蘿蔔白菜，各有所愛

Daikon or bok choi; everyone has their preference.

ㄌㄨㄛˊ ˙ㄅㄛ ㄅㄞˊ ㄘㄞˋ

ㄍㄜˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄞˋ

luóbo báicài, gè yǒu suǒ ài [Phonetic:luóbobáicài,gèyóusuǒài]

/lu̯ɔ³⁵ b̥u̯ɔ³ paɪ̯³⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ kɤ⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀaɪ̯⁵¹/

one man's trash is another man's treasure, to each his own


head

kain lama dicampak buang, kain baru pula dicari

Literally, “old cloth is thrown away, new cloth is also looked for”.

lit

divorce the old wife and look for a young one


ikhtiar menjalani, untung menyudahi

Literally, “the effort to carry on, the luck that ends”.

lit

a person must try, if they want to achieve a goal (whether it is achieved or not depends on a fate)


if you can't lick them, join them

"It don't pay to worry and try to change the world," he pointed out. "I always say take things the way they are. If you can't lick 'em, join 'em."

1958 May, Avram Davidson, “Or All The Seas With Oysters”, in Galaxy Science Fiction, page 58:

if you can't beat them, join them#English

Alternative form of if you can't beat them, join them


os incomodados que se mudem

Literally, “the annoyed ones should move themselves”.

lit

used to suggest that those who are uncomfortable in a situation should be the ones to change their position or leave

similar to "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen"


si vis pacem, para bellum

Borrowed from Latin si vis pacem, para bellum.

bor+

if you want peace, prepare for war
if you want peace, prepare for war


si vis pacem, para bellum

sī vīs pācem (canonical)
parā bellum (canonical)

→ English: parabellum

→ French: parabellum

[s̠iː u̯iːs̠ ˈpäːkɛ̃ˑ ˈpäräː ˈbɛlːʲʊ̃ˑ]

Literally, “if you want peace, prepare for war” or “let him who desires peace, prepare for war.”


fr-proverb

en avril ne te découvre pas d’un fil (canonical)
en mai fais ce qu’ il te plaît (canonical)

/ɑ̃.n‿a.vʁil nə tə de.ku.vʁə pɑ d‿œ̃ fil | ɑ̃ mɛ fɛ s(ə) k‿il tə plɛ/

LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-en avril ne te découvre pas d’un fil, en mai fais ce qu’il te plaît.wav

LL-Q150 (fra)-LoquaxFR-en avril ne te découvre pas d’un fil, en mai fais ce qu’il te plaît.wav

Literally, “in April do not uncover yourself of one thread, in May do as you please.”

en avril ne te découvre pas d'un fil, en mai fais ce qu'il te plaît

ne'er cast a clout till May be out
ne'er cast a clout till May be out


no kosi kaiman fosi yu abra liba

no kosi kaiman mama fosi yu abra liba#Sranan_Tongo

Alternative form of no kosi kaiman mama fosi yu abra liba


kaikki kissat ovat pimeässä harmaita

pimeässä kaikki kissat ovat harmaita (canonical)

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


mtoto wa nyoka ni nyoka

Literally, “the child of a snake is a snake”.

lit

the apple does not fall far from the tree (with negative connotations)


time is a great healer of all wounds

time heals all wounds
time heals all wounds#English


nearly never won the race

(Ireland) Near enough is not good enough.


近水樓臺先得月

近水楼台先得月
近水樓台先得月

ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄌㄡˊ ㄊㄞˊ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄉㄜˊ ㄩㄝˋ

цзиньшуйлоутай сянь дэ юэ

/t͡ɕin⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ loʊ̯³⁵ tʰaɪ̯³⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ tɤ³⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹/

/kɐn²² sɵy̯³⁵ lɐu̯²¹ tʰɔːi̯²¹ siːn⁵⁵ tɐk̚⁵ jyːt̚²/

proximity or closeness to someone or something grants an advantage or priority in gaining certain benefits


外來的和尚好念經

Monks from afar are better at chanting sutras

ㄨㄞˋ ㄌㄞˊ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄏㄜˊ ㄕㄤˋ ㄏㄠˇ ㄋㄧㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄥ

wai⁴-lai² tê⁵ ho²-shang⁴ hao³ nien⁴-ching¹

вайлай дэ хэшан хао няньцзин

/waɪ̯⁵¹ laɪ̯³⁵ d̥ə³ xɤ³⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵¹ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ni̯ɛn⁵¹ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵/

(sarcastic) People always value opinions from foreign sources higher than their fellows' advice.


старость — не радость

head

ста́рость — не ра́дость

ста́рость — не ра́дость • (stárostʹ — ne rádostʹ)

ста́рость — не ра́дость (canonical)

en-старость_—_не_радость-ru-proverb-x7Ni39Bn


beul a labhras ach gnìomh a dhearbhas

actions speak louder than words
actions speak louder than words

by their fruits you will know them
by their fruits you will know them

actions speak louder than words, by their fruits you will know them


رات گئی بات گئی

ur-proverb

رَات گَئی، بَات گَئی

رَات گَئی، بَات گَئی • (rāt gaī, bāt gaī) (Hindi spelling रात गई, बात गई)

رَات گَئی، بَات گَئی (canonical)
rāt gaī (romanization)
bāt gaī (romanization)
रात गई, बात गई (Hindi)

/ɾɑːt̪ ɡə.iː bɑːt̪ ɡə.iː/

Literally, “The night has passed away [gone], (as has) the matter passed away [gone]”.

m-g

The night has passed away 􂀿gone􂁀, (as has) the matter passed away 􂀿gone􂁀

lit

let bygones be bygones
let bygones be bygones

used to laugh off a forgotten promise (ie. "that was yesterday, today is today")


no one should be judge in his own case

no one should be judge in his own cause#English

Synonym of no one should be judge in his own cause


રાત ગઈ વાત ગઈ

head

રાત ગઈ વાત ગઈ • (rāt gaī vāt gaī)


cats rule, dogs drool

Chosen for the rhyme. First use appears c. 1993 in the film Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, although the exact date of its first appearance is uncertain.

While listening to the TV news this morning, I heard a commercial for "Homeward Bound", an animal movie by Disney (?), now out on video, with human voice-overs. The quote from the cat made me chuckle. She said: "Cats rule, Dogs drool!"

1993 August 12, Louise Sutter, “"Homeward Bound" chuckle”, in rec.pets.cats (Usenet):

A species which resists training and in many cases succeeds in turning the tables and training its "owner"! A carnivore with enough innate knowledge of psychology to control large-brained tool-using primates! Sounds pretty smart to me. Cats rule, dogs drool.

1993 September 23, Anthony Wallis, “Training a cat”, in sci.psychology (Usenet):

The shared flight of the pets breaks down the "cats rule, dogs drool" bristliness that exists between them.

1993, The University of Michigan (editors), Film Review, Issues 4-5, page 20:

27 REASONS TO OWN A CAT AND NOT A DOG 1. Cats rule. Dogs drool.

2004, Ian Black, Leslie Black, Cats Vs Dogs and Dogs Vs Cats, page 21:

It had a fat cartoon cat on the front, with the caption Cats Rule. Dogs Drool.

2004, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Maggie Shayne, Man of My Dreams:

In my experience--it's not up to you. The cat picks you--you don't pick a cat or decide to not pick a cat...but then you already know that from yourexperience. :) A cat told me once: "Cats rule. Dogs drool."

2007 January 4, I was the cat, “The "new" kitchen (link to pics)”, in alt.recovery.clutter (Usenet):

Unlike the original, the cat and dogs aren't very good friends ("Cats rule, dogs drool" snaps Tiki the Himalayan cat, voiced by Sally Field ... )

2008, Staci Wilson, Animal Movies Guide, page 260:

There are two separate camps there---either cats rule, dogs drool or cats are snots, dogs are not.

2010, Karen Vaughan, Dead Comic Standing, page 68:

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed that." "Fraid so. Cats rule, dogs, drool."

2011, Deborah Raney, Forever After, A Hanover Falls Novel, page 66:

The new movie "Cats & Dogs" is stirring up the rivalry between lovers of the nation's two most popular pets--as if the flames of that long running feud needed fanning -- "Cats rule, dogs drool" -- "Cats hang out with witches" -- "Feline fans and canine champions chose sides long ago."

2013, Lofdoc, Lofdoc's Stories: Short and Sweet, page 53:

Cats rule, dogs drool, Shelby would joke that Penny was telling them this with her squinty eyes.

2018, Kristy Robinett, Tails from the Afterlife - Stories of Signs, Messages & Inspiration from Your Animal Companions:

I imagined her saying, "Humph, that'll teach you to mess with me!" After all, cats rule, dogs drool.

2020, Amy Newmark, Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Cats, page 194:

I have never been interested in the competition between dog people and cat people. Cats rule, dogs drool. That sort of thing.

2023, Darcey Bell, Woman of the Year, page 149:

This has been quite the adventure, my friends-thanks for embarking on it with me! And remember -- cats rule, dogs drool! Just kidding. Mostly.

2024, Clare Chu, Why Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You, A Paranoid Pet Owner’s Manual:

(humorous, somewhat childish) A cat will always be superior or preferable to a dog.


