fra børn og fulde folk skal man høre sandheden ("from children and drunk people, you will hear the truth")

Children and drunkards speak the wisest truths as they are not afraid of the repercussions or the world.

out of the mouths of babes
out of the mouths of babes


øvelse gør mester

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect


a penny saved is a penny earned

En-us-a penny saved is a penny earned.oga

First use appears c. 1804. See cite below. Commonly misattributed to Benjamin Franklin, who actually wrote "a penny saved is two pence clear."

I have reason to fear, that too many masters of ships forget that good old saying, "A penny saved is a penny earned".

1804, Joseph Huddart (the Elder), Swansea Harbour. Extracts from the [first] report of J. H. ... shewing his plan for the improvement thereof, dated 1794, page 13:

A maxim for thrift stating that money not spent may be spent later, or may earn interest in the meantime.


nød lærer nøgen kvinde at spinde

head

nød lærer nøgen kvinde at spinde ("Necessity teaches the naked woman to spin.")

necessity is the mother of invention
necessity is the mother of invention


every little bit helps

every little helps
every little helps#English


bränt barn skyr elden

bränt barn skyr elden ("burnt child shuns the fire")

once bitten, twice shy
once bitten, twice shy

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

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


skrattar bäst som skrattar sist

skrattar (“laughs”) + bäst (“best”) + som (“that”) + skrattar (“laughs”) + sist (“last”), "(he) laughs best who laughs last"

af

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

After false allegations subside, the truth will vindicate.


även en blind höna kan finna ett korn

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även en blind höna kan finna ett korn ("even a blind hen can find a corn")

Luck is blind and can affect anybody, even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while

även en blind höna kan hitta ett guldkorn

en blind höna finner också stundom ett korn


själv är bästa dräng

själv är bästa dräng ("self is the best farmhand")

if you want to be certain something gets done, do it yourself


honesty is the best policy

Attested since the early 1600s. Policy had the meaning of ‘shrewdness, cunning’ and ‘trick, stratagem’ at the time, so that the saying was originally an oxymoron in the same vein as attack is the best form of defence.

All theſe things conſidered, it hath made me to mitigate my former imagination, and to deem it not unpoſſible, that this over-politick and too wiſe Order may reach a note higher than our groſs conceits, who think honeſty the beſt policy, and truth the onely durable armor of proof; […]

a. 1605, reprinted 1673, Edwin Sandys, Europae Speculum; Or A View Or Survey of the State of Religion in the Western Parts of the World, page 112

Honesty is the best policy; but he who acts on that principle is not an honest man. He only is an honest man who does that which is right because it is right, and not from motives of policy; and then, he is rewarded by finding afterwards that the honest course he has pursued was in reality the most politic.

1842, published 1843, anonymous, “Precepts and Proverbs” in The Common School Journal, volume 5, number 24, page 383

Honesty is preferable as a course of action because it tends to work out best in the end.


out of the mouths of babes

From King James Bible, Psalms 8:2, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength". (Note that mouth is singular in the Biblical verse, and that the usage of this expression differs from the modern proverbial usage.)

Not only out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, but out of the mouths of fools and cheats, we may often get our truest lessons.

1859, Oliver Wendell Holmes, chapter 1, in The Professor at the Breakfast Table:

Again Puck translated to Kadmiel in the strange, solemn-sounding language, and at last Kadmiel laughed.
"Out of the mouths of babes do we learn," said he.

1906, Rudyard Kipling, chapter 10, in Puck of Pook's Hill:

Goldie Hawn […] insists, at times a bit too gushingly, that out of the mouths of babes will inevitably come everything spontaneous and pure in this world.

1982 May 7, John J. O'Connor, “Art: TV Weekend”, in New York Times, retrieved 2013-09-08:

(CAPTION) Out of the mouths of babes, love is explained. Brooklyn first graders write and read their valentines and describe the meaning of Valentines Day.

2010 Feb. 12, "First Graders' Valentines" (news video), Time (retrieved 8 Sept 2013)

From the comments of children, who are honest and innocent, . . . (comes truth or wisdom).

from the comments of children comes truth


у каждого правила есть исключение

у ка́ждого пра́вила есть исклю́че́ние

у ка́ждого пра́вила есть исклю́че́ние • (u káždovo právila jestʹ iskljúčénije)

у ка́ждого пра́вила есть исклю́че́ние (canonical)
u káždovo právila jestʹ iskljúčénije (romanization)

[ʊ‿ˈkaʐdəvə ˈpravʲɪɫə jesʲtʲ ɪˈsklʲʉˈt͡ɕenʲɪje]

Literally, “with every rule there is an exception”.

lit

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

en-у_каждого_правила_есть_исключение-ru-proverb-1jHMDJ4f


kdo chce kam, pomozme mu tam

a person should be allowed to proceed in an action harmful to himself if he insists


komu není rady, tomu není pomoci

he who does not heed advice cannot be helped


in for an inch, in for a mile

Afterwards, she took him farther south. His uneasiness grew with every step. . . . "In for an inch, in for a mile," he muttered.

2005, Bill Burt, William D. Burt, The Downs, →ISBN, page 29:

I soon found the water lapping at my toes so I figured, “in for an inch, in for a mile” and continued on in after the oystercatcher.

2007 December 31, Maggie Petsch, “American oystercatcher shots are memorable”, in Daily News, Galveston, Texas, retrieved 2009-07-16:

(chiefly US) Given that one is partly involved in or committed to a project, action, position, etc., there is no reason to refrain from becoming fully involved or fully committed.


gammel kærlighed ruster ikke

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gammel kærlighed ruster ikke ("Old love doesn't rust.")


den ene hånd vasker den anden

den ene hånd vasker den anden ("The one hand washes the other.")

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.


troen kan flytte bjerge

troen kan flytte bjerge ("The faith can move mountains.")

faith will move mountains
faith will move mountains


en-proverb

keep your friends close, and your enemies closer

One should be attentive and alert of one's surroundings if malicious people are around to prevent them from wreaking havoc in one's life.


du er hvad du spiser

head

du er hvad du spiser ("You are what you eat.")

you are what you eat
you are what you eat


den, der graver en grav for andre, falder tit selv i den ("The one who digs graves for others often falls in it themselves.")

Karma sees to all evildoers and the same fate they work to achieve for others will befall them.


det er aldrig for sent at give op

det er aldrig for sent at give op ("It is never too late to give up.")

It doesn't pay to be stubborn; change is good.


æblet falder ikke langt fra stammen

æblet falder ikke langt fra stammen (the apple doesn't fall far from the trunk)

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

the apple does not fall far from the tree


utak er verdens løn

utak er verdens løn ("ingratitude is the reward of the world")

a person often does not receive recognition and gratitude for good deeds


man kan tvinge hesten til truget, men man kan ikke tvinge den til at drikke ("You can force a horse to the trough but you can't force it to drink.")

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


som man råber i skoven får man svar

som man råber i skoven får man svar ("As you shout in the woods, you get answers.")

what goes around comes around
what goes around comes around


skønhed kommer indefra

skønhed kommer indefra ("Beauty comes from within.")

beauty is only skin deep
beauty is only skin deep


man skal ikke give bagerbørn hvedebrød

man skal ikke give bagerbørn hvedebrød ("One must not give children of bakers wheat bread.")

carry coals to Newcastle
carry coals to Newcastle

Admonition not to carry coals to Newcastle; don't do or give something one can easily do or get on their own.


et æble om dagen holder doktoren borte

et æble om dagen holder doktoren borte ("An apple a day keeps the doctor away.")

et æble om dagen holder lægen borte#Danish

Alternative form of et æble om dagen holder lægen borte


genvägar är senvägar

genvägar (“shortcuts”) + är (“are”) + senvägar (“"late-cuts"”)

af

What appears to be a shortcut may end up taking longer than the standard route (since you might get lost, for example).


head

dyden i midten, sagde Fanden; han satte sig mellem to advokater

Literally, “virtue in the middle, said the Devil; he sat down between two lawyers”.

lit

Dyden i midten, sagde Fanden, han satte sig mellem to advokater. Det siger Alceste ikke, men det kunne han tænke.

2015, Johannes Møllehave, Læsehest med teaterkikkert, Lindhardt og Ringhof, →ISBN:

Virtue in the middle, said the Devil, he sat down between two lawyers. Alceste does not say this, but he might think it.

... at Ib åbenbart havde det med at omgås tidligere sagførere. Ib kunne sige som fanden, der satte sig mellem to advokater: dyden i midten!

2016, Henning Mortensen, Ulveørken, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN:

... that Ib was, apparently, in the habit of socialising with former lawyers. Ib could say like the Devil, who sat down between two lawyers: virtue in the middle!


faith will move mountains

From Matthew 17:20: “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Belief in oneself (read sometimes as belief in God) can help one overcome any hurdle in life's path.


dyden i midten

Talemåder som 'dyden i midten' og 'den gyldne middelvej' og 'for lidt og for meget er lige slemt' viser alle tilbage til Aristoteles' ide om, at 'det rigtige' næsten altid ligger cirka midt mellem to ekstremer ...

2005, Vær god, Forlaget Ajour, →ISBN, page 9:

Phrases like 'virtue in the middle' and 'the golden middle way' and 'too little and too much is just as bad' all refer back to Aristoteles' idea that 'the right thing' is almost always approximately halfway between two extremes ...

Ideen om »dyden i midten« er ikke noget særegent dansk fænomen, men den kendertegner den danske opfattelse af det ekstreme som farligt og fremmed.

2007, Rasmus Glenthøj, På fædrelandets alter: national identitet og patriotisme hos det danske borgerskab 1807-1814, Museum Tusculanum Press, →ISBN, page 77:

The idea of »virtue in the middle« is not a uniquely Danish phenomenon, but it characterizes the Danish view of the extreme as dangerous and strange.

Man kan sige, at pligten og nytten står på de to fløje — og dyden i midten. Den sidste formulering er et ekko af Aristoteles' berømte ord om dyden i midten som den gyldne middelvej mellem to yderpunkter.

2009, Jørgen Husted, Etik og værdier i socialt arbejde, Hans Reitzels Forlag, →ISBN, page 61:

One may say that duty and use are on the two wings — and virtue in the middle. The last articulation is an echo of Aristoteles' famous words about virtue in the middle as the golden middle way between two extremes.

Dyden i midten betyder at man hverken skal være fej eller dumdristig, men tapper.

Virtue in the middle means that one should be neither cowardly nor stupidly daring, but brave.

one should preferentially seek out moderate ways rather than extremes


third time's a charm

One is sure to succeed at a task or event on the third try.

Бог лю́бит тро́ицу (Bog ljúbit tróicu, literally “God likes Trinity”)


ճաշակին ընկեր չկա

head

ճաշակին ընկեր չկա

ճաշակին ընկեր չկա • (čašakin ənker čʻka)

/t͡ʃɑʃɑˈkin ənˈkeɾ t͡ʃʰəˈkɑ/

[t͡ʃɑʃɑkín əŋkéɾ t͡ʃʰəkɑ́]

/d͡ʒɑʃɑˈɡin ənˈɡeɾ t͡ʃəˈɡɑ/

[d͡ʒɑʃɑɡín əŋɡéɾ t͡ʃʰəɡɑ́]

Literally, “on taste there is no friend”.

lit

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


о вкусах не спорят

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о вку́сах не спо́рят

о вку́сах не спо́рят • (o vkúsax ne spórjat)

о вку́сах не спо́рят (canonical)
o vkúsax ne spórjat (romanization)

Literally, “you do not argue about tastes”.

lit

у ка́ждого свой вкус — кто лю́бит ды́ню, а кто — арбу́з


на вкус и на цвет товарищей нет

head

на вку́с и на цвет това́рищей нет

на вку́с и на цвет това́рищей нет • (na vkús i na cvet továriščej net)

на вку́с и на цвет това́рищей нет (canonical)
na vkús i na cvet továriščej net (romanization)

desc

על טעם וריח אין להתוכח

→ Hebrew: על טעם וריח אין להתוכח (al ta'ám v'réakh en l'hitvakéakh) (calque)

[nɐ‿ˈfkus i nɐ‿ˈt͡svʲet tɐˈvarʲɪɕːɪj nʲet]

Literally, “on taste and on color there are no friends”. See Latin de gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum.
Probably arrived in Russian through French des goûts et des couleurs, on ne discute pas.

der

en-на_вкус_и_на_цвет_товарищей_нет-ru-proverb-CBP90E9d


head

у ка́ждого свой вкус — кто лю́бит ды́ню, а кто — арбу́з • (u káždovo svoj vkus — kto ljúbit dýnju, a kto — arbúz)

у ка́ждого свой вкус — кто лю́бит ды́ню (canonical)
а кто — арбу́з (canonical)

[ʊ‿ˈkaʐdəvə svoj fkus | kto ˈlʲʉbʲɪd ˈdɨnʲʊ | ɐ‿ˈkto | ɐrˈbus]

Literally, “everyone has his own taste, one likes melon, another likes watermelon”.

lit

у каждого свой вкус — кто любит дыню, а кто — арбуз

en-у_каждого_свой_вкус_—_кто_любит_дыню,_а_кто_—_арбуз-ru-proverb-CBP90E9d


chi dorme non piglia pesci

Literally, “he who sleeps doesn't catch any fish”.

the early bird catches the worm
the early bird catches the worm


pride cometh before a fall

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

Alternative form of pride comes before a fall


you can't polish a turd

(idiomatic, vulgar) Something inherently unfavourable or unpleasant cannot be improved.


the whistle does not pull the train

it's not the whistle that pulls the train#English

Alternative form of it's not the whistle that pulls the train


head

it ain't the whistle that pulls the train


it isn't the whistle that pulls the train


it is not the whistle that pulls the train


a látszat csal

[ɒ ˈlaːt͡sːɒt ˈt͡ʃɒl]

appearances are deceptive
appearances are deceptive


LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-it's not the whistle that pulls the train.wav

“In the words of the nursery rhyme,” says Mr. Green, “‘it isn't the whistle that pulls the train.’”

1956 July 1, James Reston, “Washington: It's Not the Whistle that Pulls the Train”, in New York Times, page E8:

Until then, remember, don't brag, it's not the whistle that pulls the train.

1962, American Flint, volume 62, American Flint Glass Workers' Union, page 17:

The shiny aluminum body of the 1928 Peerless race car with its rumble seat and purchase price of 50 dollars must have put Kenwood in a boastful mood because Grandma Proper immediately stated, “Kenwood you must remember that it is not the whistle that pulls the train.”

2005, Eve-Lyn Woodard, Resounding Echoes, →ISBN, page 113:

Boasting and loud talk should not be mistaken for the work that produces real achievements; bravado is no proof of action.


волк ка́ждый год линя́ет, а всё сер быва́ет • (volk káždyj god linjájet, a vsjo ser byvájet)

волк ка́ждый год линя́ет (canonical)
а всё сер быва́ет (canonical)
volk káždyj god linjájet (romanization)
a vsjo ser byvájet (romanization)

[voɫk ˈkaʐdɨj ɡot lʲɪˈnʲæ(j)ɪt | ɐ‿ˈfsʲɵ sʲer bɨˈva(j)ɪt]

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-волк каждый год линяет, а всё сер бывает.wav

Literally, “each year the wolf molts its fur, but it continues to be grey”.

lit

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

волк ка́ждый год линя́ет, а всё сер быва́ет да обы́чай не меня́ет

ско́лько во́лка ни корми́, он всё в лес смо́трит

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

en-волк_каждый_год_линяет,_а_всё_сер_бывает-ru-proverb-3S4UziP7


a leopard cannot change its spots

King.[…]Lyons make Leopards tame. / Mo[wbray]. Yea, but not change his ſpots:

1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 24, column 2:

Can the Ethiopian change his ſkinne? or the leopard his ſpots?

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Jeremiah 13:23, column 1:

End now all unkindness. Let us put the Jew to ransom, since the leopard will not change his spots, and a Jew he will continue to be.

1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter II, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 60:

The leopard cannot change his spots, old boy.

1918, Johnston McCulley, Thubway Tham's Inthane Moment:

կարմիր կովը կաշին չի փոխի

one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh

狗改不了吃屎 (gǒu gǎi bùliǎo chī shǐ, literally “a dog can't help eating shit”)

een vos verliest wel zijn haren, maar niet zijn streken

ο λύκος κι αν εγέρασε κι άσπρισε το μαλλί του, μήτε τη γνώμη άλλαξε, μήτε την κεφαλή του (o lýkos ki an egérase ki ásprise to mallí tou, míte ti gnómi állaxe, míte tin kefalí tou, literally “Even though the wolf got old and his hair became white, he changed neither his opinion nor his head”) (about old age)

הֲיַהֲפֹךְ כּוּשִׁי עוֹרוֹ וְנָמֵר חֲבַרְבֻּרֹתָיו (hayahafókh kúshi 'oró venamer ḥabarbburotav, literally “Will a Cushite change his skin and a leopard his spots?”)

三つ子の魂百まで (mitsugo no tamashii hyaku made, literally “the soul of a child of three is the same at 100”)

волкот влакно менува, нарав никогаш (volkot vlakno menuva, narav nikogaš, literally “the wolf changes his hair, but never his disposition”)

ججق بوليه دهيلڠکن, بلڠ باݢايمان دهيلڠکن؟

jejak boleh dihilangkan, belang bagaimana dihilangkan?

ikatan boleh diubah, takuk bagaimana diubah?

habis minyak sepasu, ekor anjing diurut tiada lurus

pode o etíope mudar a sua pele ou o leopardo as suas manchas?

волк ка́ждый год линя́ет, а всё сер быва́ет (volk káždyj god linjájet, a vsjo ser byvájet, literally “each year the wolf molts its fur, but it continues to be grey”)

ско́лько во́лка ни корми́, он всё в лес смо́трит (skólʹko vólka ni kormí, on vsjo v les smótrit, literally “however good you feed the wolf, it still looks onto the forest”)

горба́того моги́ла испра́вит (gorbátovo mogíla isprávit, literally “only the grave can straighten the hunchback”)

чёрного кобеля́ не отмо́ешь добела́ (čórnovo kobeljá ne otmóješʹ dobelá, literally “you can’t wash a black dog to make it white”)

зарека́лась лиса́ кур не ворова́ть (zarekálasʹ lisá kur ne vorovátʹ, literally “the fox promised not to steal chickens”)

an car a bha san t-seana mhaide 's duilich a thoirt às

ang kabayo ay bigyan man ng asukal at tinapay, sapilitang aayawan, humahanap din ng kumpay

אַ חזיר בלײַבט אַ חזיר (a khazer blaybt a khazer, literally “a pig remains a pig”)

the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature

you can take the person out of the place, but you can't take the place out of the person


head

it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God

From the Gospel of Matthew, verse 19:24. Some assert that "camel" is a misinterpretation of a word meaning "rope" and others assert that the "Needle's Eye" was a gate in the walls of Jerusalem, but the evidence for each of these theories is contested, and the literal interpretation remains the most common.

(Christianity, biblical) It is unlikely that the wealthy will go to heaven.

ʔinna murūra jamal min ṯaqb ʔibratin ʔaysaru min ʔan yadḵula ḡaniyyun ʔilā malakūti llāhi

إِنَّ مُرُورَ جَمَل مِنْ ثَقْب إِبْرَةٍ أَيْسَرُ مِنْ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ غَنِيٌّ إِلَى مَلَكُوتِ اللهِ

det er lettere for en kamel at komme igennem et nåleøje end for en rig at komme ind i Guds rige

eher geht ein Kamel durch ein Nadelöhr, als dass ein Reicher in das Reich Gottes gelangt

det er lettere for en kamel å gå gjennom et nåløye enn for en rik man å komme inn i Guds rike

łatwiej jest wielbłądowi przejść przez ucho igielne, niż bogatemu wejść do królestwa niebieskiego

é mais fácil passar um camelo pelo fundo de uma agulha do que entrar um rico no reino de Deus

léxče verbljúdu projtí skvozʹ igólʹnoje uškó, čem bogačú vojtí v cárstvije nebésnoje

ле́гче верблю́ду пройти́ сквозь иго́льное ушко́, чем богачу́ войти́ в ца́рствие небе́сное

es más fácil que un camello pase por el ojo de una aguja, que un rico entre en el reino de Dios


en-proverb

success has many fathers, failure is an orphan

Many people will seek credit for success, but few will accept responsibility for failure.

many will seek credit for success, few for failure

onnistumisella on monta isää, epäonnistuminen on orpo

vijayattinŭ pala pitākkanmāṟ, tōlvi oru anāthanuṁ

വിജയത്തിന് പല പിതാക്കന്മാർ, തോൽവി ഒരു അനാഥനും

sukces ma wielu ojców, a porażka jest sierotą

sukces ma wielu ojców, a klęska jest sierotą

succesul are mulți tați, insuccesul e orfan.


parempi katsoa kuin katua

look before you leap
look before you leap

better safe than sorry
better safe than sorry

look before you leap; better safe than sorry; haste makes waste


a broken clock is right twice a day

a stopped clock is right twice a day#English

Alternative form of a stopped clock is right twice a day


tomorrow is another day

/təˈmɒɹoʊ ɪz əˈnʌðə(ɹ)deɪ/

/təˈmɑɹoʊ ɪz əˈnʌðɚ deɪ/

Phil. Yonder comes my Mother, Coridon,
whether shall I flie?
Cor. Under yonder Beech my lovely one,
while she passeth by.
Say to her thy true-Love was not heere,
remember, remember,
to morrow is another day:

1600, author unknown, "Phillidaes Love-call to her Coridon, and his replying" (song), in England's Helicon, printed at London by I.R. for John Flasket

"Well, well, my dear lass, to-night we cannot work, but we may sleep. . . . Keep a still heart tonight, and tomorrow is another day."

1896, Amelia E. Barr, chapter 8, in A Knight of the Nets:

"Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."

1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, chapter 63, in Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, 1944, →OCLC:

"Half of me is depressed—the idea didn't work out—and half is hopeful. Tomorrow is another day and maybe something will work then."

2005 June 19, Fran Schumer, “JERSEY: In Princeton, Taking On Harvard's Fuss About Women”, in New York Times, retrieved 2009-08-18:

Tomorrow will bring new opportunities and a fresh start for one's endeavors.

и утре е ден

a phrase indicating that tomorrow will bring new opportunities

明日は明日の風が吹く

あした-は-あした-の-かぜ-が-ふく


henki on altis, mutta liha on heikko

the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.


kaikki on vastaan, vain saha puoltaa

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

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

when it rains, it pours, it never rains but it pours


heaven helps those who help themselves

Phrase originates from Aesop, an Ancient Greek author. It was first translated into Latin, then into French by Pierre Millot in 1646. The phrase originates as the opening sentence of Samuel Smiles' book Self-Help from 1859. It is a variation of the pre-existing maxim God helps them that help themselves which also appeared in Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack which was published in the first half of the 18th century.

A maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems.

اسعى يا عبدي وأنا أسعى معاك

a maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems

Jumala auttaa niitä, jotka auttavat itseään

天は自ら助くる者を助く

てんはみずからたすくるものをたすく

하늘은 스스로 돕는 자를 돕는다

haneur-eun seuseuro domneun ja-reul domneunda

la caridad bien entendida empieza por uno mismo


head

Jumala auttaa niitä, jotka auttavat itseään

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


yhteistyö on voimaa

yhteistyö (“cooperation”) + on (“is”) + voimaa (“power”)

many hands make light work
many hands make light work

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


a rest kétszer fárad

Literally: "the lazy person works twice" (if one does not do something because of laziness, later will have to do it with twice as much effort)

a stitch in time saves nine
a stitch in time saves nine


every day is a school day

you learn something new every day#English

Synonym of you learn something new every day.


fr-proverb

les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières

/le p(ə).ti ʁɥi.so fɔ̃ le ɡʁɑ̃d ʁi.vjɛʁ/

Literally, “small streams make big rivers”.

lit

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

little strokes fell great oaks
little strokes fell great oaks

mighty oaks from little acorns grow
mighty oaks from little acorns grow

many a mickle makes a muckle; little strokes fell great oaks; mighty oaks from little acorns grow; take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves; every little helps


à la guerre comme à la guerre

desc

на войне́ как на войне́

→ Russian: на войне́ как на войне́ (na vojné kak na vojné) (calque)

LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-à la guerre comme à la guerre.wav

keep a stiff upper lip
keep a stiff upper lip

One must make the best of one's situation, or make do with what one has; roughly keep a stiff upper lip, or when life gives you lemons, make lemonade


vouloir c'est pouvoir

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


un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras

LL-Q150 (fra)-M2D2V2 (Kvardek du)-un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras.wav

LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras.wav

LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras.wav

Literally, “a here-you-go is worth more than two you-can-have-it-laters”.
Popularized (as un tien vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras) by Jean de La Fontaine in his fable Le Petit Poisson et le Pêcheur; from that same fable, see also petit poisson deviendra grand.

lit

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

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

Jean de La Fontaine
fr:Le Petit Poisson et le Pêcheur


it ürür, kervan yürür

The dog barks, but the caravan goes by
the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on

(literally) The dog barks, but the caravan goes by.


many a mickle makes a muckle

People are often ruined before they are aware of the danger, by buying everything they think they want, without adverting to a Scotch adage—than which nothing in nature is more true—"that many mickles make a muckle."

1793 April 21, George Washington, Worthington Chauncey Ford, compiler and editor, “Letters to Anthony Whiting, 1793”, in The Writings of George Washington, volumes XII (1790–1794), New York, N.Y., London: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, the Knickerbocker Press, published 1891, →OCLC, page 382:

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

(chiefly Northern England, Scotland) A lot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount.

聚沙成塔 (jùshāchéngtǎ, literally “gathering sand grains completes a tower”)

塵も積もれば山となる

ちりもつもればやまとなる

sehari selembar benang, lama-lama menjadi kain

ziarnko do ziarnka, a zbierze się miarka

копе́йка рубль бережёт (kopéjka rublʹ berežót, literally “a kopeyka saves a ruble”)

zrno na zrno pogača kamen na kamen palača

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step


where there is a will

Scheduling is the killer of Simulators. But where there's a will … you know the rest. Kill the Scheduling Monster before it kills you.

[2007, Christopher J. Gallagher, S. Barry Issenberg, “Attendance and Scheduling Issues”, in Simulation in Anesthesia, Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier, →ISBN, page 64:

where there is a will there is a way#English

Ellipsis of where there is a will there is a way.


where there is a will, there is a way

[I]f he leaves the School poſſeſs'd of a ſluggiſh indolent Diſpoſition, and of Learning rather forc'd upon him than choſen, it is probable he will forget what he brought thence; but if he be active, emulous and aſpiring, he will certainly find Time for Reading and Thinking; for tho' it be a homely, it is a true Saying, that where there is a Will, there is a Way.

1724, Pharmacopolæ Justificati: Or, Apothecaries Vindicated from the Imputation of Ignorance. Wherein is Shown, that an Academical Education is No Way Necessary to Qualify a Man for the Practice of Physick, London: Printed for J. Roberts, […], →OCLC, page 6:

[H]ow far the particular practices in regard to Works of Industry may be usefully adopted, it is difficult to determine; but "where there is a will, there is a way:" local habits and circumstances must be the guides.

1796, Baron von Voght [i.e., Caspar Voght], “Account of the Management of the Poor in Hamburgh, between the Years 1788 and 1794. In a Letter to Some Friends of the Poor in Great Britain. […]”, in The Pamphleteer: Respectfully Dedicated to both Houses of Parliament, volume XI, number XXII, London: Printed by A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […]; sold by Rest Fenner, […]; Lloyd; Black, Kingsbury, and Co., […], published 1818, page 444:

There is more than enough legislation to deal with illegal traveller encampments. It is also important to remember that where there is a will, there is a way.

2014 July 31, Bianca Castro, quoting Robert Halfon, “MP criticises senior police for failing to deal with travellers”, in Harlow Star, Harlow, Essex, page 7, column 4:

Alternative form of where there is a will there is a way.


all's well that ends well

Often believed to be from the title of William Shakespeare's play All's Well That Ends Well.
More likely attributed to John Heywood (c. 1497 – c. 1580), who wrote plays for the royal court from the early 1530s onwards, some sixty years before Shakespeare made his way in the Elizabethan theatre. Although his book of proverbs was the first to use this phrasing, it originates even further back.
In 1381, in J. R. Lumby’s Chronicon Henrici Knighton, the line ‘If the ende be wele, than is alle wele.’ seems to be a more likely origin.

সব ভাল তার শেষ ভাল যার

A happy ending makes up for everything that has gone before...

gach rud i gceart ach sinn a bheith slán

's fhearr deireadh math na droch thoiseach


where there's a will there's a way

The powerful and the fortunate are very fond of the maxim, "where there's a will there's a way;" and they rarely use it without expressing in very clear terms a cold, insolent, and uncharitable judgment upon exertions they are themselves not called upon to make, while they modestly declare that such exertions, if by them made, would be triumphant. They say, in sort, to the weak and unprosperous—You might succeed if you would, for effort is success, and we should find a certain and easy conquest where you have met but baffled hopes and continual defeat!

1840 November, [Samuel] Laman Blanchard, “A Quarrel with Some Old Acquaintances”, in Theodore Hook, editor, The New Monthly Magazine and Humorist, volume LX, 3rd part, number CCXXXIX, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, section 10 (Where There’s a Will There’s a Way), page 408:

The account which he [James Ferguson] himself gives of these observations is exceedingly interesting, and strikingly brings out the ingenuity of his mind, and his determination to allow no difficulties of circumstances to stand in his way. [...] Thus we are reminded of the apothegm that where there's a will there's a way—an apothegm which has found illustration in every department of effort, but nowhere more frequently than in the progress of science and art.

1866, W[illiam] K[ing] Tweedie, “James Ferguson. 1710–1776.”, in Youthful Diligence, Future Greatness: A Book for the Young, London, Edinburgh, New York, N.Y.: T[homas] Nelson and Sons, […], →OCLC, pages 273–274:

Rolliver's inn, the single alehouse at this end of the long and broken village, could only boast of an off-license; [...] [T]hirsty strangers [...] wished they could have a restful seat inside. Thus the strangers. But there were also local customers who felt the same wish; and where there's a will there's a way. In a large bedroom upstairs, the window of which was thickly curtained with a great woollen shawl lately discarded by the landlady Mrs. Rolliver, were gathered on this evening nearly a dozen persons, all seeking vinous bliss; [...]

1891, Thomas Hardy, chapter IV, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume I, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC, phase the first (The Maiden), pages 40–41:

Alternative form of where there is a will there is a way


where there is a will there is a way

/ʍɛə ˌðɛəɹ ɪz ə ˈwɪl ðɛəɹ ɪz ə ˈweɪ/

/ʍɛɚ ˌðɛɚ ɪz ə ˈwɪl ðɛɚ ɪz ə ˈweɪ/

Unmindful of her former poverty, she was perpetually teasing Riboulard to take a lodging in Rue St. Honoré, and to allow her to dress in a style more suitable to her station. [...] It is an old saying, that where there is a will, there is always a way. At the end of a few months, Rosalia began to trick out her person, without the corporal's knowledge; [...]

[1810, Pigault-Lebrun [pseudonym; Charles-Antoine-Guillaume Pigault de l’Espinoy], “My Grandfather Riboulard, and My Grandmother Rosalia, are Really Married”, in My Uncle Thomas. A Romance. In Two Volumes. From the French, volume I, New York, N.Y.: Printed [by Isaac Riley] for John Brannan, →OCLC, page 16:

Where there is a will there is a way; but where there is no will there is no way, and that is the case with my honorable friend opposite.

1882 August 24, John McKenzie, “Land Boards Bill”, in New Zealand. Parliamentary Debates. First Session of the Eighth Parliament. […] (House of Representatives), volume XLIII, Wellington: G. Didsbury, government printer, →OCLC, page 550, column 2:

I have learned during my long life the great lesson that where there is a will there is a way. Armed bands have failed against these people. I came here hoping to find the way because I already had the will. Perhaps I did find it when fate threw me in with you.

1912 February 9, “a New York detective” [pseudonym], “The Bradys in Death Swamp: Or, Downing a Desperate Band”, in Secret Service: Old and Young King Brady, Detectives, number 681, New York, N.Y.: Frank Tousey, →OCLC, chapter IX (The Rescue of Master Monkey), page 20, column 1:

We have a saying in English: "Where there is a will there is a way". This House has a will, though the hon. Members of Parliament who represent the entire Kenya. [...] There will be funds made available because where there is a will there is a way. Funds will be made available, and this House always makes funds available every year.

1987 October 28, James Ezekiel Mbori, “Private Members’ Motions: Additional Water Pipeline from Mzima to Mombasa”, in Republic of Kenya: The National Assembly: Official Report […] (National Assembly of Kenya), volume LXXIII, Nairobi: Printed by the government printer, →OCLC, column 628:

If someone wants or wills something strongly enough, a way can be found to make it happen.

إِنَ مَفَاتِيحُ الأُمُورٍ العَزَائِمَ

if someone wants or wills something strongly enough, a way can be found

kdo chce, hledá způsoby, kdo nechce, hledá důvody

jos tahtoa on, niin keinot kyllä löytyvät

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

ada padi semua kerja jadi, ada beras semua kerja deras

خواستن توانستن است (xâstan tavânestan ast, literally “wanting is being able to”)

chcącemu nic nie trudno, niechcącemu wszytko

finns det hjärterum så finns det stjärterum

ความพยายามอยู่ที่ไหน ความสำเร็จอยู่ที่นั่น


yrittänyttä ei laiteta

nothing ventured, nothing gained
nothing ventured, nothing gained


un homme averti en vaut deux

forewarned is forearmed
forewarned is forearmed


cilj opravdava sredstvo

sh-proverb

cȋlj opràvdāvā srèdstvo (Cyrillic spelling ци̑љ опра̀вда̄ва̄ срѐдство)

cȋlj opràvdāvā srèdstvo (canonical)
ци̑љ опра̀вда̄ва̄ срѐдство (Cyrillic)

the end justifies the means
the end justifies the means


циљ оправдава средство

ци̑љ опра̀вда̄ва̄ срѐдство

ци̑љ опра̀вда̄ва̄ срѐдство (Latin spelling cȋlj opràvdāvā srèdstvo)

ци̑љ опра̀вда̄ва̄ срѐдство (canonical)
cȋlj opràvdāvā srèdstvo (romanization)

en-циљ_оправдава_средство-sh-proverb-MoKTShZ0


далеко од очију, далеко од срца

далѐко о̏д о̀чијӯ, далѐко о̏д ср̏ца

далѐко о̏д о̀чијӯ, далѐко о̏д ср̏ца (Latin spelling dalèko ȍd òčijū, dalèko ȍd sȑca)

далѐко о̏д о̀чијӯ (canonical)
далѐко о̏д ср̏ца (canonical)
dalèko ȍd òčijū, dalèko ȍd sȑca (romanization)

long absent, soon forgotten
long absent, soon forgotten

en-далеко_од_очију,_далеко_од_срца-sh-proverb-c31XQWWq


daleko od očiju, daleko od srca

dalèko ȍd òčijū, dalèko ȍd sȑca (Cyrillic spelling далѐко о̏д о̀чијӯ, далѐко о̏д ср̏ца)

dalèko ȍd òčijū (canonical)
dalèko ȍd sȑca (canonical)
далѐко о̏д о̀чијӯ, далѐко о̏д ср̏ца (Cyrillic)


oko za oko, zub za zub

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


long absent, soon forgotten

Love fades away when people are distant and do not maintain close physical contact.

o que os olhos não veem, o coração não sente

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


a tiltott gyümölcs mindig édesebb

[ɒ ˈtiltotː ˈɟymølt͡ʃ ˈmindiɡ ˈeːdɛʃɛbː]

Literally: "the forbidden fruit is always sweeter"

forbidden fruit is the sweetest
forbidden fruit is the sweetest


a lélek kész, de a test erőtlen

[ɒ ˈleːlɛk ˈkeːs dɛ ɒ ˈtɛʃt ˈɛrøːtlɛn]

the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak


might makes right

Inherited from Middle English might is right, first attested in the 14th century. The concept is expressed by various classical authors; a similar argument is notably attributed to Thrasymachus by Plato in the Republic 340a (in Paul Shorey’s translation, “the advantage of the stronger is just”).

inh+

What is right or wrong is determined by power and strength; power justifies itself.

