y'all means all

I stay here to continue to insist, as the saying goes, that y'all means all, that the loudest, crudest voices don't get to have the last word. Oh, I could move to a liberal enclave in the no-nonsense North, but I like a bit of nonsense,[…]

2018 May 16, Susan Cushman, Southern Writers on Writing, Univ. Press of Mississippi, →ISBN:

"Y'all means all," I proclaimed from the pulpit. The message was simple enough : If we're going to be a welcoming church , we've got to open the doors to everyone. No exceptions. Some folks nodded in approval , but others looked[…]

2019, Rob Lee, A Sin by Any Other Name: Reckoning with Racism and the Heritage of the South, Convergent Books, →ISBN, page 118:

You see, to Sherri and to the library, "Y'all" means "all." All. No exceptions. Everyone deserves to be respected and have a space to explore and learn. Everyone is loved and cherished by God. For Jesus, "y'all" means "all.

2022 March 22, Andy Stanton-Henry, Recovering Abundance: Twelve Practices for Small-Town Leaders, Fortress Press, →ISBN, page 221:

(slang, Southern US) Bigotry and intolerance are unacceptable; no one should be discriminated against.


gold is where you find it

From the era of gold prospecting, where gold was sometimes found in unlikely places.

Opportunities, or things of value, may be found unexpectedly.


en-proverb

Originated with the Black Panther Party.
One of the variations of the proverb formula scratch (somebody) and you'll find a (somebody else). Compare for example поскреби русского - найдёшь татарина (poskrebi russkovo - najdjóšʹ tatarina, “scratch a Russian and you'll find a Tatar”).

scratch a liberal and a fascist bleeds (alternative)

Scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist, they say - this book does just that, not only with the author but with the Rt. Hon. Joe Grimond M.P. who provided the introduction to the book.

1982, Stuart Christie, “Left, Right: The March of Political Extremism in Britain, by John Tomlison published by John Calder at £4.95 [Book Review]”, in Anarchist Review, number 6, Cienfuegos Press, page 42 of 42-43:

I have a friend in the poverty movement named Larry Carter Center. He always had this saying, "scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist." I believe he's got a valid point.
The limousine liberals who *are* in a position for lending a hand-up to those struggling with deep poverty are precisely the ones who chop us off at the knees.

2009 August 23, Jacqueline S. Homan, Barbara's Blog: Barbara Ehrenreich Comments on Working in America, archived from the original on 2010-04-08:

(politics, derogatory) People who identify as liberals (usually rather than leftists) are not uncomfortable with fascist beliefs.


scratch a liberal and a fascist bleeds

scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist#English

Alternative form of scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist.


don't fish off the company dock

you don't dip your pen in company ink#English

Synonym of you don't dip your pen in company ink.


the laborer is worthy of his hire

the labourer is worthy of his hire (alternative)

“Come on then, you’ve done enough gardening for to-day. ‘The labourer is worthy of his hire’, you know. Come and be refreshed.”

1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 9:

People deserve to be rewarded for their efforts.


fortune favors the daring

fortune favors the bold
fortune favors the bold#English

Alternative form of fortune favors the bold.


your network is your net worth

your net worth is your network (alternative)

(finance) Possessing the right or certain professional connections will ensure financial success in one's career.


your net worth is your network

your network is your net worth
your network is your net worth#English

Alternative form of your network is your net worth.


head

imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Copying or mimicking another individual is a sign of admiration of that person.


time is a great healer

"Time is a great healer, Mr. Hythe; but the reminiscences of my early struggles with fate cannot be easily erased.[…]"

1913, Percy F. Westerman, chapter XXXIII, in The Rival Submarines:

Time is a great healer, but twelve years is not long enough.

1914 December 9, Punch, or the London Charivari, volume 147:

time heals all wounds
time heals all wounds#English


time is the great healer

Next to God, time is the great healer; and human love, guided by tact, can often achieve signal success.

1883, Edward Payson Roe, His Sombre Rivals:

As Brexit tears the country apart, let time be the great healer – there are strong arguments for doing so come March 2019[.]

2018 October 26, Nigel Gardner, “Britain, this is not a wind-up: change your clocks to EU time”, in The Guardian:

time is a great healer
time is a great healer#English

Alternative form of time is a great healer.


en-proverb

Say the punch line loud and clear. You can even increase your volume and really emphasize the last word. Sometimes it's not what you say but how you say it.

