another day, another dollar

Everything is routine and mundane, and nothing eventful or extraordinary has happened.

Poor Tom suffered the tortures. He got up, yawned, and said, «Well, another day another dollar, good night,» and disappeared upstairs.

1957, Jack Kerouac, chapter 3, in On the Road, Viking Press, →OCLC, part 4:

Another day, another dollar, another war

Another day, another dollar / More money, more murder

1996, “The Set Up”, in It Was Written, performed by Nas:

Life goes on, and it is necessary to work in order to earn money.

métro, boulot, dodo

Life goes on, and it is necessary to work to earn money


worse things happen at sea

Some people console themselves with the thought that, basically, worse things happen at sea: in middle-class Britain today, particularly familied fortysomethings, it’s Chicken-Licken time.

2015 September 13, Euan Ferguson, “The week in TV: Doctor Foster; Beck; Ballers; Hunted; The Queen’s Longest Reign: Elizabeth and Victoria”, in The Observer:


en-proverb

lightning never strikes twice in the same place

Something is not affected in the same way twice.

salama ei iske kahta kertaa samaan paikkaan

la foudre ne tombe jamais deux fois au même endroit

piorun nigdy nie uderza dwa razy w to samo miejsce

um raio nunca cai duas vezes no mesmo lugar

un rayo no cae dos veces en el mismo lugar


speak softly and carry a big stick

Popularized by and often attributed to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) as an expression of his view of foreign policy, possibly of earlier, West African origin according to his account, but with a probability of he himself having coined it. The full version is “speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”

talk softly and carry a big stick (alternative)
walk softly and carry a big stick (alternative)

There is a homely old adage which runs: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

1903 April 3, Theodore Roosevelt, President Roosevelt's Speech on the Monroe Doctrine," Arizona Journal-Miner, p. 4 (retrieved 19 Dec 2011)

Under any governmental auspices, as the modern world knows governments, the keeping of the peace comes at its best under the precept, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

1917, Thorstein Veblen, The Nature of Peace, Introductory:

When it comes to China, we have gone from "Speak softly and carry a big stick" to "Take the fifth and carry a toothpick". (from a Congressional speech by Rep. James Traficant, June 22, 1998)

1999 January 17, Tom Kuntz, “Word for Word/Representative James A. Traficant Jr.”, in New York Times, retrieved 2011-12-19:

Do not boast or utter verbal threats, but do make others aware that you are prepared to use physical or military force if necessary.

溫言在口，大棒在手 /温言在口

do not boast but do make others aware that you are prepared to use force

you get more with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone


pride wenteth before a fall

By the time I reached the Navy my love of steam preceded me, and I became the stoker for a rickety steam cutter inherited from the Maine. Pride wenteth before a fall; I put the slice bar through one of the cutter’s tubes — and lost my job in a hasty exit over the side.

1968, Robert Welch, American Opinion, XI, page 59:

Where was my pride? Pride wenteth before a fall. The hell with pride.

1979, Blossom Elfman, The Sister Act, page 44:

Brock’s foot touched the plate just as he and Freehan’s mitt with the ball in it met. Normally, a tie was given to the runner, but the umpire must have believed that pride wenteth before a fall and called Brock out.

2007, David Renner, Memoirs of a Fool, I, page 171:

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

(nonstandard, pseudo-archaic, hypercorrect) Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.


a wild goose never laid a tame egg

en-au-a wild goose never laid a tame egg.ogg

(idiomatic) Most things are inherited and predetermined.

les chats ne font pas des chiens

most things are inherited and predetermined


great minds

An ellipsis (anapodoton) of great minds think alike.

great minds think alike
great minds think alike#English


attack is the best form of defence

attack is the best defence (alternative)
the best defense is a good offense (alternative)
the best defence is attack (alternative)
the best form of defence is attack (alternative)
attack is the best form of defense (alternative)

In a battle or dispute, attacking the opposition first is better than waiting for them to attack.


sow the wind and reap the whirlwind

sow the wind, reap the whirlwind#English

Alternative form of sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.


short reckonings make long friends

short accounts make long friends (alternative)

Borrowed money should be paid back as soon as possible.

oddaj pożyczone pieniądze jak najszybciej


you've got to be in it to win it

In order to win, or succeed at something, one must first compete or try.


there are many ways to skin a cat

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

Alternative form of there's more than one way to skin a cat.


a cat in gloves catches no mice

From the idea that a cat's claws would be hampered by wearing gloves.

One cannot obtain what one desires by being cautious; one must be aggressive.


all the world's a stage

Coined by the English playwright William Shakespeare (baptized 1564; died 1616) from the beginning of a monologue delivered by the character Jaques in Act II, scene vii, of the play As You Like It, believed to have been written in 1599: “All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women, meerly Players; […]”.

coinage

But ſtill, perhaps, 'tis ſomewhat new you'll ſay, / For School-Boys to attempt to act a Play. / Why ſhould the Attempt ſurprize! it ſuits our Age, / And more you know, that all the World's a Stage. / Of general Uſe indeed muſt ſeem this Art, / Since every Man was born to act his Part.

1766 May, “An Occasional Prologue and Epilogue, Compos'd for the Agreeable Surprize, a Comedy, Translated from the Comic Pieces of Mons[ieur] de Marivaux, and of the French Academy; and Perform'd, with Universal Applause, by the Young Gentlemen of Mr. Rule's Academy at Islington, for Whitsuntide, 1766, in the Presence of their Parents and Friends”, in The Jester's Magazine: Or, The Monthly Merry-maker, London: Printed and sold by S. Bladon, in Pater-noster-Row; J. Williams, in Fleet-Street; and J. Kingman, near the Royal-Exchange, published 1767, →OCLC, page 240:

Now we meet singers who depict Earth, Moon, Bread, and a pair of actors, played gamely by William Redfield and Rae Allen, who were meant to promote the notion that all the world's a stage. […] The saying that all the world's a stage is true enough. But it doesn't follow conversely that the stage is the world. The stage is more demanding than the world, and its rules are even harsher. As Dude proves, it can't get by on good intentions.

1972 November 17, Tom Prideaux, “All Heart and No Place to Go: Dude [theater review]”, in LIFE, volume 73, number 20, Chicago, Ill.: Time Inc., →ISSN, page 30:

"Joey, my husband, was torn between the stage and the law," Mari's mother said. "I don't know which one won and which lost." / "My dear, you know that all the world's a stage. Boards or bench. I'll get the drinks."

2005, R. J. Burke, The Cigarette Killer: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 249:

This is not simply to rehash the rather meaningless notion that all human behaviour is performance, or even that ‘all the world’s a stage’, but instead to suggest that there is something in the appearing that takes place in the theatre that seems capable of activating in an audience a feeling of our compromised, alienated participation in the political and economic relations that make us appear to be who we are.

2006, Nicholas [Peter] Ridout, “Embarrassment: The Predicament of the Audience”, in Stage Fright, Animals, and Other Theatrical Problems (Theatre and Performance Theory), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 93–94:

We live in a civilised society, and in a civilised society everyone is an actor – film, TV, drama, crosstalk, sketch – we're all acting. Don't they say that all the world's a stage?

2014, Mo Yan, translated by Howard Goldblatt, Frog, London: Hamish Hamilton, →ISBN:

People have roles to play in life just as actors do in the theatre.

As You Like It
First Folio
Martin Droeshout
William Shakespeare

le monde entier est un théâtre

people have roles to play in life just as actors do in the theatre

весь мир - теа́тр, а лю́ди в нём актёры

vesʹ mir - teátr, a ljúdi v njom aktjóry


head

“There is no defense against the will of God. This has been coming. I have seen the signs. There are those here that I have told, but there are none so blind as those who will not see.”

there are none so deaf as those who will not hear

Understanding cannot be forced on someone who chooses to be ignorant.

لا يوجد هنالك اعمى بقدر الذي يأبى ان يرى

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

ei kukaan ole kuurompi kuin se, joka ei tahdo kuulla

il n’est pire aveugle que celui qui ne veut pas voir

non c'è peggior sordo di chi non vuol sentire

największym ślepcem jest ten, kto nie chce widzieć

no hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver

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


a penny saved is a penny gained

a penny saved is a penny earned
a penny saved is a penny earned#English

Synonym of a penny saved is a penny earned.


With reference to Matthew 12:25 and Mark 3:25.

a house divided cannot stand (alternative)

Thirdly, sometimes by setting and fomenting divisions among Christians, Preacher against Preacher, Church against Church, well knowing, that a house divided against it selfe cannot stand.

1655, William Lyford, The Plain Mans Senses:

‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.

1858, Abraham Lincoln, speech, 16 Jun 1858

If good is done, then there is the spirit of God and not the spirit of evil, for a house divided against itself cannot stand.

A group or organization that is weakened by internal dissent will not remain united.


what's done is done

From a line of dialogue spoken by the character Lady Macbeth in Act III Scene II of Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

what's done cannot be undone (alternative)

Events that have already taken place cannot be changed and actions that have already been committed cannot be undone, so it is best not to dwell on them.

çu bë u bë

events that have already taken place cannot be changed

dili na mabalik ang baha paingon sa bukid

tha na tha air a dhèanamh air a dhèanamh

mae'r hyn sy'n cael ei wneud yn cael ei wneud


sisters before misters

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-sisters before misters.wav

When Sophie was a teenager, she and her friends had a "sisters before misters" pact, meaning they'd never date each other's exes and they'd never let a guy come between their friendship.

2008, Nancy Robards Thompson, Accidental Princess, Harlequin, →ISBN, page 110:

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


chicks before dicks

"I meant for us girls to have fun tonight. I didn't mean go^([sic]) snogging blokes. Chicks before dicks, babe."

2012, Becci Fox, Confessions of an Essex Girl: A Smart, Sexy and Scandalously Funny Expose, Pan Books, →ISBN:

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


there's no use crying over spilt milk

there's no point crying over spilt milk#English

Alternative form of there's no point crying over spilt milk.


a camel is a horse made by a committee

a camel is a horse designed by a committee#English

Alternative form of a camel is a horse designed by a committee.


leaves of three, let it be

Don't touch a plant with a cluster of three leaves because it might be poison ivy or poison oak.


too much bed makes a dull head

Too much inactivity makes one less mentally acute.


haters gonna hate

Playas gonna play / Haters gonna hate / That's the way it is / That's just how it's been

If anyone asks why you're wearing a bathrobe in public, just roll your eyes and keep on strutting. Haters gonna hate.

2012, Eric Grzymkowski, A Year of Living Sinfully: A Self-Serving Guide to Doing Whatever the Hell You Want, Adams Media, published 2012, →ISBN:

[Amanda Palmer:] I think the key is to NOT defend yourself too much. Haters gonna hate, especially in the age of the Internet, where everyone can hide behind their walls and masks while spewing venom, truisms, and righteousness.

2012, Vanessa Wieland, “Amanda Palmer: On the Art of Songwriting, Staying Busy, & Being Honest”, in Adria Haley, editor, 2012 Songwriter's Market, Writer's Digest Books, →ISBN, page 85:

Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off

2014, “Shake It Off”, in 1989, performed by Taylor Swift:

(slang, originally African-American Vernacular) The opinions of critics ultimately have no effect and are unlikely to change, so it is best to ignore them.


nice guys finish last

First appears in the US c. 1946, and condensed from a comment by the baseball manager Leo Durocher. The original quote was The nice guys are all over there, in seventh place. (1946 July 6), about the 1946 New York Giants — seventh place was next-to-last place in the National League. This was shortly afterwards rendered as ‘Nice Guys’ Wind Up in Last Place, Scoffs Lippy, hence giving the present form.

The size of his victory . . . contradicted the maxim of latter-day fellow Californian Leo Durocher, who once said positively: "Nice guys finish last."

1956 November 19, “National Affairs: Nice Guy Finishes First”, in Time:

"He can be as moderate as he likes. Nobody else will be. In Washington these days, nice guys finish last."

1998 March 23, Seth Schiesel, “All Too Soon, New F.C.C. Chief Finds Warm Welcome Is Cooling”, in New York Times, retrieved 2012-07-10:

Nonetheless, a team of business experts claims to have proved the pessimistic notion that "nice guys finish last" – at least where money is concerned.

2011 December 5, Richard Hall, “I didn't get where I am today by being nice... Study reveals agreeable men earn £4,500 less than their ruthless colleagues”, in The Independent, UK, retrieved 2012-07-10:

(idiomatic) People who are decent, friendly, and agreeable tend to be unsuccessful because they are outmaneuvered or overwhelmed by others who are not so decent, friendly, or agreeable.

1946 New York Giants (MLB) season
Leo Durocher

qui se fait brebis le loup le mange

people who are decent, friendly, and agreeable tend to be unsuccessful because they are outmaneuvered or overwhelmed

a rendesek végeznek mindig az utolsó helyen


en-proverb

what's good for the goose is good for the gander

Euphues and his England
John Heywood
John Lyly

From earlier what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander (1670s). Other early forms include “as deep drinketh the goose as the gander” (1562).

Literally, what is good for a female goose is equally good for a male goose (gander); or, what is good for a woman should be equally as good for a man.

If something is good for one person, it should be equally as good for another person; someone who treats another in a certain way should not complain if the same is done to them.

ley pareja no es dura

something good for one person should be equally as good for another person


only Nixon could go to China

A reference to U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 establishment of direct diplomatic relations with, and personal visit to, the People's Republic of China. Nixon's unyielding opposition to Communism had been well-known.

only Nixon can go to China (alternative)
it took Nixon to go to China (alternative)

Only a politician or leader with an impeccable reputation of upholding particular political values could perform an action in seeming defiance of them without jeopardizing his support or credibility.

People's Republic of China
Richard Nixon


LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.wav

From the caption of a 1993 cartoon by Peter Steiner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


head

if there's grass on the pitch, play ball

if there's grass on the wicket, let's play cricket

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


this too shall pass away

this too shall pass
this too shall pass#English

Alternative form of this too shall pass.


brevity is the soul of wit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

خَيْرُ الكَلَامِ مَا قَلَّ وَدَلَّ

conciseness is essential to witty remarks

кра́ткость — сестра́ таланта (krátkostʹ — sestrá talanta)


what has been seen cannot be unseen

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-what has been seen cannot be unseen.wav

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

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

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

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

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


if there's grass on the field, play ball

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

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

1998 Chris Simunek, Paradise Burning pg 80

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

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

2005 (April 26) "The Shield" season 4 episode 7 "Hurt"
Before I went away, I banged his fourteen-year-old sister. Took her virginity. Fool didn't have a clue. Told him I was helping her with her history homework. Try the history of popping cherries. What's your problem, superstar? If there's grass on the field, you gotta play ball.

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

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


God is in the detail

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

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


justice delayed is justice denied

En-us-justice delayed is justice denied.oga

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

遲到的正義不是正義 /迟到的正义不是正义

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

but see verzögerte Gerechtigkeit ist vorenthaltene Gerechtigkeit

지연된 정의는 거부된 정의다

jiyeondoen jeong'uineun geobudoen jeong'uida

justiție întârziată înseamnă justiție refuzată

kālam kaṭanta nīti maṟukkappaṭṭa nītikkuc camam

காலம் கடந்த நீதி மறுக்கப்பட்ட நீதிக்குச் சமம்

ความยุติธรรมที่ล่าช้าก็คือความไม่ยุติธรรม

vidkladene pravosuddja – ce vidmova v pravosuddi

відкладене правосуддя – це відмова в правосудді

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


God helps them that help themselves

God helps those who help themselves#English

Alternative form of God helps those who help themselves.


do unto others as you would have them do unto you

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

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

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

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

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

ʕāmili n-nāsa kamā tuḥibbu ʔan yuʕāmilūka

عَامِلِ النَّاسَ كَمَا تُحِبُّ أَنْ يُعَامِلُوكَ

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

tee toisille sitä, mitä toivoisit heidän tekevän itsellesi

traite les autres comme tu voudrais être traité

behandle andere so, wie du von ihnen behandelt werden willst

מָה שֶׁשָּׂנוּא עָלֶיךָ אַל תַּעֲשֶׂה לַחֲבֵרְךָ

fa agli altri quel che vorresti fosse fatto a te

faça aos outros o que quer que façam a você

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

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


work smarter, not harder

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

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


one man's meat is another man's poison

one man's fish is another man's poison (alternative)
one man's fish is another man's poisson (alternative)

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

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

مَصَائِبُ قَوْمٍ عِنْدَ قَوْمٍ فَوَائِدُ

der eine isst gern Wurst, der andere grüne Seife

den enen sien Uul is den annern sien Nachtigal

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

one man's trash is another man's treasure


if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys

/ɪf ˌjuː peɪ ˈpiːnʌts ˌjuː ɡɛt ˈmʌŋkiːz/

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

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

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

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

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

viiden markan suutari tekee kuuden markan vahingon

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

ton kólo vázeis mágeira, skatá tha mageirépsei

τον κώλο βάζεις μάγειρα, σκατά θα μαγειρέψει


there is reason in the roasting of eggs

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

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

1840, Edgar Allan Poe, The Philosophy of Furniture:

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


if it looks like a duck

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

behind every successful man there stands a woman


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

the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world#English

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


the chickens come home to roost

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

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

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

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

1963, Malcolm X, speech, December 1, 1963

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

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

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

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

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

害人害己

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

minkä taakseen jättää, sen edestään löytää

ne roj jámu drugómu, sam v nejó popadjóšʹ

не рой я́му друго́му, сам в неё попадёшь

Qilgan koʻradi ekkan oʻradi (Qilgan koʻradi ekkan oʻradi)


it's an ill wind that blows no good

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

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


nothing succeeds like success

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

1870, Wilkie Collins, Man and Wife, Prologue:

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

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

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

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

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

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

People who are already successful tend to have additional successes.


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

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

جني تعرفه ولا انسي ما تعرفه

something bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown

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

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

już lepsze znane zło, niż dobro, które masz poznać

mai bun e un drac știut decât unul necunoscut

más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer

más vale diablo conocido que por conocer


better the devil you know

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

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


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


en-proverb

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


head

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


handsome is as handsome does

handsome is that handsome does (alternative)

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

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


buy cheap, buy twice

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

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

goedkoop is duurkoop

buying a cheap product is a false economy


do as I say, not as I do

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

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


let a thousand flowers bloom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


eaten bread is soon forgotten

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


an army marches on its stomach

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

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

uden mad og drikke duer helten ikke

you must eat properly if you want to perform tasks well


third time's the charm

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

Alternative form of third time's a charm.


might is right

might makes right
might makes right#English


when one door closes, another opens

as one door closes, another opens (alternative)
when one door closes, another one opens (alternative)
when one door shuts, another opens (alternative)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

quando si chiude una porta si apre un portone

kiedy jedne drzwi się zamykają, drugie się otwierają


when one door closes, another door opens

when one door closes, another opens#English

Alternative form of when one door closes, another opens.


hope springs eternal

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

ellipsis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The feeling of hopefulness endlessly renews itself.

Alexander Pope
An Essay on Man
hope springs eternal

the feeling of hopefulness endlessly renews itself

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

tant qu'il y a de la vie, il y a de l'espoir

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

hoppet är det sista som överger en människa


head

hope springs eternal in the human breast

hope springs eternal
hope springs eternal#English

Alternative form of hope springs eternal.


the enemy of my enemy is my friend

my enemy's enemy is my friend (alternative)

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

عَدُوُّ عَدُوِّي صَدِيقِي

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

敵人的敵人就是朋友 /敌人的敌人就是朋友

dik⁶ jan⁴ dik¹ dik⁶ jan⁴ zau⁶ si⁶ pang⁴ jau⁵

de vijand van mijn vijand is mijn vriend

la malamiko de mia malamiko estas mia amiko

der Feind meines Feindes ist mein Freund

wróg mojego wroga jest moim przyjacielem

dușmanul dușmanului meu este prietenul meu

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

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

kẻ thù của kẻ thù của tôi là bạn của tôi


my enemy's enemy is my friend

the enemy of my enemy is my friend#English

Alternative form of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.


all cats are grey by night

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

Alternative form of all cats are grey in the dark.


if the shoe fits, wear it

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-if the shoe fits, wear it.wav

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

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

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

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

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

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


the shoemaker's son always goes barefoot

the shoemaker's children go barefoot#English

Synonym of the shoemaker's children go barefoot


out of the mouths of babes and sucklings

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

Alternative form of out of the mouths of babes.


different strokes for different folks

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

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

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

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

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


discretion is the better part of valor

discretion is the better part of valour#English

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


en-proverb

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

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

愚者千慮，必有一得 /愚者千虑

a usually unreliable person can be right sometimes

auch ein blindes Huhn findet mal ein Korn

en blind höna finner också stundom ett korn

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


the Lord works in mysterious ways

The Lord works in mysterious ways (canonical)

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

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

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

Alternative form of God works in mysterious ways.


squeaky wheels get oiled

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

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

the squeaky wheel gets the grease#English

Alternative form of the squeaky wheel gets the grease.


wanton kittens make sober cats

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


better dead than red

better dead than Red (alternative)
better Dead than Red (alternative)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


better dead than Red

better dead than red
better dead than red#English

Alternative form of better dead than red.


start from where you are

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


the devil is in the detail

The manifesto talks of safeguards to ensure that freight operators receive fair access to the network. These may be reassuring words for the likes of DB Cargo, but the devil will be in the detail and freight operators will no doubt be pressing for that detail to include cheaper electricity and access charges.

2024 October 30, Andy Comfort, “Can the Royal Mail trains keep on running?”, in RAIL, number 1021, page 61:

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

Alternative form of the devil is in the details.


every shut eye isn't asleep

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


know thyself

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

calque

γνῶθι σεαυτόν

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

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

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

رحم الله امرَأً عرف قدر نفسه

be aware of both your strengths and limitations


rubbish in, rubbish out

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

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


underpromise and overdeliver

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

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

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


life's a bitch and then you die

life's a bitch, and then you die (alternative)

Life’s a bitch, and then you die.

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

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

nur der Tod ist umsonst und selbst der kostet das Leben

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


there's always a bigger fish

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


half a loaf is better than none

half a loaf is better than no bread (alternative)
half a loaf is better than no loaf (alternative)

"I have the beginnings of genius," he finally decided, "that is, I can see for myself, but I cannot pass the vision on to others by production."
"Half a loaf is better than none," said Miss Enistor soothingly.

1912, Fergus Hume, chapter 1, in A Son of Perdition:

"I'm a business man, and I tell you before you're half through with this fight, you'll come to the conclusion that half a loaf is better than none at all—particularly in the matter of extra large loaves. You'll come to me and compromise."

1914, Peter B. Kyne, chapter 16, in The Long Chance:

"There are some people," he said, "who would have you so stand on principle that if you don't get all that you've asked for from the legislature, why you jump off the cliff with the flag flying." Mr. Reagan said that "a half a loaf is better than none" and that unyielding critics had "misread" his tactics.

1983 February 10, Francis X. Clines, “Reagan's wish is no minimum wage for youths”, in New York Times, retrieved 2014-03-06:

Audience: Green groups
Obama's Pitch: Sometimes half a loaf is better than no loaf at all.

2010 June 17, Michael Scherer, “The President's Spill Speech: The Target Audiences”, in Time, retrieved 2014-03-06:

Something is better than nothing
something is better than nothing

Something is better than nothing: some reward, achievement, result, etc. is preferable to none at all.

parempi pyy pivossa kuin kymmenen oksalla

a pan de quince días, hambre de tres semanas

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush


half a loaf is better than no bread

half a loaf is better than none
half a loaf is better than none#English

Alternative form of half a loaf is better than none.


all that glisters is not gold

Audio (US)

all that glitters is not gold
all that glitters is not gold#English

Alternative form of all that glitters is not gold.


head

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

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

Alternative form of take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves.


cooler heads will prevail

cooler heads must prevail (alternative)
cooler heads prevail (alternative)
cool heads must prevail (alternative)
cool heads prevail (alternative)
cool heads will prevail (alternative)

The cooler heads will prevail when the top four men in the world do battle Friday in the semifinals at Wimbledon.

1993 July 2, Robin Finn, “Tennis: Hotheads Need Not Apply to the Men's Final Four”, in New York Times, retrieved 2014-03-20:

This book assumes that cooler heads will prevail. Russian and American negotiators will find some way to accommodate the deployment of a modest interceptor force.

2001, James J. Wirtz, Jeffrey A. Larsen, editors, Rockets’ Red Glare: Missile Defenses and the Future of World Politics, →ISBN, page 11:

People who are calm and focused are the most likely to succeed or to have the greatest influence on events.


cooler heads must prevail

cooler heads will prevail
cooler heads will prevail#English

Alternative form of cooler heads will prevail.


a bad penny always turns up

a bad penny always comes back (alternative)
the bad penny always comes back (alternative)
the bad penny always turns up (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-a bad penny always turns up.wav

It has been wisely said: “A bad penny always turns up again.” . . . Merwin K. Hart turns up again and again. And the Money-Changers of the Republican Party have knowingly sought to profit from Hart's lobby activities.

1952, Ralph Morris Goldman, “The Money-Changers at the Ballot Box: A Study of Republican Election Buying,”, in The Future Catches Up, Vol. 2, published 2002, →ISBN, page 89:

Elsa Schneider: I never expected to see you again.
Indiana Jones: I'm like a bad penny. I always turn up.

1989, Jeffrey Boam (author of screenplay), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, (excerpts at wikiquote)

Being superstitious was common among a lot of the military. . . . Aircraft were given names such as The Bad Penny (as in a bad penny always turns up).

2005, Ron Greer and Mike Wicks, Fire from the Sky: A diary over Japan (2013 iUniverse edition), p. 184 (Google preview)

I had managed to avoid Julie for almost four years, but, as my grandmother used to say, the bad penny always turns up, and Julie Evanson was one very bad penny.

2011, Gail Bowen, The Further Investigations of Joanne Kilbourn, →ISBN:

A person or thing which is unpleasant, dishonorable, or unwanted tends to appear (or reappear), especially at inopportune times.

An action or task that is carried out improperly eventually causes problems.


a bad penny always comes back

a bad penny always turns up
a bad penny always turns up#English

Alternative form of a bad penny always turns up.


every dark cloud has a silver lining

every cloud has a silver lining
every cloud has a silver lining#English

Alternative form of every cloud has a silver lining.


the good die young

Variant of the Latin Quem di diligunt adulescens moritur ("whom the gods love dies young"), from Plautus's Bacchides, apparently adapted from a line in Dis Exapaton (The Double Deceiver) by Menander.

"You'll live," put in Mr. Pedagog, with a chuckle. "The good die young."

1895, John Kendrick Bangs, chapter 9, in The Idiot:

[I]t is the men and women with vices who have ruled the world. The good die young because there is no useful work for them to do.

1906, E. Phillips Oppenheim, The Malefactor, Book 1, ch. 12:

"The good die young," is a favorite, sardonic saying of General Don Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau, Marquess of Tenerife, Grandee of Spain, long famed among U. S. citizens as "Butcher Weyler" because of his ruthless military governorship of Cuba, prime cause of the Spanish-American war (1896-97).
In Madrid last week the doughty "Butcher," now aged 91, arose fully convalescent from a sickness during which Death had been expected hourly for weeks. "Pah!" growled he. "My doctors, my family had no cause for alarm. I had only pneumonia!"

1930 April 14, “Weyler Well”, in Time, retrieved 2014-04-10:

A 28-year-old pregnant woman was killed and a second woman was seriously injured on Friday afternoon when a driver, apparently intoxicated and following the women as they walked down a Midtown Manhattan street, lost control of a supermarket maintenance van. . . . “It hasn’t really sunk in,” said Ms. Ramos’s sister. . . . “The good die young,” she said.

2009 March 28, Anahan O'Connor, Colin Moynihan, “Pregnant Woman Killed When Van Jumps Curb”, in New York Times, retrieved 2014-04-10:

Well-regarded people who are morally upright, kind, and beneficent tend to die at a younger age than do most people.

hyvät ihmiset kuolevat nuorena

Well-regarded people tend to die at a younger age

les meilleurs partent toujours les premiers

둏은 나무부터 띡히구 못 쓰는 낭그느 깉는다

dyoeun namubuteo ttikhigu mot sseuneun nanggeuneu ginneunda

나무도 쓸 만한 것이 먼저 베인다

namudo sseul manhan geosi meonjeo beinda


only the good die young

the good die young
the good die young#English


claw me, claw thee

claw me and I'll claw thee (alternative)

(archaic) you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours


en-proverb

She would call her mother in tears, and Mom would comfort and console her, then suggest that Amy simply try to be nicer to Ted: "You attract more flies with honey than vinegar," she would counsel.

1996, Henry Cloud, John Sims Townsend, The Mom Factor, Zondervan, →ISBN, page 110:

You may have gotten attention in high school by being the class heckler, but chances are your semi-rude behavior will not be appreciated by your classmates or your professors. Plus, as the old adage goes, you attract more flies with honey than vinegar.

2009, Jessica Linnell, Off to College: Now What? a Practical Guide to Surviving and Succeeding Your First Year of College, Atlantic Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 164:

You attract more flies with honey than vinegar. You resolve more disputes with professionalism and communication than with irritability and vitriol.

2012, Karen Lacey, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Elance, Alpha Books, →ISBN, page 244:

you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar#English

Alternative form of you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.


don't shit in your own nest

don't shit where you eat
don't shit where you eat#English

it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest


scientia potentia est

From Latin scientia potentia est (“knowledge is power”).

bor

Knowledge is power; with knowledge or education, one's potential or abilities in life will certainly increase.


the law is an ass

the law is a ass (alternative)
the law is an arse (alternative misconstruction)

Ere he shall lose an eye for such a trifle... For doing deeds of nature! I'm ashamed. The law is such an ass.

1654, attributed to George Chapman but probably Henry Glapthorne, Revenge for Honour:

"If the law supposes that," said Mr. Bumble, squeezing his hat emphatically in both hands, "the law is a ass—a idiot."

1838, Charles Dickens, chapter 61, in Oliver Twist:

I'm not one of those who think the Law is an ass, no, there's a great deal of common sense in the Law of England.

1917, Henry De Vere Stacpoole, chapter 29, in The Man Who Lost Himself:

Mr Bell said: "The law is an ass. It is a shocking situation when a dangerous criminal can walk free by evading recapture for a month."

1994 May 14, James Cusick, “Loophole gives knifeman freedom”, in The Independent, UK, retrieved 2014-07-18:

[N]o matter the legal definitions that guided them, it seems impossible that someone’s young son, guilty of nothing, should die while his killer walks. Adages become such for a reason: The law is an ass.

2013 July 16, Kathleen Parker, “Unanswered questions in Trayvon Martin case”, in Washington Post, retrieved 2014-07-18:

The law, as created by legislators or as administered by the justice system, cannot be relied upon to be sensible or fair.

law cannot be trusted to be sensible or fair

зако́н — что ды́шло: куда́ повернёшь, туда́ и вы́шло (zakón — što dýšlo: kudá povernjóšʹ, tudá i výšlo, literally “law is like a shaft of the cart: goes wherever you turn it”)

в суде́ пра́вды нет (v sudé právdy net, literally “there's no truth in the court of law”)


the law is a ass

the law is an ass
the law is an ass#English


en-proverb

En-us-one may as well hang for a sheep as a lamb.oga

Referring to hanging as a former means of execution for one who had stolen an animal.

If one is going to commit a sin, it may as well be a major one as a minor one.

joka leikkiin ryhtyy, se leikin kestäköön

семь бед — оди́н отве́т (semʹ bed — odín otvét)


time and tide tarry for no man

"But, however, time and tide tarry for no man, and so, my young friend, we'll have a snack here at the Hawes."

1816, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 1, in The Antiquary - Volume I:

time and tide wait for no man
time and tide wait for no man#English

Alternative form of time and tide wait for no man.


take the cash and let the credit go

Some for the Glories of This World; and some / Sigh for the Prophet's Paradise to come; / Ah, take the Cash, and let the Credit go, / Nor heed the rumble of a distant Drum!

1872, Omar Khayyam, translated by Edward FitzGerald, Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám:

"I will live my life, alone with the few people I find to my liking. I will take the cash and let the credit go."

1898, Henry Harland, “Merely Players”, in Comedies and Errors, page 52:

Why not "take the cash and let the credit go"? Why pursue the elusive theoretical "unification" any further, when what we daily get from our sciences is an increasing wealth of detailed information and of practical guidance?

1913, Josiah Royce, in Introduction to The Foundations of Science by Henri Poincaré, authorized translation by George Bruce Halsted, (text at Project Gutenberg)

[N]o religious teacher was ever more opposed than Buddha in his scheme of salvation to every form of postponement and procrastination. He would have his followers take the cash and let the credit go—though the cash in this case is not the immediate pleasure but the immediate peace.

1927, Irving Babbit, “Buddha and the Occident”, in On Literature, Cultures, and Religion, published 2006, →ISBN, page 251:

William Harding Johnson, $15,000-a-year superintendent of Chicago's school system, has been content to take the cash and let the credit go. He has made good money by co-authoring textbooks for Chicago's schools and from his tutoring school for teachers.

1946 January 28, “Education: Violator”, in Time, retrieved 2014-08-03:

"Take the cash and let the credit go," as Villon said in 1460. But that is a mistake if the cash is a penny and the credit a whole lifetime.

1977, Philip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly (2011 edition), Author's Note (Google preview)

Exploit and enjoy the opportunities and pleasures available here and now and do not invest effort pursuing prospective future gratifications.


it's an ill wind that blows no one any good

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

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


it's an ill wind

Ellipsis of it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good.


the fish rots from the head

Unknown. Found in the Adages of Erasmus as Piscis primum a capite foetet (“The fish stinks first from the head”).


when life gives you lemons, make lemonade

if life gives you lemons, make lemonade (alternative)

You should always make the best out of difficult situations.

apstazaara alimonkʷa anawto, alimonad qʼacʼa

aԥсҭазаара алимонқәа анауҭо, алимонад ҟаҵа

iṣnaʕ šarāban ḥallū min ḥāmiḍ laymūn al-ḥayāti

اِصْنَعْ شَرَابًا حَلُّوا مِنْ حَامِض لَيْمُون الْحَيَاةِ

iṣnaʕī šarāban ḥallū min ḥāmiḍ laymūn al-ḥayāti

اِصْنَعِي شَرَابًا حَلُّوا مِنْ حَامِض لَيْمُون الْحَيَاةِ

vaikeudet on käännettävä voitoksi (idiomatic translation)

kun elämä antaa sitruunoita, tee niistä mehua (literal translation)

quand la vie vous donne des citrons, faites de la citronnade

wenn das Leben dir eine Zitrone gibt, mach Limonade draus

wenn dir das Leben eine Zitrone gibt, mach Limonade draus

jab bhī jīvan mẽ muśkilẽ āẽ to unkā bhī lābh uṭhāẽ

जब भी जीवन में मुश्किलें आएँ तो उनका भी लाभ उठाएँ

quando la vita ti dà limoni, prepara una limonata

se la vita ti offre limoni, fai una limonata

禍転じて福と為す

わざわいてんじてふくとなす

災い転じて福となす

わざわいてんじてふくとなす

when life dey show you pepper, use am make pepper soup

gdy życie daje ci cytryny, zrób z nich lemoniadę

se a vida lhe der um limão, faça dele uma caipirinha

se a vida lhe der um limão, faça dele uma limonada

جب زندگی دیتا ہے، تو آپ لیمن نیبوڈ بناتے ہیں


the wheel turns

You have to accept that a new world pushes out the old. The wheel turns.

2010, Laurent Fignon, We Were Young and Carefree: The Autobiography of Laurent Fignon (trans. by William Fotheringham), Yellow Jersey Press (2010; original French version published 2009), page 64

"I'm sorry, Paul. I know you went through hell with her nonsense, and I don't know how you put up with so much for Sammy, but the wheel turns, mate. Keep cool and let me know what you plan to do."

2011, Angela Greg, Murder in the Lane, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 25:

Sherlock Holmes: There's going to be a bomb on a passenger jet. British and American governments know about it, but rather than expose the source of their information, they're going to let it happen. The plane will blow up. Coventry all over again. The wheel turns, nothing is ever new.

2012 January 1, Stephen Moffat, "A Scandal in Belgravia", episode 2-1 of Sherlock, 01:12:34-01:12:47

Time moves forward; circumstances change; life continues.


man plans and God laughs

Things do not always work out as they are planned.

the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry


Rome wasn't burned in a day

Modification of Rome wasn't built in a day in reference to the Great Fire of Rome.

Rome wasn't burnt in a day (alternative)

It takes a long time to destroy something complicated or impressive.


treat 'em mean to keep 'em keen

treat them mean, keep them keen
treat them mean, keep them keen#English

Alternative form of treat them mean, keep them keen.


don't keep a dog and bark yourself

Don't do anything you are paying a more qualified person to do.


it's the thought that counts

I know the gift he gave you for your wedding is not worth much, but I hope you'll understand it's the thought that counts.

When giving someone a present or doing a favour for someone, the kindness behind the act is more important than any other consideration.

أهم شي النيّة

when giving someone a present or doing a favour for someone, the kindness is more important than any other consideration

有這份心思才是最重要的 /有这份心思才是最重要的

yǒu zhè fèn xīnsī cái shì zuì zhòngyào de


head

the cobbler's children are the worst shod

the shoemaker's children go barefoot#English

Synonym of the shoemaker's children go barefoot.


don't change a winning team

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

Synonym of if it ain't broke, don't fix it.


loose lips sink ships

Shortening of a wartime slogan from World War II.

Loose Lips Sink Ships, said the wartime poster. Of course the ships will all sink anyway, sooner or later.

2000, Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin, Anchor, published 2007, →ISBN, page 448:

‘Loose lips sink ships,’ she spat at Dad once, when they were arguing about Grandpa, but ‘loose lips killed our son.’

2014, Crystal Chan, Bird, Random House, →ISBN, page 59:

Saying too much or releasing confidential information can have dangerous consequences.

禍從口出 /祸从口出

saying too much or releasing confidential information can have dangerous consequences

amsar seterxii ajagand caj büü xii, am sul xünd nuucaa büü delge

амсар сэтэрхий аяганд цай бүү хий, ам сул хүнд нууцаа бүү дэлгэ

болту́н — нахо́дка для шпио́на (boltún — naxódka dlja špióna, literally “a chatterbox is a treasure for a spy”)


don't sweat the small stuff

(informal) One should not give in to petty problems; one should not worry about insignificant matters.


procrastination is the thief of time

Jim: Have you started looking for a job yet?
Jane: Oh, that can wait till tomorrow.
Jim: Procrastination is the thief of time.

If one puts off doing what one ought to do, one will end up not having enough time to do it properly.


one man's trash is another man's treasure

One early use is in Hector Urquhart's Popular Tales of the West Highlands (1860s) where he wrote "one man's rubbish may be another's treasure".http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/60429/ddg#60472

one man's meat is another man's poison (alternative)
one man's loss is another man's gain (alternative)

What is useless to one person is valuable to another.

Ciò che per un uomo è spazzatura per un altro può essere un tesoro.

što dlja odnovo čeloveka musor, to dlja drugovo - sokrovišče

что для одного человека мусор, то для другого - сокровище

la basura de un hombre es el tesoro de otro

що для одного сміття, для іншого — скарб (ščo dlja odnoho smittja, dlja inšoho — skarb)


united we stand, divided we fall

People are more successful as a group than as individuals.

people are more successful as a group than as individuals

مُتَّحِدِين نَقِف، مُتَفَرِّقِين نَسْقُط

分裂导致灭亡

tuánjié jiùshì lìliàng, fēnliè dǎozhì mièwáng

die Eintracht baut das Haus, die Zwietracht reißt es nieder

bersatu kita teguh, bercerai kita runtuh


no guts, no glory

Suggesting the bloody conditions of warfare.

Success will not be achieved without hard work and struggle.


en-proverb

success depends on your backbone, not your wishbone

Success is achieved by hard work, not by merely wishing for it.


if at first you don't succeed

Shortened from if at first you don't succeed, try try again.

Persistence is important in the pursuit of success.


close only counts in horseshoes

Coming close to achieving a goal is not good enough.


eat, drink and be merry

A reference to Ecclesiastes 8:15: "Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry".

And if you do not put the motto "Eat, drink, and be merry," above your dining-room door, fix it in your mind, and put it into practice. Laugh, talk, and crack jokes at the table, and thereby heal an injured body.

1879, “Eat, Drink, and Be Merry”, in University Chronicle, volume 10, page 101:

He says his motto is ' Let us eat, drink, and be merry.' Just so, young man : my motto is exactly the same as yours, ' Let us eat, drink, and be merry.'

1880, William Young Fullerton, Waymarks for wanderers: 5 addresses, page 122:

Life is not all bread and butter. It is not eat, drink and be merry. It is much more.

1995, V. R. Taneja, Educational Thought And Practice, →ISBN, page 28:

Our days here were spent visiting beaches and resting under huge parasols to hide from the sun and eat, drink and be merry while occasionally joining the children to bathe in the warm, grey sea.

2015, Adrian Breeden, Time Grooves and Travel Records, →ISBN, page 556:

Enjoy yourself; forget your cares; do not worry.

eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die


slow and steady wins the race

Originated from one of Aesop's Fables, The Tortoise and the Hare.

Patient work will eventually conquer any problem.

欲速則不達 /欲速则不达

yù sù zé bù dá

rien ne sert de courir, il faut partir à point

gdy się człowiek śpieszy, to się diabeł cieszy


a promise is a promise

versprochen ist versprochen und wird nicht gebrochen


the heart wants what it wants

the heart wants what the heart wants (alternative)

Who one falls in love with is not a rational or deliberate decision.


big things come in small packages

Things should not be underestimated because of their small size.


mess with the bull and you get the horns

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

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


pressure makes diamonds

A situation where the pressure that a person is under makes them demonstrate their potential.


third time pays for all

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


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

From do time (“to serve a prison sentence”).

One should not carry out an action if one is unwilling to handle the consequences.


a mind is a terrible thing to waste

One should put one's mental faculties to good use.


fool me once, twice, thrice... (alternative)

En-us-fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.oga

The Italians having a Proverb, He that deceives me once, it's his fault; but if twice, it's my fault

1651, Anthony Weldon, The Court and Character of King James, page 169:

After being tricked once, one should learn from one's mistakes and avoid being tricked in the same way another time.

لَا يُلْدَغُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مِنْ جُحْرٍ وَاحِدٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ (lā yuldaḡu l-muʔminu min juḥrin wāḥidin marratayni, literally “A believer is not bitten from the same hole twice.”)

een ezel stoot zich geen twee keer aan dezelfde steen

qui me trompe une fois, honte à lui; qui me trompe deux fois, honte à moi

piège-moi une fois, honte sur toi, piège-moi deux fois, honte sur moi

täusche mich einmal, Schande über dich; täusche mich zweimal, Schande über mich

ha egyszer átversz, az a te szégyened. ha kétszer átversz, az már az enyém

یک بار گولم زدی، تو خجالت بکش. دوبار گولم بزنی من باید خجالت بکشم.

مؤمن از یک سوراخ دوبار گزیده نمیشود (mo'men az yek surâx do-bâr gazide namišavad, literally “a believer is not bitten from the same hole twice”)

у́мный челове́к два́жды на одни́ и те же гра́бли не насту́пит (úmnyj čelovék dváždy na odní i te že grábli ne nastúpit, literally “a clever man won't step on the same rake twice”)

eşek bile bir düştüğü yere bir daha düşmez

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


what goes up must come down

(figurative) All trends will end; a rise (in the stock market, in a person's political or social influence, etc.) will be followed by a fall.

(figurative) Substance induced euphoria is followed by withdrawal (often used to describe stimulants though same applies to many other drugs).


no sleep for the wicked

no rest for the wicked
no rest for the wicked#English


handsome is that handsome does

handsome is as handsome does
handsome is as handsome does#English

Alternative form of handsome is as handsome does.


honey catches more flies than vinegar

Synonym of you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.


head

if you torture the data long enough, it will confess to anything

This phrase was coined by economist Ronald Coase. A closely related sentence had been published in Alfred Sauvy's book L'Opinion publique (The public opinion, éd. Presses universitaires de France, coll. « Que sais-je ? », 1961, p. 100):
The figures are innocent people who, under solicitation, under torture, very quickly confess what is asked of them, even if it means retracting later. (Les chiffres sont des innocents qui, sous la sollicitation, sous la torture, avouent très vite ce qu'on leur demande, quitte à se rétracter plus tard.)

Statistics can be manipulated to support any conclusion.


it ain't the meat, it's the motion

From the song It Ain't the Meat (it's the Motion) by Lois Mann and Henry Glover, written in 1951 and recorded by The Swallows. Often mistakenly attributed to Maria Muldaur, who sang a cover of the song on her 1974 album Waitress In The Donut Shop.

it's not the meat, it's the motion (alternative)

It ain't the meat it's the motion/That makes your daddy want to rock/It ain't the meat it's the motion/It's the movement it ain't the stock.

1951, Lois Mann, Henry Glover, It Ain't the Meat (It's the Motion):

We girls know the truth in that old song “It Ain't the Meat, It's the Motion,” but no matter how confident a man is, he secretly believes that the motion just isn't enough.

1999, Anonymous Too, Monica Lewinsky's Guide to Dating, →ISBN, page 63:

'What that they say, girl: it ain't the meat it's the motion?' 'They lie.' And I go and kiss his cock as it rests half soft on his thigh.

2006, Mo Foster, A blues for Shindig, page 53:

(slang, somewhat vulgar) When it comes to sexual satisfaction, the size of the penis does not matter, but technique during intimacy does.

it's not the size of the ship, it's the motion of the ocean

When the engineer was asked by other clients, "Can you make the drums sound like Bonham?," he simply smiled and said, "Sure! Just play like 'im!" So lesson number one is that it ain't the meat, it's the motion, to paraphrase the old blues tune.

1985, Sonic Options Network, Option, page 15:

By focusing on the medium rather than the message, the pottery rather than the pattern, the typeface rather than the tale, philosophers who claim that something ineffable about carbon's chemistry is indispensable for consciousness miss the boat. As Daniel Dennett once wittily remarked in a rejoinder to John Searle's tiresome "right-stuff" refrain, "It ain't the meat, it's the motion."

2008, Douglas R. Hofstadter, I Am a Strange Loop, →ISBN, page 195:

So it ain't the meat, it's the motion. That said, we all like new tools and cool gear.

2009, Derek Pell, Shoot to Thrill: A Hard-Boiled Guide to Digital Photography, →ISBN:

(more generally) The tools that one uses to accomplish a goal are not as important as what one does with them.


it's not the meat, it's the motion

Richard's hands are on her hips and he's poking once in a while but he isn't as big as she'd have thought but then again it's not the meat it's the motion that makes your baby want to rock...

2003, Trey Ellis, Platitudes: & the New Black Aesthetic, →ISBN, page 103:

it ain't the meat, it's the motion#English

Alternative form of it ain't the meat, it's the motion (size doesn't matter as much as technique)

it ain't the meat

There's a book of simple answers for that: The Codes. But you miss the context. It's not the meat, it's the motion. It's the way they reason.

2005, Jonathan Rosen, Joy Comes in the Morning: A Novel, →ISBN:

(more generally) Alternative form of it ain't the meat, it's the motion (actions matter more than tools)


only Nixon can go to China

only Nixon could go to China
only Nixon could go to China#English

Alternative form of only Nixon could go to China.


shallow brooks are noisy

To the contrary, psychiatrists know well the truth of the old proverbs "Shallow brooks are noisy" and "Still waters run deep." We must not assume that someone whose feelings are modulated and controlled is not a passionate person.

2002, M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition, →ISBN, page 156:

Shallow brooks are noisy; deep waters are smooth. Depend upon it, when a man is deeply and strongly impressed with the truth of his own convictions, he is in no way tempted to rail at his neighbour.

1861, Reginald Neale Shutte, A Memoir of the Late Rev. Henry Newland, M.A, page 149:

My mother called me and asked, "Can you tell me the meaning of this, son. The deep river moves with silent majesty, but shallow brooks are noisy?"

2014, Student vs IAS T20: love is god and mercy divine, →ISBN:

People who do not consider things deeply often chatter or talk a lot.


if you pay bananas, you get monkeys

if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys#English

Synonym of if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.


the longest pole knocks the persimmon

the longest purse knocks the persimmon (alternative)

Every official in Morocco from the Sultan down is for sale, and it is a case where the longest pole knocks the persimmon.

1905, The Rosary Magazine, volume 26, page 517:

(US, especially Southern US, dated) Whoever has the most advantages has the best chance of success.


every dog has his day

cæsar [...] Yes, Rufio: I am an old man—worn out now—true, quite true. [...] Well, every dog has his day; and I have had mine: I cannot complain.

1898, [George] Bernard Shaw, “Cæsar and Cleopatra”, in Three Plays for Puritans: The Devil’s Disciple, Cæsar and Cleopatra, & Captain Brassbound’s Conversion, London: Grant Richards, […], published 1901, →OCLC, Act III, page 153:

every dog has its day
every dog has its day#English

Alternative form of every dog has its day.


those that have, get

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


people who have, get

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

Alternative form of those that have, get.


a promise made is a promise kept

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

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

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


the Lord helps those who help themselves

God helps those who help themselves#English

Alternative form of God helps those who help themselves.


the Lord helps those that help themselves


heaven helps those that help themselves

heaven helps those who help themselves#English

Alternative form of heaven helps those who help themselves.


the cowl does not make the monk

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

人不可貌相

the superficial trappings of something are unrelated to its true essence

nem a csuha teszi a barátot/papot/szerzetest


en-proverb

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


head

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

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

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


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


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


cannot live with them, cannot live without them


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

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

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


it never rains but that it pours

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

Alternative form of it never rains but it pours.


all politics is local

Variously attributed to Associated Press Washington bureau chief Byron Price, said to have first used this term in 1932, and to Chicago writer Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936). Derivative of British English professor, Dr. Samuel Johnson's 18th Century aphorism, "All virtue is local".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Barry Popik
Byron Price
Finley Peter Dunne


all politics are local

all politics is local
all politics is local#English

Alternative form of all politics is local.


speech is silver, silence is golden

speech is silver, but silence is golden (alternative)
speech is silver, silence is gold (alternative)

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

إِنْ كَانَ الْكَلَامُ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ فَالسُّكُوتُ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ

puhuminen on hopeaa, vaikeneminen kultaa

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

brʒnulad saubari vercxlia, xolo dumili okro

ბრძნულად საუბარი ვერცხლია, ხოლო დუმილი ოქრო

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

a palavra é de prata, o silêncio é de ouro

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


speech is silver, but silence is golden

speech is silver, silence is golden#English

Alternative form of speech is silver, silence is golden.


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


money talks, bullshit walks

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

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

money talks and bullshit walks (alternative)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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