Paul Shorey
Plato
Republic (Plato)
Thrasymachus
might makes right

la raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure

the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must


head

mladọ̑st jȅ norọ̑st, čez jārek skačẹ̄ kjẹ̑r jȅ mọ̑st

mladọ̑st jȅ norọ̑st (canonical)
čez jārek skačẹ̄ kjẹ̑r jȅ mọ̑st (canonical)

mladost je norost, čez jarek skače kjer je most

Youth is insanity, jumping over a ditch where there is a bridge


slabom kurcu i dlaka smeta

sh-proverb

slȁbōm kȗrcu i dlȁka smȇtā (Cyrillic spelling сла̏бо̄м ку̑рцу и дла̏ка сме̑та̄)

slȁbōm kȗrcu i dlȁka smȇtā (canonical)
сла̏бо̄м ку̑рцу и дла̏ка сме̑та̄ (Cyrillic)

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

"a weak dick is bothered even by pubic hair" a bad workman always blames his tools (used as a remark for somebody's whining on trivial issues, or that it's always other people's fault, and never his)


head

kdọ̑r velíko govorí, velíko vẹ́ ali láže

kdọ̑r velíko govorí (canonical)
velíko vẹ́ ali láže (canonical)

kdor veliko govori, veliko ve ali veliko laže

he who speaks much, knows much or lies much


kakor si boš postlal, tako boš spal

kȁkor si bọ̑š postlȁł (canonical)
takọ̑ bọ̑š spȃł (canonical)

Literally "As you make your bed, so you must lie."

you made your bed, now sleep in it
you made your bed, now sleep in it

Roughly equivalent to "you made your bed, now sleep in it" and "as you make your bed, so you must lie in it".


слабом курцу и длака смета

sh-proverb

сла̏бо̄м ку̑рцу и дла̏ка сме̑та̄

сла̏бо̄м ку̑рцу и дла̏ка сме̑та̄ (Latin spelling slȁbōm kȗrcu i dlȁka smȇtā)

сла̏бо̄м ку̑рцу и дла̏ка сме̑та̄ (canonical)
slȁbōm kȗrcu i dlȁka smȇtā (romanization)

en-слабом_курцу_и_длака_смета-sh-proverb-ZERsCBqA


adskillelse gør længslen større

head

adskillelse gør længslen større ("Separation makes the longing larger.")

absence makes the heart grow fonder
absence makes the heart grow fonder


renlighed er en dyd

renlighed er en dyd ("Cleanliness is a virtue.")


intet nyt er godt nyt

intet nyt er godt nyt ("No news is good news.")

no news is good news
no news is good news


man kan ikke både blæse og have mel i munden ("One cannot both blow and have flour in one's mouth.")

have one's cake and eat it too
have one's cake and eat it too

One cannot have one's cake and eat it too.


pennen er mægtigere end sværdet

pennen er mægtigere end sværdet ("The pen is mightier than the sword.")

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


pennan är mäktigare än svärdet

pennan är mäktigare än svärdet ("The pen is mightier than the sword.")


i nøden kender man sine venner

i nøden kender man sine venner ("In distress, you know your friends.")

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


feed a cold, starve a fever

An old wives' tale that dates back to 1574 from the original "Fasting is a great remedie of fever."

"Feed a cold, starve a fever." There is a deal of wisdom in the first part of this advice. A person with a catarrh should take an abundance of light nutritious food, and some light wine, but avoid spirits, and above all tobacco.

1887, J. H. Whelan, “The Treatment of Colds,”, in The Practitioner, volume 38, page 180:

I have a cold. 'Feed a cold, starve a fever.' You certainly know that.

1968, Katinka Loeser, The Archers at Home, New York: Atheneum, page 60:

They say feed a cold, starve a fever, but they don't tell you what to do when you got both, so I figured scrambled eggs, tea, and toast.

2009, Shelly Reuben, Tabula Rasa, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, →ISBN, page 60:

Expressing the common belief that eating more will cure the common cold, and eating less will cure a fever.

nourrir un rhume et affamer une fièvre

proverb expressing the belief that eating more cures a cold while eating less cures a fever

風邪には大食, 熱には絶食

kaze ni wa taishoku, netsu ni wa zesshoku


hätä keinon keksii

Literally, “the need invents a measure”. Compare Karelian hätä keinon kekšiy.

hätä keinot keksii
hätä keinot keksii#Finnish


家醜不可外揚

family scandals cannot be spread to the outside

ㄐㄧㄚ ㄔㄡˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄨㄞˋ ㄧㄤˊ

цзячоу букэ вайян

/t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ waɪ̯⁵¹ jɑŋ³⁵/

what happens in the family stays in the family; don't wash your dirty linen in public


狗改不了吃屎

ㄍㄡˇ ㄍㄞˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄔ ㄕˇ

gǒu gǎi bùliǎo chī shǐ [Phonetic:góugǎibùliǎochīshǐ]

гоу гай буляо чи ши

/koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ kaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ li̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

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

(figurative, derogatory, low colloquial, idiomatic) a leopard cannot change its spots (said of bad habits or traits)

as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly


those who can't do, teach

If those who can't do, teach — then what will those who can't teach, do?

2004, Shirley M. Hord, Learning Together, Leading Together, →ISBN:

Now, there is an unkind saying in education that “those who can, 'do'; those who can't 'do', teach; those who can't teach, teach others to teach; while those who can't teach others to teach become either education administrators or researchers”.

2007, Roy Vincent, Listening to the Silences, →ISBN, page 21:

They say, “Those who can't do, teach.” Don't you believe it. Those who teach show those who can't how to.

2010, Charles J. Mertz, So,You Want To Be a Teacher, →ISBN, page 12:

(derogatory) It is easier to get a job teaching how to do something than to get a job actually doing that thing.


愚公山を移す

ja-pos

ぐこう やま を うつす

愚(ぐ)公(こう)山(やま)を移(うつ)す • (gukō yama o utsusu)

愚公山を移す (canonical)
gukō yama o utsusu (romanization)

[ɡɯ̟ko̞ː ja̠ma̠ o̞ ɯ̟t͡sɨsɨ]

Calque of Literary Chinese 愚公移山 (yúgōngyíshān, literally “stupid old man moves mountains”), an anecdote in the Chinese Taoist work Liezi.
In the story, two large mountains stand before the house of a character named 愚公 (literally "stupid old man"), impeding access, so the character and his family begin moving the mountains. A different character portrayed as a clever wag derides the family for their foolishness in moving the mountains instead of their house, but God hears about them and is so impressed with their ambition and dedication that he arranges to have the mountains moved. (See Citations:愚公移山 for the full story.)

cal

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

perseverance and hard work can overcome any obstacle; where there's a will, there's a way


nejdřív povinnost, potom zábava

business before pleasure
business before pleasure


ismétlés a tudás anyja

[ˈiʃmeːtleːʃ ɒ ˈtudaːʃ ˈɒɲːɒ]

From Latin repetītiō est māter studiōrum (“repetition is the mother of knowledge”).

der

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect

experience is the best teacher
experience is the best teacher

practice makes perfect, experience is the best teacher


head

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

/ˈʋɑt ˌbaːtə(n)ˈkaːrs ɛn ˈbrɪl ɑls də ˈœy̯l nit ˈzin ɛn ˌʋɪl/

Literally, “what use are [the] candle and [the pair of] glasses if the owl doesn't want to see”.

m-g

what use are 􂀿the􂁀 candle and 􂀿the pair of􂁀 glasses if the owl doesn't want to see

lit

if somebody doesn't want to learn or cooperate, there's no use in helping him or her to do so


všechno zlé je k něčemu dobré

Literally, “all that is bad is good for something”.

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


if it ain't broke, don't fix it

Attested since c. 1962, originally Southern United States English; popularized by T. Bert Lance in May 1977.

I know it’s an ugly-looking antenna, but it gets the job done, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It is wise to leave something alone and to avoid attempting to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient (often with an implication that the attempted improvement is risky and might backfire).

जो चीज़ खराब नहीं है उसे ठीक ना करें

jo cīz kharāb nahī̃ hai use ṭhīk nā karẽ

角を矯めて牛を殺す

つのをためて うしをころす

не сломалось — не чини (ne slomalosʹ — ne čini)


nöden är uppfinningarnas moder

necessity is the mother of invention
necessity is the mother of invention


there's no fool like an old fool

You're an old woman, Emily, and there's no fool like an old fool. The man's twenty years younger than you, and don't you fool yourself as to what he married you for. Money!

1920 October, Agatha Christie, “I Go to Styles”, in The Mysterious Affair at Styles […], New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, published March 1927, page 24:

If a person does not develop wisdom with age, then their foolishness is all the more obvious and shameful.

a cent anys, coteta verda

if a person does not develop wisdom with age, then their foolishness is all the more obvious and shameful

il n’y a que les imbéciles qui ne changent pas d’avis

ста́рого пса но́вым фо́кусам не нау́чишь

you can't put an old head on young shoulders


real men don't eat quiche

The idiom derives from the book on stereotypes about masculinity, Real Men Don't Eat Quiche, by Bruce Feirstein, published in 1982.

(aphorism, humorous) The stereotypical man does not do things that are considered effeminate.


дух бодр, плоть же немощна

head

дух бодр, плоть же не́мощна

дух бодр, плоть же не́мощна • (dux bodr, plotʹ že némoščna)

дух бодр (canonical)
плоть же не́мощна (canonical)
dux bodr (romanization)
plotʹ že némoščna (romanization)

the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

en-дух_бодр,_плоть_же_немощна-ru-proverb-CDFpHTqZ


poissa silmistä, poissa mielestä

poissa (“away”) + silmistä (“from the eyes”) + poissa + mielestä (“from the mind”)

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

long absent, soon forgotten
long absent, soon forgotten


niin makaa kuin petaa

[ˈniːm ˈmɑ̝kɑ̝ː ˈkui̯m ˈpe̞t̪ɑ̝ː]

niin makaat kuin petaat
niin makaat kuin petaat#Finnish

Alternative form of niin makaat kuin petaat.


aiutati che Dio t'aiuta

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


a caval donato non si guarda in bocca

Literally, “you mustn't look in the mouth to a gifted horse”.

lit

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


don't drop the soap

From the exposure of one's buttocks when bending over in a male group shower, in reference to prison rape.

(idiomatic) Used as a mockery to someone who is about to be or should be confined in prison.


Arbeit macht frei

Arbeit (“work”) + macht (“makes”) + frei (“free”). The phrase has been used since at least the early 1800s, and appears for example in Heinrich Beta's 1845 Geld und Geist. How the National Socialists came to have an affinity for the phrase is unclear; it may have been a reference to concentration camps' ostensible purpose as work camps. Harold Marcuse attributes the decision to use it over concentration camp gates to Theodor Eicke.

Nicht der Glaube macht selig, nicht der Glaube an egoistische Pfaffen- und Adelzwecke, sondern die Arbeit macht selig, denn die Arbeit macht frei. Das ist nicht protestantisch oder katholisch, oder deutsch- oder christkatholisch, nicht liberal oder servil, das ist das allgemein menschliche Gesetz und die Grundbedingung alles Lebens und Strebens, alles Glückes und aller Seligkeit.

Work makes you free; work brings freedom.

Harold Marcuse
Theodor Eicke
de:Arbeit macht frei


any port in a storm

/ɛni ˈpɔːt‿ɪn‿ə ˈstɔːm/

/ɛni ˈpɔɹt‿ɪn‿ə ˈstɔɹm/

Probably from the earlier figurative use of port in a (or the) storm to mean a comfort or refuge in difficult circumstances: see the 1657 quotation.

[W]hen vveaker veſſels beare ſaile only in a calme, a true veſſell of Chriſt ſhould ſaile beſt to his vviſhed port in a ſtorme.

[1657, Samuel Purchas, “[The Second Part. Being Meditations and Observations, Theologicall, and Morall, upon the Nature of Bees.] The Third Centurie.”, in A Theatre of Politicall Flying-Insects. […], London: […] M. S. for Thomas Parkhurst, […], →OCLC, section XIX, page 354:

Pooh, ſays he my dear, any port in a ſtorm.

1749, [John Cleland], “[Letter the Second]”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], volume II, London: […] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], →OCLC, page 133:

I'll give you the journal, my boy, […] eight A.M. Bonypart running away; nine A.M. Bonypart on board; ten A.M. Bonypart sinking; eleven A.M. Bonypart in Davy's Locker; Meridian Bonypart in the north corner of ——, where it burns and freezes at the same time: but you know any port in a storm, Bony, so there I'll leave ye.

1804 August 4, “Levity: Bob Rousem’s Epistle to Bonypart”, in Oliver Oldschool [pseudonym; John Elihu Hall], editor, The Port Folio, volume IV, number 31, Philadelphia, Pa.: […] Hugh Maxwell, […], →OCLC, page 246, column 2:

[A]s this Scotsman's howf lies right under your lee, why, take any port in a storm.

1822, [Walter Scott], chapter IV, in The Pirate. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 60:

I was equally indifferent to cost and convenience in my choice of a lodging—"any port in a storm" was the principle on which I was prepared to act; […]

1893–1897 (date written), Robert Louis Stevenson, “I Meet a Cheerful Extravagant”, in St. Ives: Being the Adventures of a French Prisoner in England, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, published 1897, →OCLC, pages 264–265:

After finding both stairwells untenable at the roof, the Captain and the rookie take the window‐washing scaffold—any port in a storm—down the side of the building to the fire floor.

1974 January 27, Dennis Smith, “Playing with fire can mean getting burned [review of Firehouse]”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2017-09-09, page 17:

Most supporters have been surprised at how Joe [Kinnear] has steadied the ship and most people seemed to have warmed to him. He wasn’t the most popular appointment, but I think the phrase ‘any port in a storm’ came to mind when we were getting turned down by everyone.

2008 December 28, Jon Henderson, quoting Malcolm Holmes, “Kinnear: A man you can swear by”, in The Observer, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2024-04-08:

time is of the essence
time is of the essence

(idiomatic) One should accept any passable option when time is of the essence in an adverse situation.

myrskyssä kelpaa huonompikin satama

one should accept any passable option when time is of the essence in an adverse situation

窮鳥枝を選ばず (kyūchō eda o erabazu, literally “a cornered bird doesn’t choose its branch”)

desperate times call for desperate measures


千里之行，始於足下

desc

→ English: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (calque)

→ Japanese: 千里の行も足下に始まる (senri no michi mo sokka ni hajimaru) (calque)

千里の道も一歩より始まる

→ Japanese: 千里の道も一歩より始まる (senri no michi mo ippo yori hajimaru) (partial calque)

→ Japanese: 千里の道も一歩から (senri no michi mo ippo kara) (partial calque)

→ Russian: путь в ты́сячу вёрст начина́ется с пе́рвого ша́га (putʹ v týsjaču vjorst načinájetsja s pérvovo šága) (calque)

ㄑㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˇ ㄓ ㄒㄧㄥˊ

ㄕˇ ㄩˊ ㄗㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ

цяньли чжи син

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵ ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ t͡su³⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹/

tsin¹ lei⁵ dzi¹ hang⁴, tsi² jy¹ dzuk⁷ haa⁶

/t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ lei̯¹³ t͡siː⁵⁵ hɐŋ²¹ t͡sʰiː³⁵ jyː⁵⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ haː²²/

The tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout; the tower of nine storeys rose from a (small) heap of earth; the journey of a thousand li commenced with a single step.

Hébào zhī mù, shēng yú háomò; jiǔ céng zhī tái, qǐ yú lěi tǔ; qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zúxià.

合抱之木，生於毫末；九層之臺，起於累土；千里之行，始於足下。

合抱之木，生于毫末；九层之台，起于累土；千里之行，始于足下。


head

En-us-a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.oga

Calque from Chinese 千里之行，始於足下 (qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐyú zú xià), quoted by the Chinese philosopher Laozi in the Tao Te Ching. This quote is sometimes erroneously attributed to Laozi's contemporary, Confucius, who is the founder of Confucianism, or to the Japanese.

zh-l

It has often been said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. We have made many steps in our journey towards the republic, and perhaps are closer to our destination than we imagine.

2020, Malcolm Turnbull, The Reluctant Republic, Hardie Grant Publishing, →ISBN:

“A thousand-mile journey begins with the first step” and can only be taken one step at a time. If you don't let a teacher know at what level you are—by asking a question, or revealing your ignorance—you will not learn or grow.

1989, Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Free Press, →ISBN:

The problems are great--but this means that the opportunities are also great. In this situation it is well to remember the ancient wise words of Lao Tzu "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

1981, Robert Leland Youngs, Forest products research needs and prospects (thinking globally, acting locally), Forest Products Laboratory, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point.

riḥlatu l-ʔalfi mīli tabdaʔu bi-ḵaṭwati wāḥidati

رِحْلَةُ اَلْأَلْفِ مِيلِ تَبْدَأُ بِخَطْوَةِ وَاحِدَةِ

cesta dlouhá tisíc mil začíná jedním krokem

een reis van duizend mijlen begint met een enkele stap

tuhande miiline rännak algab esimesest sammust

un voyage de mille lieues commence toujours par un premier pas

eine Reise von tausend Meilen beginnt mit dem ersten Schritt

éna taxídi chilíon milíon xekiná me éna móno víma

ένα ταξίδι χιλίων μιλίων ξεκινά με ένα μόνο βήμα

hajār kosõ kā saphar bhī ek pair uṭhāne se hī śurū hotā hai

हजार कोसों का सफर भी एक पैर उठाने से ही शुरू होता है

az ezer mérföldes utazás is egyetlen lépéssel kezdődik

un viaggio di mille miglia comincia con il primo passo

tūkstančio mylių kelionė prasideda žengus vieną žingsnį

en vandring på tusen mil starter med ett enkelt skritt

podróż tysiąca mil zaczyna się od jednego kroku

uma viagem de mil milhas começa com um único passo

o călătorie de o mie de mile începe cu un singur pas

putʹ v týsjaču vjorst načinájetsja s pérvovo šága

путь в ты́сячу вёрст начина́ется с пе́рвого ша́га

potovanje daleč se začne s prvim korakom

un viaje de mil millas comienza con un solo paso

ang mahabang paglalakbay ay nagsimula sa isang hakbang

หนทางไกลนับพันลี้เริ่มต้นจากก้าวแรก

hǒn taang glai náp pan líi rə̂əm dtôn jàak gâao rɛ̂ɛk

binlerce kilometrelik yolculuk bile tek bir adımla başlar

šljax u týsjaču mylʹ počynájetʹsja z odnohó króku

шлях у ти́сячу миль почина́ється з одного́ кро́ку

hành trình ngàn dặm bắt đầu từ một bước đi

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

a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step

a thousand-mile journey begins with the first step


en-proverb

/səˈfɪʃ(ə)nt ˌʌntʊ ðə ˈdeɪ ɪz ðiː ˈiːvɪl ðɛəˌɹɒv/

/səˈfɪʃənt ˌʌntə ðə ˈdeɪ ɪz ði ˈivəl ðɛˌɹʌv/

En-us-sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.oga

From Matthew 6:34 in the King James Version of the Bible (spelling modernized): “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself: sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” The phrase is a translation of Ancient Greek ἀρκετὸν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἡ κακία αὐτῆς (arketòn têi hēmérāi hē kakía autês), and there is a parallel rabbinical expression in the Babylonian Talmud, דיה לצרה בשעתה (“the suffering of the (present) hour is enough for it”).

noncog

ἀρκετὸν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἡ κακία αὐτῆς

lang

דיה לצרה בשעתה

דיה לצרה בשעתה

For ought vve knovv every day may bring forth as much trouble as vve are able to bear; if it be otherwiſe vve muſt aſcribe it to the goodneſs of God, Matth. 6. 34. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof: and this is our condition as long as vve live, to be liable to trouble and ſorrovv all our dayes, […]

1667, O[wen] S[tockton], “Quest[ion] 3. What Shall They Render to the Lord for His Mercy, Whose Houses and Goods Were Preserved from Being Consumed by the Late Dreadful Fire?”, in Counsel to the Afflicted: Or, Instruction and Consolation for Such as Have Suffered Loss by Fire. With Advice to Such as Have Escaped that Sore Judgment. Contained in the Resolution of Three Questions, Occasioned by the Dreadful Fire in the City of London, in the Year 1666. […], London: […] E. Cotes, and are to be sold by H. Brome, […], →OCLC, section 12, pages 334–335:

O, saith one, what shall I do when poverty and prison come? O, saith another, what shall I do when the sword and the plague come? O, saith a third, what shall I do when fire and famine come? O, saith a fourth, what shall I do when the rack and the stake come? But "sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." He that now leadeth will then lead, if these things come before thou goest off the stage.

1679, R[ichard] Mayhew, “Direction III”, in The Death of Death in the Death of Christ: Being a Narrative of the First Death as the Mistress of Mortals, and Empress of the Universe, […] (Ward’s Library of Standard Divinity; 1), London: Thomas Ward and Co., published [1839], →OCLC, page 37, column 1:

And the Petition for Daily Bread [in the Lord's Prayer] is by ſome thus paraphras'd, "Provide for us to morrows Bread, and give it to us to day, that we be not ſolicitous for to morrow: for ſufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

1698, Lancelot Addison, “A Farther Account of the Things to be Pray’d for”, in The Christians Daily Sacrifice, Duly Offer’d. Or A Practical Discourse Teaching the Right Performance of Prayer, London: […] Robert Clavel, […], →OCLC, page 118:

That God, vvho provided for this Day, vvill take Care for the next; ſufficient unto the Day is the Evil thereof. 'Tis enough for you to bear every Day's Trouble our Heavenly Father lays upon you, in paſſing through all the Changes and Chances of this Mortal Life; in ſtriving againſt Sin and fighting the good Fight of Faith, you'll find VVork and Trouble enough for the next Day.

1709, Augustus Hermannus Franck [i.e., August Hermann Francke], translated by [anonymous], Faith in Christ, Inconsistent with a Sollicitous Concern about the Things of This World. A Sermon Preach’d on the XV Sunday after Trinity, 1708. At Hall in Saxony. […], London: […] Joseph Downing […], →OCLC, page 15:

He admonishes all not to anticipate evil to come, but to fold their hands and close their eyes in quietude, ever mindful of the consolatory text, "sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

1847 February 11, [Thomas] Corwin, Speech of Mr. Corwin, of Ohio, on the Mexican War. Delivered in the Senate of the United States, February 11, 1847, Washington, D.C.: […] John T. Towers, →OCLC, page 2:

[I]t is a remarkable fact in our history that, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of the anti-slavery party, no single act has ever passed Congress, […] And it may also be observed, judging from present indications, that no probability exists of the passage of such an act by a majority of both houses, either in the present or the next Congress. Surely, under these circumstances we ought to be restrained from present action by the precept of Him who spake as man never spoke that "sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." The day of evil may never come unless we shall rashly bring it upon ourselves.

1860 December 3, James Buchanan, Message from the President of the United States to the Two Houses of Congress at the Commencement of the Second Session of the Thirty-sixth Congress (Senate Executive Document, 36th Congress, 2d session; no. 1, pt. 3; United States Congressional Serial Set; no. 1080), Washington, D.C.: George W. Bowman, […], →OCLC, page 5:

Is not that, then, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof? Is there anything in the present system requiring the attention of Parliament; is there anything unfair in the way we are paying for stores at the present time?

1893 June 6, T[homas] Playford [II] (chairperson), “First Progress Report of the Royal Commission on Stores: Minutes of Evidence”, in Proceedings of the Parliament of South Australia, with Copies of Documents Ordered to be Printed, volume III, Adelaide, S.A.: […] C. E. Bristow, Government Printer, […], published 1894, →OCLC, paragraph 8967, pages 104–105:

Only this life with Clifford, this endless spinning of webs of yarn, of the minutiae of consciousness, these stories Sir Malcolm said there was nothing in, and they wouldn't last. Why should there be anything in them, why should they last? Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Sufficient unto the moment is the appearance of reality.

1928, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter I, in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, [Germany?]: Privately printed, →OCLC:

I suspect that many people took a sufficient-unto-the-day-is-the-evil-thereof attitude toward the book [The Hell Bomb (1951) by William L. Laurence], and toward the bomb. Time enough to worry after the scientists got a little further along.

1951 September, O. C. S., “Off-duty Reading: The March of Progress: Writing Redskins to Hellish Bombs”, in Joseph I. Greene, editor, United States Army Combat Forces Journal, volume 2, number 2, Washington, D.C.: Association of the United States Army, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 48, column 2:

The hardest problem to a person with his back against the wall is living a day at a time and knowing someone cares. Just one day at a time or as a Great Man said, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

1960 September, Hazel Scott, “The Truth about Me: Pianist-singer Makes First Comment on Controversial Marriage, Scores Show Business Evils”, in John H[arold] Johnson, editor, Ebony, volume XV, number 11, Chicago, Ill.: Johnson Publishing Co., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 144, column 2:

And now Drew Exford was proposing to visit her—if she could believe him. Useless to worry about how she was to greet him. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," she said aloud. "I'll think about that when he arrives."

1998, Paula Marshall, “The Deserted Bride. Chapter 1.”, in Marie-Louise Hall, Paula Marshall, The Elizabethan Collection, Richmond, Surrey: Mills & Boon, published 2003, →ISBN, page 19:

never cross a bridge before you come to it

never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you

There is no need to worry about the future; the present provides enough to worry about.

Jan Jesenius
King James Version
Martin Luther
Oxford University Press

يَكْفِي الْيَوْمَ شَرُّهُ

there is no need to worry about the future; the present provides enough to worry about

一天的难处一天当就够了

yī tiān de nánchu yī tiān dāng jiù gòu le

elke dag heeft genoeg aan zijn eigen kwaad

sufiĉa por la tago estas ĝia propra malbono

kullekin päivälle riittävät sen omat murheet (a translation of Matthew 6:34)

es ist genug, dass ein jeglicher Tag seine eigene Plage habe (based on Martin Luther’s translation of Matthew 6:34)

明日は明日の風が吹く

あした-は-あした-の-かぜ-が-ふく

一日の労苦は一日にて足れり。

いちにち-の-ろうく-は-いちにち-にて-たれり

dat is genog, dat jede Dag sin eegen Plag hett (Jan Jesenius’s translation of Matthew 6:34)

dovólʹno dlja káždovo dnja svojéj zabóty

дово́льно для ка́ждого дня свое́й забо́ты


en-proverb

give him enough rope and he'll hang himself

If one gives someone enough freedom of action, they may destroy themselves by foolish actions.

make a fool pray to the Lord, and he'll break his forehead

zastávʹ duraká bógu molítʹsja, on i lob rasšibjót

заста́вь дурака́ бо́гу моли́ться, он и лоб расшибёт

make a fool pray to the Lord, he'll break his forehead and break other people's legs off

zastávʹ duraká bógu molítʹsja, on sebé lob rasšibjót i drugím nógi pootšibájet

заста́вь дурака́ бо́гу моли́ться, он себе́ лоб расшибёт и други́м но́ги поотшиба́ет

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


enginn verður óbarinn biskup

Literally “nobody becomes an unbeaten bishop”.

(idiomatic) no pain, no gain, one has to exert oneself to reach one's goals


head

kyllä sika syitä löytää, välillä on maa jäässä, välillä kärsä kipeä

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


minden jó, ha a vége jó

Literally: "all is well if its ending is good"

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


to the victor go the spoils

The winner of a conflict gains additional benefits, beyond the subject of the conflict.


minden kezdet nehéz

Literally: "every beginning [is] difficult"

It is always difficult when one starts something new.


七転八起

七転八起 (canonical)
shichiten hakki (romanization)

→ Korean: 칠전팔기(七轉八起) (chiljeonpalgi)

Sinified or short form of 七転び八起き (nana korobi ya oki, literally “seven tumbles, eight stand ups”).
“Seven tumbles” commonly refers to “a lot of troubles” while standing up eight times indicates “bear up and keep trying”.

an encouragement to keep going no matter how tough it is


yalancının mumu yatsıya kadar yanar

[jɑ.ɫ̪ɑn̪.d͡ʒɯˈn̪ɯn̪ muˈmʊ jɑt.sɯˈjɑ kʰɑˈd̪ɑɾ̞̊ jɑˈn̪ɑɾ̞̊]

Literally: “a liar's candle only enlightens (literally, burns) 'till the Isha'a-time”


whoever smelt it dealt it

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

Alternative form of he who smelt it dealt it


he who smelt it dealt it

賊喊捉賊

a person calling attention to or complaining about a fart

Wer den Furz zuerst gerochen, dem ist er aus dem Arsch gekrochen.

(colloquial, originally) A person who calls attention to or complains about a flatus is likely trying to pretend it wasn't their own.

(colloquial, by extension) Used to suggest that a person calling attention to or complaining about a given problem may in fact be the source of the problem.


cheaters never prosper

cheats never prosper
cheats never prosper#English


when the cat's away

An ellipsis (anapodoton) of when the cat's away, the mice will play.

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

Ellipsis of when the cat's away, the mice will play.

天高皇帝遠

People take advantage of the absence of authority

天高皇帝远

The sky is high and the emperor far away

když je kocour pryč (elipsis of Když je kcour pryč, myši mají pré.)

cuando el gato duerme, bailan los ratones

när katten är borta, dansar råttorna på bordet


fortune favors the brave

fortune favors the bold
fortune favors the bold#English

Alternative form of fortune favors the bold


fortis Fortuna adiuvat

English: fortune favors the bold (calque)

[ˈfɔrt̪iːs̠ fɔrˈt̪uːnä ˈäd̪i̯uː̯ät̪]

Literally "(the) strong (ones), Fortune helps." From Terence's comedy play Phormio, line 203. Cited by Cicero in the 1st century BCE as a vetus prōverbium (“old proverb”).

Ergo istaec quom ita sint, Antipho,

161 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Phormio 203

Tanto magis te advigilare aequomst: fortis fortuna adiuvat

fortune favors the bold
fortune favors the bold


fortune favors the bold

Calque of the Latin fortis Fortūna adiuvat (“fortune helps the strong”)

uder

Luck is usually on the side of those who take chances and risks.

運命の女神は勇者に味方する

the goddess of fate supports those who are brave

he who doesn't risk doesn't drink champagne

kto ne riskújet, tot ne pʹjot šampánskoje

кто не риску́ет, тот не пьёт шампа́нское


spěchej pomalu

more haste, less speed
more haste, less speed


اقول تور، يقول احلبوه

head

اقول تور, يقول احلبوه.

اقول تور, يقول احلبوه. • (a'ūl tūr, yi'ūl iħlibuh)

اقول تور (canonical)
يقول احلبوه. (canonical)
a'ūl tūr (romanization)
yi'ūl iħlibuh (romanization)

I say, "It's a bull"; he says, "milk it."

en-اقول_تور،_يقول_احلبوه-arz-proverb-az4OLmv7


Gleich und Gleich gesellt sich gern

/ˈɡlaɪ̯ç ʊnt ˈɡlaɪ̯ç ɡəˈzɛlt zɪç ˈɡɛʁn/

De-Gleich und Gleich gesellt sich gern.ogg

Literally, “same and same like to consort with each other”.

lit

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


it takes one to know one

pensa el lladre que tothom roba

an insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver

Alles, was ich denk' und tu', trau' ich auch dem andern zu

piensa el ladrón que todos son de su condición

pot calling the kettle black
pot calling the kettle black#English

set a thief to catch a thief
set a thief to catch a thief#English

(idiomatic) expressing the same underlying character-judgment themes as pot calling the kettle black or set a thief to catch a thief.

Bob: You're an idiot!

Tony: Takes one to know one!

There's an unkind saying that it takes one to know one, and it's almost true.

1949, Nial Kent, The Divided Path, page 358:

Anyone who appreciates Shakespeare as this author unquestionably does is another Shakespeare — it takes one to know one!

“I’ve got a bad egg,” said Bervick. “I guess this was a pre-war egg.” […]
“It takes one to know one,” said the Chief, referring back to the eggs.

Brezhnev pretended a scowl. "Kissinger is such a scoundrel," he said.
But Henry was ready for that. "It takes one to know one," he replied.

1980, Gerald Ford, “Problems Multiply”, in A Time to Heal, New York: Berkley Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 209:

(colloquial, childish) A retort to a negative accusation, implying that the accuser shares the fault.


a watched pot never boils

A process appears to proceed more slowly if one waits for it rather than engaging in other activities.

心急吃不了熱豆腐

a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it

s’inquiéter ne fait pas avancer les choses


head

når katten er ude, spiller musene på bordet (when the cat is out, the mice is playing on the table)

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

når katten er ude, danser musene på bordet


når katten er ude, danser musene på bordet (when the cat is out, the mice is dancing on the table)


does Macy's tell Gimbel's

Macy's and Gimbels (without the apostrophe) were popular department stores located within two blocks of one another in Midtown Manhattan in New York City; the latter store is now defunct.

The "Does Macy's tell Gimbel's?" gag has been a standard one in New York for many years. It was somewhat shattered last night at the Copacabana, when two young couples were seated at a ringside table and conversed at great length...."Well, Macy's may not tell Gimbel's," said one of the young men, "But Bloomingdale's does."

1941 January 21, The Washington Post, page 22:

In other words the older circuit will give the Johnny-come-lately as little help and comfort as it can. After all, does Macy's tell Gimbel's?

1946 January 11, The New York Times, page 24:

...As a lesson in merchandising, not only store products, but good-will, this "Miracle on 34th Street" is a dandy. Does Macy's tell Gimbel's? It should!

1947 June 5, The New York Times, page 32:

Col. Hogan (to Col. Klink) Does Macy tell Gimbel?

(US, dated, colloquial, rhetorical question) A rhetorical question with the implied answer being that competitors do not share business secrets with one another.


vandfýsni hæfir ekki snauðum

From vandfýsni (“fastidiousness, being difficult to please”) and hæfir (“it suits, it befits”), the third person form of hæfa (“to suit, to befit”) and ekki (“not”) and snauðum (“the impoverished, the poor”) the dative plural of snauður (“impoverished, poor”). Literally meaning "fastidiousness does not befit the impoverished" or "the poor should not be picky".

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


על טעם וריח אין להתווכח

he-proverb

עַל טַעַם וְרֵיחַ אֵין לְהִתְוַכֵּחַ

על טעם וריח אין להתווכח / עַל טַעַם וְרֵיחַ אֵין לְהִתְוַכֵּחַ • (al ta'ám v'réakh en l'hitvakéach)

עַל טַעַם וְרֵיחַ אֵין לְהִתְוַכֵּחַ (canonical)
al ta'ám v'réakh en l'hitvakéach (romanization)

עַל טַעַם וְרֵיחַ אֵין לְהִתְוַכֵּחַ
על טעם וריח אין להתוכח#Hebrew

excessive spelling of עַל טַעַם וְרֵיחַ אֵין לְהִתְוַכֵּחַ.

en-על_טעם_וריח_אין_להתווכח-he-proverb-rFQk2XS~


על טעם וריח אין להתוכח

עַל טַעַם וְרֵיחַ אֵין לְהִתְוַכֵּחַ

עַל טַעַם וְרֵיחַ אֵין לְהִתְוַכֵּחַ • (al ta'ám v'réakh en l'hitvakéakh)

עַל טַעַם וְ רֵיחַ אֵין לְהִתְוַכֵּחַ (canonical)
al ta'ám v'réakh en l'hitvakéakh (romanization)

Coined by Avraham Shlonsky, from Russian на вку́с и на цвет това́рищей нет (na vkús i na cvet továriščej net, “there's no accounting for taste”, literally “On taste and on color there are no friends”).

cal

на вку́с и на цвет това́рищей нет

מקובל לחשוב כי ”על טעם וריח אין להתווכח“. כך חושבים בדרך־כלל על שאלות של טעם במזון, לבוש וכדומה.

2008, אלעזר וינריב (“Eleazar Weinrib”), בעיות בפילוסופיה של המוסר, כרך א, יחידות 1-4, Open University of Israel, →ISBN, page 82:

It is common to think that “there's no accounting for taste”. Such [do people] generally think on questions of taste in food, clothing and the like.

Tastes differ, so arguing about them is pointless. (Literally, “On taste and smell there is no [reason] to argue”.)

en-על_טעם_וריח_אין_להתוכח-he-proverb-UqREqA7e

עַל טַעַם וְעַל רֵיחַ אֵין לְהִתְוַכֵּחַ


no man is an island

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. […] any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, […]

1623, John Donne, “Meditation XVII”, in Devotions upon Emergent Occasions:

The few friends and relatives I once had seem to have forgotten me and I have found out the hard way that no man is an island.

1981 April 4, Rick Cornely, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 15:

Just as no man is an island, no nation lives in isolation. When freedom is denied in one country, it is diminished in all.

1992, Richard Nixon, “The Renewal of America”, in Seize the Moment, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 301:

And yet, no man is an island, and Sokurov's desire to promote himself as an insular, unique figure, both in his thinking and in his work, is contradicted by the many arrangements and obligatory associations that cinematic production entails.

2014, Jeremi Szaniawski, The Cinema of Alexander Sokurov, Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page 231:

All people are connected to and dependent on other people.

沒有人是一座孤島

all people are dependent on other people

alle mennesker er forbundne og afhængige af andre mennesker

is ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine


όλοι οι δρόμοι οδηγούν στη Ρώμη

head

όλοι οι δρόμοι οδηγούν στη Ρώμη • (óloi oi drómoi odigoún sti Rómi)

óloi oi drómoi odigoún sti Rómi (romanization)

all roads lead to Rome
all roads lead to Rome

en-όλοι_οι_δρόμοι_οδηγούν_στη_Ρώμη-el-proverb-5fzM5yqm


perro que no camina, no encuentra hueso

el perro que no camina, no encuentra hueso

Literally, “the dog who does not walk does not find a bone”.

lit

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect


it's a long road that has no turning

It is a long road that has no turning ; and the road the Labour Government is travelling will have a turning, too. Like every new Government, it is making changes; but the present Administration is making a welter of it.

1936, New Zealand Parliament, Parliamentary Debates. House of Representatives:

The next two decades were a political education for Taft as he moved from civil governor of the Philippine Islands to Secretary of War, President of the United States, Kent Professor at Yale and co-chairman of the National War Labor Board. It is a long road that has no turning though.

1998, David Henry Burton, Taft, Holmes, and the 1920s Court: An Appraisal, →ISBN, page 67:

“It's a long road that has no turning, and so Lena and I have rounded the corner. We have a healthy baby girl.

2014, S.K. Carnes, The Way Back: A Soldier's Journey, →ISBN:

Progress through life is characterized by change.

He was of a wild and restless disposition in those days, and his acquaintances were wont to call him by the name of Jack the Rambler. But it is a long road that has no turning,—he had now been many years at sea,—was the captain of a free trader, and as remarkable for his steadiness and worldly wisdom as he had been noted for wildness in his youth.

1834, John Mackay Wilson, Wilson's Historical, traditionary, and imaginative tales of the Borders:

He never has had any rights. Whenever anyone wanted anything the stockman was using he simply took it, and the Federal Government stood behind him to back him up. But it is a long road that has no turning, and it is a long dog that has no tail. The stockman's day has arrived if he only has the gumption to see it and to take advantage of it.

1926, United States Congress Senate Committee on Public Lands and Surveys, National forests and the public domain, page 2960:

Well, it's a long road that has no turning. Something has got to drop some o' these days. Anyhow, we'll have to stick it out as best we can. It will come all right in a hundred years or so, and our present enlistments can't last forever.

2004, Frederick T. Wilson, James R. Reckner, A Sailor's Log, →ISBN:

I was rather startled at the sudden despondency of her tone. Apparently the road that Mrs. Samway trod was not strewn with roses. "Still," I said," it is a long road that has no turning." "It is," she agreed, bitterly, "but many have to travel such a road, to find the turning at last barred by the churchyard gate."

2015, R. Austin Freeman, A Silent Witness, →ISBN:

The current situation is bound to change eventually.


nuair a thig air duine, thig air uile

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

it never rains but it pours (literally "when it befalls one, it befalls all")


haukkuva koira ei pure

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite


求人不如求己

ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄐㄧˇ

цюжэнь бужу цюцзи

/t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ ʐən³⁵ pu⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/kʰɐu̯²¹ jɐn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ jyː²¹ kʰɐu̯²¹ kei̯³⁵/

it's better to rely on yourself than on the help of others; if you want a thing done well, do it yourself


head

you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear

From make a silk purse of a sow's ear, with the common perception of swine as unrefined, dirty, or base creatures.

It is not possible to produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.

it is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined

al dra 'n aap 'n goue ring, hy is en bly 'n lelike ding

al draagt een aap een gouden ring, het is en blijft een lelijk ding

le singe est toujours singe, fût-il vêtu de pourpre

man kann aus einem Ackergaul kein Rennpferd machen

man kann aus einem Esel kein Rennpferd machen

ton gáidaro, óso kai na ton stolíseis, álogo den gínetai

τον γάιδαρο, όσο και να τον στολίσεις, άλογο δεν γίνεται

i w Paryżu nie zrobią z owsa ryżu

even in Paris they cannot make rice from oats

aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda


a golden key can open any door

Sufficient money can accomplish anything.


a house is not a home

A home is not merely a building but requires inhabitants and a friendly atmosphere.

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


a watched kettle never boils

Refers to pre-electric kettles which were boiled over a fire.

a watched pot never boils
a watched pot never boils#English


De-wie man in den Wald hineinruft, so schallt es heraus.ogg

Literally, “how/as you shout into the woods, so it echoes back out”.

lit

what goes around comes around
what goes around comes around

wer andern eine Grube gräbt, fällt selbst hinein

what goes around comes around; one is treated the same way as one treats other people; your own treatment of people will fall back on you


the shoemaker's children go barefoot

I've got a lovely wife who's a professional photographer, three lovely grown children, a lovely old dog with bad hips and a good disposition, and an old house which is always in desperate need of repairs. My wife says that’s because the shoemaker's kids always go barefoot and the carpenter’s house always has a leaky roof.

1999, Stephen King, “Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling”, in Hearts in Atlantis, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN, page 493:

Traditionally, ‘the shoemaker's children go barefoot’; i.e., users of computational statistics ignore statistical issues—such as sensitivity analysis—of their simulation results.

2004, Yuichi Mori, Handbook of Computational Statistics: Concepts and Methods, Springer, →ISBN, page 498:

So we eventually listened to the unfinished studio CD through his daughter Eve's ghetto blaster. I made the predictable joke about the shoemaker's children who always go barefoot. It had been the same at Elton John's place, Bono revealed.

2005, Michka Assayas, “Faith Versus Luck”, in Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas, New York: Riverhead books, →ISBN, page 309:

Just as the shoemaker's children go barefoot and the carpenter's children live under a leaky roof, I knew this day would come. I am a church worker whose child has stopped going to church.

2022, Valerie Schultz, A Hill of Beans: The Grace of Everyday Troubles, Liturgical Press, →ISBN, page 17:

One often neglects those closest to oneself.

errementariaren etxean, zotza burduntzi

one often neglects those closest to oneself

织席的困椅 (Sio-huî--ê chia̍h khih, chit-chhio̍h--ê khùn í, literally “Potters eat out of chipped bowls; mat weavers sleep on chairs.”)

smedens hest og skomagerens kone har ofte de dårligste sko

les cordonniers sont toujours les plus mal chaussés

die Kinder des Schusters haben die schlechtesten Schuhe

הַסַנְדְּלָר הוֹלֵךְ יָחֵף (hasandlár holékh yakhéf, literally “the shoemaker walks barefoot”)

in casa del ciabattino le scarpe sono sfondate

il figlio del calzolaio va in giro con le scarpe rotte

紺屋の白袴 (こうやのしろばかま, kōya-no shirobakama, literally “a navy blue shop's white skirt”)

医者の不養生 (いしゃのふようじょう, isha-no fuyōjō, literally “the doctor's neglect of his health”)

کوزهگر از کوزه شکسته آب میخورد (kuze-gar az kuze šekaste âb mi-xorad, literally “The potter drinks water from broken pots.”)

сапо́жник хо́дит без сапо́г (sapóžnik xódit bez sapóg, literally “the shoemaker goes without boots”)

skomakarens hustru och smedens märr är alltid sämst skodda

a mojer del scorper va in giro coe scarpe rotte

c' est todi l' coibjhî k' est l' pus må tchåssî

c' est todi l' coibjhî l' pus må tchåssî

c' est todi les savtîs ki sont les pus må tchåssîs

nolu n' est pus må tchåssî ki l' feme d' on coibjhî

אַלע שוסטערס גייען באָרוועס (ale shusters geyen borves, literally “all shoemakers walk barefoot”)

the cobbler's children are the worst shod


az idő pénz

az (“the”) + idő (“time”) + pénz (“money”)


rira bien qui rira le dernier

LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-rira bien qui rira le dernier.wav

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


qui ne tente rien n'a rien

qui ne risque rien n’a rien
qui ne risque rien n'a rien#French

Alternative form of qui ne risque rien n’a rien


qui ne dit mot consent

Compare Dutch wie zwijgt, stemt toe, Latin qui tacet consentire videtur.

He who says nothing (tacitly) agrees; silence is consent


pas de nouvelles, bonnes nouvelles

no news is good news
no news is good news


pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse

pierre qui roule n’ amasse pas mousse (canonical)

a rolling stone gathers no moss
a rolling stone gathers no moss


qui aime bien châtie bien

Calque of Latin qui bene amat, bene castigat.

cal

you've got to be cruel to be kind
be cruel to be kind

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

you've got to be cruel to be kind; spare the rod and spoil the child


une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps

LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps.wav

Calque of Ancient Greek μία χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ (mía khelidṑn éar ou poieî, “one swallow does not make a spring”).

μία χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ

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


loin des yeux, loin du cœur

Literally, “far from the eyes, far from the heart”.

lit

Coordinate term: loin des yeux, près du cœur

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


il n'y a pas de fumée sans feu

il n’ y a pas de fumée sans feu (canonical)

no smoke without fire
no smoke without fire


fais ce que je dis, pas ce que je fais

/fɛ s(ə) kə ʒ(ə) di | pa s(ə) kə ʒ(ə) fɛ/

/fɛ s(ə) kə ʒ(ə) di | pɑ s(ə) kə ʒ(ə) fɛ/

LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-fais ce que je dis, pas ce que je fais.wav

do as I say and not as I do
do as I say and not as I do

faites ce que je dis, pas ce que je fais


fr-proverb

c'est en forgeant que l'on devient forgeron

c’est en forgeant que l’on devient forgeron

/s‿ɛ.t‿ɑ̃ fɔʁ.ʒɑ̃ k(ə) l‿ɔ̃ də.vjɛ̃ fɔʁ.ʒə.ʁɔ̃/

c'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron#French

Alternative form of c’est en forgeant qu’on devient forgeron


la fortune sourit aux audacieux

Literally, “fortune smiles on the brave”.

lit

fortune favors the bold
fortune favors the bold


fr-proverb

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

/sə n‿ɛ pa a œ̃ vjø sɛ̃ʒ k‿ɔ̃.n‿a.pʁɑ̃ a fɛʁ de ɡʁi.mas/

/sə n‿ɛ pɑ a œ̃ vjø sɛ̃ʒ k‿ɔ̃.n‿a.pʁɑ̃ a fɛʁ de ɡʁi.mas/

/sə n‿ɛ pa.z‿a œ̃ vjø sɛ̃ʒ k‿ɔ̃.n‿a.pʁɑ̃.t‿a fɛʁ de ɡʁi.mas/

/sə n‿ɛ pɑ.z‿a œ̃ vjø sɛ̃ʒ k‿ɔ̃.n‿a.pʁɑ̃.t‿a fɛʁ de ɡʁi.mas/

Literally, “it is not to an old monkey that one teaches to make faces”.

lit

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

don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs

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


once you go black, you never go back

"You really think she likes me?" I asked.
"What do you think? You know what they say! Once you go black, you never go back!" Zac said rhythmically.

2005, M. W. Moore, For What I Hate I Do, page 61:

Thus our young man of words turns to an ugly American joke told most often by his black compatriots as he searches for the title of his study. “Once you go black, you never go back.” Is it true?

2007, Robert Reid-Pharr, Once You Go Black, page 10:

(informal) Once someone has had sex with a black person, they will not want to return to having sex with non-black people.


borta bra men hemma bäst

head

borta bra men hemma bäst (literally: away (is) good but home (is) best)

away (is) good but home (is) best (literally)

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


s chutí do toho, půl je hotovo

a good beginning makes a good ending
a good beginning makes a good ending


it's better to ask forgiveness than permission

It is better to act decisively and apologize for it later than to seek approval to act and risk delay, objections, etc.

it's easier to ask forgiveness than to get permission


könnyebb utolérni a hazugot, mint a sánta kutyát

[ˈkøɲːɛbː ˈutoleːrni ɒ ˈhɒzuɡot mint ɒ ˈʃaːntɒ ˈkucaːt]

Literally: “it is easier to catch a liar than a limping dog”

a hazug embert hamarabb utolérik, mint a sánta kutyát


the world is one's lobster

Originally a malapropism spoken by character Arthur Daley in the British TV comedy-drama Minder.

the world is one's oyster
the world is one's oyster#English

(British, humorous) Intentional misrendering of the proverb "the world is one's oyster".


is tighe fuil na bùrn

blood is thicker than water
blood is thicker than water


koho chleba jíš, toho píseň zpívej

Literally, “sing the song of him who gives you bread”.

lit

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


tonoucí se stébla chytá

Literally, “a drowning person holds on to a straw”.

desperate times call for desperate measures (a desperate person is willing to try measures that are unlikely to succeed to get out of trouble)


強賓不壓主

ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄅㄧㄣ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄚ ㄓㄨˇ

цян бинь бу я чжу

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ pin⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ jä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

A guest should never try to put himself in a superior position to his host.


dura lex, sed lex

dūra lēx (canonical)
sed lēx (canonical)

[ˈd̪uːrä ɫ̪eːks̠ s̠ɛd̪ ɫ̪eːks̠]


it hürər, karvan keçər

LL-Q9292 (aze)-Azerbaijani audiorecordings-it hürər, karvan keçər.wav

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


開弓沒有回頭箭

Thearrow that left the bow never returns

ㄎㄞ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄏㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

кайгун мэйю хуэйтоу цзянь

/kʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ meɪ̯³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯eɪ̯³⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/hɔːi̯⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ muːt̚² jɐu̯¹³ wuːi̯²¹ tʰɐu̯²¹ t͡siːn³³/

there's no turning back after you make an important decision


吃人家的嘴軟，拿人家的手軟

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吃人家的嘴軟，拿人家的手軟

ㄔ ㄖㄣˊ ˙ㄐㄧㄚ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄗㄨㄟˇ ㄖㄨㄢˇ

ㄋㄚˋ ㄖㄣˊ ˙ㄐㄧㄚ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄕㄡˇ ㄖㄨㄢˇ

chī rénjia de zuǐ ruǎn, nà rénjia de shǒu ruǎn [Phonetic:chīrénjiadezuíruǎn,nàrénjiadeshóuruǎn]

чи жэньцзя дэ цзуй жуань

на жэньцзя дэ шоу жуань

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ d͡ʑ̥i̯ä³ d̥ə¹ t͡su̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʐu̯än²¹⁴⁻²¹ nä⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ d͡ʑ̥i̯ä³ d̥ə¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʐu̯än²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Literally, “the mouth that feeds from others is soft; the hand that takes from others is soft [as well]”.
In other words: “When eating dinner given by others, one should have a soft mouth; when taking bribes, one should have a soft hand.”

吃人家的嘴软，拿人家的手软

One may be bound to others because of the things they give you.


jedem das Seine

to each his own; each person gets what he deserves

to each his own; each person is entitled to his or her personal preferences and tastes


láska hory přenáší

Literally, “love carries over mountains”.


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the road to hell is paved with good intentions

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Or so many politicians in Germany’s three-party ruling coalition are now discovering.

2023 September 7, Hans von der Burchard, “How heat pumps exploded Germany’s ruling coalition”, in POLITICO:

Well-intended acts can potentially lead to disasters.

well-intended acts can lead to disasters

aṭ-ṭarīq ʔilā l-jahannam mumahhad bi-n-nawāyā l-ḥasana

الطَّرِيق إلَى الْجَهَنَّم مُمَهَّد بِالنَّوَايَا الْحَسَنَة

pǎtjat kǎm ada e pokrit s dobri namerenija

пътят към ада е покрит с добри намерения

cesta do pekla je dlážděna dobrými úmysly

cesta do pekel je dlážděna dobrými úmysly

cesta do pekla je vydlážděna samými dobrými úmysly

cesta do pekla je vydlážděna dobrými úmysly

vejen til helvede er brolagt med gode hensigter

vejen til helvede er brolagt med gode intentioner

vejen til helvede er brolagt med gode forsætter

de weg naar de hel is geplaveid met goede voornemens

tie helvettiin on kivetty hyvillä aikomuksilla

der Weg zur Hölle ist mit guten Vorsätzen gepflastert

hadérekh lagehenóm r'tzufáh kavanót tovót

הַדֶּרֶךְ לַגֵּיהִנּוֹם רְצוּפָה כַּוָּנוֹת טוֹבוֹת

a pokolba vezető út jószándékkal van kikövezve

la strada per l'inferno è lastricata di buone intenzioni

di buone intenzioni è lastricata la via per l'inferno

di buone intenzioni è lastricato l'inferno

地獄への道は善意で舗装されている

jigoku e no michi wa zen'i de hosō sarete iru

veien til helvete er brolagt med gode intensjoner

dobrymi chęciami jest piekło wybrukowane

drumul spre iad este pavat cu bune intenții

blagími namérénijami výmoščena doróga v ad

благи́ми наме́ре́ниями вы́мощена доро́га в ад

пу̑т до̏ пакла поплочан је добрим намјерама

pȗt dȍ pakla popločan je dobrim namjerama

el infierno está lleno de buenas intenciones

el camino al infierno está empedrado de buenas intenciones

el infierno está empedrado de buenas intenciones

vägen till helvetet är kantad av goda föresatser

vägen till helvetet är stensatt med goda föresatser

cehenneme giden yol iyi niyet taşlarıyla döşelidir

doroha v peklo vykladena dobrymy namiramy

дорога в пекло викладена добрими намірами

đường đến địa ngục được lát bằng thiện tâm

hell is full of good meanings, but heaven is full of good works

the road to Hell is paved with good intentions


mezi slepými je jednooký králem

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


co oči nevidí, to srdce nebolí

Literally, “what the eyes don't see doesn't hurt the heart”.

lit

problems and losses that do not reach the attention cause no worries and no grief: what the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over


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don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly

Don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly is one of my favourite proverbs directed at drivers.

2009, George Epp, What I Meant to Say was, page 120:

Mr. Kelley often shared trucker wisdom as visitors left him to drive home. His three Rules of the Road apply to life as well as to driving: Keep the greasy side down. Watch the car behind the car in front of you. Don’t drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.

2018 February 12, “Obituaries: William Don Kelley”, in The Vienna Times & Goreville Gazette:

Don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly. Whether you're traveling or in an argument, you better stop when you see red.

2021, Lora Mae Miller, Behold the King: Jesus in Every Book of the Bible:

fools rush in where angels fear to tread

The instructor's concluding trope, “Don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly,” conveyed the sentiment that agents should not let their emotions get the better of them.

2016, Heith Copes, Mark R. Pogrebin, Voices from Criminal Justice:

He gave me a facial expression of recognition, '“Don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly”,' I finished with a smile.

2017, C. J. Michaels, Ladybug, page 240:

How do we, who have been the doers, step back and learn to accept or even ask for help of these who are new to caregiving? Don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly, they say.

2022, Dianne G. Poppert, Beyond Living Life Underneath: Reflections and Considerations:

(figurative) Do not rush impulsively into things or get carried away by your emotions.


quem não tem cão, caça com gato

Literally, “one who doesn't own a dog, hunts with a cat”.

lit

O Sr. Urbano: — […]O nobre presidente do conselho já não se importa que o seu ministerio seja havido por máo e imprestavel, contenta-se de fazer crer que se não póde organisar outro melhor. S. Ex. lembrou se do ditado da nossa terra em falta de sella, cangalha serve. (Risadas)
O Sr Godoy: — Quem não tem cachorro caça com gato. (Risadas)

1866 April 27, “Orçamento geral do Imperio”, in Annaes do Parlamento Brazileiro, volume 4, Rio de Janeiro: Typographia Imperial, page 293, column 2:

Quem não tem cachorro caça com gato, quem não tem gato bota o pé no mato.

1937 August 5, Amadeu de Queiroz, “Provérbios e ditos populares”, in Revista do Arquivo Municipal, volume 4, number 38, São Paulo: Departamento de Cultura, page 10:

O que fazer para camuflar a ausência do povo – esse vazio inexplicável e imperdoável? Como quem não tem cão, caça com gato, o regime abriu espaço para o ersatz representado pela participação política terceirizada.

2005, Carlos Estevam Martins, “Vinte anos de democracia?”, in Lua Nova: revista de cultura de politica, number 64, São Paulo: CEDEC, page 22:

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


better an egg today than a hen tomorrow

Calque of Latin ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora, from Gargantua and Pantagruel by Rabelais.

clq

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

It is better to have a sure thing now than a possibility of more later.

sell one's birthright for a mess of pottage


você é o que você come

you are what you eat
you are what you eat


ihminen päättää, Jumala säätää

man proposes, God disposes
man proposes, God disposes


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parempi pyy pivossa kuin kymmenen oksalla

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush


ruoho on aina vihreämpää aidan toisella puolella

the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

ruoho on vihreämpää aidan toisella puolen


havlayan köpek ısırmaz

* Literally: “the barking dog does not bite”

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite


sütten ağzı yanan, yoğurdu üfleyerek yer

* Literally: “the one whose mouth has been burnt because of milk, eats yoghurt by blowing it”.

once bitten, twice shy
once bitten, twice shy


intikam soğuk yenen bir yemektir

* Literally: “revenge is a dish which is eaten cold”

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

(idiomatic) revenge is a dish best served cold


dead men tell no tales

A dead person can no longer reveal information, especially information which others wish to keep secret.

死無對證

a dead person can no longer reveal information

ме́ртві бджо́ли не гуду́ть (mértvi bdžóly ne hudútʹ, literally “dead bees do not buzz”)


ninguém é perfeito

nobody's perfect (a person’s imperfections should naturally be accepted or forgiven)


stará láska nerezaví

Literally, “old love does not rust”. Compare German alte liebe rostet nicht.

an old affection toward a person, place or activity does not fade away


/ˈbɛsɐ ʔaɪ̯n ˈʃpats ʔɪn dɛɐ̯ ˈhant ʔals ʔaɪ̯nə ˈtaʊ̯bə ʔaʊ̯f deːm ˈdax/

De-besser ein Spatz in der Hand als eine Taube auf dem Dach.ogg

Literally, "better a sparrow in the hand than a dove on the roof".

besser den Spatz in der Hand als die Taube auf dem Dach

lieber den Spatz in der Hand als die Taube auf dem Dach

der Spatz in der Hand ist besser als die Taube auf dem Dach

eine Taube in der Hand ist besser als zehn auf dem Dache

lieber eine Stumme im Bett als eine Taube auf dem Dach


častá krůpěj i kámen proráží

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect


stokrát nic umořilo osla

many small burdens add up to a big crushing burden

tak dlouho se chodí se džbánem pro vodu, až se ucho utrhne


en-proverb

an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure#English

Alternative form of an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure


even Jove nods

Alteration of even Homer nods, substituting Jove, a seemingly even more infallible agent.


opposites attract

People who are completely different make ideal partners.


rules are made to be broken

pravidla jsou od toho, aby se porušovala

les règles sont faites pour être transgressées


seek and ye shall find

From the King James translation of Matthew 7:7: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

Something can be found if it is looked for.