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַ שָּׁמֶשׁ (canonical)
ein khadásh tákhat hashémesh (romanization)

אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ
אין כל חדש תחת השמש#Hebrew

Alternative form of אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ


אין כל חדש תחת השמש

אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ • (en kol chadásh táchat haShámesh)

אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַ שָּׁמֶשׁ (canonical)
en kol chadásh táchat haShámesh (romanization)

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

en-אין_כל_חדש_תחת_השמש-he-proverb-5rK6Y2k4


there is nothing new under the sun

Calque of Latin nihil sub sōle novum, itself a calque from the Hebrew אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ (en kol chadásh táchat hashámesh, “there is nothing new under the sun”) found in Ecclesiastes 1:9.

der

אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

There is nothing truly novel in existence; every new idea has some sort of precedent or echo from the past.

日光之下并无新事

jat⁶ gwong¹ zi¹ haa⁶ bing⁶ mou⁴ san¹ si⁶

nothing is said that has not been said before

the more things change, the more they stay the same


אבות אכלו בוסר ושיני בנים תקהינה

he-proverb

אבות אכלו בוסר ושיני בנים תקהינה

אבות אכלו בוסר ושיני בנים תקהינה / אָבוֹת אָכְלוּ בֹּסֶר וְשִׁנֵּי בָּנִים תִּקְהֶינָה • ('avót 'akh'lú bóser v'shinéi baním tikhéna)

Directly from Jeremiah he:T:29 (see quotation below).

בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם לֹא־יֹאמְרוּ עוֹד אָבוֹת אָכְלוּ בֹסֶר וְשִׁנֵּי בָנִים תִּקְהֶינָה׃

Tanach, Jeremiah [[s:he:T1131#לא_כח|31:28]], with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

bayamím hahém lo-yom'rú 'ód 'avót 'akh'lú vóser v'shinéi vaním tikhéna.
bayyāmīm hāhēm lō-yōmərū ʿōḏ ʾāḇōṯ ʾāḵəlū ḇṓser wəšinnē ḇānīm tiqhénā.

Children will suffer for their parents' misdeeds.

en-אבות_אכלו_בוסר_ושיני_בנים_תקהינה-he-proverb-8wVnnGa6


sauce for the goose

what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander#English

Synonym of what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander


wrap it before you tap it

(slang) It is wise to wear a condom before sexual intercourse.


if you lie with dogs you will get fleas

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

Alternative form of if you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas


laughter is the best medicine

Laughing will improve one's mood or temperament.

time spent laughing is time spent with the gods


head

what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander

desc

sauce bonne pour l'oie est bonne pour le jars

French: sauce bonne pour l’oie est bonne pour le jars

Euphues and his England
John Heywood
John Lyly

1670s, figuratively using goose/gander for women and men, and literally meaning that the same sauce applies equally well to cooked goose, regardless of sex. Early forms include “as deep drinketh the goose as the gander” (1562) and similar “As well for the coowe calfe as for the bull” (1549). The expression appears in Dickens when a spy attempting to evade culpability insists, “For you cannot sarse the goose and not the gander.”

what's good for the goose is good for the gander

[…] sawce which is good for the Goose, I hope will be good for the Gander […]

[1674, Richard Head, The English Rogue, Part 3, page 4:

That that's good sauce for a goose, is good for a gander.

[1678, John Ray, Collection of English Proverbs, 2nd edition, Cambridge, page 48:

[I]t is, as I may ſo ſay, a ſavvcy Plot: and vve all knovv, moſt Reverend Fathers, that vvhat is ſavvce for a Gooſe is ſavvce for a Gander: Therefore, I ſay, as thoſe bloud-thirſty Ganders of the conſpiracy vvould have deſtroyed us Geeſe of the Senate, let us make haſte to deſtroy them, ſo I humbly move for hanging— […]

1682, Thomas Otway, Venice Preserv’d, or, A Plot Discover’d. A Tragedy. […], London: […] Jos[eph] Hindmarsh […], →OCLC, Act V, scene [ii], page 61:

What is sauce for the gander is sauce for the goose and the arguments that he produces against my suggestion apply with double force to his.

1945, Herbert Walter Fairman, “An Introduction to the Study of Ptolemaic Signs and Their Values”, in Le Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale, volume 43, page 80:

If something is acceptable for one person, it is acceptable for another (often of the opposite gender).

gelijke monniken, gelijke kappen

if something is acceptable for one person, it is acceptable for another

saŭco por la anserino ankaŭ estas saŭco por la viransero

was dem einen recht ist, ist dem anderen billig

quel che vale per l’uno vale anche per l’altro

lo que es bueno para el pavo, es bueno para la pava

One who treats others in a certain way should not complain about receiving the same treatment.

one who treats others in a certain way should not complain about receiving the same treatment

ami az egyiknek szabad, szabad a másiknak is (legyen)


en-proverb

you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows

From a line in a Bob Dylan song, Subterranean Homesick Blues.

One doesn't require an expert to tell one what one already knows.


where there's muck there's brass

(UK, Ireland) There is money to be made even in unpleasant, dirty jobs.


head

bu dual do dh'isean an ròin a dhol chun na mara

like father, like son
like father, like son

like father, like son (literally "it is a puppy seal's heritage to go to the sea")


друг познаётся в беде

друг познаётся в беде́

друг познаётся в беде́ • (drug poznajótsja v bedé)

друг познаётся в беде ́ (canonical)
drug poznajótsja v bedé (romanization)

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-друг познаётся в беде.wav

Literally, “a friend is proven in time of trouble”.

lit

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

en-друг_познаётся_в_беде-ru-proverb-WvKrm9PN


del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho

/del ˌdit͡ʃo al ˌet͡ʃo ˌai ˌmut͡ʃo ˈtɾet͡ʃo/

[d̪el̪ ˌd̪i.t͡ʃo al ˌe.t͡ʃo ˌai̯ ˌmu.t͡ʃo ˈt̪ɾe.t͡ʃo]

Literally, “from the said to the done there is a long distance”.

lit

easier said than done
easier said than done


地震雷火事親父

ja-pos

じしん かみなり かじ おやじ

地(じ)震(しん)雷(かみなり)火(か)事(じ)親(おや)父(じ) • (jishin kaminari kaji oyaji)

地震雷火事親父 (canonical)
jishin kaminari kaji oyaji (romanization)

Literally, “earthquake, lightning, fire, father”.

lit

the father is feared as much as the worst natural occurrences


aki sokat markol, keveset fog

Literally, “whoever grasps too much holds on to little”.


grasp all, lose all

One who wants everything may lose it all.

qui molt abraça, poc estreny

one who wants everything, may lose it all

qui molt abraça i poc estreny pateix de poc seny

joka kuuseen kurkottaa, se katajaan kapsahtaa

parempi pyy pivossa kuin kymmenen oksalla

za dvumjá zájcami pogónišʹsja, ni odnovó ne pojmáješʹ

за двумя́ за́йцами пого́нишься, ни одного́ не пойма́ешь

den som gapar efter mycket mister ofta hela stycket


oft má satt kyrrt liggja

toute vérité n'est pas bonne à dire#French

(proverb) the truth is sometimes better left unsaid (confer the English bend the truth and the French toute vérité n’est pas bonne à dire)


bylur hæst í tómri tunnu

From the third-person present indictive bylur (“reverberates, resounds”) and hæst (“loudest”) and í (“in”) and the feminine singular dative tómri (“empty”) and the singular dative tunnu (“in a barrel”); literally meaning "it reverberates the most in an empty barrel".

empty barrels make the most noise
empty barrels make the most noise

(proverbs) empty barrels make the most noise; (the ignorant make the most noise)


head

meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani

Literally, “Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow”.

