کار، کار انگلیسی‌هاست

head

کار، کار انگلیسیهاست

کار، کار انگلیسیهاست • (kâr, kâr-e engelisi-hâst)

کار، کار انگلیسیهاست (canonical)
kâr (romanization)
kâr-e engelisi-hâst (romanization)

Popularized by the 1973 coming-of-age novel My Uncle Napoleon and its 1976 TV adaptation, featuring a buffoonish Iranian man (the eponymous Uncle Napoleon) who is irrationally paranoid that the British government is seeking to personally humiliate him.

(usually sarcastic) The English are behind it.

My Uncle Napoleon
fa:کار، کار انگلیسی‌هاست

en-کار،_کار_انگلیسی‌هاست-fa-proverb-Ye0KzGO3


apetyt rośnie w miarę jedzenia

Literally, “appetite grows while [one is] eating”. Calque of French l’appétit vient en mangeant.

cal

appetite comes with eating
appetite comes with eating

(idiomatic) appetite comes with eating (once you start, you don't want to stop)


příležitost dělá zloděje

/ˈpr̝̊iːlɛʒɪtɔst ˈɟɛlaː ˈzlɔɟɛjɛ/

opportunity makes a thief
opportunity makes a thief


お客様は神様です

ja-pos

お-きゃく-さま は かみさま です

お客(きゃく)様(さま)は神(かみ)様(さま)です • (o-kyaku-sama wa kamisama desu)

お客様は神様です (canonical)
o-kyaku-sama wa kamisama desu (romanization)

[o̞kʲa̠kɯ̟̊sa̠ma̠ β̞a̠ ka̠mʲisa̠ma̠ de̞sɨ]

the customer is always right
the customer is always right


finis coronat opus

[ˈfiːnɪs̠ kɔˈroːnät̪ ˈɔpʊs̠]

Literally "the end crowns the work". Traditionally attributed to Ovid.

the true value of an undertaking or a work of art cannot be fully discerned until it is finished


okazja czyni złodzieja

(idiomatic) opportunity makes a thief (most theft happens when it requires little effort, e.g. when valuables are left unattended in plain sight)


баба с возу — кобыле легче

head

ба́ба с во́зу — кобы́ле ле́гче

ба́ба с во́зу — кобы́ле ле́гче • (bába s vózu — kobýle léxče)

ба́ба с во́зу — кобы́ле ле́гче (canonical)

Literally, “it is easier for the horse when the woman is off the cart”.

lit

Good riddance to bad rubbish!
good riddance to bad rubbish

en-баба_с_возу_—_кобыле_легче-ru-proverb-5D-hbGZ4


people who have, get

those that have, get
those that have, get#English

Alternative form of those that have, get


those that have, get

You may have heard the old adage about "those that have, get," and it is true. . . . The getting started on money-making is the hardest part.

1917, Alice Walton, “Fortuna's Daughters”, in Good Housekeeping, volume 65, number 3, page 90:

In the great capitalist tradition of "those who have, get," Vanderbilt's investment today returns rich dividends to his grandsons.

1978 January 1, Sarah Booth Conroy, “Of Kingdoms, Principalities and Carolina Castles”, in Washington Post, retrieved 2015-07-21:

Those that have, get. For lending their status to Fashion Week events, the rich and the famous scored, among other things, $225 jeans and coupons for $200 PuchiBags for their pets.

2005 September 17, Carol E. Lee, “In Lieu of a Gift Bag, Send Donations to...”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-07-21:

In other words, “the rich get richer” or “those that have, get” (indeed, distribution of wealth in America follows a scale-free organization).

2008, Andrew P. Smith, The Dimensions Of Experience, →ISBN, page 279:

People who already have wealth and status are the most likely to acquire additional wealth and status (usually with the implication that the distribution of life's benefits and opportunities is unfair).

people who have, get / people who have, get more

them that has, gets / them that has, gets more

them what has, gets / them what has, gets more

those who have, get / those who have, get more


head

darowanemu koniowi nie zagląda się w zęby

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

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

lit

darowanemu koniowi w zęby się nie zagląda#Polish

(idiomatic) Alternative form of darowanemu koniowi w zęby się nie zagląda


a promise made is a promise kept

We'll never rise together if we allow medical bills to swallow family budgets or let people retire penniless after a lifetime of hard work, and so today we must demand that when it comes to commitments made [to] working men and women on health care and pensions, a promise made is a promise kept.

2009, Wolfgang Mieder, "Yes We Can": Barack Obama's Proverbial Rhetoric, page 289:

A promise that one makes should be or can be considered a promise that one will certainly honor.


pańskie oko konia tuczy

Literally, “the eye of the master makes the horse fat”.

lit

(idiomatic) a business is more successful when supervised by its owner


heaven helps those that help themselves

heaven helps those who help themselves#English

Alternative form of heaven helps those who help themselves


head

the Lord helps those who help themselves

God helps those who help themselves#English

Alternative form of God helps those who help themselves


the Lord helps those that help themselves


the cowl does not make the monk

The superficial trappings of something are unrelated to its true essence.

人不可貌相

the superficial trappings of something are unrelated to its true essence

nem a csuha teszi a barátot/papot/szerzetest


అందని పూలు దేవునికి అర్పణ

అందని పూలు దేవునికి అర్పణ • (andani pūlu dēvuniki arpaṇa)

andani pūlu dēvuniki arpaṇa (romanization)

An offering to the deity of the flowers which cannot be reached.

en-అందని_పూలు_దేవునికి_అర్పణ-te-proverb-tDzehIjs


అగ్నికి వాయువు సహాయమయినట్టు

అగ్నికి వాయువు సహాయమయినట్టు • (agniki vāyuvu sahāyamayinaṭṭu)

agniki vāyuvu sahāyamayinaṭṭu (romanization)

en-అగ్నికి_వాయువు_సహాయమయినట్టు-te-proverb-a2NLrv1g


అంబటికీ ఆశ, మీసాలకూ ఆశ

అంబటికీ ఆశ, మీసాలకూ ఆశ • (ambaṭikī āśa, mīsālakū āśa)

ambaṭikī āśa (romanization)
mīsālakū āśa (romanization)

Wishing for porridge and also for mustaches. (literally, "the two don't do well together")

en-అంబటికీ_ఆశ,_మీసాలకూ_ఆశ-te-proverb-37-B2uyw


అనువు కానిచోట అధికులమనరాదు

అనువు కానిచోట అధికులమనరాదు • (anuvu kānicōṭa adhikulamanarādu)

anuvu kānicōṭa adhikulamanarādu (romanization)

In an unsuitable place we should not assert our superiority.

en-అనువు_కానిచోట_అధికులమనరాదు-te-proverb-P~kiJYmf


అర్థము లేనివాడు వ్యర్థుడు

అర్థము లేనివాడు వ్యర్థుడు • (arthamu lēnivāḍu vyarthuḍu)

arthamu lēnivāḍu vyarthuḍu (romanization)

en-అర్థము_లేనివాడు_వ్యర్థుడు-te-proverb-HnSOXn3i


అర్థము లేనివాడు నిరర్థకుడు

అర్థము లేనివాడు నిరర్థకుడు • (arthamu lēnivāḍu nirarthakuḍu)

arthamu lēnivāḍu nirarthakuḍu (romanization)

en-అర్థము_లేనివాడు_నిరర్థకుడు-te-proverb-sMXQz7b5


గోడకు చెవులుంటాయి

గోడకు చెవులుంటాయి • (gōḍaku cevuluṇṭāyi)

walls have ears. (there is a risk of being heard)


అన్నమదమువల్ల అన్ని మదములు కలుగుతవి

అన్నమదమువల్ల అన్ని మదములు కలుగుతవి • (annamadamuvalla anni madamulu kalugutavi)

en-అన్నమదమువల్ల_అన్ని_మదములు_కలుగుతవి-te-proverb-cLs5pVbl


అయితే ఆదివారం, కాకుంటే సోమవారం

అయితే ఆదివారం, కాకుంటే సోమవారం • (ayitē ādivāraṁ, kākuṇṭē sōmavāraṁ)

ayitē ādivāraṁ (romanization)
kākuṇṭē sōmavāraṁ (romanization)

If it's not Sunday it's Monday. (If to-day will not, to-morrow may.)

en-అయితే_ఆదివారం,_కాకుంటే_సోమవారం-te-proverb-nSnl7LCe


ఆకాశానికి నిచ్చెన వేశేవాడు

ఆకాశానికి నిచ్చెన వేశేవాడు • (ākāśāniki niccena vēśēvāḍu)

ākāśāniki niccena vēśēvāḍu (romanization)

A man who plants a ladder on the sky. (Ambitious)

en-ఆకాశానికి_నిచ్చెన_వేశేవాడు-te-proverb-eYlQBu-Z


ఆరంభ శూరత్వము

ఆరంభ శూరత్వము • (ārambha śūratvamu)

Valour in the beginning. (Dash, but not steady unflinching courage.)


entre gitanos no nos leemos las cartas

Literally, “among gypsies we don't read the cards”.

lit

used to indicate that one who knows well somebody's tricks and cannot be fooled easily


head

can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em

can't live with them, can't live without them#English

Alternative form of can't live with them, can't live without them


you can't live with them, you can't live without them


cannot live with them, cannot live without them


you can't live with 'em, you can't live without 'em


en-proverb

You've got to find the woman that works for you. Because, after all, we can't live with them, can't live without them.

1996 July 7, A. J. Benza, “Is Sly using his muscle to stop tell-all?”, in New York Daily News, retrieved 2015-08-13:

Can't live with them, can't live without them. Like tweezers, pagers and passport control, computers are essential for modern living. They're marvellous (the erotic e-mail is the new love letter) and totally rubbish (it takes three hours to turn the printer on).

1999 July 25, Cayte Williams, “Why won't my !@*!!@ machine work?”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 2015-08-13:

My parents' relationship was very much, "can't live with them, can't live without them". They were a crazy old couple and it was one of those love/hate things.

2010 October 16, Nick McGrath, “Lulu: The singer talks about her family”, in Guardian, UK, retrieved 2015-08-13:

“Men, Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Live Without Them.” Actor Cam Magee and singer Beverly Cosham explore the age-old theme in sonnets and speeches by Shakespeare and songs by Johnny Mercer and Cole Porter.

2012 June 7, Carrie Donovan, “Going Out Guide for the District of Columbia, June 7-13”, in Washington Post, retrieved 2015-08-13:

There is a hopeless, ongoing conflict between annoyance with someone or something and need for that same person or thing.


head

there may be snow on the mountaintop but there's fire in the valley

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

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


it never rains but that it pours

it never rains but it pours
it never rains but it pours#English

Alternative form of it never rains but it pours


all politics are local

all politics is local
all politics is local#English

Alternative form of all politics is local


all politics is local

Variously attributed to Associated Press Washington bureau chief Byron Price, said to have first used this term in 1932, and to Chicago writer Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936).

"The campaign never ends," said the 44-year-old Congressman. . . . "I win by reaching out to people one by one, through relentless retail politics." In other words, Mr. Bacchus is betting his congressional career on the adage that all politics is local.

1993 December 7, Clifford Krauss, “On Congress's Home Front, Faith That All Politics Is Indeed Local”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-08-17:

[A]ll politics is local and Kerry North is more local than most. In the electorate, the view is that Mr Ferris got in because . . . he has been an assiduous local councillor and constituency worker, painstakingly building up a formidable Sinn Fein machine that has delivered on local issues.

2002 May 20, David McKittrick (Ireland Correspondent), "Kerry kicks out former party leader and replaces him with former gun-runner," Independent (UK) (retrieved 17 Aug 2015)

But in the end, all politics is local, and almost every race is decided by local issues.

2002 June 21, Mitch Frank, “The White House Goes Local”, in Time, retrieved 2015-08-17:

All politics is local. I believe in a grassroots approach that is founded on strong representation for constituents.

2007 Sept. 14, "Politics: John O'Toole (incumbent)," Toronto Star (Canada) (retrieved 17 Aug 2015)

(chiefly US, politics) Ultimately, constituents and voters are concerned most about issues that affect their personal lives and home communities, and they vote accordingly.

Barry Popik
Byron Price
Finley Peter Dunne
all politics is local


psy szczekają, karawana jedzie dalej

/ˈpsɘ ʂt͡ʂɛˈka.jɔw̃ ka.raˈva.na ˈjɛ.d͡ʑɛ ˈda.lɛj/

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

(idiomatic) the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on


psy szczekają, karawana idzie dalej

/ˈpsɘ ʂt͡ʂɛˈka.jɔw̃ ka.raˈva.na ˈi.d͡ʑɛ ˈda.lɛj/


krowa, która dużo ryczy, mało mleka daje

/ˈkrɔ.va ˈktu.ra ˈdu.ʐɔ ˈrɘ.t͡ʂɘ ˈma.wɔ ˈmlɛ.ka ˈda.jɛ/

Literally, “a cow that moos a lot gives little milk”.

lit

all talk and no action
all talk and no action

(idiomatic) all talk and no action (people who talk the most often do not actually do much)


speech is silver, silence is gold

speech is silver, silence is golden#English

Alternative form of speech is silver, silence is golden


mlčeti zlato

Na Západě se upisujeme ideálu extraverze, zatímco ve větší části Asie platilo, že mlčeti zlato.

2012, “8. Jemná síla”, in Petr Miklica, transl., Ticho: Síla introvertů ve světě, který nikdy nepřestává mluvit, Brno: Jan Melville Publishing, translation of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain, →ISBN:

In the West we follow the ideal of extroversion, while people in most of Asia hold true that silence is golden.


speech is silver, silence is golden

(idiomatic) Not saying anything is often better than speaking too much or saying something inappropriate.

إِنْ كَانَ الْكَلَامُ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ فَالسُّكُوتُ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ

puhuminen on hopeaa, vaikeneminen kultaa

la parole est d’argent, le silence est d’or

brʒnulad saubari vercxlia, xolo dumili okro

ბრძნულად საუბარი ვერცხლია, ხოლო დუმილი ოქრო

la parola è d'argento, il silenzio è d'oro

a palavra é de prata, o silêncio é de ouro

сло́во — серебро́, молча́ние — зо́лото (slóvo — serebró, molčánije — zóloto)


head

one can't live with them, one can't live without them


mulher no volante, perigo constante

/muˈʎɛ(ʁ) nu voˈlɐ̃.t͡ʃi peˈɾi.ɡu kõsˈtɐ̃.t͡ʃi/

[muˈʎɛ(h) nu voˈlɐ̃.t͡ʃi peˈɾi.ɡu kõsˈtɐ̃.t͡ʃi]

/muˈʎɛ(ɾ) nu voˈlɐ̃.t͡ʃi peˈɾi.ɡu kõsˈtɐ̃.t͡ʃi/

/muˈʎɛ(ʁ) nu voˈlɐ̃.t͡ʃi peˈɾi.ɡu kõʃˈtɐ̃.t͡ʃi/

[muˈʎɛ(χ) nu voˈlɐ̃.t͡ʃi peˈɾi.ɡu kõʃˈtɐ̃.t͡ʃi]

/muˈʎɛ(ɻ) no voˈlɐ̃.te peˈɾi.ɡo kõsˈtɐ̃.te/

/muˈʎɛɾ nu vuˈlɐ̃.tɨ pɨˈɾi.ɡu kõʃˈtɐ̃.tɨ/

[muˈʎɛɾ nu vuˈlɐ̃.tɨ pɨˈɾi.ɣu kõʃˈtɐ̃.tɨ]

/muˈʎɛɾ nu buˈlɐ̃.tɨ pɨˈɾi.ɡu kõʃˈtɐ̃.tɨ/

[muˈʎɛɾ nu βuˈlɐ̃.tɨ pɨˈɾi.ɣu kõʃˈtɐ̃.tɨ]

/muˈʎɛ.ɾi nu vuˈlɐ̃.tɨ pɨˈɾi.ɡu kõʃˈtɐ̃.tɨ/

[muˈʎɛ.ɾi nu vuˈlɐ̃.tɨ pɨˈɾi.ɣu kõʃˈtɐ̃.tɨ]

Literally, “woman behind the wheel, constant danger”.

lit

(Brazil, offensive, sexist) women are bad drivers


lepsze jest wrogiem dobrego

Literally, “better is the enemy of good”. Common European proverb, popularized by Voltaire.

perfect is the enemy of good
perfect is the enemy of good

(idiomatic) perfect is the enemy of good


změna je život

variety is the spice of life
variety is the spice of life


aproveitar a maré

pt-verb

aproveitar a maré (first-person singular present aproveito a maré, first-person singular preterite aproveitei a maré, past participle aproveitado a maré)

aproveito a maré (first-person present singular)
aproveitei a maré (first-person preterite singular)
aproveitado a maré (participle past)

Literally, “take advantage of the tide”.

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

(idiomatic) to make hay while the sun shines (to act while an opportunity exists)


money talks, bullshit walks

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-money talks, bullshit walks.wav

First appeared c. 1968 in the US; a rhyming elaboration of money talks.

“You taught me a great expression a few years ago, Joey—don’t forget it yourself.”
“What expression?” I asked.
“Money talks—bullshit walks. Joey, the further away from the Chairman I get, the better I like it.”

1968, Keefe Brasselle, The Cannibals: A Novel about Television's Savage Chieftains, page p. 68:

As my former congressman put it so inelegantly: "Money talks; bullshit walks."

1984, Jack DeSario, Stuart Langton, Symposium on Citizen Participation and Public Policy, page 321:

First rule of the cold approach: money talks, bullshit walks. So Cal would tip the guy twenty dollars on a hundred-dollar tab.

2001, Paul William Roberts, Norman Snider, Smokescreen: One Man Against the Underworld, page 252:

(slang, vulgar) Attempting to accomplish a goal by demonstrating possession of material resources will succeed, while attempting to accomplish the same goal through mere rhetoric will fail.


gừng càng già càng cay

[ɣɨŋ˨˩ kaːŋ˨˩ zaː˨˩ kaːŋ˨˩ kaj˧˧]

[ɣɨŋ˦˩ kaːŋ˦˩ jaː˦˩ kaːŋ˦˩ kaj˧˧]

[ɣɨŋ˨˩ kaːŋ˨˩ jaː˨˩ kaːŋ˨˩ ka(ː)j˧˧]

Calque of Chinese 薑越老越辣／姜越老越辣 (jiāngyuèlǎoyuèlà).

cal

(literally) the older the ginger, the hotter the spice

(figurative) the older a person is, the wiser they are; a person is more and more experienced as they age


上樑不正下樑歪

上梁不正下梁歪
上梁不正下梁歪

If the top beam is not straight, the lower beams will be crooked

ㄕㄤˋ ㄌㄧㄤˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄌㄧㄤˊ ㄨㄞ

soeng⁶ loeng⁴ bat¹ zing³ haa⁶ loeng⁴ waai¹

shàngliáng bùzhèng xiàliáng wāi [Phonetic:shàngliáng búzhèng xiàliáng wāi]

shang⁴-liang² pu⁴-chêng⁴ hsia⁴-liang² wai¹

шанлян бучжэн сялян вай

/ʂɑŋ⁵¹ li̯ɑŋ³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ li̯ɑŋ³⁵ waɪ̯⁵⁵/

soeng⁶ loeng⁴ bat⁷ dzing³ haa⁶ loeng⁴ waai¹

/sœːŋ²² lœːŋ²¹ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɪŋ³³ haː²² lœːŋ²¹ waːi̯⁵⁵/

/soŋ⁵⁵ li̯oŋ¹¹ put̚² t͡sɨn⁵⁵ ha²⁴ li̯oŋ¹¹ vai̯²⁴/

/sɔŋ⁵³⁻⁵⁵ liɔŋ¹¹ put̚¹ t͡saŋ⁵³ ha⁴⁴⁻³⁵ liɔŋ¹¹ ʋaɪ⁴⁴/

[Phonetic: shàngliáng búzhèng xiàliáng wāi]

(figurative) if leadership sets a bad example, their subordinates will follow suit


raz na wozie, raz pod wozem

Literally, “once on the wagon, once under the wagon”.

lit

what goes up must come down
what goes up must come down

take the bitter with the sweet
take the bitter with the sweet

you win some, you lose some
you win some, you lose some

(idiomatic) what goes up must come down, take the bitter with the sweet, you win some, you lose some


trust every man, but cut the cards

trust everybody, but cut the cards#English

Alternative form of trust everybody, but cut the cards


ఆశ లేనివానికి దేశమెందుకు

head

ఆశ లేనివానికి దేశమెందుకు • (āśa lēnivāniki dēśamenduku)

āśa lēnivāniki dēśamenduku (romanization)

Why should a man without desire be in the world.

en-ఆశ_లేనివానికి_దేశమెందుకు-te-proverb-C6FAnVrr


trust everybody, but always cut the cards


ఆలు గుణవంతురాలు అయితే, మేలు కలుగును

ఆలు గుణవంతురాలు అయితే, మేలు కలుగును • (ālu guṇavanturālu ayitē, mēlu kalugunu)

ālu guṇavanturālu ayitē (romanization)
mēlu kalugunu (romanization)

If the wife is of good disposition, good will accrue.

en-ఆలు_గుణవంతురాలు_అయితే,_మేలు_కలుగును-te-proverb-iZz6DECg


ఇంటి పిల్లికి పొరుగింటి పిల్లి తోడు

ఇంటి పిల్లికి పొరుగింటి పిల్లి తోడు • (iṇṭi pilliki porugiṇṭi pilli tōḍu)

iṇṭi pilliki porugiṇṭi pilli tōḍu (romanization)

The neighbour's cat is the ally of the house cat. (Both join in mischief.)

en-ఇంటి_పిల్లికి_పొరుగింటి_పిల్లి_తోడు-te-proverb-IbRH8MCD


ఊర పిచ్చుక మీద తాటికాయ వుంచినట్టు

ఊర పిచ్చుక మీద తాటికాయ వుంచినట్టు • (ūra piccuka mīda tāṭikāya vuñcinaṭṭu)

ūra piccuka mīda tāṭikāya vuñcinaṭṭu (romanization)

Like putting a palmyra fruit on a sparrow. (literally, "expecting a person to do what is beyond his power")

en-ఊర_పిచ్చుక_మీద_తాటికాయ_వుంచినట్టు-te-proverb-e0HZ510v


ఎద్దు మోశినంత, గోనె పట్టినంత

ఎద్దు మోశినంత, గోనె పట్టినంత • (eddu mōśinanta, gōne paṭṭinanta)

eddu mōśinanta (romanization)
gōne paṭṭinanta (romanization)

As much as the bullock can carry, as much as the bag will hold. (literally, "no more can be taken")

en-ఎద్దు_మోశినంత,_గోనె_పట్టినంత-te-proverb-y3Px49zR


ఎద్దు వలె తిని మొద్దు వలె నిద్ర పోయినట్టు • (eddu vale tini moddu vale nidra pōyinaṭṭu)

He eats like a bullock and sleeps like a log.

en-ఎద్దు_వలె_తిని_మొద్దు_వలె_నిద్ర_పోయినట్టు-te-proverb-MF~eiJi6


trust everybody, but cut the cards

Reportedly coined by Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936) and expressed in dialect by his character "Mr. Dooley" in Mr. Dooley's Philosophy (1900), p. 260: "Thrust ivrybody—but cut th' ca-ards."

A deep-dyed fatalist, sentimental yet cynical—"Trust everybody," he is fond of saying, "but cut the cards"—his running history of his Chicago tribe is a struggle of clan and family survival, with little help from outsiders.

1997, Donald L. Miller, City of the Century, →ISBN, page 526:

I was often reminded of Mr. Dooley's famous admonition to “Trust everybody, but cut the cards.” We did “cut the cards” by installing a fake camera high on one wall and pointed at the cash register.

2013, William C. Prentiss, One Man In His Time: A Memoir, →ISBN, page 413:

It's a version of President Ronald Reagen's famous statements “trust but verify” and “trust everybody, but cut the cards.” We the public are tired of being duped, and we are now ready to hold companies responsible and accountable.

2014, Robert C. Chandler, Business and Corporate Integrity, →ISBN, page xxiv:

Have general faith in the good intentions of others, but never neglect to take appropriate precautions against being deceived or cheated.


en-proverb

trust everybody, but always cut the deck


ఎరువు సతము కాదు, వాక్కు తోడు కాదు

head

ఎరువు సతము కాదు, వాక్కు తోడు కాదు • (eruvu satamu kādu, vākku tōḍu kādu)

eruvu satamu kādu (romanization)
vākku tōḍu kādu (romanization)

Lent property is not lasting, speech is not help. (literally, "you cannot always depend upon getting a livelihood by your plausibility")

en-ఎరువు_సతము_కాదు,_వాక్కు_తోడు_కాదు-te-proverb-~1qu5aD5


ఎముకలేని నాలుక యెట్లా తిప్పినా తిరుగుతుంది • (emukalēni nāluka yeṭlā tippinā tirugutundi)

en-ఎముకలేని_నాలుక_యెట్లా_తిప్పినా_తిరుగుతుంది-te-proverb-a6NqKooC


ఎలుక యెంత యేడ్చినా, పిల్లి తన పట్టు వదలదు • (eluka yenta yēḍcinā, pilli tana paṭṭu vadaladu)

eluka yenta yēḍcinā (romanization)
pilli tana paṭṭu vadaladu (romanization)

However much the rat may cry, the cat will not let go her hold.

en-ఎలుక_యెంత_యేడ్చినా,_పిల్లి_తన_పట్టు_వదలదు-te-proverb-KsisNThg


ఏట్లో కలిపిన చింతపండు

ఏట్లో కలిపిన చింతపండు • (ēṭlō kalipina cintapaṇḍu)

en-ఏట్లో_కలిపిన_చింతపండు-te-proverb-PSSNBYea


ఎవరి జానతో వారు యెనిమిది జానలే

ఎవరి జానతో వారు యెనిమిది జానలే • (evari jānatō vāru yenimidi jānalē)

evari jānatō vāru yenimidi jānalē (romanization)

Measured with his own span, every man is eight spans high.

en-ఎవరి_జానతో_వారు_యెనిమిది_జానలే-te-proverb-ZEEreNwZ


nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public

nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American people#English

Alternative form of nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American people


no one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American people


nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public

nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people#English

Alternative form of nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people


no one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public


no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public


nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American people

Widely attributed to American author and social critic H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) but not found in his published works, so the source and original form of this expression are not known with certainty.

“I remembered that nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public, so I set out to write the worst novel it was humanly possible to write and still get published,” he said.

1982 June 13, Edwin McDowell, “About Books and Authors”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-09-13:

Americans, as a group, do not have good taste or sophistication and can be easily amused or distracted to produce financial benefit for someone.


hecha la ley, hecha la trampa

Literally, “the law [is] made, the trap [is] made”.

lit

every law has its loophole
every law has its loophole

every law has a loophole
every law has a loophole

every law has its loophole, every law has a loophole


ignore all rules

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-ignore all rules.wav

(chiefly Wikimedia jargon) It is acceptable to break rules in situations where it is beneficial not to follow them.


head

Widely attributed to American author and social critic H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) but not found verbatim in his published works, so the source and original form of this expression are not known with certainty. Likely a nearly verbatim paraphrase of: "No one in this world, so far as I know ... has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people."

Ed Wood was a backwards genius, he set out to make horror movies and he didn’t know how to do it. . . . Mencken said, “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.” Well, Ed Wood did go broke by underestimating their intelligence.

1988 April 23, “1988 OBIE Interview: Robert Anton Wilson”, in RAWilsonFans.org, retrieved 2015-09-13:

H. L. Mencken may have noted that no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people, but not even he could have anticipated this. Like Bill and Ted, their principal rivals among screen duos who play dumb, Wayne and Garth do their best to elevate stupidity to an art form.

1992 Feb. 14, Janet Maslin, "Film: A Dim Duo In a Revel Of Stupidity" (review of Wayne's World), New York Times (retrieved 13 Sep 2015)

It's noteworthy, by the way, that a pleasure dome like Palm Beach should also be the home of a drama troupe that not only specializes in shows like "Copenhagen" and "The Chairs" but performs them with flair. We have it on the best of authority that nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people, but Palm Beach Dramaworks seems to be doing quite well for itself by operating on the opposite assumption.

2010 January 8, Terry Teachout, “Theater: Science Takes the Stag”, in Wall Street Journal, retrieved 2015-09-13:

Most advertising seems to be aimed at an extremely unintelligent audience, and yet seems effective in persuading most of us. But the software industry may, I suspect, provide a few exceptions to the old saying that “nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.”

2014, Nathaniel S. Borenstein, Programming as If People Mattered, →ISBN, page 70:

Americans, as a group, are not especially intelligent and can be readily entertained or fooled to produce a financial benefit for someone.


é mais fácil dizer do que fazer

easier said than done
easier said than done

things are easier said than done (it is easy to propose something, but difficult to accomplish it)


grandes mentes pensam igual

great minds think alike
great minds think alike

great minds think alike (smart people reach the same conclusion)


quien roba a un ladrón, tiene cien años de perdón

/ˌkjen ˌroba a un laˌdɾon | ˌtjene ˌθjen ˌaɲos de peɾˈdon/

[ˌkjẽn ˌro.β̞a a ũn laˌð̞ɾõn | ˌt̪je.ne ˌθjẽn ˌa.ɲoz ð̞e peɾˈð̞õn]

/ˌkjen ˌroba a un laˌdɾon | ˌtjene ˌsjen ˌaɲos de peɾˈdon/

[ˌkjẽn ˌro.β̞a a ũn laˌð̞ɾõn | ˌt̪je.ne ˌsjẽn ˌa.ɲoz ð̞e peɾˈð̞õn]

Literally, “[he] who robs a thief, has a hundred years of forgiveness”.

m-g

􂀿he􂁀 who robs a thief, has a hundred years of forgiveness

lit

it's justifiable to commit crimes against criminals


head

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

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


can't live with them and can't live without them

can't live with them, can't live without them#English

Alternative form of can't live with them, can't live without them


生是短暫死是永恆

ㄕㄥ ㄕˋ ㄉㄨㄢˇ ㄗㄢˋ ㄙˇ ㄕˋ ㄩㄥˇ ㄏㄥˊ

ㄕㄥ ㄕˋ ㄉㄨㄢˇ ㄓㄢˋ ㄙˇ ㄕˋ ㄩㄥˇ ㄏㄥˊ

sang¹ si⁶ dyun² zaam⁶ sei² si⁶ wing⁵ hang⁴

shêng¹ shih⁴ tuan³-tsan⁴ ssŭ³ shih⁴ yung³-hêng²

sheng shyh doantzann syy shyh yeongherng

шэн ши дуаньцзань сы ши юнхэн

/ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ tu̯än²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sän⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ jʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɤŋ³⁵/

shêng¹ shih⁴ tuan³-chan⁴ ssŭ³ shih⁴ yung³-hêng²

шэн ши дуаньчжань сы ши юнхэн

/ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ tu̯än²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ jʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɤŋ³⁵/

sang¹ si⁶ dyn² dzaam⁶ sei² si⁶ wing⁵ hang⁴

seng¹ xi⁶ dün² zam⁶ séi² xi⁶ wing⁵ heng⁴

/sɐŋ⁵⁵ siː²² tyːn³⁵ t͡saːm²² sei̯³⁵ siː²² wɪŋ¹³ hɐŋ²¹/


alles zu seiner Zeit

there's a time and place for everything
there's a time and place for everything

there's a time for everything
there's a time for everything

there's a right time for everything
there's a right time for everything

there's a time and place for everything, there's a time for everything, there's a right time for everything

one thing after another
one thing after another

(calming) all in good time, one thing at a time, one thing after another

cross that bridge when you come to it
cross that bridge when you come to it


ఏనుగల పోట్లాటకు యేట్రింత రాయభారము

ఏనుగల పోట్లాటకు యేట్రింత రాయభారము • (ēnugala pōṭlāṭaku yēṭrinta rāyabhāramu)

ēnugala pōṭlāṭaku yēṭrinta rāyabhāramu (romanization)

In the quarrels of elephants, a king-crow the ambassador. (literally, "said of an insignificant person, who has no influence")

en-ఏనుగల_పోట్లాటకు_యేట్రింత_రాయభారము-te-proverb-YjkzY7k4


ఏరు యెన్ని వంకలు పోయినా, సముద్రములోనే పడవలెను • (ēru yenni vaṅkalu pōyinā, samudramulōnē paḍavalenu)

ēru yenni vaṅkalu pōyinā (romanization)
samudramulōnē paḍavalenu (romanization)

However many twists the river take, it must fall into the sea at last.

en-ఏరు_యెన్ని_వంకలు_పోయినా,_సముద్రములోనే_పడవలెను-te-proverb-GfphuIai


ఏనుగ మదిస్తే నెత్తిన మన్ను వేసుకొంటున్నది • (ēnuga madistē nettina mannu vēsukoṇṭunnadi)

When the elephant is in rut, he throws earth on his head. (literally, "pride goes before and shame follows after")

en-ఏనుగ_మదిస్తే_నెత్తిన_మన్ను_వేసుకొంటున్నది-te-proverb-vS6RCcws


ఒక వరలో రెండు కత్తులు యిమడవు

ఒక వరలో రెండు కత్తులు యిమడవు • (oka varalō reṇḍu kattulu yimaḍavu)

oka varalō reṇḍu kattulu yimaḍavu (romanization)

Two swords cannot be contained in one in one scabbard. (literally, "said of two masters in a house")

en-ఒక_వరలో_రెండు_కత్తులు_యిమడవు-te-proverb-QlQ6O~yI


ఒక్కడి సంపాద్యము పది మంది పాలు

ఒక్కడి సంపాద్యము పది మంది పాలు • (okkaḍi sampādyamu padi mandi pālu)

okkaḍi sampādyamu padi mandi pālu (romanization)

One man's gains are shared by ten. (literally, "a man's relations live on him")

en-ఒక్కడి_సంపాద్యము_పది_మంది_పాలు-te-proverb-2Wifbbtv


o barato sai caro

Literally, “cheap [things] turn out expensive”.

lit

Quem nunca passou a experiência do “o barato sai caro”?

2010, Walberto Fernandes, Quebrando barreiras em vendas, Schoba, page 90:

Who never went through the experience of “cheap turning out to be expensive”?

cheap objects or solutions can end up being expensive, because they don’t last as long, require high maintenance or are inefficient


head

ఒక అబద్ధము కమ్మడానకు వెయ్యి అబద్ధాలు కావలెను • (oka abaddhamu kammaḍānaku veyyi abaddhālu kāvalenu)

To hide one lie a thousand lies are wanted. (literally, "one lie draws ten after it")

en-ఒక_అబద్ధము_కమ్మడానకు_వెయ్యి_అబద్ధాలు_కావలెను-te-proverb-UzJouco2


కంసాలి మాయ కంసాలికి గాని తెలియదు

కంసాలి మాయ కంసాలికి గాని తెలియదు • (kaṁsāli māya kaṁsāliki gāni teliyadu)

kaṁsāli māya kaṁsāliki gāni teliyadu (romanization)

A goldsmith's fraud is only known to a goldsmith

en-కంసాలి_మాయ_కంసాలికి_గాని_తెలియదు-te-proverb-Wd~XJPVP


కంటికి రెప్ప, కాలికి చెప్పు

కంటికి రెప్ప, కాలికి చెప్పు • (kaṇṭiki reppa, kāliki ceppu)

kaṇṭiki reppa (romanization)
kāliki ceppu (romanization)

A lid to the eye, a shoe to the foot. (literally, "the protection necessary")

en-కంటికి_రెప్ప,_కాలికి_చెప్పు-te-proverb-1XA1ulo7


కన్ను మూస్తే కల

కన్ను మూస్తే కల • (kannu mūstē kala)

If you shut your eyes, a dream. (literally, "after death the unreality of things temporal appears")


కమ్మర వీధిలో సూదులు అమ్మినట్టు

కమ్మర వీధిలో సూదులు అమ్మినట్టు • (kammara vīdhilō sūdulu amminaṭṭu)

kammara vīdhilō sūdulu amminaṭṭu (romanization)

Like selling needles in the blacksmiths's street.

en-కమ్మర_వీధిలో_సూదులు_అమ్మినట్టు-te-proverb-cIwI92bm


కరువులో బిడ్డను అమ్ముకొన్నట్టు

కరువులో బిడ్డను అమ్ముకొన్నట్టు • (karuvulō biḍḍanu ammukonnaṭṭu)

karuvulō biḍḍanu ammukonnaṭṭu (romanization)

Like selling a child in a famine. (literally, "selling in a bad market")

en-కరువులో_బిడ్డను_అమ్ముకొన్నట్టు-te-proverb-ghSWDoTX


కలిగిన వారికి అందరూ చుట్టాలే

కలిగిన వారికి అందరూ చుట్టాలే • (kaligina vāriki andarū cuṭṭālē)

kaligina vāriki andarū cuṭṭālē (romanization)

All are relatives of the rich man. (literally, "a full purse never lacked friends")

en-కలిగిన_వారికి_అందరూ_చుట్టాలే-te-proverb-5Swe7WDQ


కాలము పోను, మాట నిలుచును

కాలము పోను, మాట నిలుచును • (kālamu pōnu, māṭa nilucunu)

kālamu pōnu (romanization)
māṭa nilucunu (romanization)

Time will go, an accusation will remain.

en-కాలము_పోను,_మాట_నిలుచును-te-proverb-wzT-gB6a


కానివాని కొంప కాచి చెరచవలెను

కానివాని కొంప కాచి చెరచవలెను • (kānivāni kompa kāci ceracavalenu)

kānivāni kompa kāci ceracavalenu (romanization)

en-కానివాని_కొంప_కాచి_చెరచవలెను-te-proverb-RRJBO6ew


కుట్టితే తేలు, కుట్టకుంటే కుమ్మర పురుగు

కుట్టితే తేలు, కుట్టకుంటే కుమ్మర పురుగు • (kuṭṭitē tēlu, kuṭṭakuṇṭē kummara purugu)

kuṭṭitē tēlu (romanization)
kuṭṭakuṇṭē kummara purugu (romanization)

If it stings it is a scorpion, if it does not sting it is a mole cricket. (literally, "a man's character is known by his acts")

en-కుట్టితే_తేలు,_కుట్టకుంటే_కుమ్మర_పురుగు-te-proverb-65qjSw6l


కుక్క వస్తే రాయి దొరకదు, రాయి దొరికితే కుక్క రాదు • (kukka vastē rāyi dorakadu, rāyi dorikitē kukka rādu)

kukka vastē rāyi dorakadu (romanization)
rāyi dorikitē kukka rādu (romanization)

When the dog comes, a stone cannot be found; when a stone is found, the dog does not come. (literally, "a thing can never be found when it is most wanted")

en-కుక్క_వస్తే_రాయి_దొరకదు,_రాయి_దొరికితే_కుక్క_రాదు-te-proverb-JDB6j-QZ


కొండ మీదినుండి బండ దొర్లించినట్టు

కొండ మీదినుండి బండ దొర్లించినట్టు • (koṇḍa mīdinuṇḍi baṇḍa dorliñcinaṭṭu)

koṇḍa mīdinuṇḍi baṇḍa dorliñcinaṭṭu (romanization)

Like rolling a boulder down a hill. (literally, "it is easy to bowl down hill")

en-కొండ_మీదినుండి_బండ_దొర్లించినట్టు-te-proverb-zN5xeGnn


కుమ్మర వీధిలో కుండలు అమ్మినట్టు

కుమ్మర వీధిలో కుండలు అమ్మినట్టు • (kummara vīdhilō kuṇḍalu amminaṭṭu)

kummara vīdhilō kuṇḍalu amminaṭṭu (romanization)

en-కుమ్మర_వీధిలో_కుండలు_అమ్మినట్టు-te-proverb-Dm2RYSJK


కోడలు నలుపు అయితే, కులమంతా నలుపు

కోడలు నలుపు అయితే, కులమంతా నలుపు • (kōḍalu nalupu ayitē, kulamantā nalupu)

kōḍalu nalupu ayitē (romanization)
kulamantā nalupu (romanization)

If the daughter-in-law be black, the whole family will be blackened. (literally, "a bad daughter-in-law will bring disgrace on her husband's family")

en-కోడలు_నలుపు_అయితే,_కులమంతా_నలుపు-te-proverb-1c~7MNEd


quem conta um conto acrescenta um ponto

every storyteller adds a little detail to the story


pan para hoy, hambre para mañana

Literally, “bread for today, hunger for tomorrow”.

lit

there is a short-term benefit, but in the long run it isn't beneficial; short-term gain, long-term pain


מי שנכוה ברותחין נזהר בצוננין

he-proverb

מִי שֶׁנִכְוָה בְּרוֹתְחִין נְזְהָר בְּצוֹנְנִין • (mi shenichvá berotḥín nizhár betzonenín)

mi shenichvá berotḥín nizhár betzonenín (romanization)

Literally, “The scalded is cautious of cold water.”

lit

once bitten, twice shy
once bitten, twice shy

en-מי_שנכוה_ברותחין_נזהר_בצוננין-he-proverb-wiZeZCAL


head

prawdziwych przyjaciół poznaje się w biedzie

/pravˈd͡ʑi.vɘx pʂɘˈja.t͡ɕuw pɔzˈna.jɛ ɕɛ ˈvbjɛ.d͡ʑɛ/

Literally, “true friends are met in poverty”.

lit

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

(idiomatic) a friend in need is a friend indeed


Irgendetwas ist immer dran

no smoke without fire
no smoke without fire


禮輕情意重

ㄌㄧˇ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄑㄧㄥˊ ㄧˋ ㄓㄨㄥˋ

ли цин цинъи чжун

/li²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹/

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


buy low, sell high

[T]he art of broadcasting, writes William Paley, "is to know what the public is seeking before the public even knows it is looking for something else." As a guide, that advice is about as useful as buy low, sell high.

1979 March 26, Gerald Clarke, “Books: Man Behind The Tube”, in Time, retrieved 2015-10-05:

The old investment adage “buy low, sell high” makes perfect intuitive sense, but folks like William O’Neil would prefer to “buy high and sell higher.”

2006 December 11, John P. Reese, “Buying High, Selling Higher”, in Forbes, retrieved 2015-10-05:

Any savvy investor knows the basic principle of investment: buy low, sell high.

2011 May 14, Jennifer Hill, “The 10 biggest investment pitfalls (and how to avoid them)”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 2015-10-05:

(business, finance) Commonplace investment advice, recommending that a prospective investor purchase an asset at a low cost and sell it later for a high price.


head

/ˌɪst dɛɐ̯ ˈʁuːf eːɐ̯st ʁuiˌniːɐ̯t ˌleːpt əs zɪç ɡant͡s ˈʊnʒeˌniːɐ̯t/

De-ist der Ruf erst ruiniert, lebt es sich ganz ungeniert.ogg

Bertolt Brecht
Gustav Radbruch
Wilhelm Busch
de:Werner Kroll

Literally, “once the reputation is ruined, [one can] live [it up] completely unabashed”. The phrase is attested, apparently for the first time, in Gustav Radbruch’s influential 1914 book Grundzüge der Rechtsphilosophie (see quotations below). Radbruch attributes it to Wilhelm Busch, but it has not been found in Busch’s writings. So it was probably misattributed and may eventually be of popular origin. The 1914 attestation definitely disproves later attributions to writer Bertolt Brecht and cabaret artist Werner Kroll. One or both of these may have contributed to popularising the phrase, however.

m-g

once the reputation is ruined, 􂀿one can􂁀 live 􂀿it up􂁀 completely unabashed

lit

Gegenüber der Selbstherrlichkeit der Sitte gibt es nur den Trost Wilhelm Buschs: «Ist der Ruf erst ruiniert, lebt man völlig ungeniert.» Nur dadurch unterscheidet sich also die Sitte vom Recht – und nur vom gegenwärtigen Recht –, daß sie die Strafe der Entziehung des Normenschutzes, die Friedlosigkeit noch kennt.

1914, Gustav Radbruch, Grundzüge der Rechtsphilosophie, Leipzig: Von Quelle & Meyer, page 76f.:

2013 March 3rd, Simone Schmollack: Ist der Ruf erst ruiniert, in taz.die tageszeitung, no. 10051, p. 4 (print archive; retrieved October 7, 2015)

One can do what one wants to, as if to say: if you've got the name, you might as well have the game.

Man kann machen, was man will, so nach dem Motto: Ist der Ruf erst ruiniert, lebt es sich ganz ungeniert.

(humorous) once your reputation has been ruined, you can worry less about social convention and live life more freely; ≈ if you've got the name, you might as well have the game

Ein Sturm der Entrüstung gegen derartige Leichenfledderei, angefangen vom Bürgermeister Klaus-Dieter Hübner und allen, denen das Ansehen unserer guten Stadt am Herzen liegt, sollte sich in Protestbriefen ausdrücken, denn „ist der Ruf erst ruiniert, lebt es sich ganz ungeniert.“

2006 November 16th, Wider die Leichenfledderei, in Lausitzer Rundschau (URL; retrieved October 7, 2015)

An outcry over such a vilification, first and foremost by the mayor Klaus-Dieter Hübner and by all those for which the good reputation of our fine town is dear to their hearts, should be expressed in form of protest letters because “if you've got the name, you might as well have the game”.

(more negative) once their reputation is ruined, people tend to cast aside all decency

ist der Ruf erst ruiniert, lebt sich's völlig ungeniert

ist der Ruf erst ruiniert, dann lebt sich's völlig ungeniert

ist der Ruf erst ruiniert, lebt man völlig ungeniert


beware of Greeks bearing gifts

Alludes to the ancient story of the Trojan horse, a gift for the Trojans which secretly contained Greeks. The prototype of the phrase is found in a Latin phrase in the Aeneid, book 2, lines 48–49: equō nē crēdite, Teucrī. / Quidquid id est, timeō Danaōs et dōna ferentēs. (“Do not trust the horse, Trojans. Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks, even bearing gifts.”)


é mais fácil falar do que fazer

é mais fácil dizer do que fazer#Portuguese

Alternative form of é mais fácil dizer do que fazer


en la variedad está el gusto

variety is the spice of life
variety is the spice of life


sell in May

sell in May and go away
sell in May and go away#English

Alternative form of sell in May and go away


sell in May and go away

If ever there was a year in which, as the saying goes, “to sell in May and go away”, this was surely it. . . . From the beginning of May, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood above 10,000, it slid to a low in July of 7,702.

2002 August 23, “Jumping but jumpy”, in The Economist, retrieved 2015-10-11:

"Sell in May, and go away" is an old English proverb, but it does have some basis in reality. In the 1980s, Yale Hirsch, founder of the Stock Trader's Almanac, crunched the numbers. . . . From 1950 to 2007, the market from May to October provided an average annual gain of 0.6%, enough to earn $1,021 on $10,000 in those years. But if you had invested only in the "best six months," from November to April, your average gain would have been 7.6%, netting you $531,444 over those 58 years.

2009 May 15, Ben Steverman, “Stocks: Sell or Stay in May?”, in Businessweek, retrieved 2015-10-11:

One such truism is this: “Sell in May and go away”, meaning investors are best advised to sell stocks at the beginning of May and return to the equity market at the end of October.

2011 April 25, Josh Lipton, “Should You Sell in May and Go Away?”, in Forbes, retrieved 2015-10-11:

(business, stock market) Stock market securities can be expected to increase in value to a greater degree in the months from November through April than in the months from May through October, and profit-minded investors should manage their portfolios accordingly.


buy when it snows and sell when it goes

buy when it snows, sell when it goes#English

Alternative form of buy when it snows, sell when it goes


buy when it snows, sell when it goes

There is a phenomenon in stock market investment known as "seasonality." In Canada we sometimes summarize it with the epithet "Buy when it snows, sell when it goes."

2007 May 10, Peter McKenzie-Brown, “Sell in May and Stay Away!”, in Language Matters, retrieved 2015-10-13:

Most years, he says, investors can make money by simply holding broad indices, such as the S&P 500 and Canada's S&P/TSX Composite, from Oct. 28 to May 5, when they tend to make most of their gains, and then selling. If that's too hard to remember, Vialoux has a handy catch phrase: “Buy when it snows! Sell when it goes!”

2010 October 21, Paul Marshman, “Buy when it snows, sell when it goes!”, in Toronto Star, Canada, retrieved 2015-10-13:

According to Carlo R. Besenius, CEO of Creative Global Investments in Luxembourg, the trade, known as "buy when it snows, sell when it goes," was profitable in 53 of the past 61 periods. In a recent note, he pointed out that Munich, Geneva, Luxembourg, and Calgary had their first snowfall on Sunday, Oct. 28. He credits annual recurring events such as transactions for tax purposes and the holidays, among others.

2012 November 3, Robin Goodwin Blumenthal, “Season for Stocks: Let It Snow, Let It Snow?”, in Barron's, retrieved 2015-10-13:

(business, stock market, chiefly northern US and Canada) Stock market securities can be expected to increase in value to a greater degree in the cold winter months from November through April than in the warm months from May through October, and profit-minded investors should manage their portfolios accordingly.


la esperanza es la última que muere

Literally, “hope is the last one to die”. Cognate with Italian la speranza è l'ultima a morire, Portuguese a esperança é a última que morre, Romanian speranța moare ultima among the Romance languages. See more at the English entry.

cog

hope springs eternal
hope springs eternal

one should never lose hope; hope springs eternal


la paciencia es una virtud

patience is a virtue
patience is a virtue


la suerte favorece a los audaces

fortune favors the bold
fortune favors the bold

fortune favors the bold (luck favors the adventurous)


la belleza está en los ojos de quien ve

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

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


de graça, até injeção na testa

de graça até injeção na testa#Portuguese

Alternative spelling of de graça até injeção na testa


head

nobody ever went broke underestimating the good taste of the American public

nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American people#English

Alternative form of nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American people


nobody ever went broke underestimating the good taste of the American people


a porta da rua é serventia da casa

Literally, “the door to the street is a service of the house”.


orel much nelapá

Literally, “the eagle does not catch flies”. Compare Latin aquila non captat muscas (“the eagle does not catch mice”).

cog

don't waste time, attention, calm or money on fighting insignificant enemies


za dobrotu na žebrotu

no good deed goes unpunished
no good deed goes unpunished

každý dobrý skutek je po zásluze potrestán


stěny mají uši

walls have ears (there is a risk of being heard, so pay attention to what you say)


head

quando a esmola é demais, o santo desconfia

Literally, “when the alms are too much, the saint mistrusts”.

lit

when a person acts excessively kind, he or she wants something in return

quando a esmola é grande, o santo desconfia


כי בתחבלות תעשה לך מלחמה

head

כִּי בְתַחְבֻּלוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה לְּךָ מִלְחָמָה • (ki vətaḥbulót ta'asé ləchá milḥamá)

ki vətaḥbulót ta'asé ləchá milḥamá (romanization)

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

all's fair in love and war. Literally: for with ruses you shall make war.

en-כי_בתחבלות_תעשה_לך_מלחמה-he-proverb-wQBAAASc


טוב ציפור אחת ביד משתיים על העץ

טוֹב צִפּוֹר אַחַת בַּיָּד מִשְּׁתַּיִים עַל הַעֵץ • (tov tzippór aḥát bayád mishtáim 'al ha'étz)

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

en-טוב_ציפור_אחת_ביד_משתיים_על_העץ-he-proverb-7oytY7-2


rei morto, rei posto

Compare Spanish a rey muerto, rey puesto.

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


voz do povo, voz de Deus

[ˈvɔ(ɪ̯)z du ˈpo.vu ˈvɔ(ɪ̯)z d͡ʒi ˈdeʊ̯s]

[ˈvɔ(ɪ̯)ʒ du ˈpo.vu ˈvɔ(ɪ̯)ʒ d͡ʒi ˈdeʊ̯ʃ]

[ˈvɔʒ ðu ˈpo.vu ˈvɔʒ ðɨ ˈðewʃ]

[ˈvɔʒ ðu ˈpo.vu ˈvɔʒ ðɨ ˈðewʃ]

[ˈbɔʒ ðu ˈpo.βu ˈβɔʒ ðɨ ˈðewʃ]

the voice of the people, the voice of God


cada macaco no seu galho

Literally, “every monkey on its branch”.

mind their own business
mind one's own business

everyone should mind their own business, to each his own


what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas

Popularized as the tagline of a 2002 city marketing campaign.

what happens on tour stays on tour#English

Synonym of what happens on tour stays on tour

what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas


no bucks, no Buck Rogers

Whether NASA under Trump will stay the course . . . an old adage attributed to its first human spaceflights of the 1960s is likely to define its fate: no bucks, no Buck Rogers.

2016 Nov. 30, Lee Billings, Trump’s First 100 Days: Space," Scientific American (retrieved 7 Oct 2017)

One must raise money to be able to achieve one's objectives, especially in the exploration of outer space.


aki korpa közé keveredik, megeszik a disznók

[ˌɒki ˈkorpɒkøzeː ˈkɛvɛrɛdik ˈmɛɡɛsik ɒ ˈdisnoːk]

Literally, “he who mixes with the bran, will be eaten by the pigs”, with azt ellipted from the second clause.

lit

one who mixes with bad company, will oneself become corrupted


de boas intenções está cheio o inferno

de boas intenções o inferno está cheio#Portuguese

Alternative form of de boas intenções o inferno está cheio


øje for øje, tand for tand

From Exodus 21:23-24 "Men hvis der sker en Ulykke, skal du bøde Liv for Liv, Øje for Øje, Tand for Tand, Haand for Haand, Fod for Fod".

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


जान है तो जहान है

hi-proverb

جان ہے تو جہان ہے

जान है तो जहान है • (jān hai to jahān hai) (Urdu spelling جان ہے تو جہان ہے)

jān hai to jahān hai (romanization)
جان ہے تو جہان ہے (Urdu)

/d͡ʒɑːn ɦɛː t̪oː d͡ʒə.ɦɑːn ɦɛː/

[d͡ʒä̃ːn‿ɦɛː‿t̪oː‿d͡ʒɐ.ɦä̃ːn‿ɦɛː]

where there is a will
where there is a will

if there's life, then there's the world; where there is a will


जाति ना पूछो साधु की; पूछ लीजिए ज्ञान

जाति ना पूछो साधु की; पूछ लीजिए ज्ञान • (jāti nā pūcho sādhu kī; pūch lījie jñān)

जाति ना पूछो साधु की (canonical)
पूछ लीजिए ज्ञान (canonical)
jāti nā pūcho sādhu kī (romanization)
pūch lījie jñān (romanization)

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

don't judge a book by its cover; "Ask not a saint of his caste; rather, of his knowledge."

en-जाति_ना_पूछो_साधु_की;_पूछ_लीजिए_ज्ञान-hi-proverb-8Bh3MREY


दूर के ढोल सुहावने लगते हैं

دور کے ڈھول سہاونے لگتے ہیں

दूर के ढोल सुहावने लगते हैं • (dūr ke ḍhol suhāvne lagte ha͠i) (Urdu spelling دور کے ڈھول سہاونے لگتے ہیں)

dūr ke ḍhol suhāvne lagte ha͠i (romanization)
دور کے ڈھول سہاونے لگتے ہیں (Urdu)

/d̪uːɾ keː ɖʱoːl sʊ.ɦɑːʋ.neː ləɡ.t̪eː ɦɛ̃ː/

[d̪uːɾ‿keː‿ɖʱoːl‿sʊ.ɦäːʋ.neː‿lɐɡ.t̪eː‿ɦɛ̃ː]

the grass is always greener on the other side (literally, “From far away, the drums sound better”)

en-दूर_के_ढोल_सुहावने_लगते_हैं-hi-proverb-0p5i2CSn


懶人多屎尿

/laːn¹³ jɐn²¹ tɔː⁵⁵ siː³⁵ niːu̯²²/

/lan²⁴ ŋin¹¹ to²⁴ sɨ³¹ ŋi̯au̯⁵⁵/

/lan⁴⁴⁻³⁵ ŋin¹¹ to⁴⁴⁻³⁵ sz̩³¹ ŋiau⁵³/

/laːn¹³ jɐn²¹ tɔː⁵⁵ siː³⁵ niːu̯²²/

/lan²⁴ ŋin¹¹ to²⁴ sɨ³¹ ŋi̯au̯⁵⁵/

/lan⁴⁴⁻³⁵ ŋin¹¹ to⁴⁴⁻³⁵ sz̩³¹ ŋiau⁵³/

Someone who is slacking off may use "going to the bathroom" as an excuse for not working.

2008, 李雪熒、彭文, 態度決定孩子, Sing Tao Publishing, →ISBN, page 10:

"You're really troublesome! Laan⁵ jan⁴ do¹ si² niu⁶!"

“nei⁵ zan¹ maa⁴ faan⁴! laan⁵ jan⁴ do¹ si² niu⁶!”

「你真麻煩！懶人多屎尿！」

「你真麻烦！懒人多屎尿！」

(Cantonese, Hakka) used to refer to a lazy person or someone who makes a lot of excuses


servitus in faciendo consistere nequit

servitūs in faciendō cōnsistere nequit (canonical)

/ˈser.u̯i.tuːs in fa.kiˈen.doː konˈsis.te.re ˈne.kʷit/

[ˈs̠ɛru̯ɪt̪uːs̠ ɪn fäkiˈɛn̪d̪oː kõːˈs̠ɪs̠t̪ɛrɛ ˈnɛkʷɪt̪]

/ˈser.vi.tus in fa.t͡ʃiˈen.do konˈsis.te.re ˈne.kwit/

[ˈsɛrvit̪us in fät͡ʃiˈɛn̪d̪o konˈsist̪ere ˈnɛːkwit̪]

(Medieval Latin, New Latin, law) Literally “an easement cannot continue in obliging (an action).” The owner of a property to which an easement was attached could not be forced to perform any actions by that easement.


血濃於水

ㄒㄩㄝˋ ㄋㄨㄥˊ ㄩˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ

ㄒㄩㄝˇ ㄋㄨㄥˊ ㄩˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ

ㄒㄧㄝˇ ㄋㄨㄥˊ ㄩˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ

сюэнунъюйшуй

/ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹ nʊŋ³⁵ y³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɕy̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ nʊŋ³⁵ y³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɕi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ nʊŋ³⁵ y³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/hyːt̚³ nʊŋ²¹ jyː⁵⁵ sɵy̯³⁵/

/ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹ nʊŋ³⁵ y³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɕy̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ nʊŋ³⁵ y³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɕi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ nʊŋ³⁵ y³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/hyːt̚³ nʊŋ²¹ jyː⁵⁵ sɵy̯³⁵/

Calque of German Blut ist dicker als Wasser.

calque

blood is thicker than water
blood is thicker than water


天下沒有白吃的午餐

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄅㄞˊ ㄔ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄨˇ ㄘㄢ

tin¹ haa⁶ mut⁶ jau⁵ baak⁶ hek³ dik¹ ng⁵ caan¹

tʻien¹-hsia⁴ mei²-yu³ pai²-chʻih¹ tê⁵ wu³-tsʻan¹

тянься мэйю байчи дэ уцань

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ meɪ̯³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ paɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ d̥ə² u²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰän⁵⁵/

tīn hah muht yáuh baahk hek dīk ńgh chāan

tin¹ haa⁶ mut⁹ jau⁵ baak⁹ hek⁸ dik⁷ ng⁵ tsaan¹

tin¹ ha⁶ mud⁶ yeo⁵ bag⁶ hég³ dig¹ ng⁵ can¹

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²² muːt̚² jɐu̯¹³ paːk̚² hɛːk̚³ tɪk̚⁵ ŋ̍¹³ t͡sʰaːn⁵⁵/

there's no such thing as a free lunch
there's no such thing as a free lunch


dvakrát měř a jednou řež

dvakrát měř, jednou řež
dvakrát měř, jednou řež#Czech

Alternative form of dvakrát měř, jednou řež


mieux vaut prévenir que guérir

prevention is better than cure
prevention is better than cure

better safe than sorry
better safe than sorry

prevention is better than cure, better safe than sorry


нет худа без добра

head

нет ху́да без добра́

нет ху́да без добра́ • (net xúda bez dobrá)

нет ху́да без добра́ (canonical)
net xúda bez dobrá (romanization)

LL-Q7737 (rus)-Tatiana Kerbush-нет худа без добра.wav

Literally, “there is no bad without good”.

lit

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

every cloud has a silver lining (in every bad situation there is an element of good)


o bom filho a casa torna

Vejo então que o bom filho a casa torna – disse Débora, tão surpresa quanto ele – Resolveu visitar a velha terrinha? Nem me lembro de quanto tempo faz que não nos vemos. Eles se abraçaram calorosamente, a saudade era sincera.

2006, Stanley Alexander Brandino, Pandora, Clube de Autores, page 20:

to do something one has already done previously; to visit a place one has already been to


money talks and bullshit walks

money talks, bullshit walks
money talks, bullshit walks#English

Alternative form of money talks, bullshit walks


en-proverb

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

Spending time with undesirable individuals will cause one to acquire their undesirable traits.

近朱者赤，近墨者黑

(proverb) spending time with undesirable people will cause one to take on their undesirable traits

wer den Hund ins Bett lässt, steht mit Flöhen auf

с кем поведёшься, от того́ и наберёшься

s kem povedjóšʹsja, ot tovó i naberjóšʹsja

am fear a laigheas sa pholl, togaidh e an làthach

if you fly with the crows, you get shot with the crows

who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl


de noche todos los gatos son pardos

Literally, “at night, all cats are brown”.

lit

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

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

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


en-proverb

what happens on the road stays on the road


en bild säger mer än tusen ord

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


det tror jag när jag ser det

seeing is believing; literally: I will believe that when I see it


old sins cast long shadows

old sins have long shadows
old sins have long shadows#English

Alternative form of old sins have long shadows


old sins have long shadows

"'Old sins have long shadows,'" he went on musingly. "And this shadow of Bou Smain may yet engulf you if I am not quick.

1929, Camilla Hope, Long Shadows, page 253:

“But if it doesn't exist how can it matter?” asked Nichol. “Old file, old company, old news.” “Old sins have long shadows,” said Gamache. “And this is an old sin.”

2013, Louise Penny, How The Light Gets In: A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery, →ISBN:

Lucinda was happy and deeply in love, but ‘old sins have long shadows’, and on the very night of her engagement party the dark, dangerous shadow of her past confronted her.

Past misdeeds are liable to return to haunt a person.


dead men can tell no tales

dead men tell no tales
dead men tell no tales#English

Alternative form of dead men tell no tales


bíonn cluasa ar an gcoill

walls have ears (literally, ‘the forest has ears’)


bíonn cluasa ar na claíocha

"Scata ban nó scata géanna," a deirtí. Ní dócha go bhfuil sé á rá a thuilleadh. Tá na Póilíní Smaointe gach áit na laethanta seo. Ná hoscail do bhéal! Ar eagla do chos a chur ann. (Nó an dá chos). Agus tá cluasa ar na claíocha, gan dabht. Bhí a fhios agat é sin.

2004, The Irish Times, “An turcai a thainig ar ais on mbas” [“The turkey that came back from the dead”]

"A flock of women or a flock of geese," they used to say. They probably don't say it any more. The Thought Police are everywhere these days. Don't open your mouth! For fear of putting your foot in. (Or both feet.) And walls have ears, no doubt. You know that.


天下沒有不散的宴席

天下没有不散的宴席
天下沒有不散的筵席
天下無不散的筵席
天下無不散之筵席

There is no such thing in theworld as a never-ending banquet

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄙㄢˋ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄧㄢˋ ㄒㄧˊ

tiānxià méiyǒu bùsàn de yànxí [Phonetic:tiānxià méiyǒu búsàn de yànxí]

tʻien¹-hsia⁴ mei²-yu³ pu⁴-san⁴ tê⁵ yen⁴-hsi²

тянься мэйю бусань дэ яньси

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ meɪ̯³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ sän⁵¹ d̥ə¹ jɛn⁵¹ ɕi³⁵/

[Phonetic: tiānxià méiyǒu búsàn de yànxí]

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

Parting of people is inevitable; (by extension) All good things come to an end


w winie prawda

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


אויפֿן גנבֿ ברענט דאָס היטל

head

אויפֿן גנבֿ ברענט דאָס היטל • (oyfn ganef brent dos hitl)

oyfn ganef brent dos hitl (romanization)

On a thief, the hat burns. (A thief gives himself away.)

en-אויפֿן_גנבֿ_ברענט_דאָס_היטל-yi-proverb-9~YUSsjZ


με πορδές δεν βάφονται αβγά

με πορδές δεν βάφονται αβγά • (me pordés den váfontai avgá)

me pordés den váfontai avgá (romanization)

The literal meaning is "With farts, eggs can't be/aren't dyed".

(colloquial, humorous) A task can't be completed correctly if one doesn't work hard or do all that is necessary.

en-με_πορδές_δεν_βάφονται_αβγά-el-proverb-plYW7sNE


a mão esquerda não sabe o que faz a direita

the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing (two parts of an organisation are unaware of each other’s activities)


um homem prevenido vale por dois

forewarned is forearmed
forewarned is forearmed

forewarned is forearmed (advance awareness of a situation prepares one to deal with it)


igračka-plačka

sh-proverb

igračka-plačka (Cyrillic spelling играчка-плачка)

играчка-плачка (Cyrillic)

it is all fun and games until someone loses an eye


Dios los cría y ellos se juntan

Literally, “God brings them up and they get together”.

lit

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

(usually derogatory) birds of a feather flock together


ni vse zlato, kar se sveti

nȉ vsȅ zlatọ̑ (canonical)
kȁr se svẹ́ti (canonical)

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


није злато све што сија

sh-proverb

ни́је зла̑то све̏ што̏ си̏ја

ни́је зла̑то све̏ што̏ си̏ја (Latin spelling níje zlȃto svȅ štȍ sȉja)

ни́је зла̑то све̏ што̏ си̏ја (canonical)
níje zlȃto svȅ štȍ sȉja (romanization)

en-није_злато_све_што_сија-sh-proverb-LT6ObsJh


תּורה איז די בעסטע סחורה

head

תּורה איז די בעסטע סחורה • (toyre is di beste skhoyre)

toyre is di beste skhoyre (romanization)

Education, especially Jewish learning, is of the greatest value (literally, "Torah is the best merchandise")

en-תּורה_איז_די_בעסטע_סחורה-yi-proverb-DMRiPOcc


千里の道も一歩から

ja-pos

せんり の みち も いっぽ から

千(せん)里(り)の道(みち)も一(いっ)歩(ぽ)から • (senri no michi mo ippo kara)

千里の道も一歩から (canonical)
senri no michi mo ippo kara (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 [comes] from one step”).

pclq

a road of a thousand li 􂀿comes􂁀 from one step

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step


de boas intenções está o inferno cheio

de boas intenções o inferno está cheio#Portuguese

Alternative form of de boas intenções o inferno está cheio


Tempi passati

Borrowed from Italian tempi passati (“times passed”). In the sense of "these are times passed" or "these times are gone" it can express both regret as well as relief. Joseph II is said to have used these words upon encountering a painting by Federico Zuccari in the Doge's Palace in Venice. It depicts Emperor Frederick Barbarossa lying on his knees in front of Pope Alexander III.

bor+

Es gab einmal eine Zeit in der arabischen Welt, da hatten Allianzen noch ihre Ordnung. Wenn A mit B und C verbandelt war, bedeutete es im Umkehrschluss, dass B und C ebenfalls Verbündete waren. Tempi passati!

2014 September 1, Florence Gaub, “Prinzipienfragen. Wie in der arabischen Welt Politik gemacht wird: eine Glosse”, in Internationale Politik. Deutschlands führende außenpolitische Zeitschrift, number 5, →ISSN, archived from the original on 2016-03-10, page 45:

There were times in the Arab world where alliances still had their order. If A was close-knit with B and C, then this meant conversely that B and C were allies as well. These times are long gone!

Doge's Palace
Federico Zuccari
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Pope Alexander III


head

They say it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest. My own feeling is that a well-behaved bird will neither foul its own nest nor another's, but that, finding it in any wise foul, it will openly say so, and clean it.

It's an ill bird that fouls his own nest, and we are all Scots folk and all Hieland.

The saying, “It's an ill bird that fouls its own nest” expresses the most universal of ethical norms, and is probably the source of all such norms.

2005, Richard Ostrofsky, Sharing Realities: Toward an Epistemology of Conversation, →ISBN, page 173:

He admitted then to having had, for two years, “documents in [his] possession sufficient to have destroyed [the Fenians operating in Montreal], but [he had] thought it was an ill bird that fouled its own nest.

2013, Charles Macnab, Understanding the Thomas D'Arcy McGee Assassination, →ISBN:

A condemnation of anyone who damages his or her own interests, reputation, or group.


o bom é inimigo do ótimo

Literally, “the good is the enemy of the great”.

lit

with limited resources, one should work with what they have rather than doing nothing and waiting for an improvement


head

אין אַ שיינעם עפּל געפֿינט מען אַ מאָל אַ וואָרעם • (in a sheynem epl gefint men a mol a vorem)

en-אין_אַ_שיינעם_עפּל_געפֿינט_מען_אַ_מאָל_אַ_וואָרעם-yi-proverb-n1QWiMHK


दिल्ली अभी दूर है

hi-proverb

دلی ابھی دور ہے

दिल्ली अभी दूर है • (dillī abhī dūr hai) (Urdu spelling دلی ابھی دور ہے)

dillī abhī dūr hai (romanization)
دلی ابھی دور ہے (Urdu)

Calque of Classical Persian دهلی هنوز دور است (dihlī hanōz dūr ast). Literally meaning “Delhi is still far away”.

clq

دهلی هنوز دور است

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

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


en-proverb

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


head

le dijo la sartén al cazo: ¡aparta que me tiznas!