ᜋᜌ᜔ ᜆᜌᜒᜅ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜎᜓᜉ ᜵ ᜋᜌ᜔ ᜉᜃ᜔ᜉᜃ᜔ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜊᜎᜒᜆ

tl-head

ᜋᜌ᜔ ᜆᜌᜒᜅ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜎᜓᜉ ᜵ ᜋᜌ᜔ ᜉᜃ᜔ᜉᜃ᜔ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜊᜎᜒᜆ • (may tayinga ang lupa, may pakpak ang balita)

may tayinga ang lupa (romanization)
may pakpak ang balita (romanization)

may tainga ang lupa, may pakpak ang balita#Tagalog

Baybayin spelling of may tainga ang lupa, may pakpak ang balita

en-ᜋᜌ᜔_ᜆᜌᜒᜅ_ᜀᜅ᜔_ᜎᜓᜉ_᜵_ᜋᜌ᜔_ᜉᜃ᜔ᜉᜃ᜔_ᜀᜅ᜔_ᜊᜎᜒᜆ-tl-proverb-eF69yujV


slow is smooth, smooth is fast

From marksmanship, where firing too quickly may lead to decreased accuracy.

Since bullets follow walls, we kept about three feet away from the sandy buildings and moved very deliberately. Not fast, but safe. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

2006 May 2, Jack Coughlin, Casey Kuhlman, Donald A. Davis, Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper, Macmillan Publishers, →ISBN, page 132:

He slowed to a walk, keeping his aim steady as he pulled the trigger with metronomic regularity. The words slow is smooth; smooth is fast ran through his mind as he found a stair down to lane level and moved into lane seventeen.

2014 October 14, Weston Ochse, Reign of Evil: A SEAL Team 666 Novel, Macmillan Publishers, →ISBN, page 63:

If you rush through your steps in the pursuit of efficiency, you waste time if the proper sequence is lost. Splint the leg first, then transport back to the river bank. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

2015 July 15, Nate Ostis, NOLS River Rescue Guide, Stackpole Books, →ISBN, page 38:

Approaching difficult situations slowly and methodically can lead to faster and more efficient outcomes.


рыба гниёт с головы

head

ры́ба гниёт с головы́

ры́ба гниёт с головы́ • (rýba gnijót s golový)

ры́ба гниёт с головы́ (canonical)
rýba gnijót s golový (romanization)

[ˈrɨbə ɡnʲɪˈjɵd͡z z‿ɡəɫɐˈvɨ]

From Latin "Piscis primum a capite foetet". The further etymology is unknown. First ecountered in works of Plutarch.

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

the fish rots from the head (bad leaders harm an organization).


wie de bal kaatst, moet hem terug verwachten

Literally, “[he] who hits the ball, must expect its return”.

m-g

􂀿he􂁀 who hits the ball, must expect its return

lit

what goes around comes around
what goes around comes around

play stupid games, win stupid prizes
play stupid games, win stupid prizes

actions have consequences; what goes around comes around, play stupid games, win stupid prizes


相見好，同住難

ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄏㄠˇ

ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄓㄨˋ ㄋㄢˊ

сянцзянь хао

тун чжу нань

/ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹ nän³⁵/

/sœːŋ⁵⁵ kiːn³³ hou̯³⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ t͡syː²² naːn²¹/

it is easy for people to meet each other but hard for them to live together peacefully


the best things in life aren't things

the best things in life are free#English

Synonym of the best things in life are free


en-proverb

even a broken clock is right twice a day

a broken clock is right twice a day#English

Alternative form of a broken clock is right twice a day


得道多助，失道寡助

ㄉㄜˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄓㄨˋ

ㄕ ㄉㄠˋ ㄍㄨㄚˇ ㄓㄨˋ

/tɤ³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ tu̯ɔ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ ku̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹/

dak⁷ dou⁶ do¹ dzo⁶, sat⁷ dou⁶ gwaa² dzo⁶

/tɐk̚⁵ tou̯²² tɔː⁵⁵ t͡sɔː²² sɐt̚⁵ tou̯²² kʷaː³⁵ t͡sɔː²²/

He who finds the proper course has many to assist him. He who loses the proper course has few to assist him. When this - the being assisted by few - reaches its extreme point, his own relations revolt from the prince. When the being assisted by many reaches its highest point, the whole kingdom becomes obedient to the prince.

Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Dédào zhě duōzhù, shīdào zhě guǎzhù. Guǎzhù zhī zhì, qīnqī pàn zhī; duōzhù zhī zhì, tiānxià shùn zhī.

得道者多助，失道者寡助。寡助之至，親戚畔之；多助之至，天下順之。

得道者多助，失道者寡助。寡助之至，亲戚畔之；多助之至，天下顺之。

a just cause attracts abundant support while an unjust cause finds little support


wie pleit om een koe, geeft er een toe

if you sue to gain some advantage, you may well lose more in the process than you ever stood to gain


cats rule; dogs drool

cats rule (canonical)
dogs drool (canonical)

He never put his claws out and never drew blood or left scratch marks. It was a "cats rule; dogs drool" sort of statement.

2014, Vicki W. Fowler, DVM, Mouse Tales and Other Assorted Stories, page 51:

There is the saying, cats rule; dogs drool. My long-time experience of living with both cats and dogs tells me this saying is true.

2015, Nancy Kuykendall, Ordinary Wonders:

When it comes to cats, there simply is no middle ground. People either love them or hate them. […] The thing you need to know is that all of my life I’ve been in the other group, loving more than my fair share of cats—some strays, some pets—since I was a little girl. My motto was always Cats rule; dogs drool!

2015, the Editors of True Story and True Confessions, “The Cat That Came for Christmas: She Changed Our Lives Forever”, in Our True Furry Friends, New York, N.Y.: True Renditions, LLC, →ISBN, page 18:

cats rule, dogs drool
cats rule, dogs drool#English

Alternative form of cats rule, dogs drool.


절이 싫으면 중이 떠나야 한다

head

절-이 싫으면 중-이 떠나-야 한다

절이 싫으면 중이 떠나야 한다 • (jeor-i sireumyeon jung-i tteona-ya handa)

[t͡ɕʌ̹ɾi ɕʰiɾɯmjʌ̹n t͡ɕu(ː)ŋi t͈ʌ̹na̠ja̠ ha̠nda̠]

저리시르면중(ː)이떠나야한다

[저리시르면중(ː)이떠나야한다]

Literally, “If the monk hates the monastery, he should leave”; if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen


do Świętego Ducha, nie zdejmuj kożucha

/dɔ ɕfjɛnˈtɛ.ɡɔ duxaˌ ɲɛ ˈzdɛj.muj kɔˈʐu.xa/

Literally, “until [the descent of the] Holy Spirit, don't take off [your] fur coat”, or more loosely translated as “until Pentecost, don't take off [your] fur coat”.

m-g

until 􂀿the descent of the􂁀 Holy Spirit, don't take off 􂀿your􂁀 fur coat

until Pentecost, don't take off 􂀿your􂁀 fur coat

lit

ne'er cast a clout till May be out
ne'er cast a clout till May be out

(idiomatic) ne'er cast a clout till May be out (do not change from winter clothes to summer clothes until June, as there is often a sudden cold snap in May)


燒瓷的食缺，織蓆的睏椅

Potters eat out of chipped [bowls]; mat weavers sleep on chairs.

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

(Hokkien, figurative) one often neglects those closest to oneself; the shoemaker's children go barefoot


de padres gochos fíos marranos

Literally, “from pig parents filthy children”

chip off the old block
chip off the old block

(idiomatic) chip off the old block (negatively)


木に竹を接ぐ

木に竹を接ぐ (canonical)
ki ni take o tsugu (romanization)

木に竹を接ぐように、水に油を一緒にしたような変更は、「常識では考えられない」と。

2016 March 11, Hirokazu Kore-eda, “「歴史修正主義」に抗するために [To Resist Historical Revisionism]”, in KOREEDA.COM (blog):

[He said] that common sense would not think of changes such as grafting bamboo to a tree, or adding oil to water.

ki ni take o tsugu yō ni, mizu ni abura o isshō ni shita yō na henkō wa, "jōshiki de wa kangaerarenai" to

to graft a bamboo on a tree; to make the situation absurd


setali tiga uang

six of one, half a dozen of the other
six of one, half a dozen of the other


dicks before chicks

misters before sisters
misters before sisters#English

(US, slang, vulgar, uncommon) Synonym of misters before sisters


misters before sisters

Coordinate term: sisters before misters

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


ฟังหูไว้หู

From ฟัง (fang, “to listen”) + หู (hǔu, “ear”) + ไว้ (wái, “to keep”) + หู (hǔu, “ear”), literally “listen [with one] ear, keep [the other] ear”.

com

listen 􂀿with one􂁀 ear, keep 􂀿the other􂁀 ear

with a grain of salt
with a grain of salt

do not completely believe in what you are told; listen with a grain of salt.


head

faigheann an cat cead amharc ar an rí is ní fhaigheann an rí cead é a chaitheamh

a cat may look at a king
a cat may look at a king


castar na daoine ar a chéile ach ní chastar na cnoic ná na sléibhte

castar na daoine le chéile acht ní chastar na cnoic ná na sléibhte

tarann na daoine le chéile acht ní thagann na ní cnuic ná na sleibhte

people meet each other, but the hills and mountains never


castar na daoine ar a chéile

castar na daoine ar a chéile ach ní chastar na cnoic ná na sléibhte#Irish

Short for castar na daoine ar a chéile ach ní chastar na cnoic ná na sléibhte.


tarann na daoine le chéile acht ní thagann na ní cnuic ná na sléibhte

Synonym of castar na daoine ar a chéile ach ní chastar na cnoic ná na sléibhte


castar na daoine le chéile, acht ní chastar na cnoic ná na sléibhte

castar na daoine le chéile (canonical)
acht ní chastar na cnoic ná na sléibhte (canonical)


genvägar är ofta senvägar

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

af

genvägar är senvägar
genvägar är senvägar#Swedish

Alternative form of genvägar är senvägar


head

sälj inte skinnet förrän björnen är skjuten

sälj inte skinnet innan björnen är skjuten#Swedish

Alternative form of sälj inte skinnet innan björnen är skjuten


見ては極楽住んでは地獄

ja-pos

みて は ごくらく すんで は じごく

見(み)ては極(ごく)楽(らく)住(す)んでは地(じ)獄(ごく) • (mite wa gokuraku sunde wa jigoku)

見ては極楽住んでは地獄 (canonical)
mite wa gokuraku sunde wa jigoku (romanization)

Literally “seeing it is paradise, living there is hell”.

聞いて極楽見て地獄 ()

hearing it is paradise, seeing it is hell


giang sơn dễ đổi, bản tính khó dời

[zaːŋ˧˧ səːn˧˧ ze˦ˀ˥ ʔɗoj˧˩ ʔɓaːn˧˩ tïŋ˧˦ xɔ˧˦ zəːj˨˩]

[jaːŋ˧˧ ʂəːŋ˧˧ jej˧˨ ʔɗoj˧˨ ʔɓaːŋ˧˨ tɨn˦˧˥ kʰɔ˨˩˦ jəːj˦˩]

[jaːŋ˧˧ səːŋ˧˧ jej˧˨ ʔɗoj˧˨ ʔɓaːŋ˧˨ tɨn˦˧˥ xɔ˨˩˦ jəːj˦˩]

[jaːŋ˧˧ ʂəːŋ˧˧ jej˨˩˦ ʔɗoj˨˩˦ ʔɓaːŋ˨˩˦ tɨn˦˥ kʰɔ˦˥ jəːj˨˩]

[jaːŋ˧˧ səːŋ˧˧ jej˨˩˦ ʔɗoj˨˩˦ ʔɓaːŋ˨˩˦ tɨn˦˥ xɔ˦˥ jəːj˨˩]

changing a country's borders is easy, but changing a person's character is hard


beauty is but skin-deep

First use appears c. 1677. See cite below.

Beauty is but skin-deep, and age or fickneſs ſoon withers this flower, when grace and goodneſs are more durable

1677, Edward Bury (Minister of Great Bolas.), The Husbandmans Companion: Containing One Hundred Occasional Meditations, Reflections and Ejaculations, Especially Suited to Men of that Employment, Etc, page 117:

beauty is only skin deep
beauty is only skin deep#English


you can't polish shit

you can't polish a turd
you can't polish a turd#English


head

la vie n’est pas un long fleuve tranquille

la vie n'est pas un long fleuve tranquille

life is not all beer and skittles
life is not all beer and skittles


too many cooks spoils the broth

It hath been obſerved among the French (a Nation as much addicted to changes as any) that when the charge of an undertaking hath been committed to many, it cauſed but confuſion, and therefore its a ſaying among them, Trop de Cuiſineirs gattent le pottage, Too many Cooks ſpoils the Broth.

1662, Balthazar Gerbier, A Brief Discourse Concerning the Three Chief Principles of Magnificent Building. Viz. Solidity, Conveniency, and Ornament., London, pages 23–24:

“Leave her to me,” said that courageous woman. “‘Too many cooks spoils the broth.’”

1886 April, Martha Ogden Inglis, “Our Baby, and How We Undid Her. […] Chapter IV.”, in Leroy M[ilton] Yale [Jr.], Marion Harland [pseudonym; Mary Virginia Terhune], editors, Babyhood: A Monthly Magazine for Mothers, […], volume II, number 17, New York, N.Y.: Babyhood Publishing Company, page 168, column 1:

There, git away from here, the both of ye. Too many cooks spoils the broth.

1949, Gladys Hasty Carroll, chapter 4, in West of the Hill, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, page 52:

Hey, Girlie, let me help you finish setting that table while Lil slices them potatoes. Too many cooks spoils the broth.

1977, Berniece Rabe, chapter 3, in The Girl Who Had No Name, New York, N.Y.: E. P. Dutton, →ISBN, page 38:

too many cooks spoil the broth
too many cooks spoil the broth#English

Uncommon form of too many cooks spoil the broth.


阿呆に付ける薬無し

ja-pos

あほう に つける くすり なし

阿(あ)呆(ほう)に付(つ)ける薬(くすり)無(な)し • (ahō ni tsukeru kusuri nashi)

阿呆に付ける薬無し (canonical)
ahō ni tsukeru kusuri nashi (romanization)

[a̠ho̞ː ɲ̟i t͡sɨke̞ɾɯ̟ kɯ̟sɨɾʲi na̠ɕi]


fr-proverb

on n’apprend pas pour l’école mais pour la vie

/ɔ̃ n‿a.pʁɑ̃ pa puʁ l‿e.kɔl mɛ puʁ la vi/

/ɔ̃ n‿a.pʁɑ̃ pɑ puʁ l‿e.kɔl mɛ puʁ la vi/

Calque of Latin non scholae sed vītae discimus.

clq

on n'apprend pas pour l'école mais pour la vie

we do not learn for school, but for life


一人一半，感情𣍐散

一人一半，感情𫧃散
一人一半，感情袂散
一人一半，感情不散
一人一半，感情襪散

/t͡sit̚⁴³⁻²¹ laŋ²⁴ t͡sit̚⁴³⁻²¹ puã²¹ kam⁴²⁻²⁴ t͡seŋ²⁴ bue²²⁻²¹ suã²¹/

(Hokkien) If things are shared equally, feelings of affection will never diminish


炒り豆の花が咲く

ja-pos

いり まめ に はな が さく

炒(い)り豆の花(まめにはな)が咲(さ)く • (iri mame ni hana ga saku)

炒り豆の花が咲く (canonical)
iri mame ni hana ga saku (romanization)

Literally, “flowers bloom in boiled beans”.

lit

teaching an old dog new tricks
teach an old dog new tricks

teaching an old dog new tricks; metaphor for an old thing regaining strength


五窮六絕七翻身

/ŋ̍¹³ kʰʊŋ²¹ lʊk̚² t͡syːt̚² t͡sʰɐt̚⁵ faːn⁵⁵ sɐn⁵⁵/

(Hong Kong Cantonese) the stock market falls in May, reaches the bottom in June, and rebounds in July


一雞死一雞鳴

一鸡死一鸡鸣
一鷄死一鷄鳴

/jɐt̚⁵ kɐi̯⁵⁵ sei̯³⁵ jɐt̚⁵ kɐi̯⁵⁵ mɪŋ²¹/

(Cantonese) when an entity (e.g. a business) falls, another will take its place


en-proverb

on the Internet nobody knows you're a dog

He sometimes picks wrong battles and chooses wrong targets. An example: a few months ago he led a verbal assault on Silicon Valley for not hiring minorities. Now the high-tech industry, which I know intimately because I’m also somewhat technical, happens to be virtually postracial and postnational. As they say, “on the Internet nobody knows you’re a dog.” (Of course, I don’t mean to equate minorities with dogs.) A close friend of mine, an African-American woman of Creole heritage from Louisiana, is a highly skilled software engineer and platform developer who won a scholarship to MIT and started out her career with Apple.

2000, Biodun Iginla, “Paris: Tuesday, July 6, 1999”, in Love in This Time of Silicon, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, pages 102–103:

The quality of Internet content continues to be generally poor. It is still the case that ‘on the Internet nobody knows you’re a dog,’ and so one cannot trust Internet relationships.

2008, Lee Rainie, Janna Quitney Anderson, Susannah Fox, quoting anonymous respondent, “[Where Has the Internet Fallen Short of Expectations?] Anonymous Comments”, in Up for Grabs: The Future of the Internet, volume 1, Amherst, N.Y.: Cambria Press, →ISBN, part 17 (Looking Back; Looking Forward), page 251:

Is not technology neutral and colour-blind? Far from discriminating on ethnic grounds and creating divisions, they say, technology enables people to override the old distinctions and discriminations, to lift themselves out of externally imposed boxes, to reach out to and engage with others of the same or vastly different characters – indeed to be anyone they want. As the saying goes, ‘On the Internet nobody knows you’re a dog’.

2008, Phil Wood, Charles Landry, “[Emerging forms of segregation] Segregation in cyberspace?”, in The Intercultural City: Planning for Diversity Advantage, London, Sterling, Va.: Earthscan, →ISBN, chapter 3 (Living Apart: Segregation), page 86:

As suggested by [Anders] Gronstedt (2007), “Never has the adage that ‘on the Internet nobody knows you’re a dog’ been more true” (paragraph 5).

2010, Caroline M. Crawford, Marion S. Smith, Virginia Dickenson, “[Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’s Recognition of Industry Applications within Virtual Worlds: […]] Background”, in Holim Song, editor, Distance Learning Technology, Current Instruction, and the Future of Education: Applications of Today, Practices of Tomorrow (Premier Reference Source), Hershey, Pa.: Information Science Reference, →ISBN, section 2 (Applications and Practices of Distance Learning Technology), page 133, column 2:

“Who is the top dog for the Earth First Isolationists in Georgia?” I asked. / “An initial review indicates that at least two of the individuals liking their SpaceBook page may be canines,” said my phone. “Though I am uncertain whether or not there are more, because…” / “On the Internet nobody knows you’re a dog.” This was as bad as having to figure out a foolproof way of wording three wishes.

2015, Dave Schroeder, chapter 14, in Xenotech Rising: A Novel of the Galactic Free Trade Association (Xenotech Support; 1), Grayson, Ga.: Spiral Arm Press, →ISBN, page 132:

on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog#English

Alternative form of on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.


prawda w oczy kole

(idiomatic) the truth hurts (unflattering but true opinion about someone is received badly by the person to whom it is addressed)


success is a great deodorant

Frequently attributed to Elizabeth Taylor. First use appears c. 1977 in The Good Housekeeping Woman's Almanac.

The attainment or achievement of success eliminates or overshadows one's past misdeeds or failures.


winning is a great deodorant

success is a great deodorant
success is a great deodorant#English


人搖福薄，樹搖葉落

jan⁴ jiu⁴ fuk¹ bok⁶, syu⁶ jiu⁴ jip⁶ lok⁶

/jɐn²¹ jiːu̯²¹ fʊk̚⁵ pɔːk̚² syː²² jiːu̯²¹ jiːp̚² lɔːk̚²/

(Cantonese) A saying that discourages one from bouncing one's legs


the Internet never forgets

(computing, Internet) A widely held belief that everything that is posted online will remain there forever.


if you believe everything you read, better not to read

One should not always believe or rely on the factual accuracy of printed matter.


mange bekker små gjør en stor å

head

mange bekker små gjør en stor å ("many small creeks make a big stream")


øvelse gjør mester

øvelse gjør mester ("practice makes a master")

Calque of German Übung macht den Meister.

calque

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect


mapenzi ni kikohozi, hayawezi kufichika

Literally, “love is [like] a cough; it can't be hidden”.

m-g

love is 􂀿like􂁀 a cough; it can't be hidden

lit

it's challenging to hide one's feelings of love


alle veier fører til Rom

head

alle veier fører til Rom ("all roads lead to Rome")

all roads lead to Rome
all roads lead to Rome


gå over bekken etter vann

gå over bekken etter vann ("cross the river in search of water")

carry coals to Newcastle
carry coals to Newcastle


knask eller knep

From a 1993 translation by Henning Hagerup of a 1952 Disney short film starring Donald Duck, Trick or Treat.


skille klinten fra hveten

skille klinten fra hveten ("separate the chaff from the wheat")

separate the wheat from the chaff
separate the wheat from the chaff


tiden leger alle sår

tiden leger alle sår ("time heals all wounds")

time heals all wounds
time heals all wounds


førstemann til mølla

førstemann til mølla ("first to the mill")

first come, first served
first come, first served


repetition, repetition, repetition

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

A somewhat visual pun, repeating repetition (“the act or an instance of repeating or being repeated”) three times. Compare practice, practice, practice (“emphatic guidance on the importance of practice to learning a skill or similar”), and see also location, location, location (“locations are important”).

Since these concepts and words are new to you, you must mix them in your memory in about the same manner that a child learns language: repetition, repetition, repetition.

1967, Gerald A. Gladstein, Individualized Study: A New Approach to Succeeding in College, Rand McNally, page 139:

The authors took the three Jesuit principles of teaching to heart: repetition, repetition, repetition. Each important topic is covered several times, though their presentation would be much better if the cross referencing were better.

1987 February 5, Marc D. Donner, “Book Review: The UNIX C Shell Field Guide by Gail Anderson and Paul Anderson (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1986) $23.95”, in Australian Unix Systems User Group Newsletter, volume 7, numbers 4–5, page 129:

Playing involves energetic and exuberant movement. Movements are explored in play from infancy onwards. And repetition, repetition, repetition is the place where learning happens and knowledge of what the body can and cannot do is refined. A jump with this much effort will take me to the sandpit... water poured will wet the sand and make it sticky. A great deal of play is bodily learning.

2008, Janet Batsleer, Informal Learning in Youth Work, SAGE Publications, →ISBN, page 110:

So... I hope that "How can I pratice hearing progressions?" is on your list of questions now. There is no such thing as "the most important" or best way to train your "ear". The main thing to remember is that you are training your mind, and repetition, repetition, repetition is the key.

2015, Duke Sharp, Garage Band Theory, Cowboy Heaven Publishing, →ISBN, page 378:

(education) Repeated practice and exposure to material is vital for learning it through memory retention.


cha suaicheantas corra air cladach

Literally, “a heron on a rocky shore is not a novelty”.


head

air yang tenang, jangan disangka tiada buaya

still waters run deep
still waters run deep

(idiomatic) A calm person or situation is not to be mistaken for one that is not actually threatening or fierce; still waters run deep.


ada hujan ada panas, ada hari boleh balas

evil be to him who evil thinks
evil be to him who evil thinks

old sins have long shadows
old sins have long shadows

evil be to him who evil thinks, old sins have long shadows


aller Anfang ist schwer

Literally, “the beginning of anything is difficult”.

lit

the first step is always the hardest
the first step is always the hardest


alles hat ein Ende

all (good) things come to an end
all good things come to an end

alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei


am Schilde erkennt man die Gilde

Literally, “one recognizes a guild by its shield”.

certain groups of people can be recognized by their typical or common characteristics


head

alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei

Literally, “everything has an/one end, only a sausage has two”.

lit

alles hat ein Ende
alles hat ein Ende#German

(humorous) Synonym of alles hat ein Ende


blinder Eifer schadet nur

Literally, “blind zeal only causes harm”.

zeal without knowledge is a runaway horse


Angriff ist die beste Verteidigung

Literally, “attack is the best defence”.

attack is the best form of defence
attack is the best form of defence


head

April, April, der weiß nicht, was er will

Literally, “April, April, he doesn't know what he wants”.

lit

the weather of April can be very unpredictable


das Leben ist kein Wunschkonzert

Literally, “life is no wish concert”. (a concert were the audience decides on the songs/pieces being played)

das Leben ist kein Ponyhof
das Leben ist kein Ponyhof#German


das Ei will klüger sein als die Henne

Literally, “the egg wants to be more intelligent than the hen”.

lit

teach grandma how to suck eggs
teach grandma how to suck eggs

young people often want to teach grandma how to suck eggs


den Letzten beißen die Hunde

Literally, “the dogs bite the last one”.

the devil takes the hindmost
devil take the hindmost


das Bessere ist der Feind des Guten

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

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


der Klügere gibt nach

giving in during an argument instead of insisting that you're right is a sign of intelligence

der Klügere gibt so lange nach, bis er der Dumme ist


life's a bitch, and then you die

Life’s a bitch, and then you die.

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

We also printed out several of Kevin’s favorite quotes and sayings and arranged them on the table. Some of the sayings were funny, some were serious, and some were a bit irreverent. For example, one was “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but whips and chains excite me.” Another one said, “Life’s a bitch, and then you die.”

2016 January 6, Jerry E. Hendon, “On Vacation”, in It’s Been a Good Life, Dad: My Son’s Struggle with Cystic Fibrosis, Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse, →ISBN, part 1 (Kevin’s Life), page 237:

Yet, dark comedy acts as a reality check for its brave fans—people who can own the old axiom, “Life’s a bitch, and then you die.”

2016 March 9, Wes D. Gehring, “MASH (1/24/70)”, in Genre-Busting Dark Comedies of the 1970s: Twelve American Films, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., →ISBN, page 21:

Farang crawled out of the cage. She ate the food a priestess brought her – it was just gruel, but it didn’t have any poison. Then she wandered off to her secret altar. She laid down in front of it and cried. Her soul stone was captured again. She was back to square one. Life’s a bitch, and then you die. Or should I say, life’s a shit and then you die. Nothing ever changes. The end.

2016 September 13, Beth Goobie, chapter 11, in The Pain Eater, Toronto, Ont.: Second Story Press, published 2017, →ISBN, page 132:

“I guess I just expected more.” Of life, of this conversation, of possibility and the future. What is the use of trying, if this is what comes? / This time, it’s Earvin who shrugs. “That’s all there is and there ain’t no more,” he says. He pushes a coffee cup toward Jersey, full up with black. It says, Life’s a bitch, and then you die, in red block lettering. “I don’t know what you thought you wanted, but this is all you get.”

2017 spring, Brandon Williams, “Along the Cosumnes”, in Jonna G. Semeiks, editor, Confrontation, number 121, Brookville, N.Y.: Long Island University, published 2017 June, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 57:

Cynical’s sensible, and it’s all sunshine and roses until you start fighting and then the next stage is, “It’s not you – it’s us. Mommy and Daddy still love you both very much." ’S’amazing how everyone reverts to cliché. Here’s a cliché – life’s a bitch. Life’s a bitch, and then you die. Everyone knows I’m right, we’re all dancing on the Titanic and no one will admit the Emperor’s got his cock out.

2017 May 4, Francesca Segal, chapter 45, in The Awkward Age, London: Chatto & Windus, →ISBN, page 327:

“We also made it easier to find the column—right next to the obituaries.” He chuckled. “Kind of apropos, don’t you think? Life’s a bitch, and then you die.”

2017 October 17, Judy Duarte, chapter 7, in A Cowboy Family Christmas (Rocking Chair Rodeo; 3), Toronto, Ont.: Harlequin Special Edition, →ISBN, page 123:

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

Alternative form of life's a bitch and then you die.


zo gewonnen, zo geronnen

The word geronnen, occurring in modern Dutch only in this proverb, is the past participle of the Middle Dutch verb rinnen (“to flow”).

As quickly as money may be earned, it just as quickly flows away.


badan sihat, otak cerdas

a healthy body is a healthy mind
a healthy body is a healthy mind


誰大誰惡誰正確

ㄕㄟˊ ㄉㄚˋ ㄕㄟˊ ㄜˋ ㄕㄟˊ ㄓㄥˋ ㄑㄩㄝˋ

ㄕㄨㄟˊ ㄉㄚˋ ㄕㄨㄟˊ ㄜˋ ㄕㄨㄟˊ ㄓㄥˋ ㄑㄩㄝˋ

шэй да шэй э шэй чжэнцюэ

/ʂeɪ̯³⁵ tä⁵¹ ʂeɪ̯³⁵ ˀɤ⁵¹ ʂeɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛ⁵¹/

шуй да шуй э шуй чжэнцюэ

/ʂu̯eɪ̯³⁵ tä⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯³⁵ ˀɤ⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛ⁵¹/

/sɵy̯²¹ taːi̯²² sɵy̯²¹ ɔːk̚³ sɵy̯²¹ t͡sɪŋ³³ kʰɔːk̚³/

From the 2018 TVB drama The Learning Curve of a Warlord.


co kraj, to obyczaj

Literally, “[for] every country, there is a custom”.

lit

(idiomatic) every country has its own customs

jeśli wejdziesz między wrony, musisz krakać jak i one


head

kalau tidak dipecahkan ruyung, manakan dapat sagunya

(rhetorical question) no pain, no gain; no guts, no glory


an der Spitze ist es einsam

it's lonely at the top
it's lonely at the top


siapa cepat, dia dapat

siapa cêpat (canonical)
dia dapat (canonical)

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

first come, first served, the early bird gets the worm


siapa cepat, dia dapat

first come, first served
first come, first served


From Malay berakit-rakit ke hulu, berenang-renang ke tepian, bersakit-sakit dahulu, bersenang-senang kemudian.


todo o que ven á rede é peixe

Literally, “What comes in the net is fish”.


questo passa il convento

Literally, “this is what the convent offers”.

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


mtaka cha mvunguni sharti ainame

Literally, “one who wants something under the bed must bend over”.

lit

no pain, no gain, you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs


নিজের চরকায় তেল দাও

head

নিজের চরকায় তেল দাও • (nijer corkaẏ tel daō)

Literally, "oil your own spinning wheel".

mind your own business
mind your own business


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

On Tuesday evening he sent a message to the office of the Stamford paper, requesting that, as the "mountain could not wait upon Mahomet, Mahomet would go to the mountain,"—or, in other words, that the printer would call upon him, and receive an order for executing some hand-bills announcing Mr. Lambert's arrival, and his desire to see company.

1809 July, “LINCOLNSHIRE.”, in The Universal Magazine (New Series), volume XII, number LXVIII, page 78, column 1:

if the mountain won't come to Muhammad#English

Alternative form of if the mountain won't come to Muhammad


tekkeyi bekleyen çorbayı içer

Literally, “who waits for the tekke, drinks the soup”.


drastic times call for drastic measures

desperate times call for desperate measures#English

Synonym of desperate times call for desperate measures


head

the love of money is the root of all evil

money is the root of all evil
money is the root of all evil#English

Synonym of money is the root of all evil


there's more than one way to fuck a cat

... , the room Dix looked back. There was not a trace that he'd even been in the room. “Yeah, there's more than one way to fuck a cat,” he said under his breath. 21. RED SIMON: The Coach Cloaked in shadows, hidden in 146 B.L. Morgan.

2015 June 26, B.L. Morgan, Red Simon: Vampire Punk, Black Bed Sheet Books, →ISBN, page 146:

... There's more than one way to fuck a cat. No one fucked anyone. One twin wriggled free, lithe as an eel, picked up a shovel, and swung it at the soldier's legs . "Let my brother go!" The soldier roared, dropped his other[…]

1990, Rebecca M. Meluch, Chicago Red, Roc, →ISBN:

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

(vulgar) Synonym of there's more than one way to skin a cat


believing is seeing

(idiomatic, philosophy, somewhat humorous) One needs to believe something in order to know or understand it.

(idiomatic, religion) Faith often precedes any miracle.


af børn og fulde folk skal man høre sandheden

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


beauty won't make the pot boil

Being physically attractive may have its benefits, but it is not enough to make a living.

uiterlijk schoon is sletchts vertoon

physical attractiveness alone isn't enough

ní hí an bhreáthacht a bhruitheann na prátaí


there is a time and a place for everything

There is a time and a place for everything, and everything is good in its place: but a thing—or even a name or title—tolerably good itself, by an incessant recurrence may become most positively bad. Such, Sir, is the case with the thing, name, term, or title, mandarin.

1834 May 13, The Canton Register, volume 7, number 19, Canton, page 76, column 2:

There is no adage of sterling worth so frequently neglected, and none which so easily admits of constant observance with the greatest advantage, as the often quoted one—‘There is a time and a place for everything.’

1837 June, R. B. D., “Remarks on Historical Paint”, in The Gentleman’s Magazine, volume VII, London: William Pickering; John Bowyer Nichols and Son, footnote, page 595:

How are you using your time? Wisely? Do you frequently hear yourself saying “no” to requests for your time to help others because you are too busy? Search your heart and think about what is important to God. There is a time and a place for everything. With God’s wisdom and guidance, you will find the answers.

2003, Fern Nichols, Prayers from a Mom’s Heart: Asking God’s Blessing and Protection for Your Children, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Inspirio, →ISBN, page 70:

there is a time and place for everything#English

Alternative form of there is a time and place for everything.


beauty won't boil the pot

beauty won't make the pot boil
beauty won't make the pot boil#English

Alternative form of beauty won't make the pot boil


tiền trao cháo múc

[tiən˨˩ t͡ɕaːw˧˧ t͡ɕaːw˧˦ mʊwk͡p̚˧˦]

[tiəŋ˦˩ ʈaːw˧˧ t͡ɕaːw˨˩˦ mʊwk͡p̚˦˧˥]

[tiəŋ˨˩ ʈaːw˧˧ caːw˦˥ mʊwk͡p̚˦˥]

tiền (“money”) + trao (“to exchange; to change hands”) + cháo (“rice congee”) + múc (“to ladle”)

compound

(somewhat literally) cash on delivery; show me the money

(figuratively) Refers to the virtues of transparency, plain dealing, and punctuality.


miệng hùm gan sứa

[miəŋ˧˨ʔ hum˨˩ ɣaːn˧˧ sɨə˧˦]

[miəŋ˨˩ʔ hum˦˩ ɣaːŋ˧˧ ʂɨə˨˩˦]

[miəŋ˨˩ʔ hum˦˩ ɣaːŋ˧˧ sɨə˨˩˦]

[miəŋ˨˩˨ hʊm˨˩ ɣaːŋ˧˧ ʂɨə˦˥]

[miəŋ˨˩˨ hʊm˨˩ ɣaːŋ˧˧ sɨə˦˥]

all bark and no bite
all bark and no bite


燈下黑

/tɤŋ⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ xeɪ̯⁵⁵/

/tɤŋ⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ xeɪ̯⁵⁵/

(literally) it's dark right under the lamp

(figurative) people tend to overlook things right under their noses


اشقلني واشقلك

head

اشقلني واشقلك

Literally: “Lift me up and I'll lift you”.

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours


ঝিকে মেরে বউকে শেখানো

ঝিকে মেরে বউকে শেখানো • (jhike mere bouke śekhanō)

to teach the guilty a lesson by railing at the innocent (literally, "teaching one's wife by beating his maid")

en-ঝিকে_মেরে_বউকে_শেখানো-bn-proverb-BOkcdOg4


factum infectum fieri nequit

Borrowed from Latin factum infectum fieri nequit. From Plautus' play Aulularia in Act IV, scene 10, line 11.

bor+

(chiefly law) what's done is done; particularly, if a governmental or administrative body makes an unlawful decision, the damage is done even if the decision is later ruled to be illegitimate and thus annulled. By extension, functionaries who implemented the decision at the time cannot be held legally responsible ex post facto for conduct that they did not know was wrong at the time.


cosa fatta capo ha

From Dante's La Divina Commedia (see the quotation below). First attested in 1472.

gridò: "Ricordera' ti anche del Mosca, / che disse, lasso!, 'Capo ha cosa fatta', / che fu mal seme per la gente tosca".

2000 [1472], Dante Alighieri, “Inferno”, in Robert Hollander, Jean Hollander, transl., La Divina Commedia [The Divine Comedy], Doubleday:

cried out: "Surely you'll remember Mosca also, / who said, alas: 'A done deed finds its purpose.' / For Tuscany, that was an evil seed."

there's no use crying over spilt milk
there's no use crying over spilt milk

what's done is done, there's no use crying over spilt milk


choro de puta Deus não escuta

/ˈʃo.ɾu d͡ʒi ˈpu.tɐ ˈdewz ˈnɐ̃w̃ isˈku.tɐ/

[ˈʃo.ɾu d͡ʒi ˈpu.tɐ ˈdeʊ̯z ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ isˈku.tɐ]

/ˈʃo.ɾu d͡ʒi ˈpu.tɐ ˈdewz ˈnɐ̃w̃ esˈku.tɐ/

[ˈʃo.ɾu d͡ʒi ˈpu.tɐ ˈdeʊ̯z ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ esˈku.tɐ]

/ˈʃo.ɾu d͡ʒi ˈpu.tɐ ˈdewʒ ˈnɐ̃w̃ iʃˈku.tɐ/

[ˈʃo.ɾu d͡ʒi ˈpu.tɐ ˈdeʊ̯ʒ ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ iʃˈku.tɐ]

/ˈʃo.ɾu d͡ʒi ˈpu.tɐ ˈdewʒ ˈnɐ̃w̃ eʃˈku.tɐ/

[ˈʃo.ɾu d͡ʒi ˈpu.tɐ ˈdeʊ̯ʒ ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ eʃˈku.tɐ]

/ˈʃo.ɾo de ˈpu.ta ˈdewz ˈnɐ̃w̃ esˈku.ta/

[ˈʃo.ɾo de ˈpu.ta ˈdeʊ̯z ˈnɐ̃ʊ̯̃ esˈku.ta]

Literally, “a whore's cry is not heard by God”.

lit

a mina trai horrores o namorado e dps grava story chorando p ver se tem otario q sente empatia
choro de puta deus nao escuta fofa

she cheats on her boyfriend like crazy and then records a story crying 2 see if any sucker feels sry for her
a whore's cry is not heard by god girl

Chora mais que tá pouco,choro de puta Deus não escuta

2024 August 14, @Ptpeoplepleaser, Twitter:

Cry more it's not enough,a whore's cry is not heard by God

Choro de puta deus nao escuta... tem q se fuder mesmo!

A whore's cry is not heard by god... you rly do have 2 suffer!

(Brazil, derogatory, slang) the idea that the laments of people considered bad or morally reprehensible are not heard or attended to, not even by God


fidarsi è bene, non fidarsi è meglio

Literally, “to trust is good, not to trust is better.”

lit

one should not unconditionally trust anyone else


τα αγαθά κόποις κτώνται

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τα αγαθά κόποις κτώνται

τα αγαθά κόποις κτώνται • (ta agathá kópois któntai)

Learnedly from Ancient Greek τά ἀγαθά κόποις κτῶνται (tá agathá kópois ktôntai, literally “good things are obtained by labours”).

uder

τά ἀγαθά κόποις κτῶνται

en-τα_αγαθά_κόποις_κτώνται-el-proverb-foIYiz8u


twee zielen, een gedachte

Literally, “two souls, one thought”. Compare German zwei Seelen, ein Gedanke, Swedish två själar, en tanke.

great minds think alike
great minds think alike


弘法筆を選ばず

ja-pos

こうぼう ふで を えらばず

弘(こう)法(ぼう)筆(ふで)を選(えら)ばず • (kōbō fude o erabazu)

弘法筆を選ばず (canonical)
kōbō fude o erabazu (romanization)

[ko̞ːbo̞ː ɸɯ̟de̞ o̞ e̞ɾa̠ba̠zɨ]

Phrase consisting of 弘法 (Kōbō), the first part of the posthumous name of Kūkai, an important Buddhist monk and one of three famous Heian period calligraphers + 筆 (fude, “writing brush; writing with a brush”) + を (o, accusative case particle) + 選ばず (erabazu, the negative continuative of verb 選ぶ erabu, “to choose”). Literally “Kōbō Daishi never chooses his calligraphy brush”.

A good workman never blames his tools
a bad workman always blames his tools


once an adult, twice a child

Modern gender-neutralized form of once a man, twice a child (attested since the 16th century).

Two couples whose combined ages total 300 years were playing cards today and the nerve strain caused by the game was too much for the tired heart and nerves of one and she grew angry and ran home in tears. Once an adult, twice a child.

1928 October 24, Q. Q. McIntyre, “Behind the News”, in The Daily Herald, volume XXXI, number 60, Biloxi, Miss.; Gulfport, Miss., page 2, column 6:

It has been said of man, “Once an adult, twice a child.” Young children are by nature dependent, require protection and security. There comes a time when the child struggles to get out from under the parents’ protective covering and exercise self-determination; to progress from dependence to independence. The Senior Citizen, too, often rebels against having his decisions made by others; he struggles against being treated like a child or as a nonentity by his own children and others.

1962, Ralph P[eter] Beatty, “[Aging, a Universal Problem] Dependence or Independence, Which?”, in The Senior Citizen, Springfield, Ill.: Charles C Thomas, →LCCN, part I (Aging and Retirement—A Problem and a Challenge), page 12:

They’re all wound up with Santy coming this morning. Mattie Dillon got a copy of Dolly Parton’s new CD and Dec Hannigan went into a sulk because he only got one of Charlie Landsborough’s and he can’t stand him. Once an adult, twice a child – nothing surer than that!

2013, Margaret Hawkins, chapter 7, in Deny Me Not, [County Wexford]: Bushel Press, →ISBN, page 250:

One is born as a child, grows to adulthood, and consequently enters old age, when one deteriorates and reverts to a childlike state.


en-proverb

In fact, much of what we call common sense is neither common, nor sensical. We use the hindsight bias to pretend facts which come to us were apparent all along. As a result we rob ourselves of the strangeness that lies ahead.

2012 May 17, Scott H. Young, “The Strangeness of Everyday Things”, in Scott. H. Young Blog, archived from the original on 2023-11-30:

As some anthropologists are fond of saying, common sense is neither common nor sensical.

2016 March 3, Craig E. Wells, “Full Professor Lecture on March 15: Luis Vivanco, Professor of Anthropology”, in College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Vermont, archived from the original on 2024-08-22:

They say that Common Sense is neither common nor sensical, and the things we believe about our bodies prove it.

2020 October 8, Tom Dwyer, “Health Notes- 50 lies you believe about your own body”, in Tom Dwyer Automotive Services, archived from the original on 2024-08-22:

Many assumptions that people make through intuition, popular culture, or 'common sense' turn out to be incorrect.


once an adult and twice a child

Mrs. Collins was nearly ninety years old. Her life fittingly illustrates the old proverb “Once an adult and twice a child.” For a number of years she had been indisposed in mind as well as in body and required almost as much care as a child.

1909 January 22, “Found Dead in Chair. Mrs. Bettie Collins Passed Away Sunday.”, in O. F. Lawrence, editor, The Grenada Sentinel, volume LV, number 27, Grenada, Miss., page [5], column 4:

Grandpa Sulivan came out of his room today (Sunday) ranting around to go to town, thinking it was Saturday. Once an adult and twice a child with us now, sure.

1917 January 18, “Champion Hill”, in E. M. [S]haver, J. Van Wyck, editors, The Logan Republican, volume 12, number 32, Logan, Kan.: Shaver Sisters, page [2], columns 1–2:

My Flossie and I had the Santa Claus tables turned on us Christmas Eve, or maybe it is that old adage, “Once an adult and twice a child’ that came true. Anyway we sat up real late Christmas eve so we would be sure Jim Watie and his sister Andrea were asleep when old Santa came to the house . . . we made it or thought that we did but next morning when we got up instead of there being 3 stockings, Jim’s, Andy’s and Allyn’s hanging at the fire place there were five. Those two imps had filled a couple of stockings with our names on them and hung them up along the side of theirs. It was a lot of fun, made especially so because it was my Flossie’s and my first Christmas as grandpa and grandma.

1954 December 31, Wheeler Mayo, “What’s Cookin’ in the Cooksons”, in Sequoyah County Times, volume 62, number 32, Sallisaw, Okla., page 3, column 3:

It amazes me that some people find nursing or caring for someone as something no one should do, and it always shocks me to realize that their reaction is so negative. It is as though no one knows how to change diapers on an adult, nor wants to, as though it is something to be ashamed of. Once when I was asked “How can you do this?![”] I replied with a terse “Once an adult and twice a child”. We may have to go through this ourselves one day. It needs to be done.

2013 September 16, Edwina Marino, “Bathing”, in Alzheimer’s Through Tears and Laughter: Diary of a Caregiver, Bloomington, Ind.: AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 34:

once an adult, twice a child
once an adult, twice a child#English

Alternative form of once an adult, twice a child.


bis dat qui cito dat

Borrowed from Latin bis dat qui cito dat.

bor+

Something (e.g., payment, assistance, etc.) given promptly is much more valuable than if given after considerable delay.


en-proverb

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

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make her drink, and while suffrage was prepared for Louisville women with all due formality, they either didn’t care for it or weren’t prepared for it. It seems very apparent from the big difference between the number of women entitled to a vote in suffrage communities and the number who use it, that the majority is far from demanding it.

1914 January 9, “Kentucky Women and the Vote”, in The Paducah Evening Sun, volume XXXVII, number 8, Paducah, Ky., page 4, column 2:

Coaches are assessed by their ability to motivate their players. This is not really an accurate assessment of the coach’s ability. Motivation is the player’s responsibility as well as the coach’s. “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make her drink.” This statement seems to sum up the coach. The coach can lead and help the players, but in the final analysis, the players must have the desire and motivation to perform.

2003, Gerald A. Walford, Gerald E. Walford, “Mental Skills”, in Coaching Girls’ Ice Hockey, Terre Haute, Ind.: Wish Publishing, →ISBN, section III (Mental Skills), page 54:

“Still, to say it was Free Vampires?” Ivy tapped a pencil against her teeth. “Every living vampire out there is going to be hunting them.” / “Maybe that was the intent. Keep them so busy they can’t make more trouble.” / “I swear, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make her drink,” Jenks said loudly, and I threw the fork at him. […] / “Leave her alone, Jenks,” Ivy said as I stomped to the silverware drawer for a new one.

2014 February 25, Kim Harrison [pseudonym; Dawn Cook], The Undead Pool (Hollows), New York, N.Y.: Harper Voyager, →ISBN, page 218:

you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink#English

Alternative form of you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.


у семи нянек дитя без глаза

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у семи́ ня́нек дитя́ без гла́за

у семи́ ня́нек дитя́ без гла́за • (u semí njánek ditjá bez gláza)

у семи́ ня́нек дитя́ без гла́за (canonical)
u semí njánek ditjá bez gláza (romanization)

[ʊ‿sʲɪˈmʲi ˈnʲænʲɪɡ dʲɪˈtʲa bʲɪz‿ˈɡɫazə]

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

en-у_семи_нянек_дитя_без_глаза-ru-proverb-V9NSVAH2


Ever resolving that this should be his last frolic, (to call it by no harsher name) he but afforded another proof of the old saying, that “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” From drinking at night he soon began to take his morning dram, a morbid appetite was thus engendered, and the unnatural craving of his stomach, continually required a stimulus, until he became a noted tippler.

1846 February 5, W. N. M., “Original. The Temperance Meeting; or Night and Morning.”, in The New Era, volume I, number 149, Portsmouth, Va.: A. F. Cunningham, →ISSN, front page, column 5:

Fifth, there should be more trust in the frequent good intentions of mankind which do sometimes get implemented. There is no more vicious proverb than the one which asserts that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

1952, Charles Seltman, “Olympus”, in The Twelve Olympians, London: Pan Books Ltd., →OCLC, page 189:

Europe is as ancient as history, and the world turns east to west, so it’s not to be unexpected that Jess Franco’s films are somewhat ahead of their time. And it’s hardly surprising that he has so often been condemned without first being understood because, as philosophers say, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

1990, Tim Lucas, “How to Read a [Jess] Franco Film”, in Video Watchdog, number 1, Cincinnati, Oh.: Tim and Donna Lucas, →ISSN, page 33, column 2:

the road to hell is paved with good intentions#English

Alternative letter-case form of the road to hell is paved with good intentions.


chi tace acconsente

Literally, “(he) who keeps quiet consents.” Compare French qui ne dit mot consent, Dutch wie zwijgt, stemt toe and Latin qui tacet consentire videtur.


i nöden prövas vännen

i (“in”) + nöden (“the need (distress)”) + prövas (“is tested”) + vännen (“the friend”), "In distress the friend is tested"

af

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


dar sopa ao azar

Literally, “to give soup to bad luck”. From "sopa" (soup) and "azar" (bad luck).

O Vasco precisa vencer. Ponto. Precisa ser mais corajoso para não dar sopa para o azar.

Vasco needs to win. Period. They need to be braver to not tempt fate. [lit: give soup to bad luck]

A estratégia está em dar uma lida completa na prova, olhar as questões, classificar como médias, fáceis e difíceis e fazer primeiro as fáceis para não dar sopa ao azar. ― The strategy is to thoroughly read through the exam, look at the questions, classify them as medium, easy, and difficult, and do the easy ones first to avoid tempting fate. [lit: giving soup to bad luck] — Marden Júnior, in Imirante

to expose oneself to unnecessary risks or tempt fate


facile est inventis addere

It is easy to improve what has been already invented


verba volant, scripta manent

Spoken words fly away, written ones remain


you can't turn a hoe into a housewife

They say you can't turn a hoe into a housewife. I wonder . . what silly ass nigga came up with that bullshit? Now, a hoe ass nigga probably can't turn a hoe into a housewife, but a real nigga could. See, commitment is in a woman's nature.

2012 June 26, Ronnie Bo, The Trap, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, Enlightment, page 55:

A sexually promiscuous woman is not a suitable candidate for a committed housewife.


so far so bad

Still farther to darken the prospects of the North, there is the financial pressure,-extreme alarming, and continually growing more burdensome and severe.
So far, so bad; but there are important items to be taken into account on the other side.

1863, The London Quarterly & Holborn Review, Epworth Press, →OCLC, page 233:

(humorous) Up to this point, everything has gone badly.


wer billig kauft, kauft zweimal

buy cheap, buy twice
buy cheap, buy twice


how you get them is how you lose them

A person who starts a relationship by cheating will lose that partner in the same way.


مصائب قوم عند قوم فوائد

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مَصَائِبُ قَوْمٍ عِنْدَ قَوْمٍ فَوَائِدُ • (maṣāʔibu qawmin ʕinda qawmin fawāʔidu)

maṣāʔibu qawmin ʕinda qawmin fawāʔidu (romanization)

one man's loss is another man's gain
one man's loss is another man's gain

en-مصائب_قوم_عند_قوم_فوائد-ar-proverb-AFbW7mmC


tl-head

ang taong walang kibo / nasa loob ang kulo

ang taong waláng kibô, nasa loób ang kulô (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜆᜂᜅ᜔ ᜏᜎᜅ᜔ ᜃᜒᜊᜓ ᜵ ᜈᜐ ᜎᜓᜂᜊ᜔ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜃᜓᜎᜓ)

ang taong waláng kibô (canonical)
nasa loób ang kulô (canonical)
ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜆᜂᜅ᜔ ᜏᜎᜅ᜔ ᜃᜒᜊᜓ ᜵ ᜈᜐ ᜎᜓᜂᜊ᜔ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜃᜓᜎᜓ (Baybayin)

ang taong walang kibo, nasa loob ang kulo

/ʔaŋ ˌtaʔoŋ waˌlaŋ kiˌboʔ | ˌnasa loˌʔob ʔaŋ kuˈloʔ/

[ʔɐn̪ ˌt̪aː.ʔoŋ wɐˌlaŋ kɪˌboʔ | ˌn̪aː.sɐ loˌʔob ʔɐŋ kʊˈloʔ]

a person who is outwardly calm has anger raging inside


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thuận vợ thuận chồng, tát biển Đông cũng cạn

thuận vợ thuận chồng, tát Biển Đông cũng cạn#Vietnamese

Alternative letter-case form of thuận vợ thuận chồng, tát Biển Đông cũng cạn


thuận vợ thuận chồng, tát biển đông cũng cạn


thả cá nhỏ, bắt cá lớn

[tʰaː˧˩ kaː˧˦ ɲɔ˧˩ ʔɓat̚˧˦ kaː˧˦ ləːn˧˦]

[tʰaː˧˨ kaː˨˩˦ ɲɔ˧˨ ʔɓak̚˦˧˥ kaː˨˩˦ ləːŋ˦˧˥]

[tʰaː˨˩˦ kaː˦˥ ɲɔ˨˩˦ ʔɓak̚˦˥ kaː˦˥ ləːŋ˦˥]

thả (“to release”) + cá (“fish”) + nhỏ (“small”) + bắt (“to catch”) + cá (“fish”) + lớn (“large”)

compound

(literally) release a small fish to catch a big fish

(figuratively) a small sacrifice yields a bigger reward; no pain, no gain


abusus non tollit usum

Borrowed from Latin abusus non tollit usum. Literally, “the abuse does not prohibit the use.”

lit

potential abuse of something does not require that it be prohibited


falsitas quae nemini nocet non punitur

Borrowed from Latin falsitas quae nemini nocet non punitur. Literally, “a falsity that does not hurt anyone is not punishable.”

lit

one cannot punish an innocuous or white lie


it-pos

Borrowed from Latin excusatio non petita, accusatio manifesta.

bor+

a hit dog will holler
a hit dog will holler


deutsche Sprache, schwere Sprache

Literally, “German language, difficult language”.

lit

(informal) The German language is hard to learn or use.


hard cases make bad law

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-hard cases make bad law.wav

(law) An extreme case is a poor basis for a general law that would cover a wider range of less extreme cases.

(law) A general law is better drafted for the average circumstance.


کوه به کوه نمی‌رسد، آدم به آدم می‌رسد

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کوه به کوه نمیرسد، آدم به آدم میرسد • (kuh be kuh ne-mi-resad, âdam be âdam mi-resad)

کوه به کوه نمیرسد، آدم به آدم میرسد (canonical)
kuh be kuh ne-mi-resad (romanization)
âdam be âdam mi-resad (romanization)

[kʰúːʰ be kʰúːʰ né.miː.ɹe.sæd̪̥ ʔɒː.d̪ǽm be ʔɒː.d̪ǽm míː.ɹe.sæd̪̥]

[kʰúːʰ be kʰúːʰ né.miː.ɹe.se ʔɒː.d̪ǽm be ʔɒː.d̪ǽm míː.ɹe.se]

Literally, “A mountain does not reach a mountain, but a person reaches a person.” This exact proverb is attested in various cultures besides Persian, with different shades of meaning.

lit

en-کوه_به_کوه_نمی‌رسد،_آدم_به_آدم_می‌رسد-fa-proverb-2BETvSFh

Used to warn someone who has committed something wrong that their victims can eventually take revenge.

en-کوه_به_کوه_نمی‌رسد،_آدم_به_آدم_می‌رسد-fa-proverb-dZ0ZDiHc


今日唔知聽日事

/kɐm⁵⁵ jɐt̚² m̩²¹ t͡siː³⁵ tʰɪŋ⁵⁵ jɐt̚² siː²²/

(Cantonese) one cannot know what will happen tomorrow


a perro flaco, todo son pulgas

[a ˌpe.ro ˌfla.ko | ˌt̪o.ð̞o ˌsõm ˈpul.ɣ̞as]

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


a nadie le amarga un dulce

Literally, “a sweet is not bitter to anyone”.

something is better than nothing
something is better than nothing


the rich get richer

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


the victor gets the spoils

to the victor go the spoils
to the victor go the spoils#English

Alternative form of to the victor go the spoils


arka on lööty ja hellä on purtu

Literally: "The coward is beaten and the tender one is bitten".


haukkuva koira ei konsaa pure

haukkuva koira ei konskaa pure
haukkuva koira ei konskaa pure#Ingrian

Alternative form of haukkuva koira ei konskaa pure


häppiä itkiä, kippiä kärsiä

Literally: "A shame to cry, painful to suffer".


kel on jano, sil on jalat

Literally: "Who has thirst, that one has legs".

