proti gustu žádný dišputát

/ˈprɔcɪ ˈɡʊstʊ ˈʒaːdniː ˈdɪʃpʊtaːt/

Estimation: Coined on the model of the Latin de gustibus non est disputandum.

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


v nouzi poznáš přítele

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


mnoho povolaných, málo vyvolených

many are called, but few are chosen
many are called, but few are chosen


jablko nepadá daleko od stromu

Literally, “the apple doesn't fall far from the tree”.


nevděk světem vládne

Literally, “the ingratitude rules the world”.

ingratitude is ubiquitous and to be expected; we can't do anything about it


head

kdo se směje naposled, ten se směje nejlíp

Literally, “he who laughs last laughs best”.

lit

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


nové koště dobře mete

a new broom sweeps clean
a new broom sweeps clean


kdo zaváhá, nežere

he who hesitates is lost
he who hesitates is lost


všechny cesty vedou do Říma

all roads lead to Rome
all roads lead to Rome


neplač nad rozlitým mlékem

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


sejde z očí, sejde z mysli

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


lež má krátké nohy

a lie has no legs (literally: short legs)


když se kácí les, létají třísky

Literal translation: "Whenever the forest gets cut, chips fly"

you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs


nebuď zvědavej, budeš brzo starej

curiosity killed the cat
curiosity killed the cat


není všechno zlato, co se třpytí

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


darovanému koni na zuby nekoukej

Literally, “don't look at the teeth of a gift horse”. Since horses' teeth grow over time, checking their length is a way of gauging old age, and therefore a sign of mistrust towards the giver. Although uncertain, the origin can be traced even further to St. Jerome's Latin translation equi donati dentes non inspiciuntur, from the Letter to the Ephesians, circa AD 400.

lit

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


kdo chce psa bít, hůl si vždycky najde

Literally, “he who wants to hit a dog will always find himself a stick”.

lit

it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog


starého psa novým kouskům nenaučíš

Literally, “you won't teach an old dog new tricks”.

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


ranní ptáče dál doskáče

Literally, “the early bird jumps further”.

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


když kocour není doma, myši mají pré

[ɡdɪʃ kot͡sou̯r nɛɲiː doma mɪʃɪ majiː prɛː]

Literally, “when the cat's away from home, the mice are having free time”.

lit

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


kdo seje vítr, sklízí bouři

Bin Ládin se na krátký čas ocitl na vrcholu své krvavé kariéry. Pak se však naplnilo pořekadlo, kdo seje vítr, sklízí bouři.

For a short time, Bin Laden found himself at the peak of his bloody career. But then, as the saying goes, he who sows the wind will reap the whirlwhind.

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


ráno moudřejší večera

Literally, “the morning is wiser than the evening”. Compare Russian у́тро ве́чера мудрене́е (útro véčera mudrenéje).

cog

у́тро ве́чера мудрене́е

sleep on it (instead of making hasty decisions in the evening, it is better to postpone them to the morning)


opakování matka moudrosti

Literally, “repetition is the mother of wisdom”.

lit

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect


žádný učený z nebe nespadl

Literally, “no learned man has fallen off the sky”.

no one is born a master
no one is born a master


čiň čertu dobře, peklem se ti odmění

/ˈt͡ʃɪɲ ˈt͡ʃɛrtʊ ˈdɔbr̝ɛ ˈpɛklɛm ˈsɛcɪ ˈʔɔdm̩ɲɛɲiː/

Literally, “do good to the devil; he will reward you with hell”.

lit

bad people reward your good deeds toward them with bad deeds toward you


head

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

Literally, “so long does one walk with a jug for water, until one day the handle breaks off”. Compare German der Krug geht so lange zum Brunnen, bis er bricht.

cog

when you use a thing too much, it ultimately breaks down at some point
 every day the bucket goes to the well but one day the bottom will drop out


komu se nelení, tomu se zelení

Literally, “he who does not laze around, gets the greens”.

lit

early bird gets the worm
early bird gets the worm


sytý hladovému nevěří

Literally, “he who is full does not believe the hungry one”.

lit

he who has not experienced difficulties does not believe the accounts of those who had them


chudoba cti netratí

poverty does not make one less honorable


bez práce nejsou koláče

Literally, “There are no kolaches without work”. Compare Polish bez pracy nie ma kołaczy.

where there is no work and effort, there are no enjoyable results (no pain, no gain))


samochvála smrdí

the praise you give to yourself is not trustworthy for other people


kam čert nemůže, nastrčí ženskou

Literally, “where the devil can't reach, he puts a woman”.

lit

the explanation of why the person caused the problem is that she is a woman


kdo dřív přijde, ten dřív mele

first come, first served
first come, first served


co tě nepálí, nehas

Literally, “what doesn't burn you, don't extinguish”.

lit

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

cobbler, stick to thy last
cobbler, stick to thy last

mind one's own business; cobbler, stick to thy last


kdo hledá, najde

seek and ye shall find
seek and ye shall find


konec dobrý, všechno dobré

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


jedna vlaštovka jaro nedělá

Literally, “one swallow doesn't make a spring”.

one swallow doesn't make a summer
one swallow doesn't make a summer


kdo chce s vlky býti, musí s nimi výti

/ˈɡdɔ xt͡sɛ ˈzvl̩kɪ ˈbiːcɪ ˈmʊsiː ˈsɲɪmɪ ˈviːcɪ/

Literally, “who wants to hang out with wolves, has to howl together with them”, or more loosely translated as “if you want to keep company with wolves, you must howl with them”.

lit

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


naděje umírá poslední

while there's life, there's hope
while there's life, there's hope


kdo si počká, ten se dočká

literal meaning: those who wait will see

all things come to those who wait
all things come to those who wait


přání otcem myšlenky

the wish is father to the thought
the wish is father to the thought


pes, který štěká, nekouše

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite


víra hory přenáší

faith will move mountains
faith will move mountains


pýcha předchází pád

pride comes before a fall
pride comes before a fall


neříkej hop, dokud nepřeskočíš

/ˈnɛr̝iːkɛj ˈɦɔp ˈdɔkʊt ˈnɛpr̝̊ɛskɔtʃiːʃ/

Literally, “do not say "hop" until you have leapt over”.

lit

don't count your chickens before they're hatched


s poctivostí nejdál dojdeš

honesty is the best policy
honesty is the best policy


vrána k vráně sedá

Literally, “a crow sits to another crow”.

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


prázdný sud nejvíce duní

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


zakázané ovoce chutná nejlépe

forbidden fruit is the sweetest
forbidden fruit is the sweetest


hlad je nejlepší kuchař

hunger is a good sauce
hunger is a good sauce


košile bližší než kabát

blood is thicker than water
blood is thicker than water


head

co se v mládí naučíš, ve stáří jako když najdeš

/ˈt͡sɔ‿sɛ ˈvmlaːɟiː ˈnaʔʊ̯t͡ʃiːʃ ˈvɛ‿staːr̝iː ˈjakɔ ˈɡdɪʃ ˈnaɪ̯dɛʃ/

Literally, “what you learn in your youth will be as if found when you're old”.

lit

what you learn in your youth will be useful when you are old


head

co můžeš udělat dnes, neodkládej na zítřek

/ˈt͡sɔ ˈmuːʒɛʃ ˈʔʊɟɛlat ˈdnɛs ˈnɛʔɔtklaːdɛj ˈna‿ziːtr̝̊ɛk/

Literally, “never put off till tomorrow what you can do today”.


dočkej času, jako husa klasu

Literally, “wait like a goose is waiting for an ear (of the grain to grow)”.

lit

wait, period (remotely related to all things come to those who wait)


dvakrát měř, jednou řež

measure twice and cut once
measure twice and cut once

measure twice and cut once; verify your plans and the information on which they are based before you execute them


chybami se člověk učí

we learn by our mistakes (related to to err is human)


chytrému napověz, hloupého kopni

Literally, “provide a hint to the clever; kick the stupid”.


chytrost nejsou žádné čáry

no one is born a master
no one is born a master


na každém šprochu pravdy trochu

Every statement contains a kernel of truth.


head

jak se do lesa volá, tak se z lesa ozývá

[jak sɛ do lɛsa volaː tak sɛ zlɛsa oziːvaː]

Literally, “the way you call into the forest, the way it calls back”.

lit

what goes around comes around
what goes around comes around

angry and impolite words lead to angry and impolite replies; what goes around comes around


jak si kdo ustele, tak si lehne

Literally, “as one makes one's bed, so one will lie in it”.

lit

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


lepší pozdě než nikdy

[lɛpʃiː pozɟɛ nɛʃ ɲɪɡdɪ]

better late than never
better late than never


výjimka potvrzuje pravidlo

every rule has an exception
every rule has an exception


devatero řemesel, desátá bída

Literally, “nine crafts, tenth poverty”.

jack of all trades, master of none
jack of all trades, master of none


head

lepší vrabec v hrsti nežli holub na střeše

[lɛpʃiː vrabɛt͡s vɦr̩scɪ nɛʒlɪ ɦolup na str̝̊ɛʃɛ]

Literally, “better a sparrow in the hand than a pigeon on the roof”.

lit

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush


kdo jinému jámu kopá, sám do ní padá

[ɡdo jɪnɛːmu jaːmu kopaː saːm do ɲiː padaː]

he who puts down traps for other people is caught in them himself


líná huba, holé neštěstí

who is lazy to ask a question or to ask for a service will bear bad consequences


po bitvě je každý generál

Literally, “after the battle, everyone is a general”.

lit

twenty-twenty hindsight
twenty-twenty hindsight

twenty-twenty hindsight, hindsight is 20/20


když se dva perou, třetí se směje

Literally, “when two people fight, the third laughs”.

lit

the quarrel of two parties is to the benefit of the third one, which might have stimulated the quarrel

two dogs fight for a bone, and a third runs away with it


nechval dne před večerem

Literally, “don't praise the day before the evening time”.

lit

don't count your chickens before they're hatched


víc hlav víc ví

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


nemusí pršet, jen když kape

/ˈnɛmʊsiː ˈpr̩ʃɛt ˈjɛn ˈɡdɪʃ ˈkapɛ/

Literally, “It doesn't have to pour down, a light rain will do”.


pro jedno kvítí slunce nesvítí

Literally, “the sun doesn't shine for just one flower”.

lit

when your beloved woman has broken your heart and left you, you will still fall in love again with another one


tichá voda břehy mele

still waters run deep
still waters run deep


komu není shůry dáno, v apatyce nekoupí

Literally, “who was not given from above will not buy in pharmacy”.

lit

there is no way to compensate for lacking talent


mladí ležáci, staří žebráci

he who is lazy to work when he is young will be poor in old age


kdo lže, ten krade

he that will steal an egg will steal an ox


mluviti stříbro, mlčeti zlato

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


i mistr tesař se někdy utne

we all make mistakes
we all make mistakes

we all make mistakes (Direct translation: Even a master carpenter gets cut sometimes.)


důvěřuj, ale prověřuj

Literally, “trust, but verify”. Compare Russian доверяй, но проверяй (doverjaj, no proverjaj) and Polish ufaj, ale sprawdzaj.

cog

доверяй, но проверяй

if you trust before you try, you may repent before you die


nehas, co tě nepálí

heed your own problems, instead of problems of others


kdo nic nedělá, nic nezkazí

Literally, “who does nothing, breaks nothing”.

lit

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


všude dobře, doma nejlíp

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


veselá mysl půl zdraví

keeping yourself merry and cheerful is key for staying healthy


všeho s mírou

everything in moderation
everything in moderation

everything in moderation; don't overdo it


head

neštěstí nechodí po horách, ale po lidech

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


těžko na cvičišti, lehko na bojišti

train hard, fight easy
train hard, fight easy

practice makes perfect
practice makes perfect

train hard, fight easy; practice makes perfect


člověk míní, pánbůh mění

man proposes, God disposes
man proposes, God disposes


každý svého štěstí strůjcem

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


štěstí ve hře, neštěstí v lásce

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


hlavou zeď neprorazíš

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

lit

stubbornness alone does not remove obstacles


moudřejší ustoupí

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


chytrému napověz, hloupého trkni

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


krev není voda

blood is thicker than water
blood is thicker than water


kdo chce kam, pomozme mu tam

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


komu není rady, tomu není pomoci

he who does not heed advice cannot be helped


oko za oko, zub za zub

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


nejdřív povinnost, potom zábava

business before pleasure
business before pleasure


všechno zlé je k něčemu dobré

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

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


spěchej pomalu

more haste, less speed
more haste, less speed


s chutí do toho, půl je hotovo

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


koho chleba jíš, toho píseň zpívej

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

lit

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


odvážnému štěstí přeje

fortune favors the bold
fortune favors the bold


tonoucí se stébla chytá

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

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


láska hory přenáší

Literally, “love carries over mountains”.


co oči nevidí, to srdce nebolí

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

lit

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


mezi slepými je jednooký králem

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


stará láska nerezaví

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

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


stokrát nic umořilo osla

many small burdens add up to a big crushing burden


kovářova kobyla chodí bosa

Literally, “the mare of the smith walks barefoot”.

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


všeho moc škodí

everything in moderation
everything in moderation


kdo se bojí, nesmí do lesa

Literally, “he who is afraid must not go to the woods”.

lit

he who is afraid should not visit scary places or do risky things


pro dobrotu na žebrotu

no good deed goes unpunished
no good deed goes unpunished

každý dobrý skutek je po zásluze potrestán


head

každý dobrý skutek je po zásluze potrestán

[kaʒdiː dobriː skutɛk jɛ po zaːsluzɛ potrɛstaːn]


potrefená husa se vždycky ozve

/ˈpotrɛfɛnaː ˈɦusa‿sɛ ˈvʒdɪt͡skɪ ˈʔozvɛ/

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

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


kuj železo, dokud je žhavé

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


příležitost dělá zloděje

/ˈpr̝̊iːlɛʒɪtɔst ˈɟɛlaː ˈzlɔɟɛjɛ/

opportunity makes a thief
opportunity makes a thief


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.


změna je život

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


stěny mají uši

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


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


dvakrát měř a jednou řež

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

Alternative form of dvakrát měř, jednou řež


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


vyhodíte ho dveřmi a vrátí se oknem

[vɪɦoɟiːtɛ ɦo dvɛr̝mɪ a vraːciː sɛ oknɛm]

Literally, “when you push him out the door, he comes back through the window”.

lit

Gingo – vyhodíte ho dveřmi a vrátí se oknem

2004 April 2, “Gingo - vyhodíte ho dveřmi a vrátí se oknem”, in iDnes.cz:

Jakkoli dobře si můžeme v rámci teoretických úvah zdůvodnit a tisíckrát zopakovat, že tento způsob myšlení je neoprávněný, přesto ho budeme ve svém životě dál používat. Vyhodíte ho dveřmi a vrátí se oknem.

2007, Právník, volume 146, numbers 7–12, page 982:

Ostatně vemlouvavostí a neodbytností se zapsal do paměti více lidí. L Slavíček s úsměvem přiznává, že dědeček byl tak trochu typ, kterého dveřmi vyhodíte a oknem se vrátí.

2010, Zdeněk Vacek, Škodovkou na Sněžku i kolem světa, Praha: Grada, →ISBN, page 33:

Domnívá se, že dnešní historiografie se nemůže vyhnout používání pojmu "kapitalismus": "Vyhoďte kapitalismus dveřmi a on se vrátí oknem. […]"

1988, Ivana Holzbachová, Společnost – dějiny – struktura, Praha: Academia, page 70:


neuč orla létat

Literally, “do not teach an eagle how to fly”.

Napsal mi, že design karoserie si žádá spolupráci několika designérů i modelářů. […] Odepsal jsem: "Hrbku, Hrbku, neuč orla létat. Vyrobil jsem několik aut, kolik ty?"

2015 October 9, Veronika Kudrnová, “Majitel Kaipanu si ve své vlastní automobilce plní sny o sporťáku a vyvíjí elektromobil do města”, in Hospodářské noviny:

He wrot to me that the design of the car body needs a cooperation of several designers and modellers. […] I answered: "Hrbek, Hrbek, don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs. I have made several cars, how many have you?

(colloquial) don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs


kde není žalobce, není soudce

Většina bachařů stejně zastává názor, že všichni kriminálníci jsou simulanti, a žádné léky jim nedávají. Kdo to na ně poví? A kde není žalobce, není soudce.

2001, Jan Cimický, Kouzelné zahrady, Praha: Baronet, →ISBN, page 112:

Anyway, most warders hold the view that all criminals are malingerers, and they don't give them any medicines. Who will tell on them? And where there is no plaintiff, there is no judge.

where there is no plaintiff, there is no judge (if nobody complains, nobody will enforce the law or rule)


head

kdo chce, hledá způsoby, kdo nechce, hledá důvody

[ˈɡdo ˈxt͡sɛ ǀ ˈɦlɛdaː ˈspuːsobɪ ǀ ˈɡdo ˈnɛxt͡sɛ ǀ ˈɦlɛdaː ˈduːvodɪ]

Literally, “those who want seek means, those who don't seek reasons”.

lit

Kdo chce, hledá způsoby, kdo nechce, hledá důvody. Pán zjevně hledal jen důvody, jak a proč něco nepůjde.

2013, Jiří Jemelka, Prodej – dřina nebo hra, Praha: Grada Publishing, →ISBN, page 85:

Those who want seek means, those who don't seek reasons. It was clear that the man was just seeking reasons why something would not be possible.

where there is a will there is a way
where there is a will there is a way

those who want to do something find a way to do it, and those who do not find reasons for why it is not possible; where there is a will there is a way

kdo chce, hledá způsob, kdo nechce, hledá důvod


head

kdo chce, hledá způsob, kdo nechce, hledá důvod

[ˈɡdo ˈxt͡sɛ ǀ ˈɦlɛdaː ˈspuːsop ǀ ˈɡdo ˈnɛxt͡sɛ ǀ ˈɦlɛdaː ˈduːvot]

Literally, “those who want, search for a way, those who do not want, search for a reason”.

lit

kdo chce, hledá způsoby, kdo nechce, hledá důvody#Czech

Alternative form of kdo chce, hledá způsoby, kdo nechce, hledá důvody


head

před heřmánkem smekni, před bezinkou klekni

[ˈpr̝̊ɛd‿ɦɛr̝maːŋkɛm ˈsmɛkɲɪ ǀ ˈpr̝̊ɛd‿bɛzɪŋkou̯ ˈklɛkɲɪ]

Literally, “take your hat off to camomile, kneel down before black elder”.

lit

Toho dne jsme šly řezat květy černého bezu. Bábi říkala : „Před heřmánkem smekni, před bezinkou klekni." Heřmánek, častěji se říkalo kamilky, byl pro zdraví i pro krásu; byl na čaj, na obklady, na všelijaké záněty a křeče, na bolení břicha i zubů[…]

1992, Anna Graf, Jak říkala babička, Praha: Tezaurus, →ISBN, page 113:

That day we went cutting black elder blossoms. My grandma used to say: “Take your hat off to camomile, kneel down before black elder.” Camomile, or kamilky as it used to be called, was applied for one's good health and beauty; it was used to make tea, medical compress, for various inflammations and cramps, for stomachache and toothache […]

Matricaria recutita
Matricaria recutita#Translingual

Sambucus nigra
Sambucus nigra#Translingual

the proverb expresses the awareness of high healing powers of camomile (Matricaria recutita) and even higher ones of black elder (Sambucus nigra)

před heřmánkem smekni, před bezem klekni


lépe pozdě než nikdy

[lɛːpɛ pozɟɛ nɛʃ ɲɪɡdɪ]

better late than never
better late than never


hlas lidu, hlas boží

the voice of the people, the voice of God


kapři si rybník sami nevypustí

kapři si rybník nevypustí
kapři si rybník nevypustí#Czech

Alternative form of kapři si rybník nevypustí


kapři si rybník nevypustí

Literally, “carp will not release water from their pond”.

lit

Naléhavě proto potřebujeme efektivnostně (výkonově) orientovanou reformu státní správy. To je ovšem pro vládu ten nejtěžší úkol: protože platí teze, že „kapři si rybník sami nevypustí“. Nezanedbatelná část vládního aparátu takovéto změny vždy sabotuje, stejně jako nejdou pod fousy mnohým poslancům či jiným politikům, kteří za propojení s vládními úředníky z existujícího stavu benefitují […]

2007 December 13, Pavel Mertlík, “Naše fiskální reforma”, in Listy, volume XXXVII, number 6, page 107:

Therefore we urgently need an efficiency oriented reform of the state administration. However, that is the most difficult task for the government because of the principle that people do not act against their interests. A not negligible part of the bureaucracy always sabotage such changes, which many members of parliament or other politicians also cannot stomach, as they are interconnected with the administration and benefit from the existing situation […]

people do not act against their own interests


head

blaze tomu, kdo nic nemá, nestará se, kam to schová

[ˈblazɛ ˈtomu ˈɡdo ɲɪt͡s ˈnɛmaː ˈnɛstaraː sɛ ˈkam to ˈsxovaː]

Literally, “happy those who have nothing, they needn't worry where to hide it”.

lit

Jo, s majetkem je starost. Blaze tomu, kdo nic nemá, nestará se, kam to schová!

2014, Jan Cimický, Dvířka do neznáma, Praha: Baronet, →ISBN:

Yes, there are worries with possessions. Happy those who have nothing, they needn't worry where to hide it!

poor people are often happier because fortune brings worries


historie se opakuje

history repeats itself
history repeats itself


až to bude, tak to bude

Literally, “it won't be done until it has been done”.

lit

„Co s tím uděláte?“
„Posíláme tam vůz.“
„A kdy to spravíte?“
„Vždyť ještě nevíme, oč jde. Až to bude, tak to bude!“

1993, Roman Ráž, Cesta po kolenou, Favia International, →ISBN, page 127:

"What are you going to do with it?"
"We are sending a car there."
"And when are you going to mend it?"
"But we still don't know, what the problem is. We will do it, you have to wait!"

an oak is not felled at one stroke#English

the work cannot be done earlier or faster; close to an oak is not felled at one stroke


štěstí přeje připraveným

Literally, “fortune favours the prepared”.

Mužstvu od Ještědu zařídil triumf především brankář Roman Will, jenž zneškodnil všechny "penalty" soupeře. "Myslím si, že štěstí přeje připraveným a to já byl. […]"

2018 February 5, “Čaroděj Will o nájezdech: Štěstí přeje připraveným. A to já byl”, in Týden.cz:

The victory of the team from under the Ještěd mountain was secured especially by the goalkeeper Roman Will, who caught all the penalty shots of the opposing team. "I think fortune favours the prepared, which I was. […] "

victory loves preparation
victory loves preparation#English

Luck is usually on the side of those who are prepared. Close to victory loves preparation


psi štěkají a karavana jde dál

Literally, “dogs bark and the caravan goes on”.

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

the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on, haters gonna hate


psi štěkají, ale karavana jde dál

Literally, “dogs bark, but the caravan goes on”.


když kocour není doma, mají myši pré

Literally, “when the cat's away from home, the mice are having free time”.

lit

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


do třetice všeho dobrého

third time's a charm
third time's a charm


malé ryby taky ryby

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


všude dobře, doma nejlépe

Literally, “eveywhere is good but home is the best”.

lit

there is no place like home
there is no place like home

east or west, home is best
east or west, home is best


ruka ruku myje

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

one hand washes the other
one hand washes the other


když se chce, tak to jde

Literally, “when there is a desire, it is possible”.

lit

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


šaty dělají člověka

the tailor makes the man
the tailor makes the man


head

když nejde hora k Mohamedovi, musí Mohamed k hoře

if the mountain won't come to Muhammad
if the mountain won't come to Muhammad

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