lit

better an egg today than a hen tomorrow
better an egg today than a hen tomorrow

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; better an egg today than a hen tomorrow


long ways, long lies

/ˈlɒŋ ˌweɪz ˈlɒŋ ˌlaɪz/

Someone who returns from a far-off region can tell lies without fear of being contradicted.

de llunyes terres, moltes mentides

someone who comes back from a far-off region can tell lies without fear of being contradicted

wie verre reizen doet, kan veel verhalen

syrjäisistä paikoista on helppo valehdella

wenn einer eine Reise tut, dann kann er was erzählen

messziről jött ember azt mond, amit akar

osoba z dalekiego miejsca może kłamać bezpiecznie

до́бро тому́ врать, кто за мо́рем быва́л


head

amilyen az adjonisten, olyan a fogadjisten

[ˈɒmijɛn ɒz ˈɒɟːoniʃtɛn ˈojɒn ɒ ˈfoɡɒɟːiʃtɛn]

Literally, “as one greets, so will one's greeting be returned”

lit

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

what goes around, comes around
what goes around, comes around

give as good as one gets, what goes around, comes around, tit for tat (as we treat others, so will we be treated)


chi semina vento raccoglie tempesta

Literally, “(he) who sows wind gathers tempest”. Compare French qui sème le vent récolte la tempête.

cog

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


head

a nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse

a nod is as good as a wink
a nod is as good as a wink#English


am fear nach dèan cur rè latha fuar, cha dèan e buain rè latha teth

no pain, no gain (lit. "The man who doesn't plant during a cold day, he won't harvest during a hot day")


's tric a bhios cridhe gheal ann an seiche dhonn

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

don't judge a book by its cover (lit. "Often a bright heart is in a brown skin")


na h-abair diug a choidhche ris an eun gus an dig e às an ugh

don't count your chickens before they're hatched (lit. "don't say 'here chick chick' to the bird until he's hatched from the egg")


le sìor iarraidh thig furtachd lath'-eigin

le sìor iarraidh thig furtachd latha eigin

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


خواستن توانستن است

خواستن توانستن است

خواستن توانستن است • (xâstan tavânestan ast)

xâstan tavânestan ast (romanization)
wanting is being able to (literally)

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


is treasa tuatha na tighearna

The common people are stronger than a lord.


sluagh gun cànan, sluagh gun anam

sluagh gun chànan (canonical)
sluagh gun anam (canonical)

A country without a language is a country without a soul.


pàighidh am feamann am feurach

The fertilizer will pay for the grazing.


tagh do bhean mar as math leat do chlann

Choose your wife as you would like your children.


bidh an t-ubhal as fheàrr air a' mheangan as àirde

The best apple will be on the highest branch.


's àirde tuathanach air a chasan na duine-uasal air a glùinean

's àirde tuathanach air a chasan na duine-uasal air a ghlùinean

A peasant on his feet is more powerful than a nobleman on his knees.


an leanabh a dh'fhàgar dha fhèin, cuiridh e a mhàthair gu nàire

The child who is left by himself, he shall bring his mother to shame.


cha nigh na tha de uisge anns a' mhuir ar càirdeas

All of the water in the sea could not wash away our kinship.


far am bi toil, bidh gnìomh

where there's a will
where there's a will#English

where there's a will (literally “here a will is, action will be”)


is sona gach cuid an comaidh; is mairg a chromadh 'na aonar

is sona gach cuid an comaidh (canonical)
is mairg a chromadh 'na aonar (canonical)

Everything shared brings happiness; pity he who would stoop by himself.


am fear a labhras olc mu a mhnaoi, tha e a cur mì-chliù air fhèin

am fear a labhras olc mu a mhnaoi (canonical)
tha e a cur mì-chliù air fhèin (canonical)

am fear a labhras olc mu a mhnaoi, tha e a' cur mì-chliù air fhèin

The man who speaks ill of his wife, he ruins his own reputation/ disgraces himself.


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

is fheàrr teine beag a gharas na teine mòr a loisgeas#Scottish_Gaelic

Alternative form of is fheàrr teine beag a gharas na teine mòr a loisgeas


's beò duine an dèidh a shàrachaidh, ach cha bheò e an dèidh a nàrachaidh

A person may live after his harassment, but he will not survive his disgrace.


an dubh-isean ag iarraidh an dubh-gheòidh

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


hvad der kommer let, går let

hvad der kommer let, går let (what comes easy, goes easy)

easy come, easy go (easily won and easily lost; usually said when resigned to a loss)


en-proverb

that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger#English

Alternative form of what doesn't kill you makes you stronger


what doesn't kill you makes you stronger

From German Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker, which has been variously translated, from Friedrich Nietzsche's Twilight of the Idols.

der

Friedrich Nietzsche
Twilight of the Idols

was dich nicht umbringt, macht dich stärker


no good deed ever goes unpunished

beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility.


no good deed goes unpunished

According to the website Grammarist, there is no one origin for the phrase "let no good deed go unpunished." However, it also lists several written examples from the 20th century, starting with a 1942 phrase attributed to Walter Winchell, in which he wrote (in a column) "[It] reminds me of the line diplomats use: ‘No good deed goes unpunished in Washington.” On top of that, it lists one from Dante's "The Divine Comedy" ("love is the seed in you of every virtue/and of all acts deserving punishment."). This can be found at the website https://grammarist.com/proverb/no-good-deed-goes-unpunished/.
Meanwhile, the website Quote Investigator gives several older examples of these phrases, including one from a 12th-century text that was translated into English in 1923, and which discussed a malevolent, though the website indicated that it wasn't written like it was a proverb. As well, two came from 1927 (one of which used the word "kindness" in place of "good deed") and another from 1938 ("Every good deed brings its own punishment"), which was the earliest match that website found which it considered to be strong. This can be found at the website https://quoteinvestigator.com/2018/04/30/good-deed/.

Beneficial actions often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility or demands for further work.

好心沒好報

beneficial actions often go unappreciated etc.

každý dobrý skutek je po zásluze potrestán

idővel minden jótett elnyeri méltó büntetését

ni odnó dóbroje délo ne ostajótsja beznakázannym

ни одно́ до́брое де́ло не остаётся безнака́занным


treat them mean, keep them keen

(informal) A woman will be more interested in a man if he is not kind to her.


gato escaldado de água fria tem medo

Literally, “a scalded cat is afraid of cold water”.

lit

once bitten, twice shy
once bitten, twice shy


gato escaldado del agua fría huye

[ˌɡa.t̪o es.kal̪ˌd̪a.ð̞o ð̞el ˌa.ɣ̞wa ˌfɾi.a ˈu.ʝe]

[ˌɡa.t̪o es.kal̪ˌd̪a.ð̞o ð̞el ˌa.ɣ̞wa ˌfɾi.a ˈu.ʃe]

[ˌɡa.t̪o es.kal̪ˌd̪a.ð̞o ð̞el ˌa.ɣ̞wa ˌfɾi.a ˈu.ʒe]

Literally, “a scalded cat runs away from cold water”


head

la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo

revenge is a dish best served cold
revenge is a dish best served cold


life is like a box of chocolates

En-au-life is like a box of chocolates.ogg

Appeared in the 1994 film Forrest Gump, when the lead character Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks) says “My mom always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.”

(simile) Life is full of surprises; you never know what will happen next.


цель оправдывает средства

цель опра́вдывает сре́дства

цель опра́вдывает сре́дства • (celʹ oprávdyvajet srédstva)

цель опра́вдывает сре́дства (canonical)
celʹ oprávdyvajet srédstva (romanization)

Ru-цель оправдывает средства.ogg

the end justifies the means
the end justifies the means

en-цель_оправдывает_средства-ru-proverb-MoKTShZ0


Siperia opettaa

[ˈs̠ipe̞riɑ̝ ˈo̞pe̞t̪ːɑ̝ː]

Literally Siperia (“Siberia”) + opettaa (“teaches”). A reference to the period (1809 to 1917) when Finland was part of Russia. At that time the serious criminals, and towards the end of the period also dissidents, were often sentenced to exile in Siberia.

Koko kasvatuskulttuurimme perustuu ajatukselle, että vaikeudet kasvattavat ja Siperia opettaa.

2011, Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen, Temperamentti, stressi ja elämänhallinta [Temperament, stress and life control], WSOY:

Our whole educational culture is based on the idea that difficulties grow one's character and one learns the hard way.

experience is the best teacher
experience is the best teacher

experience is the best teacher (lessons learned from experience are the most lasting)

Siperia opettaa, oli tyttö todennut kavereilleen.

2020, Kalle Isokallio, Suomalainen puolisukeltaja [A Finnish Dabbling Duck], WSOY:

Once bitten, twice shy, had the girl said to her friends.

once bitten, twice shy (one is cautious in the future if one has been hurt in the past)


en-proverb

those who will not when they may, when they will they shall have nay

(archaic) One should take immediate advantage of an opportunity that may not be available later.


a good deed is its own reward

One should not expect a reward for good deeds, but should perform them merely for the satisfaction of doing so.

贈人玫瑰，手有餘香

one should not expect a reward for good deeds


head

nem Jesus Cristo conseguiu agradar a todos

Literally, “not even Jesus Christ managed to please everybody”.

lit

there is no pleasing some
there is no pleasing some

there is no pleasing some (one should not try to please everybody, since it would be impossible)


location, location, location

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-location, location, location.wav

The most important consideration in buying real estate is its location.

位置第一

One could argue that sports are no different from fast foods—it's all location, location, location. Because the core sport product is a game form, simultaneously produced and consumed, it makes sense that the venue of that game form should maximize exposure.

2007, Bernard James Mullin, Stephen Hardy, William Anthony Sutton, Sport marketing, Human Kinetics, →ISBN, page 345:

Theatre is all about location, location, location. More than most art forms, it is rooted in a specific time and place.

2011, Aleks Sierz, Rewriting the Nation: British Theatre Today, A&C Black, →ISBN, page 10:

Location, location, location. The iPhone makes good use of knowing where you are in the Maps app and several other apps and by geotagging photos taken with its camera.

2011, Bob LeVitus, iPhone 4S For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 255:

It's all about location, location, location, and Google's goggles will have a direct bead on you 24 hours a day.

2013, Wheeler Winston Dixon, Streaming: Movies, Media, and Instant Access, University Press of Kentucky, →ISBN, page 131:


you win some, you lose some

Everybody experiences some successes and some failures.

sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you


nincsen rózsa tövis nélkül

Literally: "there is no rose without a thorn"

no rose without a thorn
no rose without a thorn


make it do or do without

If you don't have a lot of money, extend the life of what you have.

use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without


parem varblane peos kui tuvi katusel

Literally “better a sparrow in the hand than a pigeon on the roof”. The saying is widely attested in Europe and the Middle East, but the exact wording suggest a calque of German Besser ein Spatz in der Hand als eine Taube auf dem Dach.

cal

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush


veel koks bederven de brij

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

too many cooks spoil the broth (literally "many cooks spoil the porridge")


veel koks verzouten de brij

too many cooks spoil the broth (literally "many cooks salt the porridge")


mitä useampi kokki, sitä huonompi soppa

jota useampi kokki, sitä vetelämpi velli

too many cooks spoil the broth (literally "the more cooks, the worse the soup")


you can't take it with you

"The clause which—at my death—makes you sole owner of the whole concession. You see—the odds were scarcely even, were they? It wasn't likely anything would happen to you!" . . .
"What's it matter to you now?" Trent said, with unintentional brutality. "You can't take it with you."

1900, E. Phillips Oppenheim, chapter 6, in A Millionaire of Yesterday:

Dealers also quietly bought gold fillings from morticians, proving that you can't take it with you.

1980 January 14, “Business: The Great Sell-Off”, in Time:

You can't take it with you, of course, but your intended heirs may not be able to take it with them, either, if you do not explicitly state through a will who is supposed to get what.

2007 August 3, Conrad de Aenlle, “All the right (and wrong) moves”, in New York Times, retrieved 2011-07-11:

It is not possible to take one's material wealth or possessions to whatever world may await one after death.


brent barn skyr ilden

head

brent barn skyr ilden ("a burnt baby shuns the fire")

One remembers an unpleasant incident very well and makes note not to do the same in future.

a burnt child dreads the fire
a burnt child dreads the fire

once bitten, twice shy, a burnt child dreads the fire


blod är tjockare än vatten

blood is thicker than water
blood is thicker than water


op elk potje past een deksel

Literally, “on every pot fits a lid”. Compare the same in German auf jeden Topf passt ein Deckel.

every Jack has his Jill
every Jack has his Jill


every Jack has his Jill

Everybody will eventually find a romantic partner.

طنجرة ولقت غطاها

everybody will eventually find a romantic partner

non c'è la pentola così brutta che non si trova il suo coperchio

há um chinelo velho para todo pé cansado


ember embernek farkasa

Calque of Latin homo homini lupus est, from ember (“man”) + ember (“man”) + -nek (“to”) + farkas (“wolf”) + -a (possessive suffix), literally: "man [is the] wolf of man"

affix

man is a wolf to man
man is a wolf to man


man is a wolf to man

Humans are often cruel, predatory, and inhumane towards each other.


loppu hyvin, kaikki hyvin

loppu (“end”) hyvin (“well”), kaikki (“all, everything”) hyvin

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


бережёного бог бережёт

head

бережёного бог бережёт

бережёного бог бережёт • (berežónovo box berežót)

[bʲɪrʲɪˈʐonəvə boɣ bʲɪrʲɪˈʐot]

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-бережёного бог бережёт.wav

Literally, “God protects him who protects himself”. Compare heaven helps those who help themselves.

lit

better safe than sorry
better safe than sorry

en-бережёного_бог_бережёт-ru-proverb-9H1wqg54


forewarned, forearmed

forewarned is forearmed
forewarned is forearmed#English

Alternative form of forewarned is forearmed


don't dip your pen in company ink

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

Alternative form of you don't dip your pen in company ink


как аукнется, так и откликнется

head

как ау́кнется, так и откли́кнется

как ау́кнется, так и откли́кнется • (kak aúknetsja, tak i otklíknetsja)

как ау́кнется (canonical)
так и откли́кнется (canonical)
kak aúknetsja (romanization)
tak i otklíknetsja (romanization)

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-как аукнется, так и откликнется.wav

Literally, “as you shout, so shall you hear”.

lit

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

en-как_аукнется,_так_и_откликнется-ru-proverb--HRR9OQ5


不打不成器

ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄑㄧˋ

бу да бу чэн ци

/pu⁵¹ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ taː³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ²¹ hei̯³³/

/pu⁵¹ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ taː³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ²¹ hei̯³³/

spare the rod and spoil the child
spare the rod and spoil the child


empty vessels make the most noise

empty vessels make the most sound#English

Alternative form of empty vessels make the most sound


head

minkä taakseen jättää, sen edestään löytää

minkä (“what”) taakseen (“behind oneself”) jättää (“one leaves”), sen (“that”) edestään (“in front of oneself”) löytää (“one finds”)

what goes around comes around
what goes around comes around


you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar

It is easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude rather than with rude demands and negativity.

vliegen vang je met stroop en niet met azijn

kärpäsiä saa enemmän siirapilla kuin tervalla

on n’attrape pas des mouches avec du vinaigre

mit einem Tropfen Honig fängt man mehr Fliegen als mit einem Fass Essig

kedvességgel / szép szóval többre mész, mint keménykedéssel

si pigliano più mosche in una gocciola di miele che in un barile d'acete

más moscas se cogen con miel que con hiel

you attract more flies with honey than vinegar

you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar

you catch more flies with honey than vinegar

you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar


there's no point crying over spilt milk

You shouldn't be upset over something that can't be undone.

ei kannata itkeä maahan kaatunutta maitoa

turha se on itkeä, kun paskat on jo housussa

le deuil de l’eau renversée ne vaut rien

روغن ریخته جمع نمیشود (rowğan-e rixte jam' namišavad, literally “spilled oil can't be collected”)


más vale pájaro en mano que ver ciento volando

Literally, “it is worth more to have a bird in hand than to see one hundred flying”.

lit

más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando#Spanish

Alternative form of más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando


you only get what you give

There is a positive correlation between the effort one puts in and the benefits one receives.


in hoc signo vinces

[ɪn hoːk ˈs̠ɪŋnoː ˈu̯ɪŋkeːs̠]

Calque of Ancient Greek ἐν τούτῳ νίκα (en toútōi níka, “in this, victory”).

calque

ἐν τούτῳ νίκα

Tunc beatus Bernardus admota propius manu crucem sanctam quae collo Regis pendebat, accepit, et benedicens ei trino signaculo sanctae crucis, consolabatur eum dicens: Confide, Rex, in hoc signo vinces, et in periculo timoris magni, quale nunquam hactenus expertus es, sine laesione tui hostes evades.

c. 12th century, Geoffrey of Clairvaux, S. Bernardi Vita Prima 5.3.26

Then blessed Bernard, his hand moving nearer, took the holy cross that hung about the king's neck, and blessing him with the triple sign of the holy cross he consoled him, saying, “Trust, O king, that in this sign you shall conquer, and in the most fearful peril, such as you have never experienced until now, you shall escape your enemies without injury.”

“in this sign thou wilt win”; “in this sign you will conquer”, said mainly of the cross


good wine needs no bush

First recorded in the epilogue to As you Like it by William Shakespeare: "If it be true, that good wine needs no bush, ’tis true, that a good play needes no Epilogue." Here, the term bush denotes a branch or bunch of ivy formerly hung as a vintner’s sign in front of a tavern.

There is no need to boast or advertise about something of good quality.

dobré zboží se chválí samo

something good does not need to be advertised


itku pitkästä ilosta

great joy or happiness is bound to end in sorrow; good things won't last forever

it is all fun and games until someone loses an eye


en-proverb

En-us-it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.oga


takes one to know one

it takes one to know one
it takes one to know one#English

Alternative form of it takes one to know one


errare humanum est

[ɛrˈräːrɛ huːˈmäːnʊ̃ˑ ɛs̠t̪]

The beginning of a longer Latin saying: "Errare humanum est, perseverare autem diabolicum." It translates to: "To err is human, but to persist [in error] is diabolical." The saying is often attributed to Seneca but not attested in his works.

errāre hūmānum est, persevērāre diabolicum


allá donde fueres, haz lo que vieres

/aˌʝa ˌdonde ˌfweɾes | ˌaθ lo ke ˈbjeɾes/

[aˌʝa ˌð̞õn̪.d̪e ˌfwe.ɾes | ˌaθ lo ke ˈβ̞je.ɾes]

/aˌʎa ˌdonde ˌfweɾes | ˌaθ lo ke ˈbjeɾes/

[aˌʎa ˌð̞õn̪.d̪e ˌfwe.ɾes | ˌaθ lo ke ˈβ̞je.ɾes]

/aˌʝa ˌdonde ˌfweɾes | ˌas lo ke ˈbjeɾes/

[aˌʝa ˌð̞õn̪.d̪e ˌfwe.ɾes | ˌas lo ke ˈβ̞je.ɾes]

/aˌʎa ˌdonde ˌfweɾes | ˌas lo ke ˈbjeɾes/

[aˌʎa ˌð̞õn̪.d̪e ˌfwe.ɾes | ˌas lo ke ˈβ̞je.ɾes]

/aˌʃa ˌdonde ˌfweɾes | ˌas lo ke ˈbjeɾes/

[aˌʃa ˌð̞õn̪.d̪e ˌfwe.ɾes | ˌas lo ke ˈβ̞je.ɾes]

/aˌʒa ˌdonde ˌfweɾes | ˌas lo ke ˈbjeɾes/

[aˌʒa ˌð̞õn̪.d̪e ˌfwe.ɾes | ˌas lo ke ˈβ̞je.ɾes]

Literally, "When you go there, do what you see"

when in Rome, do as the Romans do
when in Rome, do as the Romans do


quien quiera peces, que moje el culo

/ˌkjen ˌkjeɾa ˌpeθes | ke ˌmoxe el ˈkulo/

[ˌkjẽŋ ˌkje.ɾa ˌpe.θes | ke ˌmo.xe el ˈku.lo]

/ˌkjen ˌkjeɾa ˌpeses | ke ˌmoxe el ˈkulo/

[ˌkjẽŋ ˌkje.ɾa ˌpe.ses | ke ˌmo.xe el ˈku.lo]

Literally, “one who wants fish must get his ass wet”.

lit

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs; one must sometimes deal with unpleasant circumstances in order to achieve a goal


要想富先修路

ㄧㄠ ㄒㄧㄤˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄡ ㄌㄨˋ

яо сян фу сянь сю лу

/jɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ lu⁵¹/

If you want to get rich, build a road (lit.: want to get rich, first build/repair road)


dame pan y llámame tonto

rural northern Spain, Andes Mountains, Philippines

Literally, “give me bread and call me stupid”.

it doesn't matter what you say, so long as you feed me; call me what you like, just don't call me late for dinner


a Dios rogando y con el mazo dando

/a ˌdjos roˌɡando i kon el ˌmaθo ˈdando/

[a ˌð̞joz roˌɣ̞ãn̪.d̪o i kõn el ˌma.θo ˈð̞ãn̪.d̪o]

/a ˌdjos roˌɡando i kon el ˌmaso ˈdando/

[a ˌð̞joz roˌɣ̞ãn̪.d̪o i kõn el ˌma.so ˈð̞ãn̪.d̪o]

Literally, “strike with your rod while you beg to God”.

lit

God helps those who help themselves
God helps those who help themselves


idle hands are the Devil's workshop

Idle hands are the Devil's workshop. (canonical)

idle hands are the devil's workshop#English

Alternative spelling of Idle hands are the devil's workshop.


idle hands are the devil's tools

Idle hands are the devil's tools (canonical)

Alternative form of Idle hands are the devil's workshop


idle hands are the Devil's tools

Idle hands are the Devil's tools. (canonical)

Alternative form of Idle hands are the devil's workshop.


idle hands are the devil's playthings

Idle hands are the devil's playthings. (canonical)


idle hands are the devil's workshop

This proverb is thought by some to originate from the Bible, the book of Proverbs chapter 16 verse 27 (Proverbs 16:27). Yet this is probably a misreading driven by an application of Protestant theological assumptions. The King James version of the verse refers only to ungodliness: An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.
Only The Living Bible of 1971 injects the idea of idleness into its translation: Idle hands are the devil’s workshop; idle lips are his mouthpiece. (TLB also adds the literal translation: A worthless man devises mischief; and in his lips there is a scorching fire.)
Proverbs 16:27 may have inspired St. Jerome to write in the late 4th century: fac et aliquid operis, ut semper te diabolus inveniat occupatum, or “engage in some occupation, so that the devil may always find you busy.” This was later repeated by Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales, which was probably the source of its popularity.

One who is idle will likely come to do evil.

lediggang er roden til alt ondt

l’oisiveté est la mère de tous les vices

douleiá den eíche o diávolos, gamoúse ta paidiá tou

δουλειά δεν είχε ο διάβολος, γαμούσε τα παιδιά του

douleiá den eíche o diávolos kai épnige ta paidiá tou

δουλειά δεν είχε ο διάβολος και έπνιγε τα παιδιά του

cuando el diablo no tiene qué hacer, mata moscas con el rabo


idle hands are the Devil's playthings

Idle hands are the Devil's playthings. (canonical)


head

ny moh nist cy byhend, do der daj at ny śent

Rough literal translation: "do not do anything too quickly, because your work will not respect you"


wor ny at, gejt under dy ad

Rough translation: "who does not work, he goes into the ground"


en-proverb

* From act 2, scene 2 of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare.
* From The Odyssey, translated by Samuel Butler.

"My mother," answered Telemachus, "tells me I am son to Ulysses, but it is a wise child that knows his own father."

One can never be sure of one's paternity.


doctors make the worst patients

en-au-doctors make the worst patients.ogg

(idiomatic) It is difficult to advise people on subjects that they are experts on.


one swallow doesn't a summer make

one swallow does not a summer make#English

Alternative form of one swallow does not a summer make


a beau mentir qui vient de loin

Fr-Paris--a beau mentir qui vient de loin.ogg

Literally, “it's easy to lie for he who comes from afar”.

lit

long ways, long lies
long ways, long lies


no te acostarás sin saber una cosa más

/ˌno te akostaˌɾas ˌsin saˌbeɾ ˌuna ˌkosa ˈmas/

[ˌno t̪e a.kos.t̪aˌɾas ˌsĩn saˌβ̞eɾ ˌu.na ˌko.sa ˈmas]

Literally, “you won't go to bed without knowing one more thing”.

lit

you learn something new every day
you learn something new every day

every day is a school day
every day is a school day

you learn something new every day, every day is a school day


donde tengas la olla no metas la polla

/ˌdonde ˌtenɡas la ˌoʝa ˌno ˌmetas la ˈpoʝa/

[ˌd̪õn̪.d̪e ˌt̪ẽŋ.ɡas la ˌo.ʝa ˌno ˌme.t̪as la ˈpo.ʝa]

/ˌdonde ˌtenɡas la ˌoʎa ˌno ˌmetas la ˈpoʎa/

[ˌd̪õn̪.d̪e ˌt̪ẽŋ.ɡas la ˌo.ʎa ˌno ˌme.t̪as la ˈpo.ʎa]

/ˌdonde ˌtenɡas la ˌoʃa ˌno ˌmetas la ˈpoʃa/

[ˌd̪õn̪.d̪e ˌt̪ẽŋ.ɡas la ˌo.ʃa ˌno ˌme.t̪as la ˈpo.ʃa]

/ˌdonde ˌtenɡas la ˌoʒa ˌno ˌmetas la ˈpoʒa/

[ˌd̪õn̪.d̪e ˌt̪ẽŋ.ɡas la ˌo.ʒa ˌno ˌme.t̪as la ˈpo.ʒa]

Literally, “where you have the pot, don't put your cock”.

lit

don't get your meat where you get your bread


gwaed yn dewach na dŵr

blood is thicker than water
blood is thicker than water


un día más un día menos

Literally, “one more day, one fewer day”.

another day, another dollar
another day, another dollar


another day, another dollar

Everything is routine and mundane, and nothing eventful or extraordinary has happened.

Poor Tom suffered the tortures. He got up, yawned, and said, «Well, another day another dollar, good night,» and disappeared upstairs.

1957, Jack Kerouac, chapter 3, in On the Road, Viking Press, →OCLC, part 4:

Another day, another dollar, another war

1995, Jewel (lyrics and music), “Who Will Save Your Soul”:

Another day, another dollar / More money, more murder

1996, “The Set Up”, in It Was Written, performed by Nas:

Life goes on, and it is necessary to work in order to earn money.

métro, boulot, dodo

Life goes on, and it is necessary to work to earn money


ante la duda, la más tetuda

[ˌãn̪.t̪e la ˌð̞u.ð̞a | la ˌmas t̪eˈt̪u.ð̞a]

Literally, “if in doubt, the most busty”.

if in doubt, choose the option that seems most profitable; if unsure pick the obvious option


worse things happen at sea

Some people console themselves with the thought that, basically, worse things happen at sea: in middle-class Britain today, particularly familied fortysomethings, it’s Chicken-Licken time.

2015 September 13, Euan Ferguson, “The week in TV: Doctor Foster; Beck; Ballers; Hunted; The Queen’s Longest Reign: Elizabeth and Victoria”, in The Observer:


en-proverb

lightning never strikes twice in the same place

Something is not affected in the same way twice.

salama ei iske kahta kertaa samaan paikkaan

la foudre ne tombe jamais deux fois au même endroit

piorun nigdy nie uderza dwa razy w to samo miejsce

um raio nunca cai duas vezes no mesmo lugar

un rayo no cae dos veces en el mismo lugar

lightning never strikes the same place twice


speak softly and carry a big stick

Popularized by and often attributed to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) as an expression of his view of foreign policy, possibly of earlier, West African origin according to his account, but with a probability of he himself having coined it. The full version is “speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”

There is a homely old adage which runs: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

1903 April 3, Theodore Roosevelt, President Roosevelt's Speech on the Monroe Doctrine," Arizona Journal-Miner, p. 4 (retrieved 19 Dec 2011)

Under any governmental auspices, as the modern world knows governments, the keeping of the peace comes at its best under the precept, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

1917, Thorstein Veblen, The Nature of Peace, Introductory:

When it comes to China, we have gone from "Speak softly and carry a big stick" to "Take the fifth and carry a toothpick". (from a Congressional speech by Rep. James Traficant, June 22, 1998)

1999 January 17, Tom Kuntz, “Word for Word/Representative James A. Traficant Jr.”, in New York Times, retrieved 2011-12-19:

Do not boast or utter verbal threats, but do make others aware that you are prepared to use physical force if necessary.

溫言在口，大棒在手

do not boast but do make others aware that you are prepared to use force

you get more with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone


agua que no has de beber, déjala correr

Literally, “water you don't have to drink, let it flow”.

lit

mind your own business
mind your own business

mind your own beeswax
mind your own beeswax

don't enter your nose into the affairs of others, mind your own business, mind your own beeswax


head

más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo

Literally, “the Devil knows more from old age than from being the Devil”.

lit

(idiomatic) wisdom comes with age; you can't put an old head on young shoulders


eigen haard is goud waard

Literally, “one’s own hearth is worth gold”. Compare the same in German eigener Herd ist Goldes wert.

home is where the heart is
home is where the heart is

my home is my castle
my home is my castle


del árbol caído todos hacen leña

Literally, “from the fallen tree everyone makes firewood”.

lit

kicks you when you're down
kick someone when they are down


pride wenteth before a fall

By the time I reached the Navy my love of steam preceded me, and I became the stoker for a rickety steam cutter inherited from the Maine. Pride wenteth before a fall; I put the slice bar through one of the cutter’s tubes — and lost my job in a hasty exit over the side.

1968, Robert Welch, American Opinion, XI, page 59:

Where was my pride? Pride wenteth before a fall. The hell with pride.

1979, Blossom Elfman, The Sister Act, page 44:

Brock’s foot touched the plate just as he and Freehan’s mitt with the ball in it met. Normally, a tie was given to the runner, but the umpire must have believed that pride wenteth before a fall and called Brock out.

2007, David Renner, Memoirs of a Fool, I, page 171:

pride comes before a fall
pride comes before a fall#English

(nonstandard, pseudo-archaic, hypercorrect) Alternative form of pride comes before a fall


un día es un día

what the heck; you only live once (said when making an exception to indulge in something)


head

no por mucho madrugar, amanece más temprano

Loosely translated, "getting up earlier won't make the sun rise sooner".

things will happen at their own time, you can't rush art


quien bien te quiere, te hará llorar

/ˌkjem ˌbjen te ˌkjeɾe | te aˌɾa ʝoˈɾaɾ/

[ˌkjẽm ˌbjẽn̪ t̪e ˌkje.ɾe | t̪e aˌɾa ʝoˈɾaɾ]

/ˌkjem ˌbjen te ˌkjeɾe | te aˌɾa ʎoˈɾaɾ/

[ˌkjẽm ˌbjẽn̪ t̪e ˌkje.ɾe | t̪e aˌɾa ʎoˈɾaɾ]

/ˌkjem ˌbjen te ˌkjeɾe | te aˌɾa ʃoˈɾaɾ/

[ˌkjẽm ˌbjẽn̪ t̪e ˌkje.ɾe | t̪e aˌɾa ʃoˈɾaɾ]

/ˌkjem ˌbjen te ˌkjeɾe | te aˌɾa ʒoˈɾaɾ/

[ˌkjẽm ˌbjẽn̪ t̪e ˌkje.ɾe | t̪e aˌɾa ʒoˈɾaɾ]

Literally, “[he/she] who loves you well, will make you cry". In spirit, "you've got to be cruel to be kind”.

m-g

􂀿he/she􂁀 who loves you well, will make you cry". In spirit, "you've got to be cruel to be kind

lit

spare the rod and spoil the child
spare the rod and spoil the child


head

no vendas la piel del oso antes de cazarlo

Literally, “don't sell the bear's fur before hunting it”.

lit

(idiomatic) don't count your chickens before they're hatched

más vale pájaro en mano, que ciento volando


a wild goose never laid a tame egg

en-au-a wild goose never laid a tame egg.ogg

(idiomatic) Most things are inherited and predetermined.

les chats ne font pas des chiens

most things are inherited and predetermined


wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst

Literally, “who comes first, grinds first”, a principle regarding the usage of mills which is found among many Germanic peoples. Compare Dutch wie het eerst komt, het eerst maalt.

cog

first come, first served
first come, first served


head

den som kommer først til mølla, får først malt

Literally, "who comes first to the mill, does the first grinding". A principle for mill usage found throughout Germanic people


wie het eerst komt, het eerst maalt

Literally, “who comes first, grinds first”, a rule for mill usage found among many Germanic peoples. Compare German wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst.


great minds

An ellipsis (anapodoton) of great minds think alike.

great minds think alike
great minds think alike#English


attack is the best form of defence

In a battle or dispute, attacking the opposition first is better than waiting for them to attack.


kdo se bojí, nesmí do lesa

Literally, “he who is afraid must not go to the woods”.

lit

he who is afraid should not visit scary places or do risky things


antes se coge al mentiroso que al cojo

Literally, “a liar is caught before a lame man”.


sow the wind and reap the whirlwind

sow the wind, reap the whirlwind#English

Alternative form of sow the wind, reap the whirlwind


head

buain am maorach nuair a tha an tràigh ann

make hay while the sun shines
make hay while the sun shines

make hay while the sun shines (literally "harvest the shellfish when there is low tide")


short reckonings make long friends

Borrowed money should be paid back as soon as possible.

oddaj pożyczone pieniądze jak najszybciej


you've got to be in it to win it

In order to win, or succeed at something, one must first compete or try.


កុំដេកចាំស្លាប់ កុំអង្គុយចាំមាន

<small>កុំដេកចាំស្លាប់ កុំអង្គុយចាំមាន ខ្មាសល្ងង់ទើបចេះ ខ្មាសក្រទើបមាន ដឹងខ្លួនថាល្ងង់ គង់បានជាប្រាជ្ញ កុំស្លាប់មុនរស់ រស់ហើយសឹមស្លាប់ ចូរសេពអ្នកប្រាជ្ញ កុំត្រាប់មនុស្សពាល ។</small>

កុំដេកចាំស្លាប់ កុំអង្គុយចាំមាន ខ្មាសល្ងង់ទើបចេះ ខ្មាសក្រទើបមាន ដឹងខ្លួនថាល្ងង់ គង់បានជាប្រាជ្ញ កុំស្លាប់មុនរស់ រស់ហើយសឹមស្លាប់ ចូរសេពអ្នកប្រាជ្ញ កុំត្រាប់មនុស្សពាល ។ • (kom deek jam slap, kom ɑŋkuy jam mien; kmaah lŋʊəŋ təəp jeh, kmaah krɑɑ təəp mien; dəŋ kluən tʰaa lŋʊəŋ, kʊəng baa nɔɔ jie praach; kom slap mun rʊəh, rʊəh haəy səm slap; joo saep neak praach, kom trap mɔnuh piel)

kom deek jam slap (romanization)
kom ɑŋkuy jam mien (romanization)
kmaah lŋʊəŋ təəp jeh (romanization)
kmaah krɑɑ təəp mien (romanization)
dəŋ kluən tʰaa lŋʊəŋ (romanization)
kʊəng baa nɔɔ jie praach (romanization)
kom slap mun rʊəh (romanization)
rʊəh haəy səm slap (romanization)
joo saep neak praach (romanization)
kom trap mɔnuh piel (romanization)

Do not lie waiting for death or sit waiting to become rich; embarrassment of stupidity will bring knowledge, embarrassment of poverty will bring riches; knowing yourself as ignorant will make you wise; do not act as if dead before you have lived, live your life then die; associate with the learned, do not imitate those who are ignorant.

en-កុំដេកចាំស្លាប់_កុំអង្គុយចាំមាន-km-proverb-FF4fRoIa


tyhjät tynnyrit kolisevat eniten

empty vessels make the most sound
empty vessels make the most sound


a cat in gloves catches no mice

From the idea that a cat's claws would be hampered by wearing gloves.

One cannot obtain what one desires by being cautious; one must be aggressive.


there are many ways to skin a cat

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

Alternative form of there's more than one way to skin a cat


akılsız başın cezasını ayaklar çeker

those who do not think (especially those who forget an item) have to make a physical effort to deal with the consequences


det man inte har i huvudet får man ha i benen

Literally, "What one doesn't have in one's head, one has to have in one's legs."


De-was man nicht im Kopf hat, hat man in den Beinen.ogg

Literally, “what one doesn't have in their head, one has in their legs”.


అరిచే కుక్క కరవదు

head

అరిచే కుక్క కరవదు • (aricē kukka karavadu)

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite


కుక్కతోక వంకర తీయలేము

కుక్కతోక వంకర తీయలేము • (kukkatōka vaṅkara tīyalēmu)

kukkatōka vaṅkara tīyalēmu (romanization)

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

en-కుక్కతోక_వంకర_తీయలేము-te-proverb-xS-mVJSP


“There is no defense against the will of God. This has been coming. I have seen the signs. There are those here that I have told, but there are none so blind as those who will not see.”

there are none so deaf as those who will not hear

there's none so blind as those who will not see

Understanding cannot be forced on someone who chooses to be ignorant.

لا يوجد هنالك اعمى بقدر الذي يأبى ان يرى

wat baten kaars en bril als de uil niet zien en wil

ei kukaan ole kuurompi kuin se, joka ei tahdo kuulla

il n’est pire aveugle que celui qui ne veut pas voir

non c'è peggior sordo di chi non vuol sentire

największym ślepcem jest ten, kto nie chce widzieć

no hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver

you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink


poissa hyvä, kotona paras

poissa (“away”) + hyvä (“good”), kotona (“home”) + paras (“best”); calque of Swedish borta bra men hemma bäst

calque

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


a penny saved is a penny gained

a penny saved is a penny earned
a penny saved is a penny earned#English

Synonym of a penny saved is a penny earned


head

With reference to Matthew 12:25 and Mark 3:25.

Thirdly, sometimes by setting and fomenting divisions among Christians, Preacher against Preacher, Church against Church, well knowing, that a house divided against it selfe cannot stand.

1655, William Lyford, The Plain Mans Senses:

‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.

1858, Abraham Lincoln, speech, 16 Jun 1858

If good is done, then there is the spirit of God and not the spirit of evil, for a house divided against itself cannot stand.

A group or organization that is weakened by internal dissent will not remain united.


all the world's a stage

Coined by the English playwright William Shakespeare (baptized 1564; died 1616) from the beginning of a monologue delivered by the character Jaques in Act II, scene vii, of the play As You Like It, believed to have been written in 1599: “All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women, meerly Players; […]”.

coinage

But ſtill, perhaps, 'tis ſomewhat new you'll ſay, / For School-Boys to attempt to act a Play. / Why ſhould the Attempt ſurprize! it ſuits our Age, / And more you know, that all the World's a Stage. / Of general Uſe indeed muſt ſeem this Art, / Since every Man was born to act his Part.

1766 May, “An Occasional Prologue and Epilogue, Compos'd for the Agreeable Surprize, a Comedy, Translated from the Comic Pieces of Mons[ieur] de Marivaux, and of the French Academy; and Perform'd, with Universal Applause, by the Young Gentlemen of Mr. Rule's Academy at Islington, for Whitsuntide, 1766, in the Presence of their Parents and Friends”, in The Jester's Magazine: Or, The Monthly Merry-maker, London: Printed and sold by S. Bladon, in Pater-noster-Row; J. Williams, in Fleet-Street; and J. Kingman, near the Royal-Exchange, published 1767, →OCLC, page 240:

Now we meet singers who depict Earth, Moon, Bread, and a pair of actors, played gamely by William Redfield and Rae Allen, who were meant to promote the notion that all the world's a stage. […] The saying that all the world's a stage is true enough. But it doesn't follow conversely that the stage is the world. The stage is more demanding than the world, and its rules are even harsher. As Dude proves, it can't get by on good intentions.

1972 November 17, Tom Prideaux, “All Heart and No Place to Go: Dude [theater review]”, in LIFE, volume 73, number 20, Chicago, Ill.: Time Inc., →ISSN, page 30:

"Joey, my husband, was torn between the stage and the law," Mari's mother said. "I don't know which one won and which lost." / "My dear, you know that all the world's a stage. Boards or bench. I'll get the drinks."

2005, R. J. Burke, The Cigarette Killer: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 249:

This is not simply to rehash the rather meaningless notion that all human behaviour is performance, or even that ‘all the world’s a stage’, but instead to suggest that there is something in the appearing that takes place in the theatre that seems capable of activating in an audience a feeling of our compromised, alienated participation in the political and economic relations that make us appear to be who we are.

2006, Nicholas [Peter] Ridout, “Embarrassment: The Predicament of the Audience”, in Stage Fright, Animals, and Other Theatrical Problems (Theatre and Performance Theory), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 93–94:

We live in a civilised society, and in a civilised society everyone is an actor – film, TV, drama, crosstalk, sketch – we're all acting. Don't they say that all the world's a stage?

2014, Mo Yan, translated by Howard Goldblatt, Frog, London: Hamish Hamilton, →ISBN:

People have roles to play in life just as actors do in the theatre.

As You Like It
First Folio
Martin Droeshout
William Shakespeare

le monde entier est un théâtre

people have roles to play in life just as actors do in the theatre

весь мир - теа́тр, а лю́ди в нём актёры

vesʹ mir - teátr, a ljúdi v njom aktjóry


sisters before misters

Coordinate term: misters before sisters

When Sophie was a teenager, she and her friends had a "sisters before misters" pact, meaning they'd never date each other's exes and they'd never let a guy come between their friendship.

2008, Nancy Robards Thompson, Accidental Princess, Harlequin, →ISBN, page 110:

(slang, humorous) A woman should prioritize her female friends over her boyfriend or husband.


chicks before dicks

"I meant for us girls to have fun tonight. I didn't mean go^([sic]) snogging blokes. Chicks before dicks, babe."

2012, Becci Fox, Confessions of an Essex Girl: A Smart, Sexy and Scandalously Funny Expose, Pan Books, →ISBN:

(vulgar, slang) A woman should prioritize her female friends over her boyfriend or husband.


what's done is done

From a line of dialogue spoken by the character Lady Macbeth in Act III Scene II of Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

Events that have already taken place cannot be changed and actions that have already been committed cannot be undone, so it is best not to dwell on them.

dili na mabalik ang baha paingon sa bukid

tha na tha air a dhèanamh air a dhèanamh

mae'r hyn sy'n cael ei wneud yn cael ei wneud


there's no use crying over spilt milk

there's no point crying over spilt milk#English

Alternative form of there's no point crying over spilt milk


a camel is a horse made by a committee

a camel is a horse designed by a committee#English

Alternative form of a camel is a horse designed by a committee


leaves of three, let it be

Don't touch a plant with a cluster of three leaves because it might be poison ivy or poison oak.


猿の尻笑い

ja-pos

猿(さる)の尻(しり)笑(わら)い • (saru no shiri warai)

猿の尻笑い (canonical)
saru no shiri warai (romanization)

people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones


не пили сук, на котором сидишь

head

не пили́ сук, на кото́ром сиди́шь

не пили́ сук, на кото́ром сиди́шь • (ne pilí suk, na kotórom sidíšʹ)

не пили́ сук (canonical)
на кото́ром сиди́шь (canonical)
ne pilí suk (romanization)
na kotórom sidíšʹ (romanization)

[nʲɪ‿pʲɪˈlʲi suk | nə‿kɐˈtorəm sʲɪˈdʲiʂ]

Ru-не пили сук, на котором сидишь.ogg

Literally, “do not saw the branch on which you sit”.

lit

bite the hand that feeds you
bite the hand that feeds one

en-не_пили_сук,_на_котором_сидишь-ru-proverb-SQrJOMz8


head

ка́ждый день я́блоко одно́ — врачу́ остава́ться далеко́ • (káždyj denʹ jábloko odnó — vračú ostavátʹsja dalekó)

[ˈkaʐdɨj dʲenʲ ˈjabɫəkə ɐdˈno | vrɐˈt͡ɕu ɐstɐˈvat͡sːə dəlʲɪˈko]

Literally, “each day one apple, and the doctor stays far away”.

lit

каждый день яблоко одно — врачу оставаться далеко

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

en-каждый_день_яблоко_одно_—_врачу_оставаться_далеко-ru-proverb-c5vEirjh


hoge bomen vangen veel wind

great winds blow upon high hills
great winds blow upon high hills

the bigger they are, the harder they fall; great winds blow upon high hills


doe wel en zie niet om

do well and fear not
do well and fear not


lest best

the last is the best
the last is the best


gedane zaken nemen geen keer

what's done cannot be undone
what's done cannot be undone

what's done is done, what's done cannot be undone


gelijke monniken, gelijke kappen

what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander (literally: monks [that are] alike, caps [that are] alike)


na regen komt zonneschijn

after a storm comes a calm
after a storm comes a calm


zoveel hoofden, zoveel zinnen

Literally, “so many heads, so many desires/intentions”.


hoe meer zielen, hoe meer vreugd

the more the merrier
the more the merrier


boontje komt om zijn loontje

Literally, “little bean receives its wages”. From a short morality tale told in the Klucht van Oene by Jan Vos, in which a bean laughs so hard at the misfortune of its companions that its belly ruptures.

he that mischief hatches, mischief catches


wie niet sterk is, moet slim zijn

if the lion's skin cannot, the fox's shall


geld stinkt niet

Calque of Latin pecūnia nōn olet. Literally, “money does not stink”.

money does not smell
money does not smell

where there's muck there's brass
where there's muck there's brass

money does not smell; where there's muck there's brass


bezint eer gij begint

look before you leap
look before you leap

voorzichtigheid is de moeder van de porseleinkast


bezint eer ge begint

bezint eer gij begint
bezint eer gij begint#Dutch

Alternative form of bezint eer gij begint


eind goed, al goed

Literally, “end good, all good”. Compare the same in German Ende gut, alles gut.

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


de wens is de vader van de gedachte

/də ˈʋɛns ɪs də ˈvaː.dər vɑn də ɣəˈdɑx.tə/

Literally, “the wish is the father of the thought”.

the wish has given rise to the thought (used to describe wishful thinking)


de tijd zal 't leren

de tijd zal het leren
de tijd zal het leren#Dutch

Alternative form of de tijd zal het leren


wie a zegt, moet ook b zeggen

head

wie a zegt, moet ook b zeggen (wie a zegt, moet ook b zeggen)

Literally, “who says a, must say b, too”. Compare the same in German wer a sagt, muss auch b sagen.

lit

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


een goed begin is het halve werk

/ən ˈɣut bəˈɣɪn ɪs(ɦ)ət ˌɦɑl.və ˈʋɛrk/

/ən ˈɣut bəˈɣɪn ɪs(ɦ)ɛt ˌɦɑl.və ˈʋɛrk/

Literally, “a good beginning is half the work”, via Ancient Greek; quoted by Aristotle in his Politics.

well begun is half done
well begun is half done

the first blow is half the battle
the first blow is half the battle

well begun is half done, the first blow is half the battle (much depends on the beginning of an endeavour)


head

een goed verstaander heeft maar een half woord nodig

/ən ˈɣut vɛrˈstaːn.dər ˌɦeːft maːr ən ˈɦɑlf ˌʋoːrt ˈnoː.dəx/

Literally, “a good hearer only needs half a word”.

lit

a word is enough to the wise
a word is enough to the wise

a word is enough to the wise, a word to the wise is enough

een goed verstaander heeft aan een half woord genoeg


vergissen is menselijk

1912, Theo Manninga, 'Vergissen is menschelijk. Komische voordracht voor twee dames, J. Vink (publ.).


hoop doet leven

if it were not for hope, the heart would break


kleren maken de man

Literally, “clothes make a man”. Compare German Kleider machen Leute.

fine feathers make fine birds
fine feathers make fine birds


het doel heiligt de middelen

the end justifies the means
the end justifies the means


head

een vos verliest wel zijn haren, maar niet zijn streken

/ən ˈvɔs fərˌlist ˈʋɛl zɛi̯n ˈɦaː.rə(n)ˌmaːr ˈnit sɛi̯n ˈstreː.kə(n)/

Literally, “a fox does lose its hairs, but not its antics”.

lit

a leopard cannot change his spots
a leopard cannot change his spots

a leopard cannot change his spots, the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature


is toigh le bò mhaol bò mhaol eile

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

an dubh-isean ag iarraidh an dubh-gheòidh


too much bed makes a dull head

Too much inactivity makes one less mentally acute.


کاری است که شده

head

کاری است که شده • (kâri ast ke šode)


Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour

Rome ne s’ est pas faite en un jour (canonical)

/ʁɔm nə s‿ɛ pa fɛ.t‿ɑ̃.n‿œ̃ ʒuʁ/

/ʁɔm nə s‿ɛ pɑ fɛ.t‿ɑ̃.n‿œ̃ ʒuʁ/

/ʁɔm nə s‿ɛ pɑ fe.t‿ɑ̃.n‿œ̃ ʒuʁ/

Rome wasn’t built in a day
Rome wasn’t built in a day


haters gonna hate

Playas gonna play / Haters gonna hate / That's the way it is / That's just how it's been

If anyone asks why you're wearing a bathrobe in public, just roll your eyes and keep on strutting. Haters gonna hate.

2012, Eric Grzymkowski, A Year of Living Sinfully: A Self-Serving Guide to Doing Whatever the Hell You Want, Adams Media, published 2012, →ISBN:

[Amanda Palmer:] I think the key is to NOT defend yourself too much. Haters gonna hate, especially in the age of the Internet, where everyone can hide behind their walls and masks while spewing venom, truisms, and righteousness.

2012, Vanessa Wieland, “Amanda Palmer: On the Art of Songwriting, Staying Busy, & Being Honest”, in Adria Haley, editor, 2012 Songwriter's Market, Writer's Digest Books, →ISBN, page 85:

Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off

2014, “Shake It Off”, in 1989, performed by Taylor Swift:

(slang) The opinions of critics ultimately have no effect and are unlikely to change, so it is best to ignore them.


nice guys finish last

US 1946, condensed from a comment by a baseball manager Leo Durocher. The original quote was “The nice guys are all over there, in seventh place.” (1946 July 6), about the 1946 New York Giants — seventh place was next-to-last place in the National League. This was shortly afterwards rendered as “‘Nice Guys’ Wind Up in Last Place, Scoffs Lippy”, hence giving the present form.

The size of his victory . . . contradicted the maxim of latter-day fellow Californian Leo Durocher, who once said positively: "Nice guys finish last."

1956 November 19, “National Affairs: Nice Guy Finishes First”, in Time:

"He can be as moderate as he likes. Nobody else will be. In Washington these days, nice guys finish last."

1998 March 23, Seth Schiesel, “All Too Soon, New F.C.C. Chief Finds Warm Welcome Is Cooling”, in New York Times, retrieved 2012-07-10:

Nonetheless, a team of business experts claims to have proved the pessimistic notion that "nice guys finish last" – at least where money is concerned.

2011 December 5, Richard Hall, “I didn't get where I am today by being nice... Study reveals agreeable men earn £4,500 less than their ruthless colleagues”, in The Independent, UK, retrieved 2012-07-10:

(idiomatic) People who are decent, friendly, and agreeable tend to be unsuccessful because they are outmaneuvered or overwhelmed by others who are not so decent, friendly, or agreeable.

1946 New York Giants (MLB) season
Leo Durocher

qui se fait brebis le loup le mange

people who are decent, friendly, and agreeable tend to be unsuccessful because they are outmaneuvered or overwhelmed

a rendesek végeznek mindig az utolsó helyen


en-proverb

what's good for the goose is good for the gander

From earlier what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander (1670s). Other early forms include “as deep drinketh the goose as the gander” (1562).

Literally, what is good for a female goose is equally good for a male goose (gander); or, what is good for a woman should be equally as good for a man.

If something is good for one person, it should be equally as good for another person; someone who treats another in a certain way should not complain if the same is done to them.


only Nixon could go to China

A reference to U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 establishment of direct diplomatic relations with, and personal visit to, the People's Republic of China. Nixon's unyielding opposition to Communism had been well-known.

Only a politician or leader with an impeccable reputation of upholding particular political values could perform an action in seeming defiance of them without jeopardizing his support or credibility.

People's Republic of China
Richard Nixon


tʼáadoo danitʼání íítiʼ

tʼáadoo (“without”) + da- (plural prefix) + nitʼą (“it is ripened”) + -í (nominalizer) + -tiʼ (stem for breaking a brittle object)

Éí atʼééd tʼáadoo danitʼání yiyíítiʼ

That girl shucked the corn before it got ripe.

don't count your chickens before they're hatched (literally, snap off ears of corn before they are ripe)


снявши голову, по волосам не плачут

head

сня́вши го́лову, по волоса́м не пла́чут

сня́вши го́лову, по волоса́м не пла́чут • (snjávši gólovu, po volosám ne pláčut)

сня́вши го́лову (canonical)
по волоса́м не пла́чут (canonical)
snjávši gólovu (romanization)
po volosám ne pláčut (romanization)

[ˈsʲnʲafʂɨ ˈɡoɫəvʊ | pə‿vəɫɐˈsam nʲɪ‿ˈpɫat͡ɕʊt]

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-снявши голову, по волосам не плачут.wav

Literally, “having taken away the head, they don't cry over the hair”.

lit

don't cry over spilt milk
don't cry over spilt milk

en-снявши_голову,_по_волосам_не_плачут-ru-proverb-UyGZ84fp