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


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tulloo mees tulen alt, mut ei tye turpeen alt

tulloo mees tulen alt, mut ei töö turpeen alt#Ingrian

Alternative form of tulloo mees tulen alt, mut ei töö turpeen alt


haukkuva koira ei konskaa pure

Literally: "A barking dog never bites". Akin to Finnish haukkuva koira ei pure.

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite


hepoisee ja venneesse ja naisee ei saa loottaa

Literally: "One cannot trust a horse, a boat, and a woman".


ikä elä, ikä opi, hullunna koolet

Literally: "Live an age, learn an age, you'll die crazy". Akin to Russian век живи, век учись, а дураком помрёшь (vek živi, vek učisʹ, a durakom pomrjóšʹ).

ncog

век живи, век учись, а дураком помрёшь


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tulloo mees tulen alt, mut ei töö turpeen alt

Literally: "A man returns from under the wind [i.e. from sailing], but [he] doesn't return from under the turf." Compare Finnish tulee mis merentakainen, ei tule turpeen alainen.


hyvä ihmiin ei aja koiranka kujal

Literally: "A good man doesn't drive outside with his dog".


head

läkkää hullunka, talik jookse vasikanka kiistaa

Literally: "Speak with a crazy person, or else compete in running with a calf".

one can find pleasure in all kinds of crazy things


in claris non fit interpretatio

Borrowed from Latin in claris non fit interpretatio. Literally, “interpretation is not done in the clear”.

lit

(law) interpretation is not necessary if the terms of the law are clear


karma's a bitch

(slang, vulgar) The consequences for a person who carries out malevolent actions or displays bad behavior will be very unpleasant.


karma is a bitch

(vulgar) Alternative form of karma's a bitch


you wouldn't get it

(idiomatic, informal, sarcastic) Said to the speaker that is not informed to the others.


a closed mouth doesn't get fed

Someone who does not express their needs or desires is less likely to obtain them.


el que no chilla no mama

Literally, “he who doesn't cry, doesn't suckle (suck milk)”.

lit

a closed mouth doesn't get fed
a closed mouth doesn't get fed

(colloquial) someone who does not express their needs or desires may not obtain them; a closed mouth doesn't get fed.


en-proverb

a new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners

a new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows the corners#English

Alternative form of a new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows the corners


a new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows all the corners


कुत्र्याचे शेपूट वाकडे ते वाकडेच

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कुत्र्याचे शेपूट वाकडे ते वाकडेच

कुत्र्याचे शेपूट वाकडे ते वाकडेच • (kutryāce śepūṭ vākḍe te vākḍeċ)

kutryāce śepūṭ vākḍe te vākḍeċ (romanization)

Literally, “a dog’s tail that is bent will stay bent”.

lit

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

en-कुत्र्याचे_शेपूट_वाकडे_ते_वाकडेच-mr-proverb-uze4DXPJ


a cavalo dado não se olha o dente

a cavalo dado não se olha os dentes#Portuguese

Alternative form of a cavalo dado não se olha os dentes


hunger is the best seasoning

hunger is the best spice
hunger is the best spice#English


absence makes the heart go yonder

From absence makes the heart grow fonder

absence makes the heart grow fonder#English

Synonym of absence makes the heart grow fonder

Does Absence Make the Heat Grow Fonder? Sometimes. And sometimes absence makes the heart go yonder.

1989, William J. Petersen, Husbands and Wives, page 199:

Work if you must, but don't take a night job. Absence makes the heart go yonder.

2012, Sonny Bono, edited by Boze Hadleigh, Holy Matrimony!: Better Halves and Bitter Halves, page 109:

Absence makes the heart go yonder, sweetheart. Wherever he's at, that's where you need to be also.

There is truth in the old adage "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," but it is also true that "Absence makes the heart go yonder." Intimacy with God cannot survive and grow without a sense of God's actual presence with His people in the here and now.

2019, Timothy L. Anderson, Into His Presence: A Theology of Intimacy with God, page 37:

long absent, soon forgotten
long absent, soon forgotten#English

Synonym of long absent, soon forgotten; separation can result in someone finding other emotional attachments.


många bäckar små blir en stor å

Literally, “many small streams become a big river”.

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


head

néma gyereknek az anyja sem érti a szavát

[ˈneːmɒ ˌɟɛrɛknɛk ɒz ˈɒɲːɒ ʃɛm ˈeːrti ɒ ˌsɒvaːt]

Literally, “the speech/words of a mute child is not understood even by his/her mother”.

lit

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

one can’t hope or expect one’s needs to be met unless they voice these needs: speak up if you want something/anything, (approximately) the squeaky wheel gets the grease

néma gyereknek az anyja sem érti szavát

omitting definite articles before either or both of the possessive-suffixed nouns, anyja and szavát, may have a slightly poetic effect

the three other versions above can also occur with se

néma gyereknek az anyja se érti a szavát


Bóg pomaga tym, co sami sobie pomagają

/buk pɔˈma.ɡa tɘmˌ t͡sɔ ˈsa.mi ˈsɔ.bjɛ pɔ.maˈɡa.jɔw̃/

Literally, “God helps those who help themselves”.

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

(idiomatic) God helps those who help themselves


acqua passata non macina più

let bygones be bygones
let bygones be bygones

let bygones be bygones, what's done is done


godzina sapoty, godzina roboty

Rhyme, literally, “hour of panting, hour of work”.

(idiomatic, Chełmno-Dobrzyń) used in reference to a lazy worker


не согрешишь — не покаешься

head

не согреши́шь — не пока́ешься

не согреши́шь — не пока́ешься • (ne sogrešíšʹ — ne pokáješʹsja)

не согреши́шь — не пока́ешься (canonical)

Literally, “if you don’t sin, you can’t repent”.

lit

it may sometimes be acceptable to sin, as long as you repent for it

en-не_согрешишь_—_не_покаешься-ru-proverb-xFwP9O1-


церковь не в брёвнах, а в рёбрах

head

це́рковь не в брёвнах, а в рёбрах

це́рковь не в брёвнах, а в рёбрах • (cérkovʹ ne v brjóvnax, a v rjóbrax)

це́рковь не в брёвнах (canonical)
а в рёбрах (canonical)
cérkovʹ ne v brjóvnax (romanization)
a v rjóbrax (romanization)

Literally, “church is not in the logs, but in the ribs” (with logs referring to wooden churches, like e.g. in Kizhi Pogost). A rhyming proverb. According to Vladimir Dahl, the proverb originates from Doukhobor community. Perhaps was popularized because of Dahl, as he mentioned this proverb.

lit

Christian faith and lifestyle is more important than participation in church service

en-церковь_не_в_брёвнах,_а_в_рёбрах-ru-proverb-utTlCAjT


fas est et ab hoste doceri

Borrowed from Latin fas est et ab hoste doceri.

bor+

One should be open to lessons from other people, even from one's enemies.


money talks, wealth whispers

A person who is merely materially rich will make his riches known to others, but a truly wealthy person (both materially and of character) will not be ostentatious about it.


en-proverb

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-no matter how much milk you put in coffee, it's still coffee.wav

Blood quantum does not nullify indigenous identity.


halodo sataun lantis ku hujan sapoé

Literally, "A year's drought washed away by a day's rain." Compare Indonesian panas setahun dihapuskan oleh hujan sehari.

cog

One mistake is enough to ruin many good deeds; One mistake is enough to ruin years of good reputation.


nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa

tl-head

nasa Diyós ang awà, nasa tao ang gawâ (Baybayin spelling ᜈᜐ ᜇᜒᜌᜓᜐ᜔ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜀᜏ ᜵ ᜈᜐ ᜆᜂ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜄᜏ)

nasa Diyós ang awà (canonical)
nasa tao ang gawâ (canonical)
ᜈᜐ ᜇᜒᜌᜓᜐ᜔ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜀᜏ ᜵ ᜈᜐ ᜆᜂ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜄᜏ (Baybayin)

/ˌnasa diˌos ʔaŋ ˌʔawaʔ | ˌnasa ˌtaʔo ʔaŋ ɡaˈwaʔ/

[ˌn̪aː.sɐ ˌd͡ʒos ʔɐŋ ˌʔaː.wɐʔ | ˌn̪aː.sɐ ˌt̪aː.ʔo ʔɐŋ ɡɐˈwaʔ]

Literally, “God grants the mercy, but man does the work”

lit

good things come only if worked for; every man is the architect of his own fortune


l’histoire se répète

Unadapted borrowing from French l’histoire se répète (“history repeats itself”).

ubor

history repeats itself
history repeats itself


if the mountain won't come to Mohammed

if the mountain won't come to Muhammad#English

Synonym of if the mountain won't come to Muhammad


loin des yeux, près du cœur

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

lit

Coordinate term: loin des yeux, loin du cœur

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


head

wiens brood men eet, diens woord men spreekt

Literally, “whose bread one eats, their word one speaks”. Compare German wes Brot ich ess, des Lied ich sing.

cog

who pays the piper calls the tune
who pays the piper calls the tune

people tend to side with whoever pays them; people put personal needs or advantages above convictions; partially equivalent to who pays the piper calls the tune


van een kale kip kun je niet plukken

Literally, “one cannot pluck a bare [i.e. featherless] chicken”.

m-g

one cannot pluck a bare 􂀿i.e. featherless􂁀 chicken

lit

De rovers sloegen het arme dorp over, want van een kale kip kun je niet plukken.

The bandits skipped the impoverished village, because its inhabitants had nothing left to give.

No money or goods can be gained from someone who is already destitute.