waste not, want not

Besides these, there were some little pleasures in the shape of helping her to vegetable she didn't want, and when it had nearly alighted on her plate, taking it across for his own use, on the plea of waste not, want not.

1872, [Thomas Hardy], “VIII. They Dance More Wildly”, in Under the Greenwood Tree: A Rural Painting of the Dutch School, volume I, London: Tinsley Brothers, →OCLC, part I, page 114:

“They take the cocoa-nuts to the town kitchen,” said the captain, “to be made into cocoa-nut ice for the army breakfast; waste not want not, you know.”

1910, Edith Nesbit, chapter 2, in The Magic City:

I'm a believer in “waste not, want not”, and we roast our leftover bread, finely sliced and brushed with olive oil, in a low oven.

2006 July 9, Richard Corrigan, “Fish tales”, in Sunday Times, UK, retrieved 2008-07-05:

(idiomatic) If one is not wasteful then one will not be in need.

儉以防匱

spare in der Zeit, so hast du in der Not


knowledge is power

See Scientia potentia est. Often incorrectly attributed to Francis Bacon.

Scientia potentia est
scientia potentia est

Scientia potentia est; with knowledge and/or education, one's potential or ability to succeed in the pursuit of one's objectives will certainly increase.

Scientia potentia est
en:knowledge is power

зна́ние — си́ла (znánije — síla)

बुद्धिर्यस्य बलं तस्य (buddhiryasya balaṃ tasya, literally “whose knowledge, his power”)


telle mère, telle fille

LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-telle mère, telle fille.wav

like mother, like daughter
like mother, like daughter


hafa vaðið fyrir neðan sig

head

hafa vaðið fyrir neðan sig (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative hafði vaðið fyrir neðan sig, supine haft vaðið fyrir neðan sig)

hafði vaðið fyrir neðan sig (indicative past singular third-person)
haft vaðið fyrir neðan sig (supine)

From hafa (“to have”) and vaðið (“the ford”) the accusative form of vað (“a ford”) with a definite article and fyrir neðan (“beneath, below”) and sig (“oneself”), meaning "to have the ford beneath oneself".

(idiomatic) to act warily, to be cautious

það er betra að hafa vaðið fyrir neðan sig


það er betra að hafa vaðið fyrir neðan sig

From hafa vaðið fyrir neðan sig (“it's better to have the ford beneath oneself”).

better safe than sorry
better safe than sorry

(idiomatic) better safe than sorry, it's better to act warily


still water runs deep

still waters run deep
still waters run deep#English

Alternative form of still waters run deep


still waters run deep

Of Latin origin, but possibly popularized by William Shakespeare, c. 1590, in "Henry VI," part 2, act 3, scene 1:
: Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep;
: And in his simple show he harbours treason.

I always knew she was an artful jade; 'still waters run deep;' but she shall be exposed, the mask shall be stripped from the hypocrite.

1822, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, A New-England Tale:

But still waters run deep; and no crisis had come in the years of her early maidenhood to demonstrate what lay hidden within her, like metal in a mine.

Baxter had never known of any goings on in that quarter, but, bless you, still waters run deep, and these girls were all alike, one as bad as the other.

1903, Samuel Butler, chapter 58, in The Way of All Flesh:

Isabel Pierce, the central character of Sweetwater, Roxana Robinson's fluid third novel, gives the appearance of being a thoughtful, reserved, quiet woman who won't rock any boats in her life. Yet she harbors passions; it might be said of her that still waters run deep.

2003 June 8, Alice Elliott Dark, “Book Review: Rainy Day Woman”, in New York Times, retrieved 2008-07-09:

A person with a calm appearance has, or may have, considerable inner emotion, character, or intellect.

a person's calm appearance may be misleading

duz ʕla l-uwad l-hərhuri ula t-duz ʕla l-uwad s-skuti

دوز على لواد لهرهوري ولا تدوز على لواد سّكوتي

能ある鷹は爪を隠す

のう-ある-たか-は-つめ-を-かく-す nō aru taka wa tsume o kakusu

diam-diam ubi berisi, diam-diam besi berkarat

в ти́хом о́муте че́рти во́дятся (v tíxom ómute čérti vódjatsja, literally “in a quiet slough devils are found”)

i de lugnaste vattnen går de största fiskarna


en-proverb

no matter how thin you slice it, it's still boloney

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

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


En-au-no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney.ogg

Some of our leading scholars trace it back to a favorite American saying of that time, "No matter how thin you slice it, it is still boloney."

1933 November 29, “Topics of the Times”, in New York Times, page 18:

"Do you have the ability," he asked another juror, "to discern between the truth and baloney?"
"I think so, definitely."
"No matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney, right?"

2002, Dave Distel, The Sweater Letter, →ISBN, page 267:

(chiefly US) Regardless of how many clever points or fine distinctions one makes, what one is saying is still false or is still nonsense.

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


hädässä ystävä tunnetaan

[ˈhædæs̠ːæ ˈys̠tæʋæ ˈt̪unːe̞t̪ɑ̝ːn]

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


с глаз долой — из сердца вон

head

с глаз доло́й — из се́рдца вон

с глаз доло́й — из се́рдца вон • (s glaz dolój — iz sérdca von)

с глаз доло́й — из се́рдца вон (canonical)

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-с глаз долой — из сердца вон.wav

Literally, “down from the eye, away from the heart”.

lit

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

en-с_глаз_долой_—_из_сердца_вон-ru-proverb-4-tinDPo

long absent, soon forgotten
long absent, soon forgotten

en-с_глаз_долой_—_из_сердца_вон-ru-proverb-c31XQWWq


pride goes before a fall

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

Alternative form of pride comes before a fall


男大當婚，女大當嫁

ㄋㄢˊ ㄉㄚˋ ㄉㄤ ㄏㄨㄣ

ㄋㄩˇ ㄉㄚˋ ㄉㄤ ㄐㄧㄚˋ

naam⁴ daai⁶ dong¹ fan¹, neoi⁵ daai⁶ dong¹ gaa³

nan² ta⁴ tang¹ hun¹, nü³ ta⁴ tang¹ chia⁴

нань да дан хунь

нюй да дан цзя

/nän³⁵ tä⁵¹ tɑŋ⁵⁵ xu̯ən⁵⁵ ny²¹⁴⁻²¹ tä⁵¹ tɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵¹/

nàahm daaih dōng fān, néuih daaih dōng ga

naam⁴ daai⁶ dong¹ fan¹, noey⁵ daai⁶ dong¹ gaa³

nam⁴ dai⁶ dong¹ fen¹, nêu⁵ dai⁶ dong¹ ga³

/naːm²¹ taːi̯²² tɔːŋ⁵⁵ fɐn⁵⁵ nɵy̯¹³ taːi̯²² tɔːŋ⁵⁵ kaː³³/

A man should get married on coming of age, and so should a girl.


time is money

Generally attributed to Benjamin Franklin. See 1748 quotation.

Remember that Time is Money. He that can earn Ten Shillings a Day by his Labour, and goes abroad, or sits idle one half of that Day, tho’ he spends but Sixpence during his Diversion or Idleness, ought not to reckon That the only Expence; he has really spent or rather thrown away Five Shillings besides.

1748, Benjamin Franklin, “Advice to a young Tradesman, written by an old One”, in George Fisher, editor, The American Instructor: or Young Man’s Best Companion, 9th edition:

And what do you mean to do with your time this winter? You must remember that time is money.

1823, James Fenimore Cooper, chapter 14, in The Pioneers:

His words and manner carried the crisp terseness of the busy man whose time is money.

1919, Eleanor H. Porter, chapter 31, in Dawn:

Money is wasted (in lost wages, missed opportunities, etc.) when a person's time is not used productively; time is valuable and should not be wasted.

час — гро́шы (čas — hróšy)

час — гэ́та гро́шы (čas — héta hróšy)

вре́мя — де́ньги (vrémja — dénʹgi)

час — гро́ші (čas — hróši)

час — це гро́ші (čas — ce hróši)

час — то гро́ші (čas — to hróši)


talk is cheap

The expression first appears c. 1783 in the play All pleas'd at last.

Cecil Winwood accepted the test. He claimed that he could dope the guards the night of the break. “Talk is cheap,” said Long Bill Hodge. “What we want is the goods. Dope one of the guards to-night.”

1915, Jack London, chapter 2, in The Star-Rover:

(idiomatic) It is easy to make boastful or unrealistic statements which are not supported by actions or evidence.

it is easy to make boastful statements which are not supported by actions

الهدرة ما تشري خضرة (el-hadra ma tašri ḵuḍra, literally “talk does not buy vegetables”)

un con qui marche va plus loin qu’un intellectuel assis

αλλού τα κακαρίσματα κι αλλού γεννούν οι κότες (alloú ta kakarísmata ki alloú gennoún oi kótes, literally “squawking is somewhere and hens lay [eggs] somewhere else”)

口では大阪の城も建つ (kuchi de wa Ōsaka no shiro mo tatsu, literally “by mouth even a castle in Ōsaka is built”)

болта́ть — не мешки́ воро́чать (boltátʹ — ne meškí voróčatʹ)

пизде́ть — не мешки́ воро́чать (pizdétʹ — ne meškí voróčatʹ, literally “speaking is not moving sacks”)

хва́стать — не коси́ть, спина́ не боли́т (xvástatʹ — ne kosítʹ, spiná ne bolít, literally “bragging is not mowing, [and] the back does not hurt”)


qui se ressemble s'assemble

qui se ressemble s’ assemble (canonical)

Literally, “(those) who resemble each other, assemble together”.

lit

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


head

better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness

Often claimed to be an ancient Chinese proverb. Also often misattributed to Eleanor Roosevelt. Earliest known usage is a 1907 sermon by English preacher William Lonsdale Watkinson.

Even in the face of hopelessness and discontent, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response, than to complain about the situation.

與其詛咒黑暗，不如點燃一根蠟燭

in bad times it is worthwhile to do good

不如点燃一根蜡烛

yǔqí zǔzhòu hēi'àn, bùrú diǎnrán yī gēn làzhú

em vez de amaldiçoar a escuridão, é melhor acender uma vela

es mejor encender una sola vela que maldecir a la penumbra

better to light one candle than to curse the darkness

better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness

better to light a candle than to curse the darkness


en-proverb

you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette

Narrator: Bob is dead, they shot him in the head!
Tyler Durden: You wanna make an omelet, you gotta break some eggs.

1999, Chuck Palahniuk, Jim Uhls, Fight Club:

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs#English

Alternative form of you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs


speak of the devil and he appears

En-au-speak of the devil and he appears.ogg

speak of the devil
speak of the devil#English

(idiomatic) Synonym of speak of the devil


人怕出名豬怕壯

ㄖㄣˊ ㄆㄚˋ ㄔㄨ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄓㄨ ㄆㄚˋ ㄓㄨㄤˋ

жэнь па чумин чжу па чжуан

/ʐən³⁵ pʰä⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵ pʰä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

jan⁴ paa³ tsoet⁷ meng⁴⁻² dzy¹ paa³ dzong³

/jɐn²¹ pʰaː³³ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ mɛːŋ²¹⁻³⁵ t͡syː⁵⁵ pʰaː³³ t͡sɔːŋ³³/

fame portends trouble for men just as fattening does for pigs


人怕出名豬怕肥

ㄖㄣˊ ㄆㄚˋ ㄔㄨ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄓㄨ ㄆㄚˋ ㄈㄟˊ

жэнь па чумин чжу па фэй

/ʐən³⁵ pʰä⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵ pʰä⁵¹ feɪ̯³⁵/

/jɐn²¹ pʰaː³³ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ mɛːŋ²¹⁻³⁵ t͡syː⁵⁵ pʰaː³³ fei̯²¹/


he who hesitates is lost

fools rush in where angels fear to tread

A person who spends too much time contemplating what to do may miss a valuable but fleeting opportunity.

kdo zaváhá, nežere

a person who spends too much time contemplating may miss a valuable opportunity


necessity is the mother of innovation

More recent variant, focusing on innovating existing processes etc. rather than inventing new things.

necessity is the mother of invention#English

Alternative form of necessity is the mother of invention


res, non verba

From rēs (“things, facts”) the plural of rēs (“a thing, a fact”) + nōn (“not”) + verba (“words”) the plural of verbum (“a word”). Literally meaning "deeds, not words" or "facts instead of words" but referring to that "actions be used instead of words".

Venientibus iis Syracusas Scipio res, non verba ad purgandum sese paravit.

59 BC–AD 17, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita libri 29.22

Whilst they were on their way to Syracuse Scipio prepared to justify himself, not by words but by acts.

Actions speak louder than words
actions speak louder than words


gräset är alltid grönare på andra sidan

the grass is always greener on the other side


Übung macht den Meister

From Übung (“practice, exercise”) + macht (“makes”), the third person singular form of machen (“to make”) + den the accusative masculine of der (“the”) + Meister (“master”). Literally, “practice makes the master”, or more loosely translated as “practising makes one a master”.

lit

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect


facilis descensus Averno

[ˈfäkɪlʲɪs̠ d̪eːs̠ˈkẽːs̠ʊs̠ äˈu̯ɛrnoː]

Literally "The descent to Avernus is easy." From Virgil's Aeneid, with reference to Avernus, a metonym for the underworld and to Lake Avernus in Italy, a volcanic crater lake reputed to emit deadly vapors.

Talibus orabat dictis, arasque tenebat,
cum sic orsa loqui vates: "Sate sanguine divom,
Tros Anchisiade, facilis descensus Averno;

29-19 B.C.E. — Virgil, Aeneis, Book VI, lines 124-127

Then thus replied the prophetess divine:
"O goddess-born of great Anchises' line,
The gates of hell are open night and day;
Smooth the descent, and easy is the way:
(loose translation by John Dryden, 1697)

noctes atque dies patet atri ianua Ditis;"


davulun sesi uzaktan hoş gelir

(idiomatic) the grass is always greener on the other side (literally, the distant drum sounds pleasant)


there are plenty more fish in the sea

Dry your eyes, mate / I know it's hard to take but her mind has been made up / There's plenty more fish in the sea

2004, Mike Skinner (lyrics and music), “Dry Your Eyes”, in A Grand Don't Come for Free, performed by The Streets:

there are plenty of fish in the sea#English

Alternative form of there are plenty of fish in the sea


there are plenty of fish in the sea

There are many more potential opportunities available.

échei ki alloú portokaliés pou kánoun portokália

έχει κι αλλού πορτοκαλιές που κάνουν πορτοκάλια

the odds are good, but the goods are odd


truth will out

The phrase "truth will out", meaning "truth will become public", appears as early as William Shakespeare's works, in particular The Merchant of Venice. It may have been an entirely new concept of Shakespeare's, as he sees the need to explain its meaning as analogous to murder will out.

A mystery will always be solved; truth will eventually and inevitably be discovered.

a hazug embert hamarabb utolérik, mint a sánta kutyát

il diavolo fa le pentole ma non i coperchi

ши́ло в мешке́ не утаи́шь (šílo v mešké ne utaíšʹ, literally “you can't hide an awl in a sack”)

bí irọ́ bá lọ fún ogún ọdún, ọjọ́ kan ni òtítọ́ á bá a


herkes hata yapar

Everyone makes mistakes, to err is human


hatasız kul olmaz

Unclear origin. Literally translated as "there is no servant (of God) without mistakes".


สำเนียงส่อภาษา กิริยาส่อสกุล

th-proverb

สำเนียงส่อภาษา กิริยาส่อสกุล

สำเนียงส่อภาษา กิริยาส่อสกุล • (sǎm-niiang-sɔ̀ɔ-paa-sǎa gì-rí-yaa-sɔ̀ɔ-sà-gun)

/sam˩˩˦.nia̯ŋ˧.sɔː˨˩.pʰaː˧.saː˩˩˦.ki˨˩.ri˦˥.jaː˧.sɔː˨˩.sa˨˩.kun˧/

Literally: Accent indicates language, personality indicates family.

en-สำเนียงส่อภาษา_กิริยาส่อสกุล-th-proverb-Nx1iwo8p


ตามใจปากลำบากท้อง

ตามใจปากลำบากท้อง

ตามใจปากลำบากท้อง • (dtaam-jai-bpàak-lam-bàak-tɔ́ɔng)

/taːm˧.t͡ɕaj˧.paːk̚˨˩.lam˧.baːk̚˨˩.tʰɔːŋ˦˥/

Literally: Follow the mouth's heart, the stomach will suffer.

have eyes bigger than your stomach
have eyes bigger than one's stomach

(idiomatic) If you have eyes bigger than your stomach, you will suffer.


olet mitä syöt

you are what you eat
you are what you eat


addig üsd a vasat, amíg meleg

[ˈɒdːiɡ ˌyʒd ɒ ˈvɒʃɒt ˌɒmiːɡ ˈmɛlɛɡ]

Literally, “strike the iron while it is warm”.

lit

strike while the iron is hot
strike while the iron is hot

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

(imperative) strike while the iron is hot, make hay while the sun shines


man ist, was man isst

Schlecht genährte Völker sind auch willensschlaffe und niedrig stehende Völker. Der bekannte Spruch: „Man ist, was man isst“, gilt für eine grosse Gesammtheit ganz so, wie für das Individuum.

1885, Isidor Singer, Untersuchungen über die socialen Zustände in den Fabrikbezirken des nordöstlichen Böhmen, page 157:

Poorly-fed people are also weak-willed and lowly people. The common saying "you are what you eat" applies just as much to the larger community as it does to the individual.

„Man ist, was man isst!“ Vielleicht ist ein bisschen Wahres daran. In der Makrobiotik geht man sogar so weit, dass man sagt, man sieht aus wie ein Schwein, wenn man zu viel Schweinefleisch verzehrt.

2013, Grete Ruile, Von einem Ostberliner Mädchen, page 268:

"You are what you eat!" Maybe there's some truth to it. In the macrobiotic diet, they even go so far as to say that you look like a pig if you eat too much pork.

Man ist, was man isst. Wenn wir Fleisch von Tieren zu uns nehmen, müssen wir uns klar darüber sein, dass der Preis dafür die Tötung eines Lebewesens ist.

2015, Martin Burckhardt, Score, page 97:

You are what you eat. When we eat meat from animals, we must understand, that the price of this is the killing of a living being.


je bent wat je eet

A loose translation of German Der Mensch ist, was er ißt.


head

De-einem geschenkten Gaul schaut man nicht ins Maul.ogg

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


kleine potjes hebben grote oren

small children hear everything (literally: small pots have big ears/handles)


uit het oog, uit het hart

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

out of sight, out of mind (literally: out of the eye, out of the heart)


aki időt nyer, életet nyer

[ˈɒki ˈidøːtɲɛr ˈeːlɛtɛtɲɛr]

Literally, “he who gains time, gains life”.


љубопитноста ја убила мачката

head

љубопитностa ја убила мачката

љубопитностa ја убила мачката • (ljubopitnosta ja ubila mačkata)

љубопитностa ја убила мачката (canonical)
ljubopitnosta ja ubila mačkata (romanization)

curiosity killed the cat
curiosity killed the cat

en-љубопитноста_ја_убила_мачката-mk-proverb-g9bR~1L~


от любопытства кошка сдохла

от любопы́тства ко́шка сдо́хла

от любопы́тства ко́шка сдо́хла • (ot ljubopýtstva kóška sdóxla)

от любопы́тства ко́шка сдо́хла (canonical)
ot ljubopýtstva kóška sdóxla (romanization)

By calque from curiosity killed the cat.

любопы́тной Варва́ре на база́ре но́с оторва́ли

мно́го бу́дешь знать — ско́ро соста́ришься

en-от_любопытства_кошка_сдохла-ru-proverb-g9bR~1L~


меньше знаешь — крепче спишь

ме́ньше зна́ешь — кре́пче спишь

ме́ньше зна́ешь — кре́пче спишь • (ménʹše znáješʹ — krépče spišʹ)

ме́ньше зна́ешь — кре́пче спишь (canonical)

Literally, “the less you know, the better you’ll sleep”.

lit

en-меньше_знаешь_—_крепче_спишь-ru-proverb-g9bR~1L~

en-меньше_знаешь_—_крепче_спишь-ru-proverb-xgEUyDgg


más idők, más emberek

[ˈmaːʃ ˌidøːk ˈmaːʃ ˌɛmbɛrɛk]

other days, other ways
other days, other ways


other days, other ways

People of the past thought and acted differently.

mudam-se os tempos, mudam-se os costumes


új seprű jól seper

a new broom sweeps clean
a new broom sweeps clean


minden út Rómába vezet

all roads lead to Rome
all roads lead to Rome


a türelem rózsát terem

a (“the”) + türelem (“patience”) + rózsa (“rose”) + -t (accusative suffix) + terem (“to bear, produce”). Literally, “patience produces roses”.

affix

good things come to those who wait
good things come to those who wait

patience is a virtue
patience is a virtue

good things come to those who wait, patience is a virtue


ki mint vet, úgy arat

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


gyakorlat teszi a mestert

From the Latin maxim: exercitātiō artem parat (literally “practice provides skill”) by Tacitus. Compare German Übung macht den Meister, corresponding to the Hungarian version, literally, “practice makes the master”.

experience is the best teacher
experience is the best teacher

practice makes perfect, experience is the best teacher


borban az igazság

[ˈborbɒn ɒz ˈiɡɒʃːaːɡ]

bor (“wine”) + -ban (“in”) + az (“the”) + igazság (“truth”), literally: "the truth [is] in [the] wine"

in wine, there is truth
in wine, there is truth

in vino veritas, in wine, there is truth


amelyik kutya ugat, az nem harap

Literally: "the dog that barks doesn't bite"

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite


minden rosszban van valami jó

minden (“every”) + rossz (“bad”) + -ban (“in”) + van (“there is”) + valami (“something”) + jó (“good”), literally "there is something good in every bad"

every cloud has a silver lining
every cloud has a silver lining


jobb későn, mint soha

better late than never
better late than never


head

ha nincs otthon a macska, cincognak az egerek

[hɒ ˈnint͡ʃothon ɒ ˈmɒt͡ʃkɒ ˈt͡sint͡soɡnɒk ɒz ˈɛɡɛrɛk]

Literally: "if the cat is not home, the mice squeak"

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


a baj nem jár egyedül

a (“the”) + baj (“trouble”) + nem (“not”) + jár (“to walk, go”) + egyedül (“alone”), literally “trouble does not walk alone”

affix

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

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

misfortunes never come singly
misfortunes never come singly

when it rains, it pours, it never rains but it pours, misfortunes never come singly (unfortunate events occur in quantity)


lassan járj, tovább érsz

Literally, “walk slower, you will get farther”.

lit

more haste, less speed
more haste, less speed

haste makes waste, more haste, less speed


head

[ˈjobmɒɛɟ ˈvɛreːb mint ˈholnɒpɛɟ ˈtuːzok]

LL-Q9067 (hun)-Ombreux-jobb ma egy veréb, mint holnap egy túzok.wav

Literally: "better a sparrow today than a bustard tomorrow"

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush


a tudás hatalom

a (“the”) + tudás (“knowledge”) + hatalom (“power”)


egy fecske nem csinál nyarat

[ˈɛɟ ˌfɛt͡ʃkɛ ˈnɛmt͡ʃinaːlɲɒrɒt]

egy (“one”) + fecske (“swallow”) + nem (“does not”) + csinál (“make”) + nyár (“summer”) + -at (accusative suffix)

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


ne keltsd fel az alvó oroszlánt

Literally, “don’t wake up the sleeping lion”.

lit

ne ébreszd fel az alvó oroszlánt#Hungarian

let sleeping dogs lie
let sleeping dogs lie

Alternative form of ne ébreszd fel az alvó oroszlánt (“let sleeping dogs lie”).


bagoly mondja verébnek, hogy nagyfejű

[ˈbɒɡoj ˌmoɲɟɒ ˈvɛreːbnɛk hoɟ ˈnɒcfɛjyː]

Literally: “the owl tells the sparrow that it is big-headed”.

pot calling the kettle black
pot calling the kettle black

más szemében a szálkát, magáéban a gerendát


ember tervez, Isten végez

man proposes, God disposes
man proposes, God disposes


aki kíváncsi, hamar megöregszik

Literally, “one who is curious will get old quickly/soon”.

lit

curiosity killed the cat
curiosity killed the cat


a vér nem válik vízzé

Literally: "the blood does not turn into water"

blood is thicker than water
blood is thicker than water


head

the bigger they are, the harder they fall

The larger or the higher of a rank something is, the more disastrous and spectacular its downfall.

the bigger is a cupboard, the louder it falls

чем бо́льше шкаф, тем гро́мче он па́дает

the bigger they come, the harder they fall

the highest branch is not the safest roost


every little helps

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-every little helps.wav

"There's not much money - if that's what you mean."
"Approximately."
"Once all the debts are paid there will be very little."
"Nevertheless. Every little helps. The Brothers are sorely in need of it this weather."

1980, Bernard MacLaverty, 'Lamb' (novel), (Chapter 1, at page 11 in the 1981 King Penguin paperback edition)

(UK) Even the smallest things are helpful when towards a goal.

tota pedra fa paret

even the smallest things are helpful when towards a goal

les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières

un grano no hace granero, pero ayuda al compañero

take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step


там хорошо, где нас нет

там хорошо́, где нас нет

там хорошо́, где нас нет • (tam xorošó, gde nas net)

там хорошо́ (canonical)
где нас нет (canonical)
tam xorošó (romanization)
gde nas net (romanization)

the grass is always greener on the other side

сосе́дняя о́чередь всегда́ дви́жется быстре́е

en-там_хорошо,_где_нас_нет-ru-proverb-~0KMObTc


az éremnek két oldala van

there are two sides to every question
there are two sides to every question


there are two sides to every question

One should not make a judgement until one hears the other side.

لكل حادث روايتان

don't make a judgement until you hear the other side


ami elmúlt, elmúlt

From ami (“what, whatever, that which”) + elmúlt (“is gone”), literally, “what is gone is gone”.

affix

let bygones be bygones
let bygones be bygones

let bygones be bygones (let’s ignore or disregard a past offense when dealing with another individual)


a kutya ugat, a karaván halad

Literally, “the dog barks, the caravan proceeds”.

lit

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


less is more

(paradox, oxymoron) That which is of smaller quantity could be of higher quality.

Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.

1855, Robert Browning, "Andrea del Sarto" poem in Men and Women collection

The essence of Mies's architectural philosophy is in his famous and sometimes derided phrase, "Less is more." This means, he says, having "the greatest effect with the least means."

1954 June 14, “‘Less Is More’”, in Time:

The program, which features two premieres—"Songs," a solo, and "The Pleasure of Stillness," a quartet—is founded on the notion that less is more.

2007 March 3, Gia Kourlas, “Dance Review: An Ordered World Defined With Soothing Spareness”, in New York Times, retrieved 2008-10-22:

That which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.

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

mindre är mer (literally, but more common as an untranslated loan)


man proposes, God disposes

From Medieval Latin "Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit", coined in Thomas à Kempis's De Imitatione Christi.

Things do not always work out as they are planned.

謀事在人，成事在天

things don't always work out as they were planned

čelovék predpolagájet, a box raspolagájet

челове́к предполага́ет, а бог располага́ет


a pénz nem boldogít

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


the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on

The saying, found in many Eurasian languages, probably originated in Turkish (it ürür, kervan yürür), where it rhymes.

History (or progress) moves ahead, no matter the criticism it may attract.

qentë le të lehin, karvani ecën përpara

life goes on even if some will try to stop progress

الْقَافِلَةُ تَسِيرُ وَالْكِلَابُ تَنْبَحُ

die Hunde bellen, aber die Karawane zieht weiter

ta skyliá alychtoún ma to karaváni prochorá

τα σκυλιά αλυχτούν μα το καραβάνι προχωρά

соба́ка ла́ет — ве́тер но́сит, а карава́н идёт (sobáka lájet — véter nósit, a karaván idjót)

los perros ladran, pero la caravana pasa

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


money can't buy happiness

Money can purchase external things, but true happiness comes from within oneself.

お金は幸福を買わない

おかねはこうふくをかうわない


segíts magadon, s az Isten is megsegít

[ˈʃɛɡiːt͡ʃː ˈmɒɡɒdon ˌʃ ɒz ˈiʃtɛn iʃ ˈmɛkʃɛɡiːt]

Literally, “help yourself and God, too, will help you”.

lit

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

heaven helps those who help themselves
heaven helps those who help themselves

God helps those who help themselves, heaven helps those who help themselves


ne igyál előre a medve bőrére

[ˈnɛjiɟaːl ˈɛløːrɛ ɒ ˈmɛdvɛ ˈbøːreːrɛ]

LL-Q9067 (hun)-Ewithu-ne igyál előre a medve bőrére.wav

Literally: "do not drink (i.e. rejoice) in advance on the hide of a bear (still at large)"

don't count your chickens before they're hatched


God helps those who help themselves

First appearing in English (in this form) in 1698, in Algernon Sidney's Discourses Concerning Government. Translation of a maxim found in Ancient Greek and Roman literature; equivalent proverbs are found in many languages, such as Hungarian and Italian.

Good fortune or providential aid comes to those who make an effort to accomplish things.

اعقِلْها وتَوكَّلْ

good fortune comes to those who make an effort to accomplish things

하늘은 스스로 돕는 자를 돕는다

haneur-eun seuseuro domneun ja-reul domneunda

Dumnezeu te ajută, dacă te ajuți singur; ajută-te și Dumnezeu te va ajuta.

the Lord helps those who help themselves


barking dogs never bite

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite#English

Alternative form of barking dogs seldom bite


never look a gift horse in the mouth

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

Alternative form of don't look a gift horse in the mouth


éhes ember nem válogat

[ˈeːɦɛʃɛmbɛr ˈnɛɱvaːloɡɒt]

éhes (“hungry”) + ember (“person”) + nem (“does not”) + válogat (“to pick, select”)

affix

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


more haste, less speed

The word speed is used here in the dated sense of “success, luck”, though probably with a pun on the sense “velocity”. Compare the same in Low German je gröter Hast, je minder Spood.

cog

When one is in a hurry, one often ends up having less success and completing a task more slowly.

استعجل تبطى تاكل خبطة

when one is in a hurry, one often ends up completing a task more slowly

欲速则不达

yùsù zé bùdá

ei ole hoppu hyväksi, eikä kiire kunniaksi

il ne faut pas confondre vitesse et précipitation

gdy się człowiek śpieszy, to się diabeł cieszy

ти́ше е́дешь, да́льше бу́дешь (tíše jédešʹ, dálʹše búdešʹ, literally “the slower you ride, the farther you'll get”)

поспеши́шь — люде́й насме́шишь (pospešíšʹ — ljudéj nasméšišʹ, literally “if you do it in a hurry, you’ll make people laugh”)

ang maglakad nang matulin, kung matinik ay malalim


don't cry over spilled milk

don't cry over spilt milk
don't cry over spilt milk#English

Alternative spelling of don't cry over spilt milk


bajban ismerszik meg a jó barát

Literally: "the good friend is known in trouble".

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


ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny

Reportedly coined by zoologist Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919).

With reference to seedling stages the statement that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny must be made with great reserve.

1905, J. A. Harris, "The Importance of Investigations of Seedling Stages," Science, New Series, vol. 22, no. 554, p. 186

Haeckel maintained that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny, and this idea was incorporated by Lombroso into his parallelism between the criminal and the child.

1961, M. E. Wolfgang, “Pioneers in Criminology: Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909)”, in The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science, volume 52, number 4, page 367:

For even if we accept that "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny," those responsible for the drafting of ancient legal documents were not children, and are hardly to be endowed with some form of infantile mentality.

2002, B. S. Jackson, “Models in Legal History: The Case of Biblical Law”, in Journal of Law and Religion, volume 18, number 1, page 11:

(biology, social sciences, art, philosophy) The physical, cultural, moral, or intellectual development of each individual passes through stages similar to the developmental stages of that individual's species, society, or civilization. Not taken literally since the late 19th century.


sok beszédnek sok az alja

Literally: "much talk has much bottom (inferior matter)"


a kivétel erősíti a szabályt

Literally, “the exception strengthens the rule”, originally with the mistranslation of the verb probō (“I test”) in Latin (see the etymology of the English-language equivalent). A more faithful rendering of the original could have been a kivétel próbára teszi a szabályt.

lit

the exception proves the rule
exception that proves the rule

there is an exception to every rule
there is an exception to every rule


nincsen öröm üröm nélkül

Literally: “there is no joy without bitterness”

there is no joy without alloy
there is no joy without alloy

there is no joy without alloy, you have to take the bad with the good, you have to take the bitter with the sweet


head

From An Essay on Criticism (1711) by Alexander Pope.

“It's the first article of your creed—that marriage is a holy sacrament, that no power on earth or in hell can ever dissolve its bonds? Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, my dear! They always have—they always will, I suppose.

The year following my graduation the new Captain of my Alma Mater's team asked me if I would aid him in developing the squad for next year. Well, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread," so I said Yes.

1921, William T. Tilden, The Art of Lawn Tennis:

Then, too, a record of failures—particularly if it is a dignified and well-authenticated record—deters a young man from trying. We get some of our best results from letting fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

1922, Henry Ford, Samuel Crowther, chapter 5, in My Life and Work, Garden City, New York: Garden City Publishing Company, Inc., →OCLC:

A person who does not plan ahead and think matters through becomes involved in risky or unfavorable situations which prudent people avoid.

don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly


mindenütt jó, de legjobb otthon

Literally: "it is good everywhere, but it is the best at home"

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


there is an exception to every rule

Usually said in a situation when the rule is incorrect and unusable.


nehas, co tě nepálí

heed your own problems, instead of problems of others


there's no place like home

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

la meva casa i la meva llar mil unces valen

val més el fum de casa meva que el foc de la teva

在家千日好 (zài jiā qiān rì hǎo, literally “at home a thousand days are good”)

nichts ist vergleichbar mit dem eigenen zu Hause

spíti mou, spitáki mou kai ftochokalyváki mou

σπίτι μου, σπιτάκι μου και φτωχοκαλυβάκι μου

住めば都 (すめばみやこ, sumeba miyako, literally “if you live somewhere, it's the royal palace to you”)

我が家ほど良い場所はない

わがいえほどよいばしょはない

nullus est locus domestica sede iucundior

svugdje je lijepo, ali doma je najljepše


Rome was not built in a day

[O]ne daye or lytle tyme is not ynoughe for the acheuinge of a great matter. Which is al one with this in engliſhe: Rome was not buylt in one day.

1545 August 20 (Gregorian calendar), Erasmus, “Vna hirundo non facit ver [One swallow does not make it spring]”, in Richard Taverner, transl., Proverbes or Adagies Gathered out of the Chiliades of Erasmus […], new edition, London: Edwardus Whytchurche […]; to be sel […] by Wyllyam Telotson, →OCLC, folio xxv, verso:

Rome was not built in one day (quoth he), and yet stood / Till it was finisht, as some say, full fayre.

1546, John Heywood, chapter XI, in Julian Sharman, editor, The Proverbs of John Heywood. […], London: George Bell and Sons, […], published 1874, →OCLC, part I, pages 64–65:

The Reformation you haue made of the many and maine corruptions of the Romiſh Ch[urch] vve do ingenuouſly acknovvledge, and doe vvithall imbrace vvith you all the truths vvhich to our knovvledge you haue receiued in ſtead of them. But Rome vvas not built all in a day.