2018, Alyson Connolly, Public Speaking Skills For Dummies:

The tone and delivery of communication is at least as important as what is actually being said.


one hand can't hold two watermelons

one can't hold two watermelons in one hand#English

Alternative form of one can't hold two watermelons in one hand.


one can't carry two watermelons under one arm


one bad turn deserves another

One act of malice should be paid back by another act of malice.


comparison is the thief of joy

Comparing one's own situation with that of others will lead to unhappiness or bitterness.


gender is between your ears, not between your legs

Coined by American writer, musician and actor Chaz Bono, who is also a trans man.

coinage

Gender only exists as a social construct, and is not confined to one's birth sex.


en-proverb

ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer

ask a silly question, get a silly answer#English

Alternative form of ask a silly question, get a silly answer.


if you go far enough left, you get your guns back

(politics) Liberals or center-leftists widely support firearm restrictions, while those on the far left, such as Marxists, do not.


money has no smell

money does not smell
money does not smell#English


head

one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter

English has various similar expressions; compare one man's trash is another man's treasure, one man's meat is another man's poison, and so forth.

one's view on war and political violence depends on perspective


en-proverb

hell is full of good meanings, but heaven is full of good works

the road to hell is paved with good intentions#English

Synonym of the road to hell is paved with good intentions.


a bird in the hand

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush#English

Ellipsis of a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.


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

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

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


no one should be judge in his own cause

Calque of Latin nēmō dēbet esse jūdex in propriā causā.

calque

(law) One ought not be permitted to decide a case in which one has an interest.


a barking dog never bites

barking dogs seldom bite
barking dogs seldom bite#English

Alternative form of barking dogs seldom bite.


en-proverb

the bigger they come, the harder they fall

the bigger they are, the harder they fall#English

Synonym of the bigger they are, the harder they fall.


while there's life, there's hope

hope springs eternal
hope springs eternal#English


fingers were made before forks

A lighthearted excuse for using one's hands to pick up food while eating.


nine you're fine, ten you're mine

(US, informal) A police officer is likely to pull over a motorist who exceeds the speed limit by 10 or more miles per hour, but may overlook lesser amounts.


head

if you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time

If you have no ambition, you will have no success


ill doers are ill deemers

(archaic) Bad people expect others to behave badly.


there's more than one way to feed a cat

There's more than one way to feed a cat. This leftover pizza is just what I need to wreck my diet.

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

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


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.


go woke, go broke

Ellipsis of When you go woke, you go broke.

get woke, go broke
get woke, go broke#English

(informal) Alternative form of get woke, go broke.


there's a lid for every pot

there is a lid for every pot (alternative)

Somewhere in the world there is a compatible romantic partner for everybody.

tout le monde finit par trouver chaussure à son pied


there is a lid for every pot

there's a lid for every pot
there's a lid for every pot#English

Alternative form of there's a lid for every pot.


what comes around goes around

what goes around comes around
what goes around comes around#English

Alternative form of what goes around comes around.


what go round come round

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-what go round come round.wav

(African-American Vernacular) Alternative form of what goes around comes around.


hell has no fury like a woman scorned

hell hath no fury like a woman scorned#English

Alternative form of hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.


a fair booty makes many a thief

People are easily tempted to dishonesty if there is a substantial prize to be gained.


en-proverb

even a stopped clock is right twice a day

a stopped clock is right twice a day#English

Alternative form of a stopped clock is right twice a day.


evil be to him who evil thinks

En-us-evil be to him who evil thinks.oga

Compare with Anglo-Norman honi soit qui mal y pense ("Shame on him who thinks evil of it"), the motto of the Order of the Garter

Those who plot to commit evil deeds or harbor disgraceful thoughts deserve to have evil done to them.


you can't put the shit back in the horse

you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube#English

(vulgar) Synonym of you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.


another day in paradise

another day, another dollar
another day, another dollar#English

Synonym of another day, another dollar (“nothing eventful or extraordinary has happened”).

another day

Used ironically to imply the opposite: Something has gone wrong.


semper ubi sub ubi

Dog Latin, from always + where + under + where, punning on the pronunciation.

And on the subject of “below” or “under,” there is the famous line that every student of Latin knows by heart: Semper ubi sub ubi.

2004, Bill Sherk, 500 Years of New Words (page 138)

Kids, always remember these words: semper ubi sub ubi.

2010, Richard A. Davis, The Intangibles of Leadership, page xii:

While our teacher conducts a declension drill we busily draw jock straps and pushup bras on the statuary in our Living Latin textbooks. We pass notes with crude Latin jokes — Semper ubi sