head

if there's grass on the pitch, play ball

(vulgar, potentially offensive) Once someone has grown pubic hair or started puberty, they are old enough for sexual intercourse.

if there's grass on the field, play ball


en-proverb

From the caption of a 1993 cartoon by Peter Steiner.

It’s important to caution your readers, however, that they shouldn’t just pluck off an online message and pop it into their story. As they say, on the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog! A good reporter should contact the person by phone before sticking an online quote in a story—it’s harder for people to lie (or invent a fictional identity) voice-to-voice than through e-mail.

1995, Bruce Garrison, quoting Rosalind Resnick, “Bulletin Board Systems as Reporting Tools”, in Computer-Assisted Reporting (LEA’s Communication Series), Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, →ISBN, section II (Online News and Information), page 115:

The Internet is a wild and woolly place. As the old saw goes, on the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog. Or a hacker. Because you don’t always (or even usually) know who the person is behind that cool Web server you’ve accessed, you need to be very careful when defining new MIME types for your browser to accept.

1996, Jeffry Dwight, Michael Erwin, “[Using MIME with CGI] Security Considerations with MIME”, in Using CGI (The Most Complete Reference), special edition, Indianapolis, Ind.: Que Corporation, →ISBN, part III (CGI Programming Examples), page 248:

One of the coolest things about the Internet is the way it links together computers of all races and creeds. As the goofy old saying goes “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog,” or a Macintosh, or whatever. The Web is supposed to work pretty well no matter what kind of computer you have.

1997, Scott Knaster, Shannon King-Rouse, “[Java] What Is Java?”, in Macworld® Discover Internet Explorer 3, Foster City, Calif.: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., →ISBN, part 2 (Experiencing Multimedia and Active Sites), page 145:

Controversy fuels the Web and gets fed by its loud response. Results of studies and surveys may present the verifiable truth; one voice can claim its case based only on belief. And no seal of credibility will mark the difference. As the joke says, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.”

1999, Nora Paul, Margot Williams, “Social Issues on the Web”, in Paula J. Hane, editor, Great Scouts! CyberGuides for Subject Searching on the Web, Medford, N.J.: CyberAge Books, Information Today, Inc., →ISBN, part I (Life & Times), page 113:

As the well-known quote goes, “on the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” Is it accurate also to say that on the Internet, nobody can tell what race you are?

2001 February, Lisa Nakamura, “Head hunting in cyberspace: Identity tourism, Asian avatars and racial passing on the Web”, in Linda Gardiner, editor, The Women’s Review of Books, volume XVIII, number 5, Wellesley, Mass.: Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, →DOI, →ISSN, →JSTOR, page 10, column 1:

The Internet serves as an equalizer of sorts against common discriminations based on race, gender and age. You have to^([sic]) the opportunity to assess someone based on what they are saying, not WHO is saying it. I think this can provide for some very worthwhile exchanges and allow people who might not do so otherwise, to come to know each other. The downside is that as they say, on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog. You can lie or say whatever you want and hide behind anonymity.

2001 March 23, Julia L. Wilkinson, quoting Robert Seidman, “[An Awesome Tool; A New Way of Life] Benefits of USENET Bulletin Boards and the Internet Community”, in My Life at AOL, [Bloomington, Ind.]: 1stBooks, →ISBN, page 124:

[I]n many ways, the voices heard on the radio or the words written in a Usenet group or discussion list, while easily identifiable in the form presented, are difficult to translate into a “real-world” persona. Remember, on the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.

2002, Diana H. Laskaris, “Celebrity and Influence: Where we discuss how people we don’t know can tell us what to do”, in The Future of Fun: Evolving Entertainment and the Nature of Play, Greenwich, Conn.: Hugo James Publishing, →ISBN, page 179:

As the old joke goes, “on the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” As a result, chat-room perverts and phishers are having a wonderful time fooling everyone else in cyberspace and making life difficult for us honest people.

2007 August, Mark Edward Soper, “[Protecting Windows Vista] Using Windows CardSpace”, in Maximum PC Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Exposed: An Insider’s Guide to Supercharging Windows Vista, Indianapolis, Ind.: Que Publishing, →ISBN, part IV (Keeping Windows Vista Safe with Backup and Troubleshooting Tools), page 336:

As the old joke goes, on the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog. But because the SSL certificate is tied to its holder’s real-world identity, a client that connects to your server can check exactly what kind of dog your company is. (Well, your server, anyway.)

2010, Guy Hart-Davis, “[Secure Your Server] Getting and Installing an SSL Certificate”, in Mac® OS X System Administration (Network Pro Library), New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill, →ISBN, part I (Plan and Create the Network), page 88:

At the risk of sounding heretical, we will venture the proposition that meeting online is sometimes the ideal way to get to know a student or colleague. The by-now-old joke goes, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog,” and by the same token, nobody knows whether you’re under twenty-one or over sixty-five years old.

2010, Susan Ko, Steve Rossen, “[Teaching Online: An Overview] New Connections with the Wider World”, in Teaching Online: A Practical Guide, 3rd edition, New York, N.Y., Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, →ISBN, part I (Getting Started), page 20:

An old joke runs, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” And until several years into the 21st century, that was largely true, since many — if not most — people who participated in online discussion forums did so under pseudonyms.

2013 January 25, Marcia Clemmitt, “[Social Media Explosion] Online Anonymity Stirs Controversy: Do real-name-only policies stop abusive behavior or shut down difficult debates?”, in Thomas J. Billitteri, editor, CQ Researcher, volume 23, number 4, Thousand Oaks, Calif.: CQ Press, →ISSN, page 92, column 1:

On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog. And more to the point, “nobody knows you’re 22,” [Paul] Graham had written. “All users care about is whether your site or software gives them what they want. They don’t care if the person behind it is a high school kid.”

2014, Jim Dwyer, chapter 3, in More Awesome Than Money: Four Boys and Their Quest to Save the World from Facebook, New York, N.Y.: Viking, →ISBN, page 46:

“I don’t have a street address for them. Just the e-mail and Web site.” / “Yeah, and you know what they say. On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” / “Say that again.” / “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog. It means that—” / “I know what it means. It’s given me an idea.” / “We’re going to send Byron after them?” / That I just ignored. “Instead of hoping for them to approach me, I’m going to approach them.”

2014 September, Leigh Perry [pseudonym; Toni Leigh Perry Kelner], chapter 35, in The Skeleton Takes a Bow (A Family Skeleton Mystery; 2), New York, N.Y.: Berkley Prime Crime, →ISBN, page 218:

(humorous) It is easy to conceal one's identity on the Internet.

on the Internet nobody knows you're a dog


erehtyminen on inhimillistä

Calque of Latin errare humanum est; erehtyminen (“erring”) + on (“is”) + inhimillistä (“human”)


아는 것이 탈

Native Korean 아는 + 것 + 이 + 탈. Literally, "Knowledge is evil."


호미로 막을 것을 가래로 막는다

ko-pos

호미로 막을 것을 가래로 막는다

호미로 막을 것을 가래로 막는다 • (homiro mageul geoseul garaero mangneunda)

Native Korean, literally meaning "What could have been stopped using a short-handled hoe is now being stopped with a shovel."

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


pro dobrotu na žebrotu

no good deed goes unpunished
no good deed goes unpunished

každý dobrý skutek je po zásluze potrestán


밤말은 쥐가 듣고 낮말은 새가 듣는다

밤말-은 쥐-가 듣고 낮말-은 새-가 듣는다

밤말은 쥐가 듣고 낮말은 새가 듣는다 • (bammar-eun jwi-ga deutgo nanmar-eun sae-ga deunneunda)

[pa̠mma̠ɾɯn t͡ɕɥiɡa̠ tɯt̚k͈o̞ na̠nma̠ɾɯn sʰɛɡa̠ tɯnnɯnda̠]

[pa̠mma̠ɾɯn t͡ɕɥiɡa̠ tɯt̚k͈o̞ na̠nma̠ɾɯn sʰe̞ɡa̠ tɯnnɯnda̠]

[pa̠mma̠ɾɯn t͡ɕyɡa̠ tɯt̚k͈o̞ na̠nma̠ɾɯn sʰɛɡa̠ tɯnnɯnda̠]

[pa̠mma̠ɾɯn t͡ɕyɡa̠ tɯt̚k͈o̞ na̠nma̠ɾɯn sʰe̞ɡa̠ tɯnnɯnda̠]

밤마른쥐가듣꼬난마른새가든는다

밤마른쥐가듣꼬난마른세가든는다

Native Korean, literally meaning "rats hear nighttime talks and birds hear daytime talks"

낮말은 새가 듣고 밤말은 쥐가 듣는다

nanmareun saega deutgo bammareun jwiga deunneunda


this too shall pass away

this too shall pass
this too shall pass#English


빈 수레가 요란하다

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

empty vessels make the most sound, that is, "noisy, opinionated people are often stupid."


세월은 사람을 기다려 주지 않는다

세월-은 사람-을 기다려 주지 않는다

세월은 사람을 기다려 주지 않는다 • (sewor-eun saram-eul gidaryeo juji anneunda)

[ˈsʰe̞(ː)wʌ̹ɾɯn sʰa̠(ː)ɾa̠mɯɭ kida̠ɾjʌ̹ t͡ɕud͡ʑi a̠nnɯnda̠]

세(ː)워른사(ː)라믈기다려주지안는다

[세(ː)워른사(ː)라믈기다려주지안는다]

Calque of 세월부대인(歲月不待人) (sewolbudaein), ultimately from a verse of the fifth-century Chinese poet Tao Yuanming.

time and tide wait for no man
time and tide wait for no man


use it or lose it

Any piece of curriculum, devoid of an opportunity to wield it, suffers the same fate as unutilized Spanish instruction. The time-tested colloquialism is accurate: use it or lose it.

2011, Tim Wagle, Paul Theobald, “Connecting Communities and Schools: Accountability in the Post-NCLB Era”, in Paul R. Carr, Brad J. Porfilio, editors, The Phenomenon of Obama and the Agenda for Education: Can Hope Audaciously Trump Neoliberalism, Information Age Publishing Inc., →ISBN, page 262:

Skills or knowledge that are seldom applied are likely to be lost with time.

The legal rationale was simple: in much of the west, water rights operate under the "use it or lose it" principle. If you don't use the water, others had the right to appropriate it and use it themselves.

2011, Marq De Villiers, Our Way Out: Principles for a Post-Apocalyptic World, McClelland & Stewart, →ISBN, page 310:

Property and privileges will be lost if they are not utilized.


what has been seen cannot be unseen

At Dachau he was witness to real rather than abstract suffering; what has been seen cannot be unseen, nor can it be rationalized.

2010, Brad Prager, “Suffering and Sympathy in Volker Schlöndorff's Der neunte Tag and Dennis Gansel's NaPolA”, in Paul Cooke, Marc Silberman, editors, Screening War: Perspectives on German Suffering, Camden House, →ISBN, page 196:

I went into Akira knowing it's considered amongst critics a landmark film for anime and the success of the genre in America, but I was also expecting the type of weirdness that has given anime an infamous reputation in pop culture. Don't know what I'm talking about? Google "hentai." …Actually, no, don't do that. Seriously. Don't fucking do that. What has been seen cannot be unseen.

2011 December, Jay Wallace, “Akira”, in BandWagon Magazine:

Repulsive, disturbing, or horrific sights can never be erased from memory once they have been seen.

that which has been seen cannot be unseen


brevity is the soul of wit

Coined by William Shakespeare in 1602 in "Hamlet," act 2, scene 2:
: Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,
: And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
: I will be brief: your noble son is mad...

The same complaint must be made against Mr. Matthew's excellent survey of the theory of evolution, as against Dr. Erasmus Darwin's original exposition of the same theory, namely, that it is too short. It may be very true that brevity is the soul of wit, but the leaders of science will generally succeed in burking new-born wit, unless the brevity of its soul is found compatible with a body of some bulk.

1879, Samuel Butler, chapter 18, in Evolution, Old & New:

"[I]f people would only settle their affairs in that way, a good part of the occupation of lawyers would be gone. Brevity is the soul of wit; and the fear of simplicity is the beginning of litigation."

1912, R. Austin Freeman, chapter 5, in The Mystery of 31 New Inn:

Brevity is the Soul of Wit. Talking to your infant is good, but uttering individual words might be better.

2001 March 5, Daniel S. Levy, “In Brief”, in Time:

Y'see, a guy named William Shakesman once said, "Brevity is the soul of wit." This just means don't waste my time.

2012 April 9, Mike Stoslaka, Star Wars: the Phantom Menace Review:

Conciseness of expression is an essential characteristic of astute, perceptive, or witty remarks.

خَيْرُ الكَلَامِ مَا قَلَّ وَدَلَّ

conciseness is essential to witty remarks

кра́ткость — сестра́ таланта (krátkostʹ — sestrá talanta)


head

if there's grass on the field, play ball

Mitchell's taste for girls ran to the barely pubescent. 'If there's grass on the field, play ball, that's what he used to say,' the 'classmate' remembered.

You see the way she looks at you? What are you, some kind of faggot?
She's fifteen, man.
If there's grass on the field, you can play ball.

1998 Chris Simunek, Paradise Burning pg 80

The work puts him in contact with...men who offer dating advice like 'If she's old enough to bleed, she's old enough to breed' and 'If there's grass on the field, I say it's time to play ball." Grass refers metaphorically to female pubic hair.
Doyle (2007a) 199 Cf "When they are BIG enough, they are old enough" and "Old enough to BLEED, old enough to breed."

1998 Tobias Wolff, You Can't Kill the Rooster, Esquire 129 no 6 June 1994

if there's grass on the pitch, play ball#English

Alternative form of if there's grass on the pitch, play ball


Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall

„Wirklich,“ wiederholte die Padden, „ein schöner Mann. Ein bißchen zu sicher. Und Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall … Aber sehen Sie nur, da tritt er wirklich mit der Grete Stojentin an. Eigentlich ist er doch zu alt; wenigstens Mitte vierzig.“

1896, Theodor Fontane, Effi Briest, Berlin: F. Fontane & Co., page 290:

pride comes before a fall
pride comes before a fall


God is in the detail

(idiomatic) Expresses the idea that whatever one does should be done thoroughly; i.e. details are important.

(idiomatic) Expresses the idea that truth is in the details; therefore, the more details someone provides, the more likely they are to be telling the truth.


God helps them that help themselves

God helps those who help themselves#English

Alternative form of God helps those who help themselves


justice delayed is justice denied

En-us-justice delayed is justice denied.oga

It is an old maxim that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ and another might be added, perhaps equally true, that justice bought is valueless.

1838 November 23, Charles S. Spann, D. O. Williams, W. W. Hall, James Dupree, A. S. Cunningham, “Address [of the committee concerning the formation of a new county]”, in The Mississippian, volume VII, number 38, Jackson, Miss.: B. D. Howard, →OCLC, page 3, column 5:

If, as an eminent jurist once said, justice delayed is often justice denied, it must be an object worthy of all effort to procure local courts, where speedy justice can be obtained;[…]

[1853 April 16, “Conference in Liverpool.—Mercantile Law and the Judicial System.”, in The Manchester Guardian, number 2,533, Manchester: Printed and published for Taylor, Garnett, & Co., […], by Jeremiah Garnett, […], →OCLC, page 6, column 6:

But above all, if we be just men, we shall go forward in the name of truth and right, and bear this in mind, that when the case is ripe and the hour has come, justice delayed is justice denied.

1868 March 16, William Ewart Gladstone, Member of Parliament for South Lancashire, “Imperial Parliament. [House of Commons.—Monday, March 16. State of Ireland.]”, in The Daily News, number 6,824, London: […] William King Hales, […], published 17 March 1868, →OCLC, page 2, column 6:

In British courts, lawsuits, civil and criminal, come to trial within six months. In the U.S., which professes as much respect as Britain for the principle that "justice delayed is justice denied," it takes more than four years.

1955 October 17, “The Law: Battling the Backlog”, in Henry R[obinson] Luce, editor, Time, volume LXVI, number 16, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 32, column 3:

Cases may be delayed, and justice delayed may be justice denied. Sometimes the parties may die before they get justice, but theoretically all the cases are considered at one time or another anyway.

[1984 March 13, Neal Smith, subcommittee chairman, Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations for 1985: Hearings before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, Ninety-eighth Congress, Second Session […], part 6 (The Judiciary), Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 20:

"Dr. Martin Luther King said justice delayed is justice denied," says Joe Roy, director of the Intelligence Project for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala. "As a society, we need to bring closure to these cases, but it depends on the evidence and witnesses still living. In the Cherry case, they were able to get witnesses to come forward."

2002 July–August, Hamil Harris, “Up Front: Final Conviction Brings Church Bombing Murder Case to a Close”, in Victoria L. Valentine, editor, The New Crisis, volume 109, number 4, Baltimore, Md.: The Crisis Publishing Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 10, column 1:

The old adage that justice delayed is justice denied is as true now as ever.

2002 October 10, Nan Aron, Marcia Kuntz, “Prepared Statement of Nan Aron, President, and Marcia Kuntz, Legislative Director, Alliance for Justice”, in A Judiciary Diminished is Justice Denied: The Constitution, the Senate, and the Vacancy Crisis in the Federal Judiciary: Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Second Session […], Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →ISBN, page 98:

In the history of literature, justice delayed need not be justice denied.

[2009, Edward E. Ericson, Jr., “Foreword”, in Aleksandr I[sayevich] Solzhenitsyn, translated by Harry T[aylor] Willetts, In the First Circle […], New York, N.Y.: Harper Perennial, →ISBN, page XXIV:

Harold Evans, Reuters editor at large who led a campaign for compensation of thalidomide victims as editor of Britain's Sunday Times from the late 1960s, said justice delayed was justice denied. "Fifty years of injustice is not to be assuaged by the most heartfelt apology, unaccompanied as it is by any compensation for the pain and suffering thousands of survivors endure every day," he said.

[2012 September 1, Annika Breidthardt, “Thalidomide victims: drugmaker’s apology not enough”, in Kevin Liffey, editor, Reuters, archived from the original on 2012-09-01:

We can decide whether justice delayed means justice denied and we can decide whether the 'colour of a man's skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes'.

[2021, Carol Cooper, “Rethinking Racial Equality”, in Amol Rajan, editor, Rethink: Leading Voices on Life after Crisis and How We Can Make a Better World, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →ISBN:

If a wrong is not redressed within a reasonable time, it is as though the wrong were not redressed at all.

遲到的正義不是正義

if a wrong is not redressed within a reasonable time, it is as though the wrong were not redressed at all

but see verzögerte Gerechtigkeit ist vorenthaltene Gerechtigkeit

지연된 정의는 거부된 정의다

jiyeondoen jeong'uineun geobudoen jeong'uida

justiție întârziată înseamnă justiție refuzată

kālam kaṭanta nīti maṟukkappaṭṭa nītikkuc camam

காலம் கடந்த நீதி மறுக்கப்பட்ட நீதிக்குச் சமம்

ความยุติธรรมที่ล่าช้าก็คือความไม่ยุติธรรม

vidkladene pravosuddja – ce vidmova v pravosuddi

відкладене правосуддя – це відмова в правосудді

though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small


do unto others as you would have them do unto you

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 7:12:

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 6:31:

One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself; an expression of the golden rule.

ʕāmili n-nāsa kamā tuḥibbu ʔan yuʕāmilūka

عَامِلِ النَّاسَ كَمَا تُحِبُّ أَنْ يُعَامِلُوكَ

wat gij niet wilt, dat u geschiedt, doe dat ook een ander niet

tee toisille sitä, mitä toivoisit heidän tekevän itsellesi

traite les autres comme tu voudrais être traité

behandle andere so, wie du von ihnen behandelt werden willst

מָה שֶׁשָּׂנוּא עָלֶיךָ אַל תַּעֲשֶׂה לַחֲבֵרְךָ

fa agli altri quel che vorresti fosse fatto a te

faça aos outros o que quer que façam a você

postupáj s drugími tak, kak xóčešʹ, štóby oní postupáli s tobój

поступа́й с други́ми так, как хо́чешь, что́бы они́ поступа́ли с тобо́й


work smarter, not harder

Problems are solved more effectively by intelligence rather than by hard hustle.

Any type of task or project is performed more effectively using intelligent methods, rather than through overwork.


Lügen haben schöne Beine

Literally, “lies have beautiful legs”, an alteration of the proverb Lügen haben kurze Beine (“lies have short legs”).

lying can be an attractive option; lies can be deceptively attractive


ms-proverb

تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن لنتاي جوڠکڠ-جوڠکيت

tak tahu menari dikatakan lantai jongkang-jongket#Malay

Jawi spelling of tak tahu menari dikatakan lantai jongkang-jongket

en-تق_تاهو_مناري_دکاتاکن_لنتاي_جوڠکڠ-جوڠکيت-ms-proverb-n6qxFXOp


تق تاهو مڠاڽم ڤندن دسالهکن

تق تاهو مڠاڽم ڤندن دسالهکن

tak tahu menganyam pandan disalahkan#Malay

Jawi spelling of tak tahu menganyam pandan disalahkan

en-تق_تاهو_مڠاڽم_ڤندن_دسالهکن-ms-proverb-Ts2rLN1q


تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن تانه تيڠݢي رنده

تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن تانه تيڠݢي رنده

tak tahu menari dikatakan tanah tinggi rendah#Malay

Jawi spelling of tak tahu menari dikatakan tanah tinggi rendah

en-تق_تاهو_مناري_دکاتاکن_تانه_تيڠݢي_رنده-ms-proverb-~JvNeiOA


تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن تانه تيڠݢي رنده

tak tahu menari dikatakan tanah tinggi rendah (Jawi spelling تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن تانه تيڠݢي رنده)

تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن تانه تيڠݢي رنده (Jawi)

Literally, “Don't know how to dance, say the ground is high and low”.

lit

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


ms-proverb

tak tahu menari dikatakan lantai jongkang-jongket (Jawi spelling تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن لنتاي جوڠکڠ-جوڠکيت)

Literally, “[he who] doesn't know how to dance says the floor is a seesaw”.

m-g

􂀿he who􂁀 doesn't know how to dance says the floor is a seesaw

lit

Synonym of tak tahu menari dikatakan tanah tinggi rendah


tak tahu menganyam pandan disalahkan

ms-proverb

تق تاهو مڠاڽم ڤندن دسالهکن

tak tahu menganyam pandan disalahkan (Jawi spelling تق تاهو مڠاڽم ڤندن دسالهکن)

تق تاهو مڠاڽم ڤندن دسالهکن (Jawi)

Literally, “[he who] doesn't know how to weave blames the screwpine [leaves]”.

m-g

􂀿he who􂁀 doesn't know how to weave blames the screwpine 􂀿leaves􂁀


head

pt-br-água mole em pedra dura tanto bate até que fura.ogg

Literally, “soft water on hard rock hits so much that it bores (i.e. makes a hole)”. Compare Polish kropla drąży skałę; compare also French tant va la cruche à l’eau qu’à la fin elle se casse.

cog

tant va la cruche à l'eau qu'à la fin elle se casse

Minha mãe sempre disse: “água mole em pedra dura, tanto bate até que fura”. Sábio conselho esse, pois funciona mesmo. Insista no diálogo, sempre.

2012, Vânia Barcellos e Leite, Viver com Humor, Biblioteca 24horas, →ISBN, page 53:

My mother always said: “soft water on hard rock hits it until it is bored through”. Wise advice, as it really works. Insist on dialogue, always.

if one perseveres in doing something long enough, the desired effect, even if unlikely, will eventually be achieved


one man's meat is another man's poison

People have differing tastes; what pleases one person may displease another.

people have differing tastes; what pleases one person may displease another

مَصَائِبُ قَوْمٍ عِنْدَ قَوْمٍ فَوَائِدُ

der eine isst gern Wurst, der andere grüne Seife

den enen sien Uul is den annern sien Nachtigal

что ру́сскому хорошо́, то не́мцу — смерть (što rússkomu xorošó, to némcu — smertʹ, literally “a good thing for a Russian is death for the German”)

one man's trash is another man's treasure


ასჯერ გაგონილს ერთხელ ნანახი ჯობიაო

head

ასჯერ გაგონილს ერთხელ ნანახი ჯობიაო • (asǯer gagonils ertxel nanaxi ǯobiao)

asǯer gagonils ertxel nanaxi ǯobiao (romanization)

/asd͡ʒer ɡaɡonils ertʰxel nanaxi d͡ʒobiao/

[asd͡ʒeɾ ɡ̊aɡonils eɾtʰχel nanaχi d͡ʒobiao]

Calque of Russian лу́чше оди́н раз уви́деть, чем сто раз услы́шать (lúčše odín raz uvídetʹ, čem sto raz uslýšatʹ), in turn a calque of Chinese 百聞不如一見／百闻不如一见 (bǎi wén bùrú yī jiàn, “it's better to see once than hear a hundred times”).

der

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

en-ასჯერ_გაგონილს_ერთხელ_ნანახი_ჯობიაო-ka-proverb-1-pu83so

en-ასჯერ_გაგონილს_ერთხელ_ნანახი_ჯობიაო-ka-proverb-~WZCAv9M


kruha ne naredi moka ampak roka

krúha ne naredí mọ́ka ȁmpak róka (canonical)

Literally "not the flour makes the bread, but the hand".


დრო ყველაფრის მკურნალია

head

დრო ყველაფრის მკურნალია

დრო ყველაფრის მკურნალია • (dro q̇velapris mḳurnalia)

Literally: "time is a healer of everything"

time heals all wounds
time heals all wounds

en-დრო_ყველაფრის_მკურნალია-ka-proverb-kTsM-2OH


if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys

/ɪf ˌjuː peɪ ˈpiːnʌts ˌjuː ɡɛt ˈmʌŋkiːz/

En-us-if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.oga

A reference to peanuts (“especially of a salary: a very small or insufficient amount”) (originally US slang dating to the mid 20th century) and monkey (“a person of minimal intelligence, idiot”), with a humorous allusion to the fact that monkeys are fond of nuts.

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

(British, informal) Offering a low payment or salary will not attract skilled workers or employees.

offering a low payment or salary will not attract skilled workers or employees

viiden markan suutari tekee kuuden markan vahingon

αν βάζεις τον κώλο σου να σου κάνει δουλειά, σκατά δουλειά θα κάνει (an vázeis ton kólo sou na sou kánei douleiá, skatá douleiá tha kánei, literally “if you put your ass to work for you, it will do shitty work”)

ton kólo vázeis mágeira, skatá tha mageirépsei

τον κώλο βάζεις μάγειρα, σκατά θα μαγειρέψει


ចាបមួយនៅដៃប្រសើរក្រៃ ជាងចាបដប់នៅលើឈើ

ចាបមួយនៅដៃប្រសើរក្រៃ ជាងចាបដប់នៅលើឈើ

ចាបមួយនៅដៃប្រសើរក្រៃ ជាងចាបដប់នៅលើឈើ • (caap muəy nɨv day prɑsaə kray, jieng caap dɑp nɨv ləə cʰəə)

caap muəy nɨv day prɑsaə kray (romanization)
jieng caap dɑp nɨv ləə cʰəə (romanization)

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

en-ចាបមួយនៅដៃប្រសើរក្រៃ_ជាងចាបដប់នៅលើឈើ-km-proverb-7oytY7-2


ha nincs ló, jó a szamár is

ha (“if”) + nincs (“there is no”) + ló (“horse”) + jó (“good”) + a (“the”) + szamár (“donkey”) + is (“also, too”), literally, “if there’s no horse, a donkey will also do”.

affix

(derogatory) In the absence of the ideal, one might as well accept another option, putting up with and working with what one has.

jobb ma egy veréb, mint holnap egy túzok


en la cancha se ven los pingos

Literally, “(only) on the track the horses are seen (as they really are)”. The phrase comes from horse racing.

lit

the proof of the pudding is in the eating


there is reason in the roasting of eggs

Attested since 17th century, according to the Oxford Books of Proverbs.

There is reason, it is said, in the roasting of eggs, and there is philosophy even in furniture—a philosophy nevertheless which seems to be more imperfectly understood by Americans than by any civilized nation upon the face of the earth.

1840, Edgar Allan Poe, The Philosophy of Furniture:

There is a reason behind even the most odd and seemingly unnecessary action.


案ずるより産むが易し

ja-pos

あんずる より うむ が やすし

案(あん)ずるより産(う)むが易(やす)し • (anzuru yori umu ga yasushi)

案ずるより産むが易し (canonical)
anzuru yori umu ga yasushi (romanization)

案(あん)ずる (anzuru, “worrying”) + より (yori, “than”) + 産(う)む (umu, “giving birth”) + が (ga, “is”) + 易(やす)し (yasushi, “easy”), "Giving birth is easier than worrying (about it)."

ja-compound

Doing something is easier than worrying about it.


if it looks like a duck

if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck#English

Ellipsis of if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.


head

the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world

the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world#English

Alternative form of the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world


Found as a popular saying from 1840 (See Parent's Monitor and Young People's Friend
Volume 1, p. 47 https://www.google.com/books/edition/Parent_s_Monitor_and_Young_People_s_Frie/wv8XAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22hand+that+rocks+the+cradle+rules%22&pg=PA47&printsec=frontcover); made famous by a poem (1865) by William Ross Wallace.

Blessings on the hand of women! . . .
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

1865, William Ross Wallace, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle:

We talk a great deal about the strength of early impressions. I wonder if we mean all we say; we do not live up to it, at all events. "In childish play deep meaning lies." "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world." "Give me the first six years of a child's life, and I care not who has the rest."

1892, Kate Douglas Wiggin, chapter 2, in Children's Rights and Others: A Book of Nursery Logic:

Woman meanwhile becomes the fearless, inwardly relentless, determined positive party. She grips the responsibility. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Nay, she makes man discover that cradles should not be rocked, in order that her hands may be left free.

1922, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “Education and Sex in Man, Woman and Child”, in Fantasia of the Unconscious, New York, N.Y.: Thomas Seltzer, →OCLC, page 136:

Men rationalize their dominant estate: Woman's lot is to be the homemaker, the child raiser, the provider of sons; the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

1981 Nov. 15, Paul A. Colinvaux, "Women's Work" (book review of The Woman That Never Evolved by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, New York Times (retrieved 26 Oct 2012)

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga . . . quoted Kenyan Bishop Ndimbe's memorable words: "Train a man, you train an individual, train a woman you build a nation." This is the same as saying that the "hand that rocks the cradle rules the world".

2004 March 8, “Editorial: Restoring women's dignity”, in Ceylon Daily News, Sri Lanka, retrieved 2012-10-26:

Women, particularly mothers, have a decisive influence on the future direction of society because they raise and nurture the next generation.

behind every successful man there stands a woman


the chickens come home to roost

En-au-the chickens come home to roost.ogg

19th century. First attested as lies, like chickens, come home to roost, although the slightly later curses, like chickens, come home to roost was more common. Both are often said to be Spanish or Turkish in origin. The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs notes that Geoffrey Chaucer wrote in The Parson's Tale: “And ofte tyme swich cursynge wrongfully retorneth agayn to hym that curseth, as a bryd that retorneth agayn to his owene nest.”

1846, Lydia Maria Child, The Mother's Book, C.S. Francis & Co. (6th ed., 1st ed. from 1844), page 98.
Never were truer words than the Spanish proverb, ‘All lies, like chickens, come home to roost.’

Being an old farm boy myself, chickens coming home to roost never did make me sad; they've always made me glad.

1963, Malcolm X, speech, December 1, 1963

I suppose you could blame it on my generation, chickens from the 60s finally coming into roost.

Malcolm X ain't never lie; Chickens do come home to roost! And you would think that a senator from Kentucky would know that better than anyone.

2020 March 22, Brooklyn Baldwin, “Rand Paul, Staunch Opponent of Coronavirus Healthcare Package, Diagnosed with Coronavirus”, in The Root:

Opponents see the latest indictments as a case of the chickens coming home to roost.

(idiomatic) A person's past wrongdoings will return to negatively affect them.

害人害己

a person's past wrongdoings will always return to negatively affect them (idiom)

minkä taakseen jättää, sen edestään löytää

ne roj jámu drugómu, sam v nejó popadjóšʹ

не рой я́му друго́му, сам в неё попадёшь

Qilgan koʻradi ekkan oʻradi (Qilgan koʻradi ekkan oʻradi)


it's an ill wind that blows no good

it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good#English

Alternative form of it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good


más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer

/ˌmas ˌbale ˌmalo konoˌθido ke ˌbweno poɾ konoˈθeɾ/

[ˌmaz ˌβ̞a.le ˌma.lo ko.noˌθi.ð̞o ke ˌβ̞we.no poɾ ko.noˈθeɾ]

/ˌmas ˌbale ˌmalo konoˌsido ke ˌbweno poɾ konoˈseɾ/

[ˌmaz ˌβ̞a.le ˌma.lo ko.noˌsi.ð̞o ke ˌβ̞we.no poɾ ko.noˈseɾ]

better the devil you know
better the devil you know


అభ్యాసం కూసు విద్య

అభ్యాసం కూసు విద్య • (abhyāsaṁ kūsu vidya)

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect


každý dobrý skutek je po zásluze potrestán

[kaʒdiː dobriː skutɛk jɛ po zaːsluzɛ potrɛstaːn]

no good deed goes unpunished
no good deed goes unpunished


nothing succeeds like success

Always rising, Mr. Delamayn rose next to be Attorney-General. About the same time—so true it is that "nothing succeeds like success"—a childless relative died and left him a fortune.

1870, Wilkie Collins, Man and Wife, Prologue:

I gained considerable kudos for a lucky catch . . . and, as nothing succeeds like success, and the constant encouragement of the one great cricketer on the field was in itself an immense stimulus, I actually made a run or two in my very next innings.

1899, E. W. Hornung, “Gentlemen and Players”, in The Amateur Cracksman:

The theory of programmed learning is that nothing succeeds like success. It holds that some subjects are learned best when broken into tiny chunks of information that students can master one by one, each step providing its own little thrill of accomplishment.

1962 October 12, “Education: All-Programmed School”, in Time:

In television, nothing succeeds like success. So it was Sunday night at the 61st annual Primetime Emmy Awards, where five of the top six categories featured repeat winners from last year.

2009 September 20, Edward Wyatt, “Familiarity and a Few Surprises at the Emmys”, in New York Times, retrieved 2012-12-11:

People who are already successful tend to have additional successes.


ne ébreszd fel az alvó oroszlánt

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

let sleeping dogs lie
let sleeping dogs lie


méi una viżégglia che una quaraiṡma

a little effort today is better than a great effort tomorrow; literally “a vigil is better than a Lent”


better the devil you know

better the devil you know than the devil you don't know#English

Alternative form of better the devil you know than the devil you don't know


better the devil you know than the one you don't


better the devil you know than the devil you don't know

Something bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown.

جني تعرفه ولا انسي ما تعرفه

something bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown

未知的危险比已知的危险更加可怕 (wèizhī de wēixiǎn bǐ yǐzhī de wēixiǎn gèngjiā kěpà) (no equivalent exists; lit., "unknown dangers are more terrifying than known dangers")

man weiß, was man hat, aber weiß nicht, was man kriegt

już lepsze znane zło, niż dobro, które masz poznać

mai bun e un drac știut decât unul necunoscut

más vale diablo conocido que por conocer

better the devil you know than the one you don't know

the devil that you know is better than the devil that you don't know

the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know

the devil we know is better than the devil we don't know


en-proverb

better the devil you know than the one you don't know


head

better the devil you know than the devil you don't


蓼食う虫も好き好き

ja-pos

たで く.う むし も すきずき

蓼(たで)食(く)う虫(むし)も好(す)き好(ず)き • (tade kuu mushi mo sukizuki)

蓼食う虫も好き好き (canonical)
tade kuu mushi mo sukizuki (romanization)

Comprised of 蓼 (tade, “Persicaria hydropiper or Polygonum hydropiper: water pepper, smartweed”) + 食う (kuu, “eat”) + 虫 (mushi, “bug”) + も (mo, “even, also”, inclusive particle) + 好き好き (sukizuki, “a matter of taste”, literally “likes and likes”). As a full phrase, literally "[there are] even bugs that eat smartweed, it's a matter of taste."
First cited to a text from the late 1500s, early 1600s.

compound

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

Daijirin
Daijisen#Online_search_engines
Nihon Kokugo Daijiten


ei köyhänkään suu tuohesta ole

what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander (that which one person finds good usually tastes good to another)


思い立ったが吉日

ja-pos

おもいたった が きちじつ

思(おも)い立(た)ったが吉(きち)日(じつ) • (omoitatta ga kichijitsu)

思い立ったが吉日 (canonical)
omoitatta ga kichijitsu (romanization)

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

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

there's no time like the present, make hay while the sun shines


窮鼠猫を噛む

きゅうそ ねこ を かむ

窮(きゅう)鼠(そ)猫(ねこ)を噛(か)む • (kyūso neko o kamu)

窮鼠猫を噛む (canonical)
kyūso neko o kamu (romanization)

Calque of Literary Chinese 窮鼠嚙狸 (qióngshǔ nièlí, literally “a cornered rat will bite a cat”), from the Discourses on Salt and Iron (鹽鐵論·詔聖／盐铁论·诏圣). Note that the character 狸 (lí) is replaced by 猫 in Japanese.

calque

a cornered rat will bite a cat, weak people will attack when cornered


悪事千里を走る

ja-pos

あくじ せんり を はしる

悪(あく)事(じ)千(せん)里(り)を走(はし)る • (akuji senri o hashiru)

悪事千里を走る (canonical)
akuji senri o hashiru (romanization)

bad news travels fast
bad news travels fast


疑心暗鬼を生ず

ぎしんあんき を しょうず

疑(ぎ)心(しん)暗(あん)鬼(き)を生(しょう)ず • (gishin'anki o shōzu)

疑心暗鬼を生ず (canonical)
gishin'anki o shōzu (romanization)

once you suspect something, everything else will look suspicious


少年老いやすく学なりがたし

しょうねん おいやすく がく なりがたし

少(しょう)年(ねん)老(お)いやすく学(がく)なりがたし • (shōnen oiyasuku gaku narigatashi)

少年老いやすく学なりがたし (canonical)
shōnen oiyasuku gaku narigatashi (romanization)

[ɕo̞ːne̞ɰ̃ o̞ija̠sɨkɯ̟ ɡa̠kɯ̟ na̠ɾʲiɡa̠ta̠ɕi]

Calque of Literary Chinese 少年易老學難成 (shàonián yì lǎo xué nán chéng). From Zhu Xi's poem 《偶成》.

cal

しょうねんおいやすくがくなりがたし

if you do not study when you are young, you will grow old quickly without accomplishing much learning


あばたもえくぼ

Literally, "even pockmarks are dimples".

love is blind, one will overlook the shortcomings of someone one loves


笑う門には福来たる

ja-pos

わらう かど に は ふく きたる

笑(わら)う門(かど)には福(ふく)来(き)たる • (warau kado ni wa fuku kitaru)

笑う門には福来たる (canonical)
warau kado ni wa fuku kitaru (romanization)

fortune and happiness will come to the home of those who smile


言わぬが花

言わぬが花 (canonical)
iwanu ga hana (romanization)

(idiomatic) silence is golden, better left unsaid


嘘から出た実

うそ から でた まこと

嘘(うそ)から出(で)た実(まこと) • (uso kara deta makoto)

嘘から出た実 (canonical)
uso kara deta makoto (romanization)

many a true word is spoken in jest
many a true word is spoken in jest

many a true word is spoken in jest; words spoken in jest may come true (often by accident)


頭隠して尻隠さず

あたま かくして しり かくさず

頭(あたま)隠(かく)して尻(しり)隠(かく)さず • (atama kakushite shiri kakusazu)

頭隠して尻隠さず (canonical)
atama kakushite shiri kakusazu (romanization)

Compound of 頭 (atama, “head”) + 隠して (kakushite, “the -te form of 隠(かく)す (kakusu, “to hide”)”) + 尻 (shiri, “one's bottom”) + 隠さず (kakusazu, “the negative continuative form of 隠(かく)す (kakusu, “to hide”)”)

com

bury one's head in the sand
bury one's head in the sand

one shouldn't bury one's head in the sand while leaving one's bottom exposed


一寸先は闇

ja-pos

いっすん さき は やみ

一(いっ)寸(すん)先(さき)は闇(やみ) • (issun saki wa yami)

一寸先は闇 (canonical)
issun saki wa yami (romanization)

一(いっ)寸(すん) (issun, “Japanese classical unit of length equivalent approximately 3.03 cm”) + 先(さき) (saki, “ahead”) + は (ha, topic marker) + 闇(やみ) (yami, “dark”), literally ahead of a bit is dark.

com-ja

unpredictable; no one knows what the future holds.


老いては子に従え

ja-pos

おいて は こ に したがえ

老(お)いては子(こ)に従(したが)え • (oite wa ko ni shitagae)

老いては子に従え (canonical)
oite wa ko ni shitagae (romanization)

parents should be guided by their children when they grow old


類は友を呼ぶ

るい は とも を よぶ

類(るい)は友(とも)を呼(よ)ぶ • (rui wa tomo o yobu)

類は友を呼ぶ (canonical)
rui wa tomo o yobu (romanization)

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


憎まれっ子世に憚る

にくまれっこ よ に はばかる

憎(にく)まれっ子(こ)世(よ)に憚(はばか)る • (nikumarekko yo ni habakaru)

憎まれっ子世に憚る (canonical)
nikumarekko yo ni habakaru (romanization)

ill weeds grow apace
ill weeds grow apace


弱り目に祟り目

よわり め に たたり め

弱(よわ)り目(め)に祟(たた)り目(め) • (yowari me ni tatari me)

弱り目に祟り目 (canonical)
yowari me ni tatari me (romanization)

misfortunes never come singly
misfortunes never come singly


犬も歩けば棒に当たる

いぬ も あるけば ぼう に あたる

犬(いぬ)も歩(ある)けば棒(ぼう)に当(あ)たる • (inu mo arukeba bō ni ataru)

犬も歩けば棒に当たる (canonical)
inu mo arukeba bō ni ataru (romanization)

[inɯ̟ mo̞ a̠ɾɯ̟ke̞ba̠ bo̞ː ɲ̟i a̠ta̠ɾɯ̟]

Phrase consisting of 犬 (“dog”) + も (“also”) + 歩けば (“if (it) were to walk, hypothetical form of the verb 歩(ある)く (aruku)”) + 棒 (“stick, rod, pole”) + に (“directional particle”) + 当たる (“to hit”), literally "even a dog could be hit by a stick if walking"

com

there is a danger of tragedy in any attempt

(idiomatic) good luck may come unexpectedly


子は鎹

子は鎹 (canonical)
ko wa kasugai (romanization)


論より証拠

論より証拠 (canonical)
ron yori shōko (romanization)

[ɾo̞ɰ̃ jo̞ɾʲi ɕo̞ːko̞]

the proof is in the pudding
the proof is in the pudding

the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the proof is in the pudding


cuatro ojos ven más que dos

Literally, “four eyes see more than two”.

lit

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

(idiomatic) two heads are better than one


時は金なり

時は金なり (canonical)
toki wa kane nari (romanization)


安物買いの銭失い

ja-pos

やすもの-がい の ぜに-うしない

安物買(やすものが)いの銭失(ぜにうしな)い • (yasumono-gai no zeni-ushinai)

安物買いの銭失い (canonical)
yasumono-gai no zeni-ushinai (romanization)

Literally "disappearance of money [as a result] of buying of cheap things".

penny wise and pound foolish
penny wise and pound foolish

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

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


待てば海路の日和あり

まてば かいろ の ひより あり

待(ま)てば海(かい)路(ろ)の日(ひ)和(より)あり • (mateba kairo no hiyori ari)

待てば海路の日和あり (canonical)
mateba kairo no hiyori ari (romanization)

Literally "if you wait, there will be fair weather on a sea route".

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

(idiomatic) good things come to those who wait


hombre prevenido vale por dos

[ˌõm.bɾe pɾe.β̞eˌni.ð̞o ˌβ̞a.le poɾ ˈð̞os]

forewarned is forearmed
forewarned is forearmed


得手に帆を揚ぐ

得手に帆を揚ぐ (canonical)
ete ni ho o agu (romanization)

得手に帆を揚げる 得手に帆を揚げる#Japanese

(literary) Synonym of 得手に帆を揚げる (ete ni ho o ageru)


医者の不養生

いしゃ の ふようじょう

医(い)者(しゃ)の不(ふ)養(よう)生(じょう) • (isha no fuyōjō)

医者の不養生 (canonical)
isha no fuyōjō (romanization)

physician, heal thyself
physician, heal thyself

physician, heal thyself, not practicing what you preach


噂をすれば影がさす

うわさ を すれば かげ が さす

噂(うわさ)をすれば影(かげ)がさす • (uwasa o sureba kage ga sasu)

噂をすれば影がさす (canonical)
uwasa o sureba kage ga sasu (romanization)

speak of the devil and he shall appear
speak of the devil and he shall appear


悪銭身に付かず

あくせん み に つかず

悪(あく)銭(せん)身(み)に付(つ)かず • (akusen mi ni tsukazu)

悪銭身に付かず (canonical)
akusen mi ni tsukazu (romanization)


弘法にも筆の誤り

^こうぼう に も ふで の あやまり

弘(こう)法(ぼう)にも筆(ふで)の誤(あやま)り • (Kōbō ni mo fude no ayamari)

弘法にも筆の誤り (canonical)
Kōbō ni mo fude no ayamari (romanization)

[ko̞ːbo̞ː ɲ̟i mo̞ ɸɯ̟de̞ no̞ a̠ja̠ma̠ɾʲi]

Phrase consisting of 弘法 (Kōbō), the first part of the posthumous name of Kūkai, an important Buddhist monk and one of three famous Heian period calligraphers + に (ni, “in”, locative particle) も (mo, “even”, inclusive particle) + 筆 (fude, “writing brush; writing with a brush”) + の (no, genitive or possessive particle) + 誤り (ayamari, “mistake”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 誤る ayamaru, “to make a mistake”). Literally “even Kōbō Daishi makes mistakes in his brush writing (i.e. calligraphy)”.

even Homer nods: even the experts make mistakes

猿も木から落ちる

even monkey fall from tree: even the experts make mistakes


鶏口となるも牛後となるなかれ

けいこう と なる も ぎゅうご と なる なかれ

鶏(けい)口(こう)となるも牛(ぎゅう)後(ご)となるなかれ • (keikō to naru mo gyūgo to naru nakare)

鶏口となるも牛後となるなかれ (canonical)
keikō to naru mo gyūgo to naru nakare (romanization)

Calque of Literary Chinese 寧為雞口，無為牛後／宁为鸡口，无为牛后 (literally “Better be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox”). Originally read as 寧ろ鶏口となるも牛後となる勿れ. The initial 寧ろ is redundant in Japanese and therefore omitted.

cal

寧為雞口，無為牛後／宁为鸡口，无为牛后

けいこうとなるもぎゅうごとなるなかれ

lang

寧ろ鶏口となるも牛後となる勿れ

寧ろ鶏口となるも牛後となる勿れ

big fish in a small pond
big fish in a small pond

It is better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.

鶏口牛後

鶏口牛後 けいこうぎゅうご


捕らぬ狸の皮算用

ja-pos

とらぬ たぬき の かわざんよう

捕(と)らぬ狸(たぬき)の皮(かわ)算(ざん)用(よう) • (toranu tanuki no kawazan'yō)

捕らぬ狸の皮算用 (canonical)
toranu tanuki no kawazan'yō (romanization)

Literally, “counting the skins of uncaught raccoon dogs”.

lit

don't count your chickens before they're hatched


捨てる神あれば拾う神あり

ja-pos

すてる かみ あれば ひろ.う かみ あり

捨(す)てる神(かみ)あれば拾(ひろ)う神(かみ)あり • (suteru kami areba hirou kami ari)

捨てる神あれば拾う神あり (canonical)
suteru kami areba hirou kami ari (romanization)

Literally, "if there is a god that throws you away, there is a god that picks you up."

when one door shuts, another opens
when one door shuts, another opens


handsome is as handsome does

Miss Trotwood, or Miss Betsey, as my poor mother always called her, when she sufficiently overcame her dread of this formidable personage to mention her at all (which was seldom), had been married to a husband younger than herself, who was very handsome, except in the sense of the homely adage, ‘handsome is, that handsome does’ - for he was strongly suspected of having beaten Miss Betsey, and even of having once, on a disputed question of supplies, made some hasty but determined arrangements to throw her out of a two pair of stairs’ window.

A person's good actions, rather than outward appeal, define his or her handsomeness in the eyes of others.


火のないところに煙は立たない

ひ の ない ところ に けむり は たたない

火(ひ)のないところに煙(けむり)は立(た)たない • (hi no nai tokoro ni kemuri wa tatanai)

火のないところに煙は立たない (canonical)
hi no nai tokoro ni kemuri wa tatanai (romanization)

[çi no̞ na̠i to̞ko̞ɾo̞ ɲ̟i ke̞mɯ̟ɾʲi β̞a̠ ta̠ta̠na̠i]

Can be broken down as 火 (hi, “fire”) + の (no, genitive particle; in subordinate clauses, can mark the subject of the clause) + ない (nai, “not, not any”) + ところ (tokoro, “place, location”) + に (ni, “at, in”, locative particle) + 煙 (kemuri, “smoke”) + は (wa, topic and contrastive particle) + 立たない (tatanai, “doesn't stand, doesn't rise”, the plain negative conjugation of verb 立つ (tatsu, “to stand, to rise”)).
Literally, "smoke doesn't rise in places with no fire".

com

the plain negative conjugation of verb <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">立つ</i> (tatsu, “to stand, to rise”)

where there's smoke, there's fire
where there's smoke, there's fire

火の無い所に煙は立たぬ

hi no nai tokoro ni kemuri wa tatanu, using the classical negative ending -nu


知識は力なり

ja-pos

ちしき は ちから なり

知(ち)識(しき)は力(ちから)なり • (chishiki wa chikara nari)

知識は力なり (canonical)
chishiki wa chikara nari (romanization)


一樹の蔭一河の流れも他生の縁

いちじゅ の かげ いちが の ながれ も たしょう の えん

一(いち)樹(じゅ)の蔭(かげ)一(いち)河(が)の流(なが)れも他(た)生(しょう)の縁(えん) • (ichiju no kage ichiga no nagare mo tashō no en)

一樹の蔭一河の流れも他生の縁 (canonical)

[it͡ɕiʑɨ no̞ ka̠ɡe̞ it͡ɕiɡa̠ no̞ na̠ɡa̠ɾe̞ mo̞ ta̠ɕo̞ː no̞ ẽ̞ɴ]

Literally, “the shade of one tree and the course of one river are all the fate of previous existence”.

lit

the events of today are destined by the past


плохому танцору и яйца мешают

head

плохо́му танцо́ру и я́йца меша́ют

плохо́му танцо́ру и я́йца меша́ют • (ploxómu tancóru i jájca mešájut)

плохо́му танцо́ру и я́йца меша́ют (canonical)
ploxómu tancóru i jájca mešájut (romanization)

[pɫɐˈxomʊ tɐnˈt͡sorʊ i ˈjæjt͡sə mʲɪˈʂajʊt]

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-плохому танцору и яйца мешают.wav

Literally, “a bad dancer is impeded even by /his own/ balls”.
The real etymology is about eggs, not balls and goes back to the time when the German egg dance (Eiertanz), a traditional Easter game, was popular, in which eggs are laid on the ground or floor and the goal is to dance among them damaging as few as possible.

lit

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

en-плохому_танцору_и_яйца_мешают-ru-proverb-jwgs6DJ-


мастер глуп — нож туп

head

ма́стер глуп — нож туп

ма́стер глуп — нож туп • (máster glup — nož tup)

ма́стер глуп — нож туп (canonical)

Literally, “stupid craftsman — dull knife”.

lit

en-мастер_глуп_—_нож_туп-ru-proverb-jwgs6DJ-


неча на зеркало пенять, коли рожа крива

head

не́ча на зе́ркало пеня́ть, ко́ли ро́жа крива́ • (néča na zérkalo penjátʹ, kóli róža krivá)

не́ча на зе́ркало пеня́ть (canonical)
ко́ли ро́жа крива́ (canonical)
néča na zérkalo penjátʹ (romanization)
kóli róža krivá (romanization)

[ˈnʲet͡ɕə nɐ‿ˈzʲerkəɫə pʲɪˈnʲætʲ | ˈkolʲɪ ˈroʐə krʲɪˈva]

Literally, “don't blame the mirror if your mug is skewed”.

lit

не́ча на ви́рус пеня́ть, ко́ли ДНК крива́

en-неча_на_зеркало_пенять,_коли_рожа_крива-ru-proverb-jwgs6DJ-


一刻千金

一刻千金 (canonical)
ikkokusenkin (romanization)

each moment is precious because time passes quickly


大器晩成

大器晩成 (canonical)
taikibansei (romanization)

great talents mature late, people of great ability develop slowly (often applied euphemistically to late bloomers)


住めば都

住めば都 (canonical)
sumeba miyako (romanization)

Phrase consisting of 住めば (sumeba, “if you live [there]”, the hypothetical conjugation of verb 住む (sumu, “to settle in a place, to live in a place”)) + 都 (miyako, “capital city”). Literally, “if you live there, it's [as good as] the capital”.

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

home is where you hang your hat
home is where you hang your hat

there's no place like home, home is where you hang your hat

Daijirin
Daijisen
Kyōsuke Kindaichi
ja:松村明


悪貨は良貨を駆逐する

ja-pos

あっか は りょうか を くちく する

悪(あっ)貨(か)は良(りょう)貨(か)を駆(く)逐(ちく)する • (akka wa ryōka o kuchiku suru)

悪貨は良貨を駆逐する (canonical)
akka wa ryōka o kuchiku suru (romanization)

bad money drives out good
bad money drives out good

bad money drives out good (debased coinage replaces purer coinage)


美人薄命

美人薄命 (canonical)
bijin hakumei (romanization)


head

gaž jo kócor z domu, ga maju myšy swóju wólu

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

when the cat's away the mice will play (literally "when the cat's out of the house, the mice will have their will")


/ˌɪst di ˈkat͡sə aʊ̯s dem ˈhaʊ̯s ˌtant͡sən di ˈmɔʏ̯zə aʊ̯f dem ˈtɪʃ/

De-ist die Katze aus dem Haus, tanzen die Mäuse auf dem Tisch.ogg

Literally, “when the cat is out of the house, the mice dance on the table”.


灯台下暗し

ja-pos

灯(とう)台(だい)下(もと)暗(くら)し • (tōdai moto kurashi)

灯台下暗し (canonical)
tōdai moto kurashi (romanization)

the darkest place is under the candlestick; can't see the wood for the trees; people often known little of what happens under their noses; lit. "dark under a candlestick"


где тонко, там и рвётся

head

где то́нко, там и рвётся

где то́нко, там и рвётся • (gde tónko, tam i rvjótsja)

где то́нко (canonical)
там и рвётся (canonical)
gde tónko (romanization)
tam i rvjótsja (romanization)

Literally, “it snaps there, where it's thin”.

lit

a chain is only as strong as its weakest link

en-где_тонко,_там_и_рвётся-ru-proverb-cNM~nDg3


百日の説法屁一つ

ja-pos

ひゃく にち の せっぽう .へ ひとつ

百(ひゃく)日(にち)の説(せっ)法(ぽう)屁(へ)一(ひと)つ • (hyaku nichi no seppō he hitotsu)

百日の説法屁一つ (canonical)
hyaku nichi no seppō he hitotsu (romanization)

“a hundred days of sermonizing, one fart” → a metaphor for how something that one has put great effort into can come to nothing after even a slight mistake, much as a hundred days of serious spiritual study can be lost to the winds


el que va a Sevilla pierde su silla

[el ke ˌβ̞a a seˌβ̞i.ʝa ˌpjeɾ.ð̞e su ˈsi.ʝa]

rural northern Spain, Andes Mountains, Philippines

[el ke ˌβ̞a a seˌβ̞i.ʎa ˌpjeɾ.ð̞e su ˈsi.ʎa]

[el ke ˌβ̞a a seˌβ̞i.ʃa ˌpjeɾ.ð̞e su ˈsi.ʃa]

[el ke ˌβ̞a a seˌβ̞i.ʒa ˌpjeɾ.ð̞e su ˈsi.ʒa]

quien va a Sevilla pierde su silla#Spanish

Alternative form of quien va a Sevilla pierde su silla


quien va a Sevilla pierde su silla

[ˌkjẽm ˌba a seˌβ̞i.ʝa ˌpjeɾ.ð̞e su ˈsi.ʝa]

[ˌkjẽm ˌba a seˌβ̞i.ʎa ˌpjeɾ.ð̞e su ˈsi.ʎa]

[ˌkjẽm ˌba a seˌβ̞i.ʃa ˌpjeɾ.ð̞e su ˈsi.ʃa]

[ˌkjẽm ˌba a seˌβ̞i.ʒa ˌpjeɾ.ð̞e su ˈsi.ʒa]

Literally, “who goes to Seville loses their seat”, the name of the city being chosen so as to have a rhyme. Compare Italian chi va a Roma perde la poltrona.

lit

move your feet, lose your seat
move your feet, lose your seat

move your feet, lose your seat (if you stand up from your seat, someone else will take it.)


el que fue a Melipilla perdió su silla

/el ke ˌfwe a meliˌpiʝa peɾˌdjo su ˈsiʝa/

[el ke ˌfwe a me.liˌpi.ʝa peɾˌð̞jo su ˈsi.ʝa]

/el ke ˌfwe a meliˌpiʎa peɾˌdjo su ˈsiʎa/

[el ke ˌfwe a me.liˌpi.ʎa peɾˌð̞jo su ˈsi.ʎa]

/el ke ˌfwe a meliˌpiʃa peɾˌdjo su ˈsiʃa/

[el ke ˌfwe a me.liˌpi.ʃa peɾˌð̞jo su ˈsi.ʃa]

/el ke ˌfwe a meliˌpiʒa peɾˌdjo su ˈsiʒa/

[el ke ˌfwe a me.liˌpi.ʒa peɾˌð̞jo su ˈsi.ʒa]

Literally, “he who went to Melipilla lost his seat”.

lit

(Chile) Alternative form of quien va a Sevilla pierde su silla


не по словам судят, а по делам

head

не по слова́м су́дят, а по дела́м

не по слова́м су́дят, а по дела́м • (ne po slovám súdjat, a po delám)

не по слова́м су́дят (canonical)
а по дела́м (canonical)
ne po slovám súdjat (romanization)
a po delám (romanization)

[nʲɪ‿pə‿sɫɐˈvam ˈsudʲət ɐ‿pə‿dʲɪˈɫam]

Literally, “they judge not by words but by deeds”.

lit

actions speak louder than words
actions speak louder than words

actions speak louder than words (it's more effective to act than speak)

en-не_по_словам_судят,_а_по_делам-ru-proverb-MjnIvgnV


隗より始めよ

隗より始めよ (canonical)
kai yori hajimeyo (romanization)

one should start a big project with immediate, practical steps; start small

the person who proposes something should be the first one to take practical steps to implement it


head

лу́чше оди́н раз уви́деть, чем сто раз услы́шать • (lúčše odín raz uvídetʹ, čem sto raz uslýšatʹ)

лу́чше оди́н раз уви́деть (canonical)
чем сто раз услы́шать (canonical)
lúčše odín raz uvídetʹ (romanization)
čem sto raz uslýšatʹ (romanization)

desc

ასჯერ გაგონილს ერთხელ ნანახი ჯობიაო

→ Georgian: ასჯერ გაგონილს ერთხელ ნანახი ჯობიაო (asǯer gagonils ertxel nanaxi ǯobiao) (calque)

[ˈɫut͡ʂʂɨ ɐˈdʲin ras ʊˈvʲidʲɪtʲ t͡ɕem ˈsto ras ʊsˈɫɨʂətʲ]

Since the 1950s; Calque from Chinese 百聞不如一見／百闻不如一见 (bǎi wén bùrú yī jiàn, “it's better to see once than hear a hundred times”).

zh-l

лучше один раз увидеть, чем сто раз услышать

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

en-лучше_один_раз_увидеть,_чем_сто_раз_услышать-ru-proverb-vOn65SJK

en-лучше_один_раз_увидеть,_чем_сто_раз_услышать-ru-proverb-~WZCAv9M


buy cheap, buy twice

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

Buying a cheap but inferior product is a false economy since it will need replacement.

goedkoop is duurkoop

buying a cheap product is a false economy


знание — сила

head

зна́ние — си́ла

зна́ние — си́ла • (znánije — síla)

зна́ние — си́ла (canonical)

ru:Знание — сила


明日の百より今日の五十

ja-pos

あす の ひゃく より きょう の ごじゅう

明日(あす)の百(ひゃく)より今日(きょう)の五(ご)十(じゅう) • (asu no hyaku yori kyō no gojū)

明日の百より今日の五十 (canonical)
asu no hyaku yori kyō no gojū (romanization)

[a̠sɨ no̞ ça̠kɯ̟ jo̞ɾʲi kʲo̞ː no̞ ɡo̞ʑɨː]

Literally, “today's 50 over tomorrow's 100”.

lit

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush


head

путь в ты́сячу вёрст начина́ется с пе́рвого ша́га • (putʹ v týsjaču vjorst načinájetsja s pérvovo šága)

[putʲ ˈf‿tɨsʲɪt͡ɕʊ vʲɵrst nət͡ɕɪˈna(j)ɪt͡sə ˈs‿pʲervəvə ˈʂaɡə]

From the quote by Chinese philosopher Laozi (c 604 bc - c 531 bc) in the Tao Te Ching, chapter 100: 千里之行，始於足下 (qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐyú zú xià, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”).

zh-l

путь в тысячу вёрст начинается с первого шага

en-путь_в_тысячу_вёрст_начинается_с_первого_шага-ru-proverb-dybB4gQr


授人以魚不如授人以漁

ㄕㄡˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧˇ ㄩˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄕㄡˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧˇ ㄩˊ

sau⁶ jan⁴ ji⁵ jyu⁴ bat¹ jyu⁴ sau⁶ jan⁴ ji⁵ jyu⁴

shou⁴ jên² i³ yü² pu⁴-ju² shou⁴ jên² i³ yü²

шоу жэнь и юй бужу шоу жэнь и юй

/ʂoʊ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ pu⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ ʂoʊ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵/

sauh yàhn yíh yùh bāt yùh sauh yàhn yíh yùh

sau⁶ jan⁴ ji⁵ jy⁴ bat⁷ jy⁴ sau⁶ jan⁴ ji⁵ jy⁴

seo⁶ yen⁴ yi⁵ yu⁴ bed¹ yu⁴ seo⁶ yen⁴ yi⁵ yu⁴

/sɐu̯²² jɐn²¹ jiː¹³ jyː²¹ pɐt̚⁵ jyː²¹ sɐu̯²² jɐn²¹ jiː¹³ jyː²¹/

魚 (OC *ŋa, “fish”) and 漁 (OC *ŋa, “fishing”) have been homophonic since Old Chinese, both derived from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-ŋja (“fish”).

giving a person fish is not as good as teaching a person to fish

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


head

yksi kuva kertoo enemmän kuin tuhat sanaa

yksi (“one”) kuva (“picture”) kertoo (“tells”) enemmän (“more”) kuin (“than”) tuhat (“thousand”) sanaa (“words”)


все дороги ведут в Рим

все доро́ги веду́т в Рим

все доро́ги веду́т в Рим • (vse dorógi vedút v Rim)

все доро́ги веду́т в Рим (canonical)
vse dorógi vedút v Rim (romanization)

Ru-все дороги ведут в Рим.ogg

all roads lead to Rome
all roads lead to Rome

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

en-все_дороги_ведут_в_Рим-ru-proverb-12go3~yt


転ばぬ先の杖

ja-pos

ころばぬ さき の つえ

転(ころ)ばぬ先(さき)の杖(つえ) • (korobanu saki no tsue)

転ばぬ先の杖 (canonical)
korobanu saki no tsue (romanization)

better safe than sorry
better safe than sorry

better safe than sorry, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure


治に居て乱を忘れず

ち に いて らん を わすれず

治(ち)に居(い)て乱(らん)を忘(わす)れず • (chi ni ite ran o wasurezu)

治に居て乱を忘れず (canonical)
chi ni ite ran o wasurezu (romanization)

Partial calque of Literary Chinese 治而不忘亂. From I Ching 易經·繫辭下. Originally read as 治(おさ)まりて乱(みだ)るるを忘(わす)れず (osamarite midaruru o wasurezu) in kanbun kundoku. Back-formation of this form in pseudo-kanbun would be 居治而不忘亂.

ja-r

おさまりて みだるる を わすれず

In times of prosperity, prepare for adversity.


六十の手習い

ja-pos

ろくじゅう の てならい

六(ろく)十(じゅう)の手(て)習(なら)い • (rokujū no tenarai)

六十の手習い (canonical)
rokujū no tenarai (romanization)

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


教うるは学ぶの半ば

おしうる は まなぶ の なかば

教(おし)うるは学(まな)ぶの半(なか)ば • (oshiuru wa manabu no nakaba)

教うるは学ぶの半ば (canonical)
oshiuru wa manabu no nakaba (romanization)

By teaching, we learn. Docendo discimus.


後悔先に立たず

こうかい さき に たたず

後(こう)悔(かい)先(さき)に立(た)たず • (kōkai saki ni tatazu)

後悔先に立たず (canonical)
kōkai saki ni tatazu (romanization)

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


千里の道も一歩より始まる

千里の道も一歩より始まる

せんり の みち も いっぽ より はじまる

千(せん)里(り)の道(みち)も一(いっ)歩(ぽ)より始(はじ)まる • (senri no michi mo ippo yori hajimaru)

千里の道も一歩より始まる (canonical)
senri no michi mo ippo yori hajimaru (romanization)

Partial calque of Literary Chinese 千里之行，始於足下 (qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐyú zú xià, literally “a road of a thousand li begins with a step”).
The back-formation of this form in pseudo-kanbun would be 千里之道，自一步始.


elçiye zeval olmaz

Literally “for the ambassador no doom exists”.
Compare Kumyk элчиге оьлюм ёкъ (elçige ölüm yoq).

cog

элчиге оьлюм ёкъ

don't shoot the messenger
don't shoot the messenger#English

don't shoot the messenger (the bearer of bad news should not be held accountable for the bad news)


do as I say, not as I do

do as I say and not as I do
do as I say and not as I do#English

Alternative form of do as I say and not as I do


de cost gaet voor de baet uyt

de kost gaat voor de baat uit
de kost gaat voor de baat uit#Dutch

(early 17th century) Obsolete spelling of de kost gaat voor de baat uit.


head

De-in der Liebe und im Krieg ist alles erlaubt.ogg

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


let a thousand flowers bloom

A calque of Sinitic 百花齊放，百家爭鳴 ("let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend"), from various speeches made by Mao Zedong during the 1950s.

It is probably safe to say that each year thousands of workers are victims of what might be called the “let a thousand flowers bloom” maneuver, formulated by Mao Tse-tung when he controlled the world's most populous country.

2002, Robert J. Sternberg, Todd I. Lubart, Defying the Crowd, page 1:

There's no haggling over specs or schedules. It's simply: let a thousand flowers bloom (or 140,000 flowers and growing, to be more exact)

2008, Don Tapscott, Anthony D. Williams, Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, page 195:

One theory advanced by James Brian Quin, a strategy theorist, and others on how to find and develop successful new businesses is to 'let a thousand flowers bloom', tend those that thrive, and let the rest wither.

2010, Damien McLoughlin, David A. Aaker, Strategic Market Management: Global Perspectives, page 268:

But if you devolve power and resources to local entities—the “let a thousand flowers bloom” approach— you get uneven results.

2011, Michael Fullan, The Six Secrets of Change, page 12:

One should not interfere with promising developments in their early stages.


يد واحدة ماتسقفش

يد واحدَة ماتسقفش

يد واحدَة ماتسقفش • (īd waḥda ma-tsaʾʾaf-š)

يد واحدَة ماتسقفش (canonical)
īd waḥda ma-tsaʾʾaf-š (romanization)

one hand doesn't clap; i.e., cooperation from all sides is necessary to accomplish anything


de kost gaat voor de baat uit

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

one has to invest before one can reap the profits or rewards. Often used in the same context as English proverb "no pain, no gain".


終わり良ければすべて良し

ja-pos

おわり よければ すべて よし

終(お)わり良(よ)ければすべて良(よ)し • (owari yokereba subete yoshi)

終わり良ければすべて良し (canonical)
owari yokereba subete yoshi (romanization)

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


cucullus non facit monachum

[kʊˈkʊlːʲʊs̠ noːn ˈfäkɪt̪ ˈmɔnäkʰʊ̃ˑ]

Literally, "the cowl does not make the monk". Compare l'abito non fa il monaco

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


گاتے گاتے کلاونت ہو جاتے ہیں

head

گاتے گاتے کلاونت ہو جاتے ہیں

गाते गाते कलावंत हो जाते हैं

گاتے گاتے کلاونت ہو جاتے ہیں • (gāte gāte kalāvant ho jāte ha͠i) (Hindi spelling गाते गाते कलावंत हो जाते हैं)

gāte gāte kalāvant ho jāte ha͠i (romanization)
गाते गाते कलावंत हो जाते हैं (Hindi)

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect

practice makes perfect (singing for a very long time inspires the perfect sound)

en-گاتے_گاتے_کلاونت_ہو_جاتے_ہیں-ur-proverb-L7JyZhly


گانتھ کا پورا عقل کا اندھا

گانٹھ کا پورا عقل کا اندھا

गाँठ का पूरा, अक़्ल का अंधा

گانٹھ کا پورا عقل کا اندھا • (gānṭh kā pūrā, 'aqal kā andhā) (Hindi spelling गाँठ का पूरा, अक़्ल का अंधा)

گانٹھ کا پورا عقل کا اندھا (canonical)
gānṭh kā pūrā (romanization)
'aqal kā andhā (romanization)
गाँठ का पूरा, अक़्ल का अंधा (Hindi)

penny wise and pound foolish
penny wise and pound foolish

en-گانتھ_کا_پورا_عقل_کا_اندھا-ur-proverb-p1135QkV


از دل نرود هر آنکه از دیده برفت

از دل نرود هر آنکه از دیده برفت

از دل نرود هر آنکه از دیده برفت • (az del naravad har ânke az dide beraft)

az del naravad har ânke az dide beraft (romanization)

It's hard to forget the beloved, even though s/he is not nearby any more.

en-از_دل_نرود_هر_آنکه_از_دیده_برفت-fa-proverb-jtKNFAcV


از دل برود هر آنکه از دیده برفت

از دل برود هر آنکه از دیده برفت

از دل برود هر آنکه از دیده برفت • (az del beravad har ânke az dide beraft)

az del beravad har ânke az dide beraft (romanization)

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

en-از_دل_برود_هر_آنکه_از_دیده_برفت-fa-proverb-4-tinDPo


思う念力岩をも通す

ja-pos

おも.う ねんりき いわ を も とおす

思(おも)う念(ねん)力(りき)岩(いわ)をも通(とお)す • (omou nenriki iwa o mo tōsu)

思う念力岩をも通す (canonical)
omou nenriki iwa o mo tōsu (romanization)

where there is a will
where there is a will


je mehr, desto besser

the more the merrier
the more the merrier


eaten bread is soon forgotten

Promised increases in productivity following previous pay rises never materialised -- as eaten bread is soon forgotten -- but we'll be paying for the crumbs for a long time to come.

2008 July 6, Ciara Kelly, “We're paying the price of union power”, in Irish Independent:

Eaten bread is soon forgotten, as we do seem to quickly forget the immense funding we did receive from the EEC and then the EU over 30 years, culminating in almost IR£1bn in the late 1990s, under Albert Reynolds's time as Taoiseach.

2011 August 13, Mary Sullivan, “We must live on less, but can our TDs?”, in Irish Independent:

It is obvious that eaten bread is soon forgotten by anyone asking teachers to take another one for the team.

2012 February 27, Noreen Flynn, “Further pay cuts for teachers”, in The Irish Times:

(Ireland) Kind deeds or favors are often forgotten by the beneficiary once they have been done.


an army marches on its stomach

Unknown; first attributed to Frederick the Great, and often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte.

You must eat properly if you want to perform tasks well.


third time's the charm

third time's a charm
third time's a charm#English

Alternative form of third time's a charm


might is right

might makes right
might makes right#English


when one door shuts, another door opens

when one door closes, another opens#English

Alternative form of when one door closes, another opens


head

when one door closes, another door opens


hope springs eternal in the human breast

hope springs eternal
hope springs eternal#English

Alternative form of hope springs eternal


when one door closes, another opens

An excellent reason for absenting himself from school was thus denied to Master Hardy; but it has been well said that when one door closes another opens, and to his great satisfaction the old servant, who had been in poor health for some time, suddenly took to her bed and required his undivided attention.

1902, W. W. Jacobs, chapter 4, in At Sunwich Portt:

When one door closes, another opens: those eliminated in the early rounds of the Spingold Knockout in Las Vegas, Nev., in August were able to shoot for the national men's and women's Swiss team events.

1985 October 4, Alan Truscott, “Bridge: New York Area Team Finds A Silver Lining in Its Cloud”, in New York Times, retrieved 2013-05-06:

"When one door closes, another opens," the former Stamps president mused yesterday after being fired by the team's new ownership group.

2005 January 14, Dan Toth, “'I've had a great run': Rooke 'very emotional' after firing”, in Calgary Sun, Canada, retrieved 2013-05-06:

When one opportunity is lost, another opportunity soon becomes available.

kiedy jedne drzwi się zamykają, drugie się otwierają


hope springs eternal

Ellipsis of hope springs eternal in the human breast, a quotation from An Essay on Man (1734) by Alexander Pope.

ellipsis

Hope''' ſprings eternal in the human breaſt; / Man never is, but always to be bleſt.

1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], epistle I, London: Printed for J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC, page 7, lines 91–92:

Night after night his disappointment is acute, but hope springs eternal in the scholastic breast, and he follows me again to-morrow.

1864 May – 1865 November, Charles Dickens, “Scouts Out”, in Our Mutual Friend. […], volume II, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1865, →OCLC, book the third (A Long Lane), page 95:

But, as hope springs eternal in the human breast, he still goes from doctor to doctor for fresh advice.

1915, Elinor Glyn, “The Gospel of Common Sense”, in Three Things:

But hope springs eternal in diehard Tiger fans, and Peter is convinced that someday, somehow, he and his son will see Detroit clinch a championship.

2003 April 23, Leon Jaroff, “Hold that Tiger”, in Time, archived from the original on 2013-05-02:

The feeling of hopefulness endlessly renews itself.

Alexander Pope
An Essay on Man
hope springs eternal

the feeling of hopefulness endlessly renews itself

لَا يَأْسَ مَعَ ٱلْحَيَاةِ (lā yaʔsa maʕa l-ḥayāti, literally “there's no despair with life”)

наде́жда умира́ет после́дней (nadéžda umirájet poslédnej, literally “hope dies last”)

hoppet är det sista som överger en människa


my enemy's enemy is my friend

the enemy of my enemy is my friend#English

Alternative form of the enemy of my enemy is my friend


the enemy of my enemy is my friend

It is sometimes necessary to cooperate with a person one does not like or agree with, in order to combat a common threat.

عَدُوُّ عَدُوِّي صَدِيقِي

it is sometimes necessary to cooperate with a person one does not like or agree with, in order to combat a common threat

敌人的敌人就是朋友

dik⁶ jan⁴ dik¹ dik⁶ jan⁴ zau⁶ si⁶ pang⁴ jau⁵

de vijand van mijn vijand is mijn vriend

la malamiko de mia malamiko estas mia amiko

der Feind meines Feindes ist mein Freund

wróg mojego wroga jest moim przyjacielem

dușmanul dușmanului meu este prietenul meu

враг моего врага — мой друг (vrag mojevo vraga — moj drug)

ворог мого ворога — мій друг (voroh moho voroha — mij druh)

kẻ thù của kẻ thù của tôi là bạn của tôi


tous les chemins mènent à Rome

Fr-Paris--tous les chemins mènent à Rome.ogg

Tous les chemins mènent à Rome / même si c’est de Rome qu’on est parti

1957, “La Java Javanaise”, Boris Vian (lyrics), Louis Massis (music):

All roads lead to Rome / even if Rome is where you started from

all roads lead to Rome
all roads lead to Rome

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

all roads lead to Rome; there's more than one way to skin a cat


quien calla, otorga

Literally, “(he) who quiets down, grants”.

lit

silence gives consent
silence gives consent


quien a hierro mata, a hierro muere

Literally, “he who kills by iron, dies by iron”.

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


head

quien a buen árbol se arrima, buena sombra le cobija

Literally, “(he) who comes close to a good tree, good shade shelters him”.

lit

it's not what you know but who you know
it's not what you know but who you know


quien algo quiere, algo le cuesta

Literally, “he who loves something, finds it difficult”.


qui tacet consentire videtur

quī tacet cōnsentīre vidētur (canonical)

/kʷiː ˈta.ket kon.senˈtiː.re u̯iˈdeː.tur/

[kʷiː ˈt̪äkɛt̪ kõːs̠ɛn̪ˈt̪iːrɛ u̯ɪˈd̪eːt̪ʊr]

[kwiː ˈt̪äːt͡ʃet̪ konsen̪ˈt̪iːre viˈd̪ɛːt̪ur]

he who is silent is understood to consent


quien mucho abarca, poco aprieta

/ˌkjem ˌmut͡ʃo aˌbaɾka | ˌpoko aˈpɾjeta/

[ˌkjẽm ˌmu.t͡ʃo aˌβ̞aɾ.ka | ˌpo.ko aˈpɾje.t̪a]

Literally, “he who embraces a lot, clasps little”. From Aesop's fable The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs. Compare French qui trop embrasse mal étreint and Italian chi troppo vuole nulla stringe.

Aesop
The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs


quien tiene boca, se equivoca

[ˌkjẽn̪ ˌt̪je.ne ˌβ̞o.ka | se e.kiˈβ̞o.ka]

Literally, “he who has mouth, is wrong”, playing on the internal rhyme boca (“mouth”)/equivoca (“he/she mistakes”).

when speaking, it is normal to say something wrong; everything one says cannot always be right or true


為せば成る

為せば成る (canonical)
naseba naru (romanization)


quien no llora, no mama

Literally, “he who doesn't weep, doesn't breastfeed”.

lit

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


donde fueres haz lo que vieres

allá donde fueres, haz lo que vieres#Spanish

Alternative form of allá donde fueres, haz lo que vieres


head

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

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

en el mundo de los ciegos, el tuerto es rey

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


沈黙は金雄弁は銀

ja-pos

ちんもく は きん ゆうべん は ぎん

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

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

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


head

quien parte y reparte se lleva la mejor parte

/ˌkjem ˌpaɾte i reˌpaɾte se ˌʝeba la meˌxoɾ ˈpaɾte/

[ˌkjẽm ˌpaɾ.t̪e i reˌpaɾ.t̪e se ˌʝe.β̞a la meˌxoɾ ˈpaɾ.t̪e]

/ˌkjem ˌpaɾte i reˌpaɾte se ˌʎeba la meˌxoɾ ˈpaɾte/

[ˌkjẽm ˌpaɾ.t̪e i reˌpaɾ.t̪e se ˌʎe.β̞a la meˌxoɾ ˈpaɾ.t̪e]

/ˌkjem ˌpaɾte i reˌpaɾte se ˌʃeba la meˌxoɾ ˈpaɾte/

[ˌkjẽm ˌpaɾ.t̪e i reˌpaɾ.t̪e se ˌʃe.β̞a la meˌxoɾ ˈpaɾ.t̪e]

/ˌkjem ˌpaɾte i reˌpaɾte se ˌʒeba la meˌxoɾ ˈpaɾte/

[ˌkjẽm ˌpaɾ.t̪e i reˌpaɾ.t̪e se ˌʒe.β̞a la meˌxoɾ ˈpaɾ.t̪e]

Literally, “he who divides and distributes takes the best part”.

lit

if you share out, you get the lion's share for yourself


遠くの親類より近くの他人

ja-pos

とおく の しんるい より ちかく の たにん

遠(とお)くの親(しん)類(るい)より近(ちか)くの他(た)人(にん) • (tōku no shinrui yori chikaku no tanin)

遠くの親類より近くの他人 (canonical)
tōku no shinrui yori chikaku no tanin (romanization)

[to̞ːkɯ̟ no̞ ɕĩn̺ɾɯ̟i jo̞ɾʲi t͡ɕika̠kɯ̟ no̞ ta̠ɲ̟ĩɴ]

Literally, "Neighbors nearby over family far away." People often rely more on unrelated people close to them rather than family who are living far away, in particular during times of disaster.


all cats are grey by night

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

Alternative form of all cats are grey in the dark


勝てば官軍負ければ賊軍

かてば かんぐん まければ ぞくぐん

勝(か)てば官(かん)軍(ぐん)負(ま)ければ賊(ぞく)軍(ぐん) • (kateba kangun makereba zokugun)

勝てば官軍負ければ賊軍 (canonical)
kateba kangun makereba zokugun (romanization)

Literally "In victory you are the government army, in defeat you are the rebels".


niet geschoten is altijd mis

Roughly, “not shooting always equals missing”, or “[a shot] not fired always misses”.

nothing ventured, nothing gained
nothing ventured, nothing gained

fortune favors the bold
fortune favors the bold

nothing ventured, nothing gained; it is worth a shot; he who dares, wins; fortune favors the bold


wie niet waagt, wie niet wint

wie niet waagt, die niet wint
wie niet waagt, die niet wint#Dutch

Alternative form of wie niet waagt, die niet wint


de beste stuurlui staan aan wal

Literally, “the best helmsmen stand on the shore”.

lit

it's easy to criticize other people's work when you're not the one doing it. Compare also a backseat driver


δεν υπάρχει καπνός χωρίς φωτιά

head

δεν υπάρχει καπνός χωρίς φωτιά • (den ypárchei kapnós chorís fotiá)

den ypárchei kapnós chorís fotiá (romanization)

no smoke without fire
no smoke without fire

en-δεν_υπάρχει_καπνός_χωρίς_φωτιά-el-proverb-IjWPD2KP


if the shoe fits, wear it

"Do you mean to insult me by that?" he roared.
"If the shoe fits, you can wear it."
"I'll knock you down for the insult."

1901, Horatio Alger, chapter 18, in Young Captain Jack:

(idiomatic) If a description fits, it is probably the case; if an insult accurately describes you, you must bear it; if you take offence at an insult that was only implicitly directed at you, you admit the insult is true enough to be recognizable.

a el que le quede el saco, que se lo ponga

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

(idiomatic) If it works, there is not a problem using it. Often a response to being judged when using an incorrect tool.


二十日

Two likely derivations:
* From 二十 (hata, “twenty”, by way of apophonic form hatsu-) + 日 (-ka, counter for days), or
* A shift from 二十歳 (hatachi, “twenty(years old)”) + 日 (-ka, counter for days):
*: /ɸatat͡ɕi ka/ → */ɸat̚t͡ɕɨka/ → /ɸat͡ɕuka/ → /hat͡ɕuka/

suffix

蛍(ほたる)二十(はつ)日(か)に蝉(せみ)三(みっ)日(か) 蛍二十日に蝉三日#Japanese

蛍(ほたる)二十(はつ)日(か)に蝉(せみ)三(みっ)日(か) (hotaru hatsuka ni semi mikka)


head

не ищи́ сори́нку в чужо́м глазу́, не замеча́я бревна́ в своём • (ne iščí sorínku v čužóm glazú, ne zamečája brevná v svojóm)

не ищи́ сори́нку в чужо́м глазу́ (canonical)
не замеча́я бревна́ в своём (canonical)
ne iščí sorínku v čužóm glazú (romanization)
ne zamečája brevná v svojóm (romanization)

[nʲɪ‿ɪˈɕːi sɐˈrʲinkʊ f‿t͡ɕʊˈʐom ɡɫɐˈzu | nʲɪ‿zəmʲɪˈt͡ɕæjə brʲɪvˈna f‿svɐˈjɵm]

From Matthew 7:3 in the Bible. Literally, “do not look for the mote in another's eye, while not noticing the beam in one’s own”.

lit

не ищи соринку в чужом глазу, не замечая бревна в своём

people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

en-не_ищи_соринку_в_чужом_глазу,_не_замечая_бревна_в_своём-ru-proverb-svKhW7-N


pojat ovat poikia

pojat (“the boys”) ovat (“are”) poikia (“boys”)


en casa de herrero, cuchillo de palo

Literally, “in the blacksmith's house, wooden knife”. Compare Portuguese em casa de ferreiro, o espeto é de pau.

cog

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

the shoemaker's children go barefoot (indicates that certain things or attitudes are missing precisely where they would be appropriate or expected)


head

aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda

/ˌaunke la ˌmona se ˌbista de ˌseda | ˌmona se ˈkeda/

[ˌãũŋ.ke la ˌmo.na se ˌβ̞is.t̪a ð̞e ˌse.ð̞a | ˌmo.na se ˈke.ð̞a]

Literally, “although the she-monkey may be dressed in silk, she remains a monkey”.

lit

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


head

dobrymi chęciami jest piekło wybrukowane

/dɔbˈrɘ.mi xɛɲˈt͡ɕa.mi jɛst ˈpjɛk.wɔ vɘb.ru.kɔˈva.nɛ/

Literally, “hell is paved with good intentions”.

lit

dobrymi chęciami piekło jest wybrukowane#Polish

(idiomatic) Alternative form of dobrymi chęciami piekło jest wybrukowane


head

out of the mouths of babes and sucklings

out of the mouths of babes
out of the mouths of babes#English

Alternative form of out of the mouths of babes


天生我材必有用

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄕㄥ ㄨㄛˇ ㄘㄞˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄩㄥˋ

тянь шэн во цай би ю юн

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ wɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ pi⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ jʊŋ⁵¹/

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ sɐŋ⁵⁵ ŋɔː¹³ t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹ piːt̚⁵ jɐu̯¹³ jʊŋ²²/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴ siɪŋ⁴⁴ ŋɔ̃⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sai²⁴ pit̚³²⁻⁴ iu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ iɔŋ³³/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴ siɪŋ⁴⁴ ŋɔ̃⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡sai²³ pit̚³²⁻⁴ iu⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ iɔŋ³³/

Heaven has made us talents; we're not made in vain.
A thousand gold coins spent, more will turn up again.

Qiang Jin Jiu, Translated by Yang Xianyi

Tiān shēng wǒ cái bì yǒu yòng, qiānjīn sàn jìn huán fùlái.

天生我材必有用，千金散盡還復來。

天生我材必有用，千金散尽还复来。

Everybody has something that they were born to be good at; if you search hard enough, you will find your niche in life; everyone is put on this Earth to achieve something.


είπε ο γάιδαρος τον πετεινό κεφάλα

είπε ο γάιδαρος τον πετεινό κεφάλα • (eípe o gáidaros ton peteinó kefála)

eípe o gáidaros ton peteinó kefála (romanization)

the pot calling the kettle black
pot calling the kettle black

en-είπε_ο_γάιδαρος_τον_πετεινό_κεφάλα-el-proverb-V5OyNNeq


l'heûsi n'a janmais ieu à emprunter du tardi

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


discretion is the better part of valor

discretion is the better part of valour#English

(US) Alternative spelling of discretion is the better part of valour


different strokes for different folks

1950s US origin, popularized by Muhammad Ali (1966) and later the song "Everyday People" by Sly Stone (1968).

There is a yellow one that won't accept the black one / That won't accept the red one, that won't accept the white one / Different strokes for different folks

1968, “Everyday People”, in Stand!, performed by Sly and the Family Stone:

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

Different people like different things; there's no accounting for taste.


en-proverb

even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while

A usually unreliable person can be right sometimes, even if it is just by chance.

愚者千慮，必有一得

a usually unreliable person can be right sometimes

auch ein blindes Huhn findet mal ein Korn

en blind höna finner också stundom ett korn

even a blind pig can find an acorn once in a while

even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then

even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every once in a while


The Lord works in mysterious ways

I was just saying to Lina here, ain't it something," she said. "You join a committee against mugging, annd the same night you get mugged! Well, the Lord works in mysterious ways, like my friend Fran used to say. Now Lina here, she could use a committee too, couldn't you honey?"

1980 December 27, Andrea Loewenstein, “Voices in the Night”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 23, page 12:

God works in mysterious ways
God works in mysterious ways#English

Alternative form of God works in mysterious ways


la cabeza blanca y el seso por venir

Literally, “the grey head and the brains forthcoming”.

lit

there's no fool like an old fool
there's no fool like an old fool

más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo


head

tchi s'tcheint à la preunmié broque né tchèrra janmais d'bein haut

Jer-Tchi s'tcheint à la preunmié broque né tchèrra janmais d'bein haut.ogg

nothing ventured, nothing gained
nothing ventured, nothing gained

(Jersey) nothing ventured, nothing gained


хорошее начало полдела откачало

хоро́шее нача́ло полде́ла откача́ло

хоро́шее нача́ло полде́ла откача́ло • (xoróšeje načálo poldéla otkačálo)

хоро́шее нача́ло полде́ла откача́ло (canonical)
xoróšeje načálo poldéla otkačálo (romanization)

[xɐˈroʂɨje nɐˈt͡ɕaɫə pɐɫˈdʲeɫə ɐtkɐˈt͡ɕaɫə]

Literally, “a good beginning has pumped out half the job (already)”.

lit

a good beginning makes a good ending#English

well begun is half done
well begun is half done#English

a good beginning makes a good ending (good beginnings promise a good end); well begun is half done (much depends on the beginning of an endeavour)

en-хорошее_начало_полдела_откачало-ru-proverb-rR2~57pO


всему приходит конец

head

всему́ прихо́дит коне́ц

всему́ прихо́дит коне́ц • (vsemú prixódit konéc)

всему́ прихо́дит коне́ц (canonical)
vsemú prixódit konéc (romanization)

Literally, “an end comes to everything”.

all good things come to an end
all good things come to an end


зарекалась лиса кур не воровать

зарека́лась лиса́ кур не ворова́ть

зарека́лась лиса́ кур не ворова́ть • (zarekálasʹ lisá kur ne vorovátʹ)

зарека́лась лиса́ кур не ворова́ть (canonical)
zarekálasʹ lisá kur ne vorovátʹ (romanization)

Literally, “the fox promised not to steal chickens”.

lit

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

волк ка́ждый год линя́ет, а всё сер быва́ет

ско́лько во́лка ни корми́, он всё в лес смо́трит

en-зарекалась_лиса_кур_не_воровать-ru-proverb-uze4DXPJ


у лжи короткие ноги

head

у лжи́ коро́ткие но́ги

у лжи́ коро́ткие но́ги • (u lží korótkije nógi)

у лжи́ коро́ткие но́ги (canonical)
u lží korótkije nógi (romanization)

[ʊ‿ˈɫʐɨ kɐˈrotkʲɪje ˈnoɡʲɪ]

Literally, “a lie has short legs”. Probably a calque of German Lügen haben kurze Beine (“lies have short legs”).


ночью все кошки серы

head

но́чью все ко́шки се́ры

но́чью все ко́шки се́ры • (nóčʹju vse kóški séry)

но́чью все ко́шки се́ры (canonical)
nóčʹju vse kóški séry (romanization)

Cf. earlier French la nuit, tous les chats sont gris (“all cats are gray in the dark”).

der

"At night, all cats are gray": The innocent and guilty are blamed alike in bad situations

en-ночью_все_кошки_серы-ru-proverb-176ClkwU


чёрного кобеля не отмоешь добела

head

чёрного кобеля́ не отмо́ешь добела́

чёрного кобеля́ не отмо́ешь добела́ • (čórnovo kobeljá ne otmóješʹ dobelá)

чёрного кобеля́ не отмо́ешь добела́ (canonical)
čórnovo kobeljá ne otmóješʹ dobelá (romanization)

[ˈt͡ɕɵrnəvə kəbʲɪˈlʲa nʲɪ‿ɐtˈmo(j)ɪʐ dəbʲɪˈɫa]

Literally, “you can’t wash a black dog to make it white”.

lit

en-чёрного_кобеля_не_отмоешь_добела-ru-proverb-uze4DXPJ


горбатого могила исправит

head

горба́того моги́ла испра́вит

горба́того моги́ла испра́вит • (gorbátovo mogíla isprávit)

горба́того моги́ла испра́вит (canonical)
gorbátovo mogíla isprávit (romanization)

[ɡɐrˈbatəvə mɐˈɡʲiɫə ɪˈspravʲɪt]

Literally, “only the grave can straighten the hunchback”.

lit

en-горбатого_могила_исправит-ru-proverb-uze4DXPJ


squeaky wheels get oiled

We have to run that risk because the only people who eventually get their piece of the pie are those who uppity, pushy, and blatant. Squeaky wheels get oiled.

1984 August 18, Jim Ryan, “Pride — D.C. Style”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 6, page 5:

the squeaky wheel gets the grease#English

Alternative form of the squeaky wheel gets the grease


head

ско́лько во́лка ни корми́, он всё в лес смо́трит • (skólʹko vólka ni kormí, on vsjo v les smótrit)

ско́лько во́лка ни корми́ (canonical)
он всё в лес смо́трит (canonical)
skólʹko vólka ni kormí (romanization)
on vsjo v les smótrit (romanization)

[ˈskolʲkə ˈvoɫkə nʲɪ‿kɐrˈmʲi | on fsʲɵ ˈv‿lʲes ˈsmotrʲɪt]

Literally, “however good you feed the wolf, it still looks onto the forest”.

lit

сколько волка ни корми, он всё в лес смотрит

en-сколько_волка_ни_корми,_он_всё_в_лес_смотрит-ru-proverb-uze4DXPJ


на лжи далеко не уедешь

head

на лжи́ далеко́ не уе́дешь

на лжи́ далеко́ не уе́дешь • (na lží dalekó ne ujédešʹ)

на лжи́ далеко́ не уе́дешь (canonical)
na lží dalekó ne ujédešʹ (romanization)

[nɐ‿ˈɫʐɨ dəlʲɪˈko nʲɪ‿ʊˈjedʲɪʂ]

Literally, “you will not go far on a lie”.

lit

en-на_лжи_далеко_не_уедешь-ru-proverb-FkX6Ywi1


всё хорошо, что хорошо кончается

head

всё хорошо́, что хорошо́ конча́ется

всё хорошо́, что хорошо́ конча́ется • (vsjo xorošó, što xorošó končájetsja)

всё хорошо́ (canonical)
что хорошо́ конча́ется (canonical)
vsjo xorošó (romanization)
što xorošó končájetsja (romanization)

[fsʲɵ xərɐˈʂo | ʂto xərɐˈʂo kɐnʲˈt͡ɕæ(j)ɪt͡sə]

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

en-всё_хорошо,_что_хорошо_кончается-ru-proverb-NcrRx5jw


в любви и на войне все средства хороши

в любви́ и на войне́ все сре́дства хороши́ • (v ljubví i na vojné vse srédstva xoroší)

v ljubví i na vojné vse srédstva xoroší (romanization)

[v‿lʲʊbˈvʲi i nə‿vɐjˈnʲe ˈfsʲe ˈsrʲet͡stvə xərɐˈʂɨ]

[v‿lʲʉbʲˈvʲi i nə‿vɐjˈnʲe ˈfsʲe ˈsrʲet͡stvə xərɐˈʂɨ]

Literally, “in love and in war all means are good”.

lit

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

en-в_любви_и_на_войне_все_средства_хороши-ru-proverb-duCjR09g


с кем поведёшься, от того и наберёшься

head

с кем поведёшься, от того́ и наберёшься

с кем поведёшься, от того́ и наберёшься • (s kem povedjóšʹsja, ot tovó i naberjóšʹsja)

с кем поведёшься (canonical)
от того́ и наберёшься (canonical)
s kem povedjóšʹsja (romanization)
ot tovó i naberjóšʹsja (romanization)

[ˈs‿kʲem pəvʲɪˈdʲɵʂsʲə | ɐt‿tɐˈvo i nəbʲɪˈrʲɵʂsʲə]

Literally, “with whom you make friends, from them will you gain”.

lit

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

a man is known by the company he keeps, he who lies down with dogs, gets up with fleas

en-с_кем_поведёшься,_от_того_и_наберёшься-ru-proverb-Gw-za49O


head

скажи́ мне, кто твой друг, и я скажу́ тебе́, кто ты • (skaží mne, kto tvoj drug, i ja skažú tebé, kto ty)

скажи́ мне (canonical)
кто твой друг (canonical)
и я скажу́ тебе́ (canonical)
кто ты (canonical)
skaží mne (romanization)
kto tvoj drug (romanization)
i ja skažú tebé (romanization)
kto ty (romanization)

[skɐˈʐɨ mnʲe | kto tvoj druk | i ja skɐˈʐu tʲɪˈbʲe | kto tɨ]

Literally, “tell me who your friend is, and I’ll tell you who you are”.

lit

скажи мне, кто твой друг, и я скажу тебе, кто ты

en-скажи_мне,_кто_твой_друг,_и_я_скажу_тебе,_кто_ты-ru-proverb-qIphIxGJ


her çı zano once buro

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

(idiomatic) (What known donkeys eat from alfalfa)


wanton kittens make sober cats

People who are unruly and reckless in youth may nevertheless turn out to be responsible adults.


perro ladrador, poco mordedor

Literally, “barking dog, not very biting”.

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite

dime de qué presumes y te diré de qué careces


promessa é dívida

a promise is a debt; used to demand or encourage someone to live up to his promises


better dead than Red

better dead than red
better dead than red#English

Alternative form of better dead than red


better dead than red

Canon Collins urged the electors to reject the candidate nominated by the Crown, Dr. R. W. Stopford, Bishop of Peterborough, who, he claimed, had said "it would be better to have nuclear war than to permit Communist domination over Britain." Canon Collins said: "I cannot believe it is proper for a bishop of the church to encourage the idea which is popularly expressed In the formula ‘better dead than red.’"

1961 August 14, “Canon Causes Stir At Church Election”, in The Age, Australia, retrieved 2013-10-30, page 11:

The recertification of El Salvador's progress on human rights is nothing but a basic restatement of the Reagan foreign policy, which is "better dead than Red."

1982 July 30, Mary McGrory, “Reagan View: El Salvador's slaughter better than communism”, in Spokane Chronicle, retrieved 2013-10-30, page 6:

In a country whose motto not long ago was “Better dead than Red”, it is ironic that today Time Magazine awarded Vladimir Putin the “Man of the Year Award”.

2007 December 20, Karen Fish, “Watch Hillary Clinton Vehemently Vow to Raise Taxes and Vote for War”, in San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center, retrieved 2013-10-30:

(politics) It is preferable to be deceased than to be a Communist or ruled by Communists.


浮雲

[ɯ̟kʲiɡɯ̟mo̞]

Shift from older ukikumo, itself a compound of 浮(う)き (uki, “floating”) + 雲(くも) (kumo, “cloud”). The kumo changes to gumo as an instance of rendaku (連濁).


浮雲

From Middle Chinese compound 浮雲 (MC bjuw hjun).


start from where you are

Attributed to Edmund Burke (1727-1797) as "If you want to get anywhere, you must start from where you are."


fr-proverb

dis-moi qui tu fréquentes et je te dirai qui tu es

/di.mwa ki ty fʁe.kɑ̃.t‿e ʒ(ə) tə di.ʁɛ ki ty ɛ/

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


the devil is in the detail

the devil is in the details
the devil is in the details#English

Alternative form of the devil is in the details


più siamo meglio è

Literally, “the more we are the better it is.”

the more the merrier
the more the merrier


новая метла по-новому метёт

head

но́вая метла́ по-но́вому метёт

но́вая метла́ по-но́вому метёт • (nóvaja metlá po-nóvomu metjót)

но́вая метла́ по-но́вому метёт (canonical)
nóvaja metlá po-nóvomu metjót (romanization)

[ˈnovəjə mʲɪtˈɫa pɐ‿ˈnovəmʊ mʲɪˈtʲɵt]

Literally, “a new broom sweeps in a new way”.

lit

a new broom sweeps clean
a new broom sweeps clean

a new broom sweeps clean (new management will often make radical changes)

en-новая_метла_по-новому_метёт-ru-proverb-Z8CIlbe4


every shut eye isn't asleep

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-every shut eye isn't asleep.wav

1994, Michael S. Harper, Anthony Walton, Every Shut Eye Ain't Asleep: An Anthology of Poetry, →ISBN:

2006, Lisa Walker, Every Shut Eye Ain't Sleep, →ISBN:

The other girls appeared to be sleeping through it as well, but there's an old saying that says every closed eye isn't sleeping.

2006, Sabrina Nixon, Victims of Change, →ISBN, page 150:

2007, Patricia Barbee, Every Shut Eye Isn't Asleep, →ISBN:

“Hi, Daddy. I thought you were asleep.” “All closed eyes aren't sleep, baby,” he said, and peeped at his watch.

2007, Monica McKayhan, Indigo Summer, →ISBN, page 125:

2011, Teresa Hill, Every Closed Eye Ain't Sleep: African American Perspectives, →ISBN:

(especially African-American Vernacular) One must be careful, because some people who seem not to be paying attention are actually paying attention.

a large number of alternative forms exist

or pluralizing to

eye; eyes; all; every; aren't; isn't; at which point is used instead of and is used instead of


head

älä nylje karhua ennen kuin se on kaadettu

älä (“don't”) nylje (“skin”) karhua (“a bear”) ennen kuin (“before”) se (“it”) on kaadettu (“has been killed”); a similar proverb referring to a bear and its skin exists at least in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Polish, Dutch, Hungarian, French and Spanish

don't count your chickens before they're hatched (you should not count on something before it happens)


know thyself

Calque of Ancient Greek γνῶθι σεαυτόν (gnôthi seautón), one of the Delphic maxims, popularly attributed to various Ancient Greek sages. The proverb in Latin is given as nōsce tē ipsum.

calque

γνῶθι σεαυτόν

"Secondly, thou must keep in view what thou art, striving to know thyself, the most difficult thing to know that the mind can imagine. If thou knowest thyself, it will follow thou wilt not puff thyself up like the frog that strove to make himself as large as the ox; if thou dost, the recollection of having kept pigs in thine own country will serve as the ugly feet for the wheel of thy folly."

1885, Miguel de Cervantes, chapter XLII, in John Ormsby, transl., Don Quixote, volume 2:

(also philosophy) Be aware of your own strengths and limitations.

رحم الله امرَأً عرف قدر نفسه

be aware of both your strengths and limitations


rubbish in, rubbish out

garbage in, garbage out
garbage in, garbage out#English

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Alternative form of garbage in, garbage out


underpromise and overdeliver

Think about the old customer service maxim, underpromise and overdeliver.

2010, Marty Brounstein, Arthur H. Bell, Dayle M. Smith, Business Communication, page 225:

(business) Improve business interactions and relationships with customers by setting modest expectations and then exceeding those expectations by delivering more than what was initially promised or expected.


a necessidade aguça o engenho

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

necessity is the mother of invention (a person in need will find a way)


Deus ajuda quem se ajuda

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

heaven helps those who help themselves (a maxim encouraging people to get involved in their own problems)


potrefená husa se vždycky ozve

/ˈpotrɛfɛnaː ˈɦusa‿sɛ ˈvʒdɪt͡skɪ ˈʔozvɛ/

if the shoe fits, wear it
if the shoe fits, wear it

the person who has the qualities implied or stated in a derogatory hint made by another one will complain of being insulted, regardless of whether the hint was directed towards them, (close to) if the shoe fits, wear it


Roma e Pavia não se fizeram num dia

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

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


a cada um o que é seu

to each his own (every person is entitled to his or her personal preferences)


a prática faz a perfeição

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect

practice makes perfect (if one practices an activity enough, one will eventually master it)


a sorte favorece os audazes

fortune favors the bold
fortune favors the bold

fortune favors the bold (luck favors the adventurous)


a grama do vizinho é sempre mais verde

Literally, “The neighbour's grass is always greener”.

lit

the grass is always greener on the other side


a beleza está nos olhos de quem vê

/a beˈle.zɐ isˈta nuz ˈɔ.ʎuz d͡ʒi ˈkẽj̃ ˈve/

[a beˈle.zɐ isˈta nuz ˈɔ.ʎuz d͡ʒi ˈkẽɪ̯̃ ˈve]

/a beˈle.zɐ esˈta nuz ˈɔ.ʎuz d͡ʒi ˈkẽj̃ ˈve/

[a beˈle.zɐ esˈta nuz ˈɔ.ʎuz d͡ʒi ˈkẽɪ̯̃ ˈve]

/a beˈle.zɐ iʃˈta nuz ˈɔ.ʎuʒ d͡ʒi ˈkẽj̃ ˈve/

[a beˈle.zɐ iʃˈta nuz ˈɔ.ʎuʒ d͡ʒi ˈkẽɪ̯̃ ˈve]

/a beˈle.zɐ eʃˈta nuz ˈɔ.ʎuʒ d͡ʒi ˈkẽj̃ ˈve/

[a beˈle.zɐ eʃˈta nuz ˈɔ.ʎuʒ d͡ʒi ˈkẽɪ̯̃ ˈve]

/a beˈle.za esˈta noz ˈɔ.ʎoz de ˈkẽj̃ ˈve/

[a beˈle.za esˈta noz ˈɔ.ʎoz de ˈkẽɪ̯̃ ˈve]

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

(Brazil) beauty is in the eye of the beholder (individuals have different inclinations on what is beautiful)


a ignorância é uma bênção

[a iɡ.noˈɾɐ̃.sɪ.ɐ ˈɛ ˈũ.mɐ ˈbẽ.sɐ̃ʊ̯̃]

/a iɡ.noˈɾɐ̃.sjɐ ˈɛ ˈũ.mɐ ˈbẽ.sɐ̃w̃/

[a iɡ.noˈɾɐ̃.sjɐ ˈɛ ˈũ.mɐ ˈbẽ.sɐ̃ʊ̯̃]

[a iɡ.noˈɾɐ̃.sɪ.ɐ ˈɛ ˈũ.mɐ ˈbẽ.sɐ̃ʊ̯̃]

/a iɡ.noˈɾɐ̃.sjɐ ˈɛ ˈũ.mɐ ˈbẽ.sɐ̃w̃/

[a iɡ.noˈɾɐ̃.sjɐ ˈɛ ˈũ.mɐ ˈbẽ.sɐ̃ʊ̯̃]

/ɐ i.ɡnuˈɾɐ̃.sjɐ ˈɛ ˈu.mɐ ˈbẽ.sɐ̃w̃/

[ɐ i.ɣnuˈɾɐ̃.sjɐ ˈɛ ˈu.mɐ ˈβẽ.sɐ̃w̃]

o que os olhos não veem, o coração não sente

ignorance is bliss (it is more comfortable not to know certain things)


a cavalo dado não se olha os dentes

/a kaˈva.lu ˈda.du ˈnɐ̃w̃ si ˈɔ.ʎɐ uz ˈdẽ.t͡ʃis/

[a kaˈva.lu ˈda.du ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ si ˈɔ.ʎɐ uz ˈdẽ.t͡ʃis]

/a kaˈva.lu ˈda.du ˈnɐ̃w̃ si ˈɔ.ʎɐ uʒ ˈdẽ.t͡ʃiʃ/

[a kaˈva.lu ˈda.du ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ si ˈɔ.ʎɐ uʒ ˈdẽ.t͡ʃiʃ]

/a kaˈva.lo ˈda.do ˈnɐ̃w̃ se ˈɔ.ʎa oz ˈdẽ.tes/

[a kaˈva.lo ˈda.do ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ se ˈɔ.ʎa oz ˈdẽ.tes]

/ɐ kɐˈva.lu ˈda.du ˈnɐ̃w̃ ˈs‿ɔ.ʎɐ uʒ ˈdẽ.tɨʃ/

[ɐ kɐˈva.lu ˈða.ðu ˈnɐ̃w̃ ˈs‿ɔ.ʎɐ uʒ ˈðẽ.tɨʃ]

/ɐ kɐˈba.lu ˈda.du ˈnɐ̃w̃ ˈs‿ɔ.ʎɐ uʒ ˈdẽ.tɨʃ/

[ɐ kɐˈβa.lu ˈða.ðu ˈnɐ̃w̃ ˈs‿ɔ.ʎɐ uʒ ˈðẽ.tɨʃ]

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

don't look a gift horse in the mouth (do not unappreciatively question a gift)


achado não é roubado

finders keepers (whoever finds something is allowed to keep it)


amanhã é outro dia

tomorrow is another day
tomorrow is another day

tomorrow is another day (a phrase indicating that tomorrow will bring new opportunities)


amigo na necessidade é amigo de verdade

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

a friend in need is a friend indeed (someone who helps is a real friend)


thùng rỗng kêu to

[tʰʊwŋ͡m˨˩ zəwŋ͡m˦ˀ˥ kew˧˧ tɔ˧˧]

[tʰʊwŋ͡m˦˩ ʐəwŋ͡m˧˨ kew˧˧ tɔ˧˧]

[tʰʊwŋ͡m˨˩ ɹəwŋ͡m˨˩˦ kew˧˧ tɔ˧˧]

Cái thằng đó thích dạy đời nhỉ ?
Thùng rỗng kêu to thôi ! Tao thừa biết nó chẳng biết mô tê gì đâu.
He's so goddamn preachy, isn't he?
He's just an empty vessel. I know for a fact he doesn't know squat.

empty vessels make the most sound#English


life's a bitch and then you die

Life’s a bitch, and then you die.

1978 March 1, “[Classified Advertisements] Personal”, in The Indiana Penn, volume L, number 58, Indiana, Pa.: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, →OCLC, page 16, column 3:

(informal, vulgar) An expression of acceptance of misfortune in life.

nur der Tod ist umsonst und selbst der kostet das Leben

жизнь — копе́йка, судьба́ — злоде́йка (žiznʹ — kopéjka, sudʹbá — zlodéjka, literally “life costs a kopeck, destiny is a villain”)


there's always a bigger fish

No matter how large or intimidating a person or thing is, there is likely to be an even larger or more intimidating person or thing somewhere.


жизнь — копейка, судьба — злодейка

head

жизнь — копе́йка, судьба́ — злоде́йка

жизнь — копе́йка, судьба́ — злоде́йка • (žiznʹ — kopéjka, sudʹbá — zlodéjka)

жизнь — копе́йка (canonical)
судьба́ — злоде́йка (canonical)

Literally, “life is a kopek, fate is a villain”.

lit

life's a bitch and then you die
life's a bitch and then you die

life's a bitch and then you die (expect the worst)

en-жизнь_—_копейка,_судьба_—_злодейка-ru-proverb-GJZSi46B


impossible n'est pas français

impossible n’ est pas français (canonical)

there's no such word as can't
there's no such word as can't

nothing is impossible
nothing is impossible

there's no such word as can't; nothing is impossible


ce que femme veut, Dieu le veut

LL-Q150 (fra)-Benoît Prieur-ce que femme veut, Dieu le veut.wav

Literally, “what woman wants, God wants”.

women always manage to obtain what they want


pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés

Literally, “in order to live happily, live hidden”.

great honours are great burdens
great honours are great burdens


fr-proverb

au royaume des aveugles les borgnes sont rois

/o ʁwa.jom de.z‿a.vœɡl | le bɔʁ.ɲ(ə) sɔ̃ ʁwa/

LL-Q150 (fra)-Benoît Prieur-au royaume des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois.wav

LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-au royaume des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois.wav

Literally, “in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed are kings”.

lit

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