1610, Jos[eph] Hall, “Section XXV. What Separation England hath Made.”, in A Common Apologie of the Church of England: Against the Uniust Challenges of the Ouer-iust Sect, Commonly Called Brownists. […], London: […] [William Stansby] for Samuel Macham, […], →OCLC, marginal note, page 63:

[…] Rome''' vvas not built in a day, nor is a Reformation in the true Lavv-ſenſe effectable preſently; […]

1663, Edward Waterhous [i.e., Edward Waterhouse], chapter XXIX, in Fortescutus Illustratus; or A Commentary on that Nervous Treatise De Laudibus Legum Angliæ, Written by Sir John Fortescue Knight, […], London: […] Tho[mas] Roycroft for Thomas Dicas […], →OCLC, page 375:

[Y]ou muſt lay your account vvith mounting by gradual ſteps to the ſummit of your fortune.—Rome vvas not built in a day,— […]

1748, [Tobias Smollett], “I Cultivate an Acquaintance with Two Noblemen […]”, in The Adventures of Roderick Random. […], volume II, London: […] [William Strahan] for J[ohn] Osborn […], →OCLC, page 173:

[T]hou must have patience. Rome was not built in a day—you cannot become used to your court-suit in a month's time, any more than when you changed your long coat for a doublet and hose; […]

1822 May 29, [Walter Scott], chapter X, in The Fortunes of Nigel. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, pages 237–238:

"As Rome," it was suggested, "had not been built in a day,["] so neither had Mademoiselle Gérard Moore's education been completed in a week, or by merely wishing to be clever. It was effort that had accomplished that great work: […]

1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], “The First Blue-stocking”, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume I, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, page 123:

I actually believe in some respects we may be in danger of working too quickly, simply to address that perception. As the ridiculously over-used cliché notes, Rome was not built in a day. What I do accept is that the 100-day project that saw the new city plan designed was done at breakneck speed. This was a phenomenally challenging time frame but absolutely crucial. For a community still suffering, still shocked, and literally still shaking, there clearly needed to be a plan put in place as quickly as possible.

2014 August, Roger Sutton, “A Blank Canvas for New Beginnings”, in Barnaby Bennett, James Dann, Emma Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, editors, Once in a Lifetime: City-building after Disaster in Christchurch, Christchurch: Freerange Press, →ISBN, page 54:

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

Alternative form of Rome wasn't built in a day


little pitchers have long ears

little pitchers have big ears
little pitchers have big ears#English

Alternative form of little pitchers have big ears


little pitchers have big ears

An allusion to the ear-shaped handles common on pitchers used for serving liquids.

Seeing me listening to something she was saying to Mamma, she turned round upon me with that odious proverb, "Little pitchers have long ears."

1844, Charlotte M. Yonge, chapter 2, in Abbeychurch:

A caution to U. S. parents, but a joy to radio merchandising, is the dread truth that little pitchers have big ears.

1939 April 17, “Bedtime Bedlam”, in Time:

[N]o kid ever ran to his mother and said that his little sister just defecated in the tub. I suppose he might say pushed or went woowoo, but took a shit is, I fear, very much in the ballpark (little pitchers have big ears, after all).

2000, Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, →ISBN, page 185:

Small children often overhear more of what is said than adults realize or desire.


kdo nic nedělá, nic nezkazí

Literally, “who does nothing, breaks nothing”.

lit

mistakes that are not too severe or too often made are all right, and preferable to no activity at all


nem a ruha teszi az embert

Litarally: "it's not the clothes that make the man"

clothes don't make the man
clothes don't make the man


aki szelet vet, vihart arat

aki (“who/ever”) + szél (“wind”) + -et (accusative suffix) + vet (“to sow”) + vihar (“storm”) + -t (accusative suffix) + arat (“to harvest, reap”). Literally, “whoever sows a wind will reap a storm”.

lit

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

amilyen az adjonisten, olyan a fogadjisten


több szem többet lát

From több (“more; multiple, several”) + szem (“eye”) + több (“more”) + -et (accusative suffix) + lát (“to see”), literally, “more/multiple eyes see more”.

lit

two heads are better than one
two heads are better than one


a szomszéd rétje mindig zöldebb

Literally: “the neighbour's meadow is always greener”

the grass is always greener on the other side


one swallow doesn't make a summer

one swallow does not a summer make#English

Alternative form of one swallow does not a summer make


head

[ɒ ˈhɒzuɡ ˈɛmbɛrt ˈhɒmɒrɒbː ˈutoleːrik mint ɒ ˈʃaːntɒ ˈkucaːt]

Hu-a hazug embert hamarabb utolérik, mint a sánta kutyát.ogg

Literally, “a lying man will be caught sooner than a limping dog”.

lit

könnyebb utolérni a hazugot, mint a sánta kutyát


proverbs often come in pairs

proverbs run in pairs
proverbs run in pairs#English

Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs


proverbs come in pairs

Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.

1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, →ISBN, page 325:


proverbs go in pairs

As a rule, proverbs go in pairs which say opposite things.

1932, Bertrand Russell, “On Proverbs”, in Mortals and others: American essays, 1931-1935, →ISBN, page 136:


proverbs run in pairs

Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.

1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, volume 1, London: Tinsley, page 309:

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

many hands make light work
many hands make light work

Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposing or contradictory message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."


veselá mysl půl zdraví

keeping yourself merry and cheerful is key for staying healthy


Isten malmai lassan őrölnek

[ˈiʃtɛn ˌmɒlmɒji ˈlɒʃːɒn ˌøːrølnɛk]

Isten (“God”) + malom (“mill”) + -ai (“possessive suffix”) + lassan (“slowly”) + őröl (“to grind”) + -nek (“personal suffix”)

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


the mills of the gods grind slowly

Justice may arrive slowly, but it cannot be avoided.


változnak az idők, változnak az emberek

[ˈvaːltoznɒk ɒz ˈidøːk ˈvaːltoznɒk ɒz ˈɛmbɛrɛk]

Literally: “times change, people change”

other days, other ways
other days, other ways


possession is nine points of the law

Unknown. Presumably derives from legal principle where the satisfaction of 10 (or at times 12) points legitimated ownership; hence “nine points of the law” (sometimes “eleven points of the law”) constituted close to full ownership. Derived from the early English property system, where the right to possession of property was endorsed by the king in the form of a writ. There were nine traditional writs granted by the King, and each of these nine writs represented the nine basic rights of property possession. These nine writs evolved into the nine original laws defining property ownership, hence the expression "possession is nine points in the law."
Listed in the form “Possession is nine points in the Law.” as a common saying in 1616 by Thomas Draxe, Adages 163.

possession is nine-tenths of the law#English

Dated form of possession is nine-tenths of the law.


measure twice, cut once

measure twice and cut once
measure twice and cut once#English

Alternative form of measure twice and cut once


possession is nine-tenths of the law

From possession is nine points of the law.

adverse possession
adverse possession#English

One who has possession of a thing has some right to it; a popular statement of the doctrine of adverse possession.


measure twice and cut once

Look at Carpenters! . . . In old times it was a proverb "Measure twice, and cut once."

1872, “Dressmaking”, in Hall's Journal of Health, volume 19, number 12, page 280:

(carpentry, literally) One should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may be necessary to cut again, wasting time and material.

Mr. Paz noted that since the onset of the credit crisis, eBay, like other companies, hasn’t been able to "measure twice and cut once."

2008 November 9, Hilary Johnson, “Mergers rattle bank relations”, in Financial Week, retrieved 2008-11-09:

(figuratively, by extension) Plan and prepare in a careful, thorough manner before taking action.

dvakrát měř, jednou řež

plan and prepare in a careful, thorough manner before taking action. and act once precisely and properly.

семь раз отме́рь, оди́н отре́жь (semʹ raz otmérʹ, odín otréžʹ, literally “measure seven times, cut once”)


quando il gatto non c'è, i topi ballano

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


di notte tutti i gatti sono grigi

di notte tutti i gatti sono bigi#Italian

Alternative form of di notte tutti i gatti sono bigi


head

non dire gatto se non ce l'hai nel sacco

Literally, “don't say cat until you have (it) in (the) sack”.

lit

don't count your chickens before they're hatched

non vendere la pelle dell'orso prima di averlo ucciso


di notte tutti i gatti sono bigi

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


it-pos

non vendere la pelle dell'orso prima di averelo ucciso

Calque of French il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué. Literally, “don't sell the bear's skin before you have killed the bear”.

calque

il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué


všeho s mírou

everything in moderation
everything in moderation

everything in moderation; don't overdo it


head

la gatta frettolosa fece i gattini ciechi

Literally, “the hasty cat gave birth to blind kittens”.

lit

more haste, less speed
more haste, less speed

more haste, less speed; haste makes waste


head

tanto va la gatta al lardo, che ci lascia lo zampino

Literally, “the (female) cat goes so often to the lard that she leaves her paw there”.
This is in reference to the chopping block where lard is sliced. A cat continually stealing lard from the chopping block eventually loses its paw.

lit

you won't get away with something for ever; at some point you will leave a clue and be found out


head

neštěstí nechodí po horách, ale po lidech

Literally, “the misfortune does not hike the mountains but people”.


you can't fight City Hall

I see they're going to build the airport after all. I suppose you can't fight City Hall.

As Audre Lorde, my professor at Hunter College, told our class in 1982, "That you can't fight City Hall is a rumor being spread by City Hall."

1998, Sarah Schulman, Stagestruck: Theater, AIDS, and the Marketing of Gay America, Duke University Press, page 45:

(chiefly US, literal, figurative) Nothing can be done to change the situation, because it is a governmental decision or a similarly institutional decision (e.g., high-level corporate, senior military brass, dominant cultural norm).


jobb félni, mint megijedni

Literally: "it is better to fear [in advance] than to get frightened [suddenly]"

better safe than sorry
better safe than sorry

prevention is better than cure
prevention is better than cure

better safe than sorry, prevention is better than cure


head

if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail

Law of the instrument
law of the instrument

Likely traditional. In this form, perhaps from Abraham Maslow, The Psychology of Science, 1966, page 15 and his earlier book
Abraham H. Maslow (1962), Toward a Psychology of Being:
: I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.
Similar concept by Abraham Kaplan, The Conduct of Inquiry: Methodology for Behavioral Science, 1964, page 28:
: I call it the law of the instrument, and it may be formulated as follows: Give a small boy a hammer, and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding.
Labeled "Baruch's Observation" (after Bernard Baruch) in The Complete Murphy's Law: A Definitive Collection (1991) by Arthur Bloch.
Also often attributed, without citation, to Mark Twain (for example in Jonathan Haidt, The Righteous Mind, page 9).

With limited tools, single-minded people apply them inappropriately or indiscriminately.

If a person is familiar with a certain, single subject, or has with them a certain, single instrument, they may have a confirmation bias to believe that it is the answer to/involved in everything.


il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio

Literally, “the wolf can lose its fur but not its bad habits”.

lit

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

the fox may grow grey but never good
the fox may grow grey but never good

the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature; a leopard cannot change its spots; the fox may grow grey but never good


l'erba del vicino è sempre più verde

Literally, “the neighbor's grass is always greener”.

lit

the grass is always greener on the other side (the others' circumstances seem more desirable)


cane che abbaia non morde

can che abbaia non morde
can che abbaia non morde#Italian

(rare) Alternative form of can che abbaia non morde


наука не мука

head

нау́ка не му́ка

нау́ка не му́ка • (naúka ne múka)

нау́ка не му́ка (canonical)
naúka ne múka (romanization)


век живи — век учись

век живи́ — век учи́сь!

век живи́ — век учи́сь! • (vek živí — vek učísʹ!)

век живи́ — век учи́сь ! (canonical)

Literally, “live for a century, learn for a century”.

lit

it's never too late to mend
it's never too late to mend

you're never too old to learn
you're never too old to learn

it's never too late to mend; you're never too old to learn, live and learn

live a century, learn a century, and you'll die a fool

век живи́, век учи́сь, а дурако́м помрёшь


через золото слёзы льются

head

че́рез зо́лото слёзы лью́тся

че́рез зо́лото слёзы лью́тся • (čérez zóloto sljózy lʹjútsja)

че́рез зо́лото слёзы лью́тся (canonical)
čérez zóloto sljózy lʹjútsja (romanization)

[ˈt͡ɕerʲɪz ˈzoɫətə ˈs⁽ʲ⁾lʲɵzɨ ˈlʲjut͡sːə]

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

en-через_золото_слёзы_льются-ru-proverb-j-3iariO


what you see is what you get

Originally a humorous allusion to a catchphrase popularized by comedian Flip Wilson on US TV in the 1960s.

What you see is what you get. No one's been disappointed yet.

With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get[…]

1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii:

Sonic: What you see is what you get! Just a guy that loves adventure! I’m Sonic the Hedgehog!

2001 June 23, Sonic Team USA, Sonic Adventure 2, Sega, published 2001:

For:Word, like Wang's editing system, is an early approach to a what-you-see-is-what-you-get word processor.

(idiomatic, computing) The screen image resembles the printed output.

所見即所得

(idiomatic, computing) the screen image resembles the printed output


you don't dip your pen in the inkwell

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

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


you don't dip your pen in the company's ink


you don't dip your pen in company ink

"In my job, young hot things have been coming up to me for years," says Fletcher, the retired pilot. "You don't dip your pen in company ink."

1998 September 28, Roxanne Roberts, “Men's Bad Rep: Just a Bad Rap?”, in Washington Post, retrieved 2008-12-13, page A1:

It wasn't money that attracted his current wife, Madeleine Deininger, who started working for Ravenswood in 1985. . . . "We had the policy that you don't dip your pen in company ink. We stayed good friends for a long time," Peterson says.

2006 July 27, W. Blake Gray, “Ravens to Riches”, in San Francisco Chronicle, retrieved 2008-12-13:

One should avoid romantic or sexual relationships in the workplace.

喺度食唔好喺度痾

one should avoid romantic or sexual relationships in the workplace

onde se ganha o pão, não se come a carne

you don't get your nookie where you get your cookies

don't get your honey where you make your money

don't get your meat where you get your bread

you don't dip your pen in the company inkwell


don't judge a book by its cover

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

Alternative form of you can't judge a book by its cover


не всё то золото, что блестит

не всё то зо́лото, что блести́т

не всё то зо́лото, что блести́т • (ne vsjo to zóloto, što blestít)

не всё то зо́лото (canonical)
что блести́т (canonical)
ne vsjo to zóloto (romanization)
što blestít (romanization)

[nʲɪ‿ˈfsʲɵ to ˈzoɫətə | ʂto blʲɪˈsʲtʲit]

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-не всё то золото, что блестит.wav

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

en-не_всё_то_золото,_что_блестит-ru-proverb-LT6ObsJh


人多嘴雜

ㄖㄣˊ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄗㄨㄟˇ ㄗㄚˊ

жэньдоцзуйцза

/ʐən³⁵ tu̯ɔ⁵⁵ t͡su̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sä³⁵/

/ʐən³⁵ tu̯ɔ⁵⁵ t͡su̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sä³⁵/

Agreement is difficult if there are too many people.

Secrecy is difficult if too many people share it.


人定勝天

ㄖㄣˊ ㄉㄧㄥˋ ㄕㄥˋ ㄊㄧㄢ

жэньдиншэнтянь

/ʐən³⁵ tiŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/jaːn²¹ tɪŋ²² sɪŋ³³ tʰiːn⁵⁵/

/ʐən³⁵ tiŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/jaːn²¹ tɪŋ²² sɪŋ³³ tʰiːn⁵⁵/

Man's determination will triumph over nature.


cad é a dhéanfadh mac an chait ach luch a mharú?

like father, like son
like father, like son

like father, like son; literally, "what would the son of the cat do but kill a mouse?"


home is where you hang your hat

One place is like the other let's say
Home is where you hang your hat.

1948, Ruth L. Yorck, "D.P.—Short for Sorry," Twice a Year: A Semi-annual Journal of Literature, the Arts, and Civil Liberties, 10th anniversary issue, p. 163

"Did I ever think that Jamaica would be my home? Never," he says, "but I have been living as a foreigner in someone else's country for most of my life," he says, "and I guess it is true that home is where you hang your hat."

2007 May 27, Leisha Chen-Young, “Sandals' Armando Pizzuti is . . . Never Satisfied”, in Jamaica Observer, retrieved 2009-01-04:

Rather than feeling nostalgic or sentimental, one should simply accept any place where one happens to reside as one's home.


能ある鷹は爪を隠す

ja-pos

のう ある たか は つめ を かくす

能(のう)ある鷹(たか)は爪(つめ)を隠(かく)す • (nō aru taka wa tsume o kakusu)

能ある鷹は爪を隠す (canonical)
nō aru taka wa tsume o kakusu (romanization)

Literally, “The skilled hawk hides its talons.” Compare English hide one's light under a bushel and keep one's cards close to one's chest.

能鷹隠爪

能鷹隠爪 のうよういんそう


in unity, there is strength

More can be accomplished by a team with a common goal than by individuals.


ingen regel utan undantag

there is an exception to every rule
there is an exception to every rule


těžko na cvičišti, lehko na bojišti

train hard, fight easy
train hard, fight easy

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect

train hard, fight easy; practice makes perfect


a man is known by the company he keeps

People are similar in character to their friends.

people are similar in character to their friends

krástavite magáreta prez dévet baíra se podúšvat

кра́ставите мага́рета през де́вет баи́ра се поду́шват

deíxe mou tous fílous sou, na sou po poios eísai

δείξε μου τους φίλους σου, να σου πω ποιος είσαι

kenali seseorang dengan mengetahui kawannya

diz-me com quem andas, dir-te-ei quem és

spune-mi cu cine te însoțești, ca să-ți spun cine ești

с кем поведёшься, от того́ и наберёшься

s kem povedjóšʹsja, ot tovó i naberjóšʹsja

skaží mne, kto tvoj drug, i ja skažú tebé, kto ty

скажи́ мне, кто твой друг, и я скажу́ тебе́, кто ты

aithnichear fear air a' chuideachd a chumas e

am fear a laigheas sa pholl, togaidh e an làthach

dime con quién andas, y te diré quién eres


caldum meiere et frigidum potare

caldum mēiere et frīgidum pōtāre (canonical)

/ˈkal.dum ˈmeː.i̯e.re et ˈfriː.ɡi.dum poːˈtaː.re/

[ˈkäɫ̪d̪ʊ̃ˑ ˈmeːi̯ɛrɛ ɛt̪ ˈfriːɡɪd̪ʊ̃ˑ poːˈt̪äːrɛ]

/ˈkal.dum ˈme.je.re et ˈfri.d͡ʒi.dum poˈta.re/

[ˈkäl̪d̪um ˈmɛːjere ɛt̪ ˈfriːd͡ʒid̪um poˈt̪äːre]

From the Satyricon of Petronius. Literally: "To piss it hot and drink it cold."

nunc hoc est caldum meiere et frigidum potare

c. 27 CE – 66 CE, Petronius, Satyricon 67

now so far it is to drink it cold and piss it hot

one gives more than one receives; one gives back generously what one has received.


do as I say and not as I do

This simplified order first appeared in John Selden's Table-Talk (c. 1654): "Preachers say, 'Do as I say, not as I do.'"
The original parsing is found in the New Testament (Matthew 23:1-3; King James Version): “Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.”

Do what I say now, not what I do
The dilettantish peekaboo

2006, J. G. Thirlwell (lyrics and music), “Sieve”, in Damp, performed by Foetus:

(as imperative) Do not imitate my behavior but obey my instructions.

älä tee niin kuin minä teen, vaan niin kuin minä sanon

älkää tehkö niin kuin minä teen, vaan niin kuin minä sanon

faites ce que je dis, pas ce que je fais

tu, was ich sage, nicht, was ich tue (selbst/selber)

faça o que eu digo, mas não faça o que eu faço


give a man a fish

give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime#English

Ellipsis of give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.


hell hath no fury like a woman scorned

/hɛl hæθ nəʊ ˈfjʊəɹi laɪk ə ˈwʊmən skɔːnd/

/hɛl hæθ noʊ ˈfjʊɹi laɪk ə ˈwʊmən skɔɹnd/

En-us-hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.oga

First written as "Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn'd." in the 1697 play The Mourning Bride (Act III Scene 2) by William Congreve. The "hath" is a hypercorrection based on false chronological assumption and perception that the saying is ancient, dating to at least the grammar of Early Modern English (which the time of writing would be at the end of); this is also reinforced by the phrase often being falsely attributed to Shakespeare or the King James Bible.

A woman will make someone suffer if they hurt her.

L’enfer n’a pas de fureur comme une femme méprisée

Selbst die Hölle hat nicht den Zorn einer geschmähten Frau.


history repeats itself

If it be true that history repeats itself, then assuredly a narrative of domestic trials, of political emergencies, and of religious animosities can never be out of date, since men and women still bear in their hearts, passions as vindictive, a patriotism as ardent, and, let us hope, a piety as sincere as distinguished, in the sixteenth century, Philip and Charlotte du Plessis de Mornay.

1871, The Edinburgh review, or Critical Journal, →OCLC, page 486:

If history repeats itself, so does religious experience. As the story of the Church unfolds, the individual finds himself as part of the providential purpose of God within the realm in which the living God reigns.

1962, Kendig Brubaker Cully, Confirmation: History, Doctrine, and Practice, →OCLC, page 152:

In other words, Ballard's pseudo-scientific tales remap social history's penchant for psychoanalysing the impact of historical atrocity (World War II) by deflecting it onto another historical disaster (Vietnam). Only, history repeats itself in Ballard's text with one crucial, contemporary difference: in 'Love and Napalm: Export USA' it is no longer the combatant, the active participant of war, who comes under psychological scrutiny, but the passive spectators

2016, Jeanette Baxter, J.G. Ballard's Surrealist Imagination, →ISBN:

We all know [in paraphrase] Marx's remark that history repeats itself first as a tragedy and then as a farce. Marx had in mind the tragedy of the fall of Napoleon I and the later farce of the reign of his nephew Napoleon III. Back in the 1960s, Herbert Marcuse remarked that the lesson of Nazism seems to be the opposite one: first as a farce (throughout the 1920s, Hitler and his gang were mostly taken as a bunch of marginal political clowns), then as a tragedy (when Hitler effectively took power).

2021 January 25, Slavoj Žižek, “Debates: First As Farce, Then As Tragedy?”, in The Philosophical Salon: A Los Angeles Review of Books Channel:

Things that have happened in the past will or tend to happen again in one way or another.


head

En-us-give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.ogg

The oldest English-language use of the proverb has been found in Anne Isabella Thackeray Ritchie's (1837–1919) novel, Mrs. Dymond (1885), in a slightly different form:
: "[…] if you give a man a fish he is hungry again in an hour. If you teach him to catch a fish you do him a good turn."

It is more worthwhile to teach someone to do something (for themselves) than to do it for them (on an ongoing basis).

more worthwhile to teach someone than do it for them

ekṭi manuś ekṭi mach daō eboṅ apni ekṭi diner jonno take bhōjon. mach dhora ekṭi manuś śekhan eboṅ apni śara jiboner jonno take bhōjon

একটি মানুষ একটি মাছ দাও এবং আপনি একটি দিনের জন্য তাকে ভোজন. মাছ ধরা একটি মানুষ শেখান এবং আপনি সারা জীবনের জন্য তাকে ভোজন

dej člověku rybu - nasytíš ho na jeden den; nauč ho chytat ryby - nasytíš jej na celý život

Giv en mand en fisk, og han har mad for en dag. Lær en mand at fiske, og han har mad for livet

anna miehelle kala ja ruokit hänet päiväksi; opeta hänet kalastamaan ja ruokit hänet loppuelämäksi.

Donne un poisson à un homme, il mangera un jour. Apprends-lui à pêcher, il mangera toute sa vie.

Gib einem Mann einen Fisch und du ernährst ihn für einen Tag. Lehre einen Mann zu fischen und du ernährst ihn für sein Leben.

kisī ke lie kām karne se behtar use apne āp karnā sikhānā hai

किसी के लिए काम करने से बेहतर उसे अपने आप करना सिखाना है

dà un pesce ad un uomo e lo sfamerai per un giorno; insegna ad un uomo a pescare e lo sfamerai per sempre

魚を与えるのではなく魚の釣り方を教えよ

さかなをあたえるのではなくさかなのつりかたをおしえよ

Sakana o ataeru no de wa naku sakana no tsurikata o oshie yo

duok žmogui žuvį - bus sotus vieną dieną, išmok jį meškerioti - bus sotus likusį gyvenimą

اگر به کسی که گرسنه است ماهی بدهی، گرسنگی او را فقط برای یک روز رفع کردهای؛ اما اگر به او ماهیگیری یاد بدهی، گرسنگی او را تا ابد رفع میکنی

dając człowiekowi rybę - karmisz go na jeden dzień; dając człowiekowi wędkę - karmisz go na całe życie.

dê a um homem um peixe e você o alimentará por um dia. Ensine-o a pescar e você o alimentará por toda uma vida

дай челове́ку ры́бу, и ты нако́рмишь его́ на оди́н день, научи́ челове́ка рыба́чить — и ты накормишь его́ на всю жизнь (daj čelovéku rýbu, i ty nakórmišʹ jevó na odín denʹ, naučí čelovéka rybáčitʹ — i ty nakormišʹ jevó na vsju žiznʹ)

dale un pescado a un hombre y lo alimentarás por un día; enséñale a pescar y lo alimentarás de por vida.

Daj ljudyni rybu, i ty nahoduješ jiji lyše raz. Navčy jiji lovyty rybu, i vona bude hoduvatysja neju vse žyttja.

Дай людині рибу, і ти нагодуєш її лише раз. Навчи її ловити рибу, і вона буде годуватися нею все життя.

آدمی کو ایک مچھلی دو اور تم اُسے ایک دن کا کھانا دیتے ہو، لیکن آدمی کو مچھلی پکڑنا سکھاؤ اور تم اُسے ہمیشہ کے لئے کھانا دیتے ہو۔

Nếu cho người khác một con cá, bạn sẽ chỉ nuôi sống người đó một ngày. Còn nếu dạy anh ta cách câu cá, bạn sẽ nuôi sống anh ta cả đời.


hunger is the best sauce

Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.


is maith an t-anlann an t-ocras

hunger is a good sauce
hunger is a good sauce


hunger is a good sauce

His bread and cheese were somewhat dry, to be sure; his ale had become flat, and considerably warmer than was desirable; but hunger is a good sauce, and thirst is not particular.

1854, Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew, Tom Taylor, Shirley Brooks, Francis Cowley Burnand, Owen Seaman, Punch, Vol. XXVI, Punch Publications Ltd., page 74:

(dated) Being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food.

الجوع كافر

being hungry makes one less concerned about the taste of one's food

no hi ha millor salsa que la de sant Bernat


you make the bed you lie in

A person's circumstances are normally the result of their own actions.

niin makaat kuin petaat

a person's circumstances are normally the result of their own actions

сам завари́л, сам и ку́шай (sam zavaríl, sam i kúšaj, literally “you cooked it yourself, so eat it yourself”)

as you make your bed, so you must lie in it


cha dèan aon smeòrach samhradh

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


obsta principiis

[ˈɔps̠t̪äː priːŋˈkɪpiːs̠]


if the mountain won't come to Muhammad

An ellipsis (anapodoton) of the apocryphal phrase "if the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain," coined in a story by Francis Bacon (1561–1626)
Details
The earliest appearance of the phrase is from Chapter 12 of the Essays of Francis Bacon, published in 1625:
Mahomet made the people believe that he would call a hill to him, and from the top of it offer up his prayers, for the observers of his law. The people assembled; Mahomet called the hill to come to him, again and again; and when the hill stood still, he was never a whit abashed, but said, If the hill will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet will go to the hill.
It was published in John Ray's 1670 book of English proverbs, The more complete reading of the essay makes it clear that Sir Francis Bacon meant the example to be disparaging, as he refers to “…mountebanks for the natural body, so are there mountebanks for the politic body…" in the context of his discussion “of boldness”, or what might be described in modern, political terms as brazening out a scandal or failure.
Although the phrase is widely associated with Muhammad, the 6th-century prophet of Islam who lived in Arabia, there is no written or oral tradition tracing it back to him. There is, however, a phrase in Turkish—dağ sana gelmezse, sen dağa gideceksin… (“if the mountain won't come to you, you must go to the mountain”)—that has no reference to Muhammad. (An alternative version can be found on the Turkish Wiktionary.) It is known as one of the atasözleri, or "common sayings", which exist in modern Turkish but are thought to have much older origins.

It was obvious that, if Opec was going to survive much longer, it had to be taken seriously by the world’s major oil companies. So Yamani decided, if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Opec had somehow to impose its presence on the oil companies.

1988, Jeffrey Robinson, “The Birth of Opec and the Rise of Yamani”, in Yamani: The Inside Story (Biography/History), New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, published 1989, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 54:

If something one wishes to be done cannot be commanded to be done, one must find another way to achieve one's goal.

Essays (Francis Bacon)
Francis Bacon
John Ray
Muhammad

اذا لم يأتيك ما تريد، فلتسعى أليه

if one cannot get something done by commanding it

ako ne možeš da zaneseš planinata pri Mohamed, zavedi Mohamed pri planinata

ако не можеш да занесеш планината при Мохамед, заведи Мохамед при планината

když nejde hora k Mohamedovi, musí Mohamed k hoře

hvis bjerget ikke vil komme til Muhammed, må Muhammed komme til bjerget

når bjerget ikke vil komme til Muhammed, må Muhammed komme til bjerget

als Mohammed niet naar de berg komt, moet de berg maar naar Mohammed

se la monto ne venas al Mohamedo, Mohamedo devas iri al monto

si la montagne ne va pas à toi, va à la montagne

tu muhamedi ar midis mtastan mašin mta midis muhamedtan

თუ მუჰამედი არ მიდის მთასთან მაშინ მთა მიდის მუჰამედთან

wenn der Berg nicht zum Propheten kommt, muss der Prophet wohl zum Berge kommen

ótan den páei ston Moámeth to vounó, páei sto vounó o Moámeth

όταν δεν πάει στον Μωάμεθ το βουνό, πάει στο βουνό ο Μωάμεθ

אם מוחמד לא יבוא אל ההר, יבוא ההר אל מוחמד

ha a hegy nem megy Mohamedhez, Mohamed megy a hegyhez

se la montagna non va da Maometto, Maometto va alla montagna

목마른 놈이 우물 판다 (mongmareun nomi umul panda, literally “a thirsty man digs a well”)

når fjellet ikke kommer til Muhammed, må Muhammed komme til fjellet

nie chce góra przyjść do Mahometa, musi Mahomet przyjść do góry

se a montanha não vem a Maomé, Maomé vai à montanha

dacă nu vine muntele la Mahomed, merge Mahomed la munte

jésli gorá ne idjót k Magométu, to Magomét idjót k goré

е́сли гора́ не идёт к Магоме́ту, то Магоме́т идёт к горе́

ако неће брег Мухамеду, хоће Мухамед брегу

ak nepríde hora k Mohamedovi, príde Mohamed k hore

om berget inte kan komma till Muhammed, får Muhammed komma till berget

dağ Muhammet’e gelmezse, Muhammet dağa gider

ko nêro Mıhemedi rê se Mıhemed sı no koyi rê

as the mountain could not wait upon Mahomet, Mahomet would go to the mountain


the proof of the pudding is in the eating

This proverb dates back at least to the 14th century as "Jt is ywrite that euery thing Hymself sheweth in the tastyng", and William Camden stated it in 1605 in Remaines of a Greater Worke, Concerning Britaine as "All the proofe of a pudding, is in the eating", per Rogers' Dictionary of Cliche and the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.
A 1682 translation of Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux Le Lutrin (written between 1672 and 1674) renders it "The proof of th' pudding's seen i' the eating."
The current phrasing is generally attributed to the 1701 translation by Peter Anthony Motteux of a proverb Miguel de Cervantes used in Don Quixote (1615), al freír de los huevos lo verá (“you will see it when you fry the eggs”).
The shorter form the proof is in the pudding, which is found in an 1867 issue of the British Farmer's Magazine, and came into common use in the United States in the 1950s, is becoming increasingly common, despite missing the point of the original meaning.

I know you didn't think it was a very good product, but just look at the fantastic sales figures. That's the proof of the pudding.

This is an armchair criticism, and the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.

1951 April, Stirling Everard, “A Matter of Pedigree”, in Railway Magazine, number 600, page 274:

CHAPTER XXI
Meeting at Geneva
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
-Traditional aphorism

1963, Dwight Eisenhower, Mandate for Change 1953-1956, Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 503:

It begs the question: will this be a costly mistake? I think not, but the proof of the pudding is in a RAIL train test - so armed with stopwatch, measuring tape and notepad, it was time to head north to track one down and test it!

2019 October 23, Pip Dunn, “The next king of Scotland”, in RAIL, page 50:

“We welcome the law [Anti-Corruption Bill], but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating,” said Sankhitha Gunaratne, deputy executive director of Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL).

2023 July 20, “Sri Lanka passes anti-corruption bill as part of IMF bailout plan”, in Al Jazeera:

One can only claim that something is a success after it has been tried out or used.

Don Quixote
Michael Quinion
Miguel de Cervantes
Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux
Peter Anthony Motteux
William Camden

المَيَّه تكَدِّب الغَطَّاس

the only real test of something is as what it is intended to be used for

nie przekonasz się, dopóki nie spróbujesz

no sabes la calidad de algo hasta que lo has experimentado.


有奶便是娘

The person who feeds me with milk is my mother.

ㄧㄡˇ ㄋㄞˇ ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄋㄧㄤˊ

yǒu nǎi biànshì niáng [Phonetic:yóunǎibiànshìniáng]

ю най бяньши нян

/joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ naɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ni̯ɑŋ³⁵/

/jɐu̯¹³ naːi̯¹³ piːn²² siː²² nœːŋ²¹/

/jɐu̯¹³ naːi̯¹³ piːn²² siː²² nœːŋ²¹/

One obeys those who give him money or power.


marry in haste, repent at leisure

Getting married too soon will lead to a bad marriage.

(by extension) Joining (or merging) two things together too soon will lead to problems.


en-proverb

the course of true love never did run smooth

A quote from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 1 Scene 1, said by Lysander to Hermia.

There will always be issues or problems in a romantic relationship.


cold hands, warm heart

A calque translation of French froides mains, chaudes amours

Having cold hands is an indication of warmheartedness; used as a rejoinder if one finds that another's hands are cold.

froides mains, chaudes amours

having cold hands is an indication of warmheartedness


familiarity breeds contempt

“[S]uffer [your children] not to carry themselves unreverently or contemptuously towards you [parents]; but to keep their distance. For too much familiarity breedeth contempt, and imboldeneth to disobedience.”

1673, Richard Baxter, chapter X, in A Christian Directory, part II:

“For a person to read his own works over with any great delight, he ought first to forget that he ever wrote them. Familiarity naturally breeds contempt.”

1822, William Hazlitt, chapter 1, in Table-Talk:

[F]or Ayesha was certainly an exception to the rule. Familiarity with her might and did breed passion and wonder and horror, but it certainly did not breed contempt.

1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

This was the beginning of evil, for if no man is a hero to his valet de chambre, much less can he remain a god for long in the eyes of a curious woman. Here, as in other matters, familiarity breeds contempt.

1894, H. Rider Haggard, chapter 25, in The People Of The Mist:

a prophet has no honor in his own country

a prophet is not without honor save in his own country

the more one learns about people, the more one likes one's pet

The more acquainted one becomes with a person, the more one knows about his or her shortcomings and, hence, the easier it becomes to dislike that person.

a confianza dá noxo

if you know someone very well, you stop respecting them

เล่นกับหมาหมาเลียปาก เล่นกับสากสากต่อยหัว

Chơi chó, chó liếm mặt; chơi gà, gà mổ mắt


all's fair in love and war

Unpleasant behavior is acceptable during love and conflict.

كل شيء مباح في الحب والحرب

unpleasant behavior is acceptable during love or conflict

可以不择手段

zhǐyào mùdì zhèngdàng, kěyǐ bùzéshǒuduàn

sodassa ja rakkaudessa kaikki on sallittua

en amour comme à la guerre, tous les coups sont permis

in der Liebe und im Krieg ist alles erlaubt

with the right strategy you can wage war

כִּי בְתַחְבֻּלוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה-לְּךָ מִלְחָמָה

恋愛と戦争では手段を選ばない

れんあいとせんそうではしゅだんをえらばない

in love and war you don't choose the means

mu mukwano ne mu lutalo byonna byejeerezebwa.

orang sedang bercinta, yang dibuat betul belaka

w miłości i na wojnie wszystko jest dozwolone

в любви́ и на войне́ все сре́дства хороши́

muḥabbat aur jang meṉ sab kuch jā'iz hai

مُحَبَّت اَوْر جَنگ میں سَب کُچھ جائز ہَے


mieux vaut tard que jamais

LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-mieux vaut tard que jamais.wav

LL-Q150 (fra)-M2D2V2 (Kvardek du)-mieux vaut tard que jamais.wav

better late than never
better late than never


qui ne risque rien n'a rien

qui ne risque rien n’ a rien (canonical)

Literally, “who risks nothing, has nothing”, i.e. "he who risks nothing, gains nothing".

lit

nothing ventured, nothing gained
nothing ventured, nothing gained

God hates a coward; nothing ventured, nothing gained; no pain, no gain

à vaincre sans péril, on triomphe sans gloire


fr-proverb

/s‿ɛ.t‿ɑ̃ fɔʁ.ʒɑ̃ k‿ɔ̃ də.vjɛ̃ fɔʁ.ʒə.ʁɔ̃/

LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-c’est en forgeant qu’on devient forgeron.wav

Literally, “it's by forging that one becomes a blacksmith”.

lit

c'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron

c’est en forgeant que l’on devient forgeron


a történelem az élet tanítómestere

[ɒ ˈtørteːnɛlɛm ɒz ˈeːlɛt ˈtɒniːtoːmɛʃtɛrɛ]

From Historia est magistra vitae, a Latin expression taken from Cicero's De Oratore.


a cél szentesíti az eszközt

a (“the”) + cél (“goal”) + szentesít (“to approve”) + -i (personal suffix) + az (“the”) + eszköz (“tool”) + -t (accusative suffix)

affix

the end justifies the means
the end justifies the means


head

en kjede er aldri sterkere enn sitt svakeste ledd

a chain is only as strong as its weakest link


there may be snow on the rooftop but there is fire in the furnace

(often humorous) Even if a person is in his or her senior years, with gray hair, he or she can still have ambition and energy, especially sexual energy.

a vén kecske is megnyalja a sót

even if a person is in his or her senior years, with gray hair, he or she can still have ambition and energy, especially sexual energy

there's many a good tune played on an old fiddle


aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile

Literally, “a beetle recognises another beetle”.

lit

it takes one to know one
it takes one to know one


head

níl aon tóin thinn mar do thóin thinn féin

níl aon tóin tinn mar do thóin tinn féin

There's no sore arse like your own sore arse.


bad money drives out good

Aristophanes
George Selgin
Gresham's law
The Frogs

Traditional sentiment, both in literal and metaphorical sense, dating to ancient works such as Aristophanes' The Frogs, and appearing in various forms in various Islamic and European medieval texts.

Debased coinage (with low levels of precious metals) replaces purer coinage (with higher levels of precious metals).

People hoard good currency and other assets and attempt to pass inferior currency and assets to others in exchange.

(figurative, in organizations and labor markets) Overvalued mediocre talent replaces undervalued real talent.


one swallow does not make a summer

one swallow does not a summer make#English

Alternative form of one swallow does not a summer make


well begun is half done

Traditional, via Ancient Greek; quoted by Aristotle in his Politics.

Much depends on the beginning of an endeavor.

好的開始是成功的一半

much depends on the beginning of an endeavour


člověk míní, pánbůh mění

man proposes, God disposes
man proposes, God disposes


každý svého štěstí strůjcem

every man is the architect of his own fortune; he who does not strive after his happiness shall have none


štěstí ve hře, neštěstí v lásce

he who has good luck in a game of chance will have a bad luck in love


a good beginning makes a good ending

Start off on a good note to reap the benefits at the end.

一个良好的开端是成功的一半

yī gè liánghǎo de kāiduān shì chénggōng de yībàn

خشت اول چون نهد معمار کج تا ثریا میرود دیوار کج


hlavou zeď neprorazíš

Literally, “You can't knock a hole in a wall with your head”.

lit

stubbornness alone does not remove obstacles


the squeaky wheel gets the grease

I think it's true what they say about the squeaky wheel / Always getting the grease

1979, James Taylor (lyrics and music), “Shower the People”, in In the Pocket, →OCLC:

You know perfectly well that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and that if you don't complain nothing ever changes.

1995, Roger Zelazny, Robert Sheckley, A Farce To Be Reckoned With, Bantam, →ISBN, page 13:

The person who complains or speaks up most loudly receives the redress or attention which he or she seeks.

som man spørger får man svar

the person who complains most receives the attention

ceux qui parlent le plus fort ont toute l’attention

néma gyereknek az anyja sem érti a szavát

the nail that sticks out gets hammered down


Москва не сразу строилась

head

Москва́ не сра́зу стро́илась

Москва́ не сра́зу стро́илась • (Moskvá ne srázu stróilasʹ)

Москва́ не сра́зу стро́илась (canonical)
Moskvá ne srázu stróilasʹ (romanization)

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-Москва не сразу строилась.wav

Literally, “Moscow wasn’t built at once”.

lit

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

en-Москва_не_сразу_строилась-ru-proverb-vS7ppDeB


the proof is in the pudding

This phrase is a shortened form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating (14th century). The shorter version, which misses the point of the original meaning, is found in an 1867 issue of the British Farmer's Magazine, came into common use in the United States in the 1950s, and is becoming increasingly common.

the proof of the pudding is in the eating#English

(sometimes proscribed) Alternative form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating


moudřejší ustoupí

in a spiralling conflict or an arms race, it is the wiser one who retreats


head

It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good.

it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good

An action or occurrence must be very bad indeed if it brings no benefit to anyone.

it's an ill wind that blows no one any good


chytrému napověz, hloupého trkni

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


a nod is as good as a wink

The hint, suggestion etc. can be understood without further explanation.

chytrému napověz, hloupého trkni

the hint, suggestion etc can be understood without further explaining

一を聞いて十を知る

いちをきいてじゅうをしる

odnomú glázom migní, a drugóvo dubínoj tolkní

одному́ гла́зом мигни́, а друго́го дуби́ной толкни́

у́мному — намёк, глу́пому — толчо́к (úmnomu — namjók, glúpomu — tolčók)

comhairle do dhuine glic, slat do dhruim an amadain

a buen entendedor, pocas palabras bastan

sukat ang katagang sabi sa mabuting umiintindi

a nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat

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


aki mer, az nyer

[ˌɒki ˈmɛr ɒz ˈɲɛr]


bal olan yerde sinek de olur

(literally) in a place in which there is honey, there are also flies.


Casa onde não há pão, todos ralham e ninguém tem razão.

Casa onde não há pão (canonical)
todos ralham e ninguém tem razão. (canonical)

casa onde não há pão, todos ralham e ninguém tem razão

(literally) in a house without bread, everyone argues and no one is right


l'abito non fa il monaco

Literally, “the habit [religious garment] does not make the monk”. Compare French l’habit ne fait pas le moine.

m-g

the habit 􂀿religious garment􂁀 does not make the monk

lit

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

clothes don't make the man
clothes don't make the man

the cowl does not make the monk
the cowl does not make the monk

(idiomatic) you can't judge a book by its cover; clothes don't make the man, the cowl does not make the monk


預防重於治療

预防重于治疗
預防勝於治療

ㄩˋ ㄈㄤˊ ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄩˊ ㄓˋ ㄌㄧㄠˊ

юйфан чжун юй чжиляо

/y⁵¹ fɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵/

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.


head

е́сли гора́ не идёт к Магоме́ту, то Магоме́т идёт к горе́ • (jésli gorá ne idjót k Magométu, to Magomét idjót k goré)

е́сли гора́ не идёт к Магоме́ту (canonical)
то Магоме́т идёт к горе́ (canonical)
jésli gorá ne idjót k Magométu (romanization)
to Magomét idjót k goré (romanization)

[ˈjes⁽ʲ⁾lʲɪ ɡɐˈra nʲɪ‿ɪˈdʲɵt k‿məɡɐˈmʲetʊ | ˌto məɡɐˈmʲet ɪˈdʲɵd ɡ‿ɡɐˈrʲe]

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-если гора не идёт к Магомету, то Магомет идёт к горе.wav

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

en-если_гора_не_идёт_к_Магомету,_то_Магомет_идёт_к_горе-ru-proverb-G8U8iOw7


proti gustu žiaden dišputát

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


maassa maan tavalla

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


one can't hold two watermelons in one hand

One should not attempt to take on more than one can handle.

one can't carry two watermelons under one arm


you're never too old to learn

It is possible to learn new things, at any age; one should follow one's desires and dreams.

il n’est jamais trop tard pour apprendre

век живи́ — век учи́сь (vek živí — vek učísʹ)


variety is the spice of life

Besides the usual run of machines, planers, millers, automatics, centre lathes, cranes, etc., there were several power stations, the rolling mills for strip material and for 60 ft. rails, and all the steel furnaces with their complicated systems of flues. If variety is the spice of life, then there was plenty here.

1944 November and December, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 341:


пиздеть — не мешки ворочать

пизде́ть — не мешки́ воро́чать

пизде́ть — не мешки́ воро́чать • (pizdétʹ — ne meškí voróčatʹ)

пизде́ть — не мешки́ воро́чать (canonical)

[pʲɪzʲˈdʲetʲ | nʲɪ‿mʲɪʂˈkʲi vɐˈrot͡ɕɪtʲ]

Literally, “speaking is not moving sacks”.

lit

en-пиздеть_—_не_мешки_ворочать-ru-proverb-5p8PPGZz


head

любопы́тной Варва́ре на база́ре но́с оторва́ли • (ljubopýtnoj Varváre na bazáre nós otorváli)

[lʲʊbɐˈpɨtnəj vɐrˈvarʲe nə‿bɐˈzarʲe ˈnos ɐtɐrˈvalʲɪ]

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-любопытной Варваре на базаре нос оторвали.wav

Literally, “curious Barbara’s nose was torn off at the market”.

lit

curiosity killed the cat
curiosity killed the cat

en-любопытной_Варваре_на_базаре_нос_оторвали-ru-proverb-g9bR~1L~

мно́го бу́дешь знать — ско́ро соста́ришься


много будешь знать — скоро состаришься

head

мно́го бу́дешь знать — ско́ро соста́ришься • (mnógo búdešʹ znatʹ — skóro sostárišʹsja)

[ˈmnoɡə ˈbudʲɪʐ znatʲ | ˈskorə sɐˈstarʲɪʂsʲə]

Literally, “if you know too much, you’ll get old fast”.

lit

любопы́тной Варва́ре на база́ре но́с оторва́ли

en-много_будешь_знать_—_скоро_состаришься-ru-proverb-g9bR~1L~


無信不立

ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄣˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧˋ

/u³⁵ ɕin⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ li⁵¹/

/mou̯²¹ sɵn³³ pɐt̚⁵ lɐp̚²/

/mou̯²¹ sɵn³³ pɐt̚⁵ laːp̚²/

/u³⁵ ɕin⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ li⁵¹/

/mou̯²¹ sɵn³³ pɐt̚⁵ lɐp̚²/

/mou̯²¹ sɵn³³ pɐt̚⁵ laːp̚²/

From the Analects:
:
Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Zigong asked about government. The Master said, "The requisites of government are that there be sufficiency of food, sufficiency of military equipment, and the confidence of the people in their ruler." Zigong said, "If it cannot be helped, and one of these must be dispensed with, which of the three should be foregone first?" "The military equipment," said the Master. Zigong again asked, "If it cannot be helped, and one of the remaining two must be dispensed with, which of them should be foregone?" The Master answered, "Part with the food. From of old, death has been the lot of all men; but if the people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standing for the state."

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

Zǐgòng wèn “zhèng”. Zǐ yuē: “Zúshí, zúbīng, mín xìn zhī yǐ.” Zǐgòng yuē: “Bì bùdéyǐ ér qù, yú sī sān zhě hé xiān?” Yuē: “Qù bīng.” Zǐgòng yuē: “Bì bùdéyǐ ér qù, yú sī èr zhě hé xiān?” Yuē: “Qù shí. Zìgǔ jiē yǒu sǐ, mín wúxìnbùlì.”

子貢問「政」。子曰：「足食，足兵，民信之矣。」子貢曰：「必不得已而去，於斯三者何先？」曰：「去兵。」子貢曰：「必不得已而去，於斯二者何先？」曰：「去食。自古皆有死，民無信不立。」

子贡问「政」。子曰：「足食，足兵，民信之矣。」子贡曰：「必不得已而去，于斯三者何先？」曰：「去兵。」子贡曰：「必不得已而去，于斯二者何先？」曰：「去食。自古皆有死，民无信不立。」

From of old, death has been the lot of all men; but if people have no faith in a person, there is no standing for that person.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14ᵗʰ century CE

自古皆有死，人無信不立

自古皆有死，人无信不立

If people have no faith in a person, there is no standing for that person.


自古皆有死，人無信不立

ㄗˋ ㄍㄨˇ ㄐㄧㄝ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙˇ

ㄖㄣˊ ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄣˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧˋ

цзыгу цзе ю сы

жэнь усиньбули

/t͡sz̩⁵¹ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ u³⁵ ɕin⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ li⁵¹/

See 無信不立／无信不立 (wúxìnbùlì).

zh-l

無信不立／无信不立 (wúxìnbùlì)

From of old, death has been the lot of all men; but if people have no faith in a person, there is no standing for that person.


自古皆有死，民無信不立

ㄗˋ ㄍㄨˇ ㄐㄧㄝ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙˇ

ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄣˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧˋ

цзыгу цзе ю сы

минь усиньбули

/t͡sz̩⁵¹ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ min³⁵ u³⁵ ɕin⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ li⁵¹/

See 無信不立／无信不立 (wúxìnbùlì).

無信不立／无信不立 (wúxìnbùlì)

Since ancient times, all men experience death; but if the people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standing for the state.


lex dubia non obligat

A Latin sentence; from lēx (“law”) + dubia (“doubtful”) + nōn (“not”) + obligat (“is binding”).


gå inte över ån efter vatten

/ɡoː ˈɪntə ˈœːr ˈoːn ˈɛftər ˈvatɛn/

Literally, "don't cross the stream for (as in, in pursuit of) water" – "don't cross the stream to get water."

don't do things in a needlessly complicated way, settle for a simpler solution when one exists


övning ger färdighet

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect


it's not what you know but who you know

Eighty-four students referred to political influence as a disadvantage of federal employment with such remarks as: "There are too many political connections necessary . . . it's not what you know but who you know—in spite of apparent merit systems."

1951, G. P. Bush, L. H. Hattery, “Federal Recruitment of Junior Engineers”, in Science, volume 114, number 2966, page 456:

"In Hollywood, it's not what you know but who you know," said Cross, who added that the awards ceremony was the perfect place to make connections.

1993 August 25, Heidi Gruber, “Cross film earns recognition in Hollywood”, in Ellensburg Daily Record, retrieved 2009-06-19:

"It's not what you know but who you know," Shelby said, as she rummaged through a bag to find the business card he'd handed her.

2008, Natasha Davies, Webc@m Girl, →ISBN, page 53:

For success, and especially to obtain employment, one's knowledge and skills are less useful and less important than one's network of personal contacts.

non è importante cosa conosci ma chi conosci

quien a buen árbol se arrima, buena sombra le cobija

it's not what you know but whom you know


every man has his price

every man has a price
every man has a price#English

Alternative form of every man has a price


hunger is the best spice

When one is hungry, anything will taste good.


every rule has an exception

there is an exception to every rule#English

Alternative form of there is an exception to every rule


good fences make good neighbors

mind one's own business
mind one's own business

It is better to mind one's own business than get involved with other people's affairs.


every man has a price

Everyone can be bribed or corrupted for a certain price.


les chiens aboient, la caravane passe

Literally, “the dogs bark, but the caravan goes by”. Possible calque of Turkish it ürür, kervan yürür.

lit

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

the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me (let people say what they will)


fine feathers make fine birds

(idiomatic) Something that appears beautiful or good is by definition beautiful or good.


去る者は日々に疎し

ja-pos

さる もの は ひび に うとし

去(さ)る者(もの)は日(ひ)々(び)に疎(うと)し • (saru mono wa hibi ni utoshi)

去る者は日々に疎し (canonical)
saru mono wa hibi ni utoshi (romanization)

[sa̠ɾɯ̟ mo̞no̞ β̞a̠ çibʲi ɲ̟i ɯ̟to̞ɕi]

Calque of Literary Chinese 去者日以疏 from the early 6th century Chinese text Wen Xuan

去者日以疏，生者日以親

去者日以疏，生者日以亲

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

feelings for a departed one grow weaker over time; out of sight, out of mind


home is where the heart is

That which is to make home desirable does not abide in the parlor, the cellar, or the garret; it does not grow with the flowers of the garden, nor with the grass of the meadow, but is fitly expressed in the quaint old adage, "Home is where the heart is."

1868, “Home”, in The Ladies' Repository, volume 28, page 107:

One's true home is where one feels happiest.

此心安處是吾家

uno no es de donde nace, sino de donde pace

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


no news is good news

A lack of information reported about a situation suggests that nothing unfortunate has occurred.

no tenir notícies és bona notícia

lack of information suggests nothing bad

便りのないのは良い知らせ

たよりのないのはよいしらせ

отсу́тствие новосте́й — уже́ хоро́шая но́вость (otsútstvije novostéj — užé xoróšaja nóvostʹ)

's math an naidheachd a bhith gun naidheachd


head

if you want a thing done well, do it yourself

It is better to do something oneself than to rely on others to do it well.

on n’est jamais mieux servi que par soi-même

jesli xočešʹ sdelatʹ što-to xorošo, sdelaj eto sam.

если хочешь сделать что-то хорошо, сделай это сам.

if you want something done, do it yourself

if you want a thing done right, do it yourself

if you want it done right, do it yourself


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

Calque of Latin in regione caecorum rex est luscus, popularized by Desiderius Erasmus’ Adagia (1500). For further origin compare Aramaic בשוק סמייא צווחין לעווירא סגי נהור (literally “in the street of the blind, the one-eyed man is called the guiding light”), found in the Genesis Rabbah (4th or 5th century CE). This may be Erasmus’ direct source, but at least some traditional link between both forms seems likely.

cog

בשוק סמייא צווחין לעווירא סגי נהור

Even someone with limited abilities or opportunities is dominant over, and considered special by, those who have even fewer abilities and opportunities; the value of any ability depends on its prevalence.

الأعور في أرض العميان ملك

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

廖化作先锋

Shǔ zhōng wú dàjiàng, Liào Huà zuò xiānfēng

i de blindes land er den enøjede mand konge

in het land der blinden is eenoog koning

sokeiden maassa yksisilmäinen on kuningas

au royaume des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois

unter den Blinden ist der Einäugige König

sti chóra ton tyflón, o monófthalmos eínai vasiliás

στη χώρα των τυφλών, ο μονόφθαλμος είναι βασιλιάς

di negeri orang buta, seorang bermata satu adalah raja

di tanah orang buta, seorang bermata satu adalah raja

nella terra dei ciechi beato chi ha un occhio

鳥無き里の蝙蝠 (とりなきさとのこうもり, torinaki sato no kōmori, literally “bat of a birdless village”)

片目でも盲目国では王様

かためでももうもくくにではおうさま

눈 먼 자들의 나라에서는 애꾸눈이 왕이다.

nun meon jadeurui nara'eseoneun aekkununi wang'ida.

മൂക്കില്ലാ രാജ്യത്ത് മുറിമൂക്കൻ രാജാവ് (mūkkillā rājyattŭ muṟimūkkaṉ rājāvŭ, literally “in the land of the noseless, the broken-nosed man is king”)

در شهرِ کوران، یکچشم پادشاست (dar šahr-e kurân, yek-čašm pâdešâst, literally “In the city of the blind, the one-eyed man is king!”)

خرس در کوه بوعلی سینا است (xers dar kuh bu'ali sinâ ast, literally “In the mountains, the bear is Avicenna”)

na terra dos cegos quem tem um olho é rei

em terra de cegos quem tem um olho é rei

в стране слепых одноглазый — коро́ль (v strane slepyx odnoglazyj — korólʹ)

en el reino de los ciegos, el tuerto es el rey

kurarin hjukumatdiʾ sab ul ajir vu pač̄ah

курарин гьюкуматдиъ саб ул айир ву паччагь

sa lupa ng mga bulag, ang naghahari ay pisak

sa bayang walang marunong, ang naghahari ay ulol

ในดินแดนของคนตาบอด คนที่มีตาข้างเดียวคือราชา

körler ülkesinde tek gözü olan kral olur

в країні сліпих одноокий — король (v krajini slipyx odnookyj — korolʹ)

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

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

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

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


krev není voda

blood is thicker than water
blood is thicker than water


stupid is as stupid does

Apparently modeled on handsome is as handsome does. Attested since at least 1862, but popularized (perhaps independently) by the 1994 film Forrest Gump.

1882 Anthony Trollope: Orley Farm
As long as a man can pay twenty shillings in the pound and a trifle over, what does it matter
if all the judges in the land was to call him stupid?' said Snengkeld.
"Stupid is as stupid does." said Kantwise.
"Stupid be d--." said Moulder.
"Mr. Moulder, there's ladies present." said Mrs. Smiley,


en-proverb

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

Attributed to 20th-century American mobster Al Capone.

It is advantageous not to rely solely on being nice to others.


egen härd är guld värd

head

egen härd är guld värd (literally: own hearth is gold worth)

Praises the chance to have a place one can call "my own".


brændt barn skyr ilden

brændt barn skyr ilden ("a burnt child shuns the fire")

once bitten, twice shy
once bitten, twice shy


for mange kokke fordærver maden

for mange kokke fordærver maden ("too many cooks corrupt the food")

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


en fugl i hånden er bedre end ti på taget ("a bird in the hand is better than ten on the roof")

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.


ingen roser uden torne

ingen roser uden torne ("no roses without thorns")

you take the bad with the good
you take the bad with the good


den der ler sidst, ler bedst

den der ler sidst, ler bedst ("those who laugh last laugh best")

he who laughs last laughs best
he who laughs last laughs best


hvor der handles, der spildes

hvor der handles, der spildes ("Where there's action, there's waste.")

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.


blind høne kan også finde korn

blind høne kan også finde korn ("a blind hen can also find corn")


hvo intet vover, intet vinder

hvo intet vover, intet vinder ("who nothing dares, nothing wins.")

nothing ventured, nothing gained
nothing ventured, nothing gained


over skyerne er himlen altid blå

over skyerne er himlen altid blå ("Above the clouds, the sky is always blue.")

every cloud has a silver lining
every cloud has a silver lining


smede mens jernet er varmt

man skal smede mens jernet er varmt ("One must do the blacksmithing while the iron is hot.")

man skal smede mens jernet er varmt (canonical)

strike while the iron is hot
strike while the iron is hot


ærlighed varer længst

ærlighed varer længst ("Honesty lasts longest.")

honesty is the best policy
honesty is the best policy


gå ikke over åen efter vand

gå ikke over åen efter vand ("Don't go over the river after water.")

Complete a task in the easiest way possible without unnecessary complications.


det skal gøre ondt, før det gør godt

det skal gøre ondt, før det gør godt ("it must hurt before it does well")

Things get worse before they get better.


sku ikke hunden på hårene

sku ikke hunden på hårene ("Don't examine the dog by its hair.")

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


mange bække små gør en stor å

mange bække små gør en stor å ("Many small brooks make a big river.")

little strokes fell great oaks
little strokes fell great oaks


ude godt, men hjemme bedst

ude godt, men hjemme bedst ("Away is nice, but home is best.")

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


tyv tror hver mand stjæler

tyv tror hver mand stjæler (thief thinks everyone steals)

A person who commits wrongdoings is more likely to believe that others do as well.


skik følge eller land fly

Literally, “observe custom or flee country”.

lit

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


tale er sølv, tavshed er guld

head

tale er sølv, tavshed er guld ("Talking is silver, silence is gold.")

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


sæt ikke dit lys under en skæppe

sæt ikke dit lys under en skæppe ("Don't put your light under a bushel.")

A reference to the bible, specifically part #15 of chapter 5 of the gospel of Matthew.


uden mad og drikke duer helten ikke

Literally, “without food and drink, the hero will not function”.


pels ikke bjørnen før den er skudt

head

pels ikke bjørnen før den er skudt ("Don't skin the bear before it's shot.")

don't count your chickens before they're hatched.


græsset er altid grønnere på den anden side af hækken ("The grass is always greener on the other side of the hedges")

the grass is always greener on the other side.


tomme tønder buldrer mest

tomme tønder buldrer mest ("Empty drums rumble most")

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


man må hyle med de ulve man er iblandt

Literally, “one must howl with the wolves among which one is”.


head

kast ikke med sten hvis du selv bor i et glashus ("Don't throw with stones if you yourself live in a glass house.")

people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.


tab og vind med samme sind

tab og vind med samme sind ("Lose and win with the same spirit.")

It doesn't matter if you win or lose, for winning is not everything.