Literally, “the pan said to the pot: move away, you're blackening me!”.

lit

le dijo la sartén al cazo ¡aparta que me tiznas!

pot calling the kettle black
pot calling the kettle black


κάλλιο αργά παρά ποτέ

head

κάλλιο αργά παρά ποτέ • (kállio argá pará poté)

better late than never
better late than never


όταν λείπει η γάτα χορεύουν τα ποντίκια

όταν λείπει η γάτα χορεύουν τα ποντίκια • (ótan leípei i gáta chorévoun ta pontíkia)

The literal meaning is "When the cat is away, the mice dance".

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

en-όταν_λείπει_η_γάτα_χορεύουν_τα_ποντίκια-el-proverb-I3UI58ao


το αίμα νερό δεν γίνεται

το αίμα νερό δεν γίνεται

το αίμα νερό δεν γίνεται • (to aíma neró den gínetai)

The literal meaning is "Blood doesn't/can't become water".

blood is thicker than water
blood is thicker than water

en-το_αίμα_νερό_δεν_γίνεται-el-proverb-86ku8o82


όπου λαλούν πολλοί κοκόροι αργεί να ξημερώσει • (ópou laloún polloí kokóroi argeí na ximerósei)

The literal meaning is "Where many roosters crow, dawn is slow to come".

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

en-όπου_λαλούν_πολλοί_κοκόροι_αργεί_να_ξημερώσει-el-proverb-V9NSVAH2


κάλλιο πέντε και στο χέρι παρά δέκα και καρτέρει • (kállio pénte kai sto chéri pará déka kai kartérei)

The literal meaning is "Better five in the hand than waiting for ten".

(figuratively) a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush (It is preferable to have a small but certain advantage than a mere potential of a greater one.)

en-κάλλιο_πέντε_και_στο_χέρι_παρά_δέκα_και_καρτέρει-el-proverb-irImuZZi


en-proverb

you can take the monkey out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the monkey

(ethnic slur, offensive) Black people, in the view of racists, behave badly regardless of their whereabouts or socialization.

you can take X out of Y, but you can't take Y out of X


το μήλο κάτω απ' τη μηλιά θα πέσει

head

το μήλο κάτω απ' τη μηλιά θα πέσει • (to mílo káto ap' ti miliá tha pései)

to mílo káto ap' ti miliá tha pései (romanization)

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

apple does not fall far from the stem
apple does not fall far from the stem

apple does not fall far from the tree, apple does not fall far from the stem (literally "the apple will fall under the apple tree")

en-το_μήλο_κάτω_απ'_τη_μηλιά_θα_πέσει-el-proverb-9hpKYtNv


αν η γιαγιά μου είχε αρχίδια θα τη φώναζα παππού • (an i giagiá mou eíche archídia tha ti fónaza pappoú)

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

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

en-αν_η_γιαγιά_μου_είχε_αρχίδια_θα_τη_φώναζα_παππού-el-proverb-sn4D6wcS


семь раз отмерь, один отрежь

семь раз отме́рь, оди́н отре́жь

семь раз отме́рь, оди́н отре́жь • (semʹ raz otmérʹ, odín otréžʹ)

семь раз отме́рь (canonical)
оди́н отре́жь (canonical)
semʹ raz otmérʹ (romanization)
odín otréžʹ (romanization)

Literally, “measure seven times, cut off once” (e.g. when tailors cut cloth).

lit

look before you leap
look before you leap

better safe than sorry
better safe than sorry

look before you leap, better safe than sorry, to measure thrice and cut once, second thoughts are best

en-семь_раз_отмерь,_один_отрежь-ru-proverb-N1LvtDf8


chi di spada ferisce, di spada perisce

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

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


no hay mal que por bien no venga

Literally, “there is no bad that does not bring some good”

lit

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

blessing in disguise
blessing in disguise


head

Literally, “if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be an old bycicle”.

lit

"Habríamos ganado el partido si hubiéramos tenido un portero decente" — "Y si mi abuela tuviera ruedas, sería una bicicleta"

"We would have won the match if we'd had a decent goalkeeper." — "And if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle!"


hastverk er lastverk

more haste, less speed
more haste, less speed

more haste, less speed; haste makes waste


अधजल गगरी छलकत जाय

hi-proverb

अधजल गगरी छलकत जाय

अधजल गगरी छलकत जाय • (adhjal gagrī chalakata jāy)

adhjal gagrī chalakata jāy (romanization)

/əd̪ʱ.d͡ʒəl ɡəɡ.ɾiː t͡ʃʰə.lə.kə.t̪ə .d͡ʒɑːj/

[ɐd̪ʱ.d͡ʒɐl‿ɡɐɡ.ɾiː‿t͡ʃʰɐ.lɐ.kɐ.t̪ɐ‿.d͡ʒäːj]

LL-Q1568 (hin)-AryamanA-अधजल गगरी छलकत जाय.wav

empty vessels make the most noise
empty vessels make the most noise

the empty vessels make the most noise; those who know little still show off


needs must when the devil drives

Needs (“of necessity, necessarily”, adverb) must (“one must”, impersonal) when the devil drives.

He needs must goe, the Devil drives.

1664, Charles Cotton, Scarronides; or, Virgile Travestie:

My poor body, madam, requires it: I am driven on by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil drives.

1623, William Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well:

There is sometimes no choice but to do some specific thing.

hätä ei lue lakia

there is sometimes no choice but to do something

біда навчить коржі з маком їсти

коржі з салом, вареники


head

zoals de waard is, vertrouwt hij zijn gasten

/zoːɑls də ˈʋaːrt ɪs fɛrˈtrɑu̯t ɦɛi̯ zɛi̯n ˈɣɑstə(n)/

/zoːɑls də ˈʋaːrt ɪs fərˈtrɑu̯t ɦɛi̯ zɛi̯n ˈɣɑstə(n)/

Literally, “the innkeeper trusts his guests like he [his character] is”.

m-g

the innkeeper trusts his guests like he 􂀿his character􂁀 is

lit

an unreliable, dishonest person tends to distrust other people


head

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

when the going gets tough, the tough get going


aiutati che il ciel t'aiuta

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


fr-proverb

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

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

/s‿ɛ kɑ̃ l(ə) ʒø də.vjɛ̃ dyʁ kə le dyʁ kɔ.mɑ̃.s(ə).t‿a ʒwe/

/s‿ɛ kɑ̃ l(ə) ʒø də.vjɛ̃ dyʁ kə le dyʁ kɔ.mɑ̃.s‿a ʒwe/


there are bad apples in every orchard

Every community and demographic has troublesome members.


en-proverb

For quotations using this term, see Citations:when you're up to your neck in alligators, it's hard to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp.

It is easy to lose sight of one's initial objective, becoming caught up in subtasks or in tasks only tangentially related to the original goal.

if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging


head

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

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

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

you can't teach an old dog new tricks, old habits die hard, a leopard cannot change his spots (literally "the twist which is in the old stick is difficult to take out")

an car a th' anns an t-seana mhaide, is duilich a thoirt as


אל תסתכל בקנקן אלא במה שיש בו

אַל תִּסְתַּכֵּל בַּקַּנְקַן, אֶלָּא בַמֶּה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ • (ál tistakél baqanqán, éla bamé sheyésh bó)

אַל תִּסְתַּכֵּל בַּ קַּנְקַן (canonical)
אֶלָּא בַ מֶּה שֶׁ יֵּשׁ בּוֹ (canonical)
ál tistakél baqanqán (romanization)
éla bamé sheyésh bó (romanization)

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

you can't judge a book by its cover (literally: Don't look at the jug, but at what's inside it)

en-אל_תסתכל_בקנקן_אלא_במה_שיש_בו-he-proverb-E9S-59s-


wo Saufen eine Ehre ist, ist Kotzen keine Schande

Literally, “where hard drinking is an honour, vomiting is no disgrace”.

lit

where there are false ideals, the vices will be even worse; but chiefly used in the context of hard drinking, as a condemnation thereof

Used by drinkers, in a positive and literal sense, to excuse their own or other people’s vomiting


хәйерсегә ел ҡаршы

head

хәйерсегә ел ҡаршы

хәйерсегә ел ҡаршы • (xəyersegə yel qarşı) (literally: for the beggar, the wind is contrary)

xəyersegə yel qarşı (romanization)
for the beggar (literally)

[χæ.jɪ̞r.sɪ̞ˈɡæ ˈjɪ̞l qɑɾˌʂɯ̞]

Compare with exactly analogous phrases in other languages:
Tatar хәерчегә җил каршы (xäyerçegä cil qarşı),
Kazakh қайыршыға жел қарсы (qaiyrşyğa jel qarsy).

cog

хәерчегә җил каршы

қайыршыға жел қарсы

said when somebody is having bad luck, especially when a lot of bad things happen one after another; it's not sb's day, it's one of those days


સારા કામમાં સો વિઘ્નો

head

સારા કામમાં સો વિઘ્નો

સારા કામમાં સો વિઘ્નો • (sārā kāmmā̃ so vighno)

/ˈsɑ.ɾɑ‿ˈkɑm.mɑ̃‿ˈso‿ˈʋiɡʱ.no/

a proverb for how there are countless obstacles to doing a good deed, but that one should proceed anyways

en-સારા_કામમાં_સો_વિઘ્નો-gu-proverb-fPRI8CgY


tutto è bene ciò che finisce bene

tutto è bene quel che finisce bene#Italian

Alternative form of tutto è bene quel che finisce bene


tutto è bene quel che finisce bene

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


in amore e in guerra tutto è lecito

Literally, “in love and in war everything is permitted.”

lit

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


a revolution is not a dinner party

An aphoristic political statement by Mao Zedong, defending violence as a means of imposing a different societal order; for more, see Wikipedia at revolution is not a dinner party.

In order to achieve something, courtesy, long-held norms, and other such formalities must be dropped.


Caesar's wife must be above suspicion

In 62 BC Publius Clodius Pulcher sneaked into the festival of the Bona Dea, hosted by Julius Caesar’s wife, Pompeia, with the intention of seducing her, leading to Publius’s arrest and trial. After the trial, Caesar divorced Pompeia, and when questioned said “my wife ought not even to be under suspicion,” as Pompeia was under suspicion of illicit behavior.

(proverb) Those in positions of authority should avoid even the implication of impropriety.

Caesars vrouw moet boven alle verdenking verheven zijn

la femme de César ne doit pas être soupçonnée

Cäsars Frau muss über jeden Verdacht erhaben sein


uma mulher prevenida vale por duas

um homem prevenido vale por dois#Portuguese

female equivalent of um homem prevenido vale por dois


head

's e miann na lacha an loch air nach bi i

the grass is always greener on the other side


the fewer the better fare

Things are better when fewer people are involved.

More food and drink are available per person if fewer people are there to consume it.


volere è potere

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


en-proverb

if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging

When finding oneself in a troubling situation, one should first make sure one is not making the situation worse by one's own actions before addressing all other causes.

when you are in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging

when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging


the dose makes the poison

(toxicology) The damage that a substance causes is determined more by its quantity than by its essence.


why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

The whole idea of why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free relates to offering only a very brief sample of your music online. I have intellectual property, and I treat that intellectual property very seriously as an artist.

2005, Steven Gordon, The Future of the Music Business:

In the past, women who wanted to move in with a boyfriend would get a strict talking-to about a common male mentality: “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”

I can get plenty of dames, so why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free...ya know what I mean?

2008, Inge Auerbacher, Highway To New York: A Lady Truck Driver Adventure, page 38:

Do not expect somebody to make a costly commitment if it will give them nothing they do not already have; used especially as a warning against having sexual intercourse before marriage.

why buy a book when you can join a library


甘井先ず竭く

ja-pos

甘(かん)井(せい)先(ま)ず竭(つ)く • (kansei mazu tsuku)

甘井先ず竭く (canonical)
kansei mazu tsuku (romanization)

Calque of Literary Chinese 甘井先竭 (gānjǐngxiānjié), from 莊子/山木. Literally "a sweet well is the first to be exhausted", because the sweet well has many users.

calque

highly-skilled men are the first to be exhausted


a little knowledge is a dangerous thing

A slight misquotation of Alexander Pope’s a little learning is a dangerous thing. The earliest use dates from a magazine published in 1774.

Of course anybody can saw off a limb; but here, as so often happens, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and a little more will often save a dear old friend of the family and the neighborhood.

1926, Francis Blake Atkinson, Hallam Hawksworth, A Year in the Wonderland of Trees, page 176:

A small amount of knowledge can mislead individuals into believing that they are more experienced and expert than what is actually the case.

zeal without knowledge is a runaway horse


head

δείξε μου τους φίλους σου, να σου πω ποιος είσαι • (deíxe mou tous fílous sou, na sou po poios eísai)

deíxe mou tous fílous sou (romanization)
na sou po poios eísai (romanization)

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

en-δείξε_μου_τους_φίλους_σου,_να_σου_πω_ποιος_είσαι-el-proverb-qIphIxGJ


en-proverb

when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging

if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging#English

Synonym of if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging


chi non risica non rosica

Literally, “who doesn't risk doesn't gnaw”.

lit

nothing ventured, nothing gained
nothing ventured, nothing gained

faint heart never won fair lady
faint heart never won fair lady

nothing ventured, nothing gained; no pain, no gain; faint heart never won fair lady (to achieve a goal, you have to take risks)


don't hate the player, hate the game

En-us-don't hate the player, hate the game.oga

Audio (US)

The frustrations with a system or activity should be blamed on its weaknesses, rather than on individuals who operate within it.


τέλος καλό, όλα καλά

head

τέλος καλό, όλα καλά • (télos kaló, óla kalá)

télos kaló (romanization)
óla kalá (romanization)

all's well that ends well (literally "end good, all good")


ό,τι λάμπει δεν είναι χρυσός

ό,τι λάμπει δεν είναι χρυσός

ό,τι λάμπει δεν είναι χρυσός • (ó,ti lámpei den eínai chrysós)

ó (romanization)
ti lámpei den eínai chrysós (romanization)

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

all that glisters is not gold
all that glisters is not gold

all that glitters is not gold, all that glisters is not gold

en-ό,τι_λάμπει_δεν_είναι_χρυσός-el-proverb-cAE854Sc


όπως στρώσεις, θα κοιμηθείς

όπως στρώσεις, θα κοιμηθείς • (ópos stróseis, tha koimitheís)

ópos stróseis (romanization)
tha koimitheís (romanization)

The literal meaning is "As you make the bed you'll sleep".

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

en-όπως_στρώσεις,_θα_κοιμηθείς-el-proverb-BwWacApw


ένα μήλο την ημέρα, τον γιατρό τον κάνει πέρα • (éna mílo tin iméra, ton giatró ton kánei péra)

éna mílo tin iméra (romanization)
ton giatró ton kánei péra (romanization)

/ˌe.na ˈmi.lo tin iˈme.ɾa | toɲ ʝaˈtɾo toŋ ˌɡa.ni ˈpe.ɾa/

an apple a day keeps the doctor away#English

an apple a day keeps the doctor away (apples are good for your health)

en-ένα_μήλο_την_ημέρα,_τον_γιατρό_τον_κάνει_πέρα-el-proverb-19nLDC9R


you can't be half pregnant

From the notion that someone is either pregnant or not.

Alex, you can't be half pregnant. If you keep doing other work that falls outside of your logo design process, you'll send mixed messages to all of your stakeholders.

2011, John Warrillow, Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You, Penguin, →ISBN, page 47:

(idiomatic) Said of an either-or situation; there are only two available choices.


ride bene chi ride ultimo

LL-Q652 (ita)-LangPao-ride bene chi ride ultimo.wav

Literally, “(he) laughs well who laughs last.” Compare French rira bien qui rira le dernier.

lit

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


when in Rome, do like the Romans do

when in Rome, do as the Romans do#English

(uncommon) Alternative form of when in Rome, do as the Romans do


禮多人不怪

ㄌㄧˇ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄨㄞˋ

lǐ duō rén bù guài [Phonetic:lǐ duō rén bú guài]

ли до жэнь бу гуай

/li²¹⁴⁻²¹ tu̯ɔ⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ku̯aɪ̯⁵¹/

/lɐi̯¹³ tɔː⁵⁵ jɐn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ kʷaːi̯³³/

/lɐi̯¹³ tɔː⁵⁵ jɐn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ kʷaːi̯³³/

nobody will find fault with extra courtesy; courtesy costs nothing; you won't be blamed for being too polite


penger vokser ikke på trær

money doesn't grow on trees
money doesn't grow on trees


en-proverb

an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind

A policy of revenge will lead to counterretaliations rather than peaceful resolutions.


娶妻娶德

ㄑㄩˇ ㄑㄧ ㄑㄩˇ ㄉㄜˊ

/t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɤ³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɤ³⁵/

marry a woman for her morality (rather than beauty)


ei paska punniten parane

you can't polish a turd
you can't polish a turd


justice is blind

Justice is to be meted out impartially, without regard to the identity of the individual being tried.


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

A person unaccustomed to wealth or luxury will easily be corrupted by it.

give him enough rope and he'll hang himself


金錢至上

ㄐㄧㄣ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄓˋ ㄕㄤˋ

цзиньцянь чжишан

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

/kɐm⁵⁵ t͡sʰiːn²¹ t͡siː³³ sœːŋ²²/

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

/kɐm⁵⁵ t͡sʰiːn²¹ t͡siː³³ sœːŋ²²/


tl-head

ang pagsasabi ng tapát ay pagsasama ng maluwát (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜉᜄ᜔ᜐᜐᜊᜒ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜆᜉᜆ᜔ ᜀᜌ᜔ ᜉᜄ᜔ᜐᜐᜋ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜋᜎᜓᜏᜆ᜔)

/ʔaŋ paɡsaˌsabi naŋ taˌpat ʔaj paɡsaˌsama naŋ maluˈat/

[ʔɐm pɐɡ.sɐˌsaː.bɪ n̪ɐn̪ t̪ɐˌpat̪ ʔaɪ̯ pɐɡ.sɐˌsaː.mɐ n̪ɐŋ mɐˈlwat̪̚]

Literally, “to speak the truth is staying together long for good”.

lit

ang pagsasabi ng tapat ay pagsasama ng maluwat

frankness in speech makes for a more lasting friendship


crime doesn't pay

If you commit a crime you will most likely be punished for it.

罪有應得

if you a commit a crime you will most likely be punished for it

winie depcze po piętach kara (Latin: culpam poena premit comes)

if you can't do the time, don't do the crime


ready, fire, aim

Used as a reminder that prompt action is often better than thoroughly planned action, especially in business.

(often ironic) Used to emphasize the dangers of acting hastily.


good fences make good neighbours

good fences make good neighbors
good fences make good neighbors#English

British standard form of good fences make good neighbors.


學優而仕

ㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄧㄡ ㄦˊ ㄕˋ

/ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ joʊ̯⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/hɔːk̚² jɐu̯⁵⁵ jiː²¹ siː²²/

/ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ joʊ̯⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/hɔːk̚² jɐu̯⁵⁵ jiː²¹ siː²²/

學而優則仕 學而優則仕#Chinese

学而优则仕 学而优则仕#Chinese

Synonym of 學而優則仕／学而优则仕 (xué ér yōu zé shì)


alkalom szüli a tolvajt

alkalom (“opportunity”) + szül (“to give birth”) + -i (personal suffix) + a (“the”) + tolvaj (“thief”) + -t (accusative suffix).
Literally, “[the] opportunity gives birth to [a] thief”.

m-g

􂀿the􂁀 opportunity gives birth to 􂀿a􂁀 thief

lit

opportunity makes the thief
opportunity makes the thief


head

an té atá saor caitheadh sé an chéad chloch

people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones (do not criticize others if you have similar weaknesses yourself)


命裡有時終須有，命裡無時莫強求

命裡有時終須有，命裡無時莫強求

ㄇㄧㄥˋ ㄌㄧˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄕˊ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄒㄩ ㄧㄡˇ

ㄇㄧㄥˋ ㄌㄧˇ ㄨˊ ㄕˊ ㄇㄛˋ ㄑㄧㄤˇ ㄑㄧㄡˊ

ming⁶ leoi⁵ jau⁵ si⁴ zung¹ seoi¹ jau⁵, ming⁶ leoi⁵ mou⁴ si⁴ mok⁶ koeng⁵ kau⁴

mìng lǐ yǒu shí zhōngxū yǒu, mìng lǐ wú shí mò qiǎngqiú [Phonetic:mìnglíyǒushízhōngxūyǒu,mìnglǐwúshímòqiǎngqiú]

мин ли ю ши чжунсюй ю

мин ли у ши мо цянцю

/miŋ⁵¹ li²¹⁴⁻³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕy⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ miŋ⁵¹ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵/

mihng léuih yáuh sìh jūng sēui yáuh, mihng léuih mòuh sìh mohk kéuhng kàuh

ming⁶ loey⁵ jau⁵ si⁴ dzung¹ soey¹ jau⁵, ming⁶ loey⁵ mou⁴ si⁴ mok⁹ koeng⁵ kau⁴

ming⁶ lêu⁵ yeo⁵ xi⁴ zung¹ sêu¹ yeo⁵, ming⁶ lêu⁵ mou⁴ xi⁴ mog⁶ kêng⁵ keo⁴

/mɪŋ²² lɵy̯¹³ jɐu̯¹³ siː²¹ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ sɵy̯⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³ mɪŋ²² lɵy̯¹³ mou̯²¹ siː²¹ mɔːk̚² kʰœːŋ¹³ kʰɐu̯²¹/

From Chapter 14 of Jin Ping Mei:
:
The proverb also appeared in Zengguang Xianwen (《增廣賢文》).

The Plum in the Golden Vase, circa 1610 CE

Fùguì zì shì fú lái tóu, lìmíng hái yǒu lìmíng yōu. Mìng lǐ yǒu shí zhōngxū yǒu, mìng lǐ wú shí mò qiángqiú.

富貴自是福來投，利名還有利名憂。命裡有時終須有，命裡無時莫強求。

富贵自是福来投，利名还有利名忧。命里有时终须有，命里无时莫强求。

命里有时终须有，命里无时莫强求
命裏有時終須有，命裏無時莫強求

When you have it in your life, you eventually have it. When you do not, do not insist [on having it]

In one's life, when one's wish comes true, it finally comes true, but one is disappointed, one doesn't insist.

Jin Ping Mei
The Plum in the Golden Vase


nachts sind alle Katzen grau

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


bij nacht zijn alle katten grauw

/bɛi̯ ˈnɑxt sɛi̯n ˈɑ.lə ˈkɑ.tə(n)ˈɣrɑu̯/

Literally, “at night all cats are grey”.


w nocy wszystkie koty są czarne

/ˈvnɔ.t͡sɘ ˈfʂɘs.tkjɛ ˈkɔ.tɘ sɔw̃ ˈt͡ʂar.nɛ/

Literally, “at night, all cats are black”.

lit

(idiomatic) all cats are grey in the dark


不知者無罪

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄓㄜˇ ㄨˊ ㄗㄨㄟˋ

бучжи чжэ уцзуй

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ t͡su̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡sɛː³⁵ mou̯²¹ t͡sɵy̯²²/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡sɛː³⁵ mou̯²¹ t͡sɵy̯²²/

One who errs unknowingly need not be held responsible.


నిండుకుండ తొణకదు

head

నిండు కుండ తొణకదు

నిండు కుండ తొణకదు • (niṇḍu kuṇḍa toṇakadu)

నిండు కుండ తొణకదు (canonical)
niṇḍu kuṇḍa toṇakadu (romanization)

"A full pot does not spill." (equivalent to: A great or strong man is not easily agitated in his mind.)


mess with the bull, get the horns

when you mess with the bull, you get the horns#English

Synonym of when you mess with the bull, you get the horns


en-proverb

if you mess with the bull, you get the horns


when you mess with the bull, you get the horns

(informal) If you provoke someone dangerous, you can expect an aggressive reaction.


der Zweck heiligt die Mittel

the end justifies the means
the end justifies the means


eerlijk duurt het langst

Literally, “honest lasts the longest”. Compare the same in German ehrlich währt am längsten.

honesty is the best policy
honesty is the best policy

honesty is the best policy; implying that dishonesty will eventually be exposed


ehrlich währt am längsten

Literally, “[being] honest lasts the longest”. Compare Dutch eerlijk duurt het langst.


head

wovon das Herz voll ist, davon geht der Mund über

Based on Matthew 12:34: “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.”

Words, even when said lightly or in passing, reveal something about someone’s mind.

wes das Herz voll ist, des geht der Mund über

wovon das Herz voll ist, davon redet der Mund


den enen sien Uul is den annern sien Nachtigal

Literally: “One man’s owl is another’s nightingale.”

Everybody is attached to their own opinion, and hence one should be able to accept other opinions however absurd these may seem to one.


知人知面不知心

know the person, know the face, but not know the heart

ㄓ ㄖㄣˊ ㄓ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄒㄧㄣ

чжи жэнь чжи мянь бу чжи синь

/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/t͡siː⁵⁵ jɐn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ miːn²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ sɐm⁵⁵/

/ti⁴⁴⁻³³ zin²³ ti⁴⁴⁻³³ biɛn³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ ti⁴⁴⁻³³ sim⁴⁴/

one may know a person from the outside but may not understand their true nature


wer rastet, der rostet

you snooze, you lose
you snooze, you lose

you snooze, you lose: if one becomes inactive, lazy or left behind once, then one will find it all the more difficult to become active, productive or progressive again


en-proverb

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

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

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


can che abbaia non morde

Literally, “a barking dog doesn't bite”.

barking dogs never bite
barking dogs never bite

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite

barking dogs never bite; barking dogs seldom bite


能無し犬の高吠え

ja-pos

のうなし いぬ の たかぼえ

能(のう)無(な)し犬(いぬ)の高(たか)吠(ぼ)え • (nōnashi inu no takaboe)

能無し犬の高吠え (canonical)
nōnashi inu no takaboe (romanization)

Literally “dim-witted dogs are those that bark loudly”.

barking dogs seldom bite, barking dogs never bite

能鷹隠爪

能鷹隠爪 のうよういんそう


blaffende honden bijten niet

people who make big threats usually never carry them out; barking dogs seldom bite


the eyes are the window to the soul

One can tell much about a person's character or personality from their eyes.


目は心の鏡

め は こころ の かがみ

目(め)は心(こころ)の鏡(かがみ) • (me wa kokoro no kagami)

目は心の鏡 (canonical)
me wa kokoro no kagami (romanization)

the eyes are the window to the soul
the eyes are the window to the soul


目は心の窓

め は こころ の まど

目(め)は心(こころ)の窓(まど) • (me wa kokoro no mado)

目は心の窓 (canonical)
me wa kokoro no mado (romanization)


ryba smrdí od hlavy

the fish rots from the head
the fish rots from the head

problems with people at lower ranks of an organization are to be traced to similar problems with people in the leadership; the fish rots from the head


mowa jest srebrem, a milczenie złotem

/ˈmɔ.va jɛst ˈsrɛb.rɛm a milˈt͡ʂɛ.ɲɛ ˈzwɔ.tɛm/

Literally, “speech is silver, and silence is golden”.

lit

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

(idiomatic) speech is silver, silence is golden


事實勝於雄辯

ㄕˋ ㄕˊ ㄕㄥˋ ㄩˊ ㄒㄩㄥˊ ㄅㄧㄢˋ

шиши шэнъюй сюнбянь

/ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ y³⁵ ɕi̯ʊŋ³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/siː²² sɐt̚² sɪŋ³³ jyː⁵⁵ hʊŋ²¹ piːn²²/

/ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ y³⁵ ɕi̯ʊŋ³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/siː²² sɐt̚² sɪŋ³³ jyː⁵⁵ hʊŋ²¹ piːn²²/

facts speak louder than words; facts are stronger than rhetoric; facts are more convincing than eloquent theories


σπεῦδε βραδέως

head

σπεῦδε βρᾰδέως

σπεῦδε βρᾰδέως • (speûde bradéōs)

σπεῦδε βρᾰδέως (canonical)
speûde bradéōs (romanization)

→ Latin: festīnā lentē (calque)

more haste, less speed
more haste, less speed

make haste slowly; hasten slowly: an oxymoron equivalent to more haste, less speed


nie szata zdobi człowieka

Literally, “not clothes decorate [the] man”.

lit

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

(idiomatic) clothes don't make the man (one cannot accurately judge a person solely by appearances)

nie szata zdobi człowieka, lecz człowiek szatę


ingen nyheter er gode nyheter

no news is good news
no news is good news


ympäri käydään, yhteen tullaan

went their separate ways
go their separate ways#English

When persons or things that part or went their separate ways end up crossing paths again

what goes around comes around
what goes around comes around

what goes around comes around; the actions you take may one day end up having consequences on you


需要是發明之母

ㄒㄩ ㄧㄠˋ ㄕˋ ㄈㄚ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄓ ㄇㄨˇ

сюйяо ши фамин чжи му

/ɕy⁵⁵ jɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ fä⁵⁵ miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ mu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɵy̯⁵⁵ jiːu̯³³ siː²² faːt̚³ mɪŋ²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ mou̯¹³/

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


as one door closes, another opens

when one door closes, another opens#English

Synonym of when one door closes, another opens


it's the hit dog that howls

(US) If somebody is ranting or complaining about something, they were probably hurt by it.

اللّي فيها حْلِيب تْصَيَّح

If someone is ranting about something, it means they were hurt by it


målet helliger midlet

Literally, “the goal justifies the method”.

the end justifies the means
the end justifies the means


the customer is always right

Service staff should give high priority to customer satisfaction.

お客様は神様です (おきゃくさまはかみさまです, okyakusama wa kamisama desu, literally “the customer is God”)


perfect is the enemy of good

A variant of the older the best is the enemy of the good, popularized by Voltaire in French as le mieux est l’ennemi du bien, itself a translation of the Italian proverb il meglio è nemico del bene.

let the perfect be the enemy of the good

Insistence on perfection often precludes the opportunity for something worthwhile.

Insistence on perfection precludes gradual improvement through compromises.


薑還是老的辣

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

ㄐㄧㄤ ㄏㄞˊ ㄕˋ ㄌㄠˇ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄌㄚˋ

цзян хайши лао дэ ла

/t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ xaɪ̯³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴ d̥ə⁴ lä⁵¹/

/kœːŋ⁵⁵ waːn²¹ siː²² lou̯¹³ tɪk̚⁵ laːt̚²/

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


head

dinheiro, carinho e reza, nunca se despreza

Literally, “money, care and prayer, never disdain”. The word reza (“prayer”) rhymes with despreza (“disdain”).

lit

(rare, religion) never show disdain for money, care, or prayer


噂をすれば

噂をすれば (canonical)
uwasa o sureba (romanization)

From 噂 (uwasa, “gossip”) + を (o, particle) + すれば (sureba, hypothetical conditional of する suru). Literally meaning "if you make gossip...".

compound

hypothetical conditional of <i class="Jpan mention" lang="ja">する</i> suru

噂をすれば影がさす 噂をすれば影がさす#Japanese

Ellipsis of 噂をすれば影がさす: speak of the devil


head

όλα του γάμου δύσκολα κι η νύφη γκαστρωμένη • (óla tou gámou dýskola ki i nýfi gkastroméni)

/ˈola tu ˈɣamu ˈðiskola c‿i ˈnifi ɡastɾoˈmeni/

The literal meaning is "Everything about the wedding is difficult and the bride is knocked up (pregnant)".

Δεν φτάνει που μου είχε σκάσει το λάστιχο, πετάχτηκε και ένα χαλίκι και μου 'σπάσε το παρμπρίζ. Όλα του γάμου δύσκολα!

It's not enough that my tyre had burst; to make matters worse, a pebble flew up and broke my windshield!

Den ftánei pou mou eíche skásei to lásticho, petáchtike kai éna chalíki kai mou 'spáse to parmpríz. Óla tou gámou dýskola!

add insult to injury
add insult to injury

add fuel to the fire
add fuel to the fire

(colloquial, humorous, idiomatic) to add insult to injury, to make matters worse, to add fuel to the fire (said of occasions when things that are already in a difficult situation get worse or have an additional complication)

en-όλα_του_γάμου_δύσκολα_κι_η_νύφη_γκαστρωμένη-el-proverb-TaQtCKPP


ένας κούκος δε φέρνει την άνοιξη

ένας κούκος δε φέρνει την άνοιξη • (énas koúkos de férnei tin ánoixi)

énas koúkos de férnei tin ánoixi (romanization)

Μην περιμένεις τώρα ότι θα αλλάξει εντελώς – ένας κούκος δε φέρνει την άνοιξη.
Min periméneis tóra óti tha alláxei entelós – énas koúkos de férnei tin ánoixi.
Don't expect that he'll completely change – one swallow does not a summer make.

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

en-ένας_κούκος_δε_φέρνει_την_άνοιξη-el-proverb-P-5rXwRC

ένα χελιδόνι δεν φέρνει την άνοιξη

one swallow does not a summer make; one swallow does not bring spring


μάτια που δε βλέπονται, γρήγορα λησμονιούνται • (mátia pou de vlépontai, grígora lismonioúntai)

mátia pou de vlépontai (romanization)
grígora lismonioúntai (romanization)

/ˈmati.a pu ðe ˈvleponte | ˈɣriɣora lis.moniˈunte/

The literal meaning is "Eyes that don't see one another quickly forget each other".

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

en-μάτια_που_δε_βλέπονται,_γρήγορα_λησμονιούνται-el-proverb-4-tinDPo


όποιος καεί με τον χυλό, φυσάει και το γιαούρτι • (ópoios kaeí me ton chyló, fysáei kai to giaoúrti)

ópoios kaeí me ton chyló (romanization)
fysáei kai to giaoúrti (romanization)

The literal meaning is "Whoever gets burnt with porridge, even blows on yoghurt".

once bitten, twice shy
once bitten, twice shy

once bitten, twice shy (those who have been hurt in the past are doubly cautious)

en-όποιος_καεί_με_τον_χυλό,_φυσάει_και_το_γιαούρτι-el-proverb-YhAmfQnD


όποιος ανακατεύεται με τα πίτουρα, τον τρώνε οι κότες • (ópoios anakatévetai me ta pítoura, ton tróne oi kótes)

ópoios anakatévetai me ta pítoura (romanization)
ton tróne oi kótes (romanization)

The literal meaning is "Whoever gets mixed up with the bran gets eaten by the hens".

if you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas (those who get involved with undesirable people run the risk of being implicated themselves)

en-όποιος_ανακατεύεται_με_τα_πίτουρα,_τον_τρώνε_οι_κότες-el-proverb-Vxd4FEW5


εδώ ο κόσμος καίγεται και το μουνί χτενίζεται • (edó o kósmos kaígetai kai to mouní chtenízetai)

fiddling while Rome burns
fiddle while Rome burns

(colloquial, humorous, vulgar) fiddling while Rome burns, rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic (concerning those who neglect the important issues and focus on trivial things)

en-εδώ_ο_κόσμος_καίγεται_και_το_μουνί_χτενίζεται-el-proverb-OCV-1BOG

edó o kósmos kaígetai kai i griá chtenízetai

The world is burning here and the old woman is brushing her hair; less vulgar than the above

εδώ ο κόσμος καίγεται και η γριά χτενίζεται literal translation:

to chorió kaígetai kai i poutána loúzetai

The village is burning and the whore is washing

το χωριό καίγεται και η πουτάνα λούζεται literal translation:


ο λύκος κι αν εγέρασε κι άσπρισε το μαλλί του, μήτε τη γνώμη άλλαξε, μήτε την κεφαλή του • (o lýkos ki an egérase ki ásprise to mallí tou, míte ti gnómi állaxe, míte tin kefalí tou)

míte ti gnómi állaxe (romanization)
míte tin kefalí tou (romanization)

/o‿ˈlikos ˈcan‿eˈʝeɾase ˈc‿aspɾise to‿maˈli‿tu ˈmite ti‿ˈɣnomi ˈalakse ˈmite tin‿ɟefaˈli‿tu/

* see: λύκος (lýkos, “wolf”), κι αν, και αν (ki an, kai an, “even if”), εγέρασε, doler form of γέρασε (gérase) past tense of γερνάω (gernáo, “grow old”), άσπρισε (ásprise) past tense of ασπρίζω (asprízo, “become white”), μήτε (míte, “nor, neither”), γνώμη f (gnómi, “opinion, beliefs”), άλλαξε (állaxe) past tense of αλλάζω (allázo, “change”), κεφαλή f (kefalí): demotic form of κεφάλι n (kefáli, “head”)

form of

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

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

(derogatory) the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature; the fox may grow grey but never good; a leopard cannot change its spots (one's nature cannot change no matter how much time passes)

en-ο_λύκος_κι_αν_εγέρασε_κι_άσπρισε_το_μαλλί_του,_μήτε_τη_γνώμη_άλλαξε,_μήτε_την_κεφαλή_του-el-proverb-e7wDqyoA

«ο λύκος κι αν εγέρασε» at Greek Wiktionary


χέστηκε η φοράδα στ' αλώνι

head

χέστηκε η φοράδα στ' αλώνι • (chéstike i foráda st' alóni)

chéstike i foráda st' alóni (romanization)

The literal meaning is "The mare shat herself on the threshing floor".

(colloquial, humorous, vulgar) Nothing significant or of importance has happened; so what, who cares.

en-χέστηκε_η_φοράδα_στ'_αλώνι-el-proverb-ES5J0SEt

Something's up with the gypsies; less vulgar than the above

κάτι τρέχει στα γύφτικα literal translation:


తెగించిన వానికి తెడ్డే ఆయుధము

తెగించిన వానికి తెడ్డే ఆయుధము • (tegiñcina vāniki teḍḍē āyudhamu)

tegiñcina vāniki teḍḍē āyudhamu (romanization)

/t̪eɡiɲt͡ɕina ʋaːniki t̪eɖːeː aːjud̪ʱamu/

[t̪eɡiɲt͡ʃina ʋaːniki t̪eɖːeː aːjud̪ʱamu]

to the bold man his ladle is a weapon
to the bold man his ladle is a weapon

en-తెగించిన_వానికి_తెడ్డే_ఆయుధము-te-proverb-~vyKX07C


తుపాకీ కడుపున ఫిరంగీ పుట్టినట్టు

తుపాకీ కడుపున ఫిరంగీ పుట్టినట్టు • (tupākī kaḍupuna phiraṅgī puṭṭinaṭṭu)

tupākī kaḍupuna phiraṅgī puṭṭinaṭṭu (romanization)

Like a cannon being born in the belly of a musket.

en-తుపాకీ_కడుపున_ఫిరంగీ_పుట్టినట్టు-te-proverb-baaoeWkW


ความวัวไม่ทันหาย ความควายเข้ามาแทรก

th-proverb

ความวัวไม่ทันหาย ความควายเข้ามาแทรก • (kwaam-wuua-mâi-tan-hǎai-kwaam-kwaai-kâo-maa-sɛ̂ɛk)

From ความ (kwaam, “condition, state; affair, matter; lawsuit; etc”) + วัว (wuua, “cow”) + ไม่ (mâi, “not”) + ทัน (tan, “to catch up, to overtake; in time; yet; etc”) + หาย (hǎai, “to disappear; to end; to lose”) + ความ (kwaam, “condition, state; affair, matter; lawsuit; etc”) + ควาย (kwaai, “water buffalo”) + เข้า (kâo, “to come; to enter; etc”) + มา (maa, “to arrive; to come; in; etc”) + แทรก (sɛ̂ɛk, “to insert; to interfere, to intervene; to mingle, to mix; etc”); literally "the condition of cows does not yet cease, the condition of buffaloes comes in to join".

compound

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

en-ความวัวไม่ทันหาย_ความควายเข้ามาแทรก-th-proverb-2FQ0lFqm


أنا الغريق فما خوفي من البلل

head

أَنَا ٱلْغَرِيقُ فَمَا خَوْفِي مِنَ ٱلْبَلَلِ • (ʾanā l-ḡarīqu fa-mā ḵawfī min al-balali)

ʾanā l-ḡarīqu fa-mā ḵawfī min al-balali (romanization)

From a poem by Al-Mutanabbi. Literally: “I’m drowning – why should I be afraid of getting wet!”.

have nothing to lose
have nothing to lose

the situation is so bad that the risk of its deteriorating even more has become irrelevant; to have nothing to lose

en-أنا_الغريق_فما_خوفي_من_البلل-ar-proverb-hhZrEONG


there are no atheists in foxholes

In reference to the use of foxholes as a shelter in wartime.

In times of extreme stress or fear, even those who do not believe in a benevolent higher power will hope that one exists.


είπαν της γριάς να χέσει κι αυτή ξεκωλιάστηκε • (eípan tis griás na chései ki aftí xekoliástike)

(colloquial, humorous, vulgar) give someone an inch and they'll take a mile (concerning those who make excesses)

en-είπαν_της_γριάς_να_χέσει_κι_αυτή_ξεκωλιάστηκε-el-proverb-J6131OSi

eípan tis griás na chései ki aftí xekolóthike

είπαν της γριάς να χέσει κι αυτή ξεκωλώθηκε

eípan tou treloú na chései ki aftós xekoliástike

είπαν του τρελού να χέσει κι αυτός ξεκωλιάστηκε


vuk dlaku mijenja, ali ćud nikada

sh-proverb

vuk dlaku mijenja, ali ćud nikada (Cyrillic spelling вук длаку мијења, али ћуд никада)

вук длаку мијења, али ћуд никада (Cyrillic)

Literally, “the wolf changes his hair, but never the character”. Cf. Italian il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio, English the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature, Dutch een vos verliest wel zijn haren, maar niet zijn streken.

cog

a leopard cannot change its spots (one cannot change one's own nature)


доверяй, но проверяй

head

доверя́й, но проверя́й

доверя́й, но проверя́й • (doverjáj, no proverjáj)

доверя́й (canonical)
но проверя́й (canonical)
doverjáj (romanization)
no proverjáj (romanization)

en-доверяй,_но_проверяй-ru-proverb-tOiRr0-e


en-proverb

if you fly with the crows, you get shot with the crows

Somebody who spends time with undesirable people will be regarded as one of them.

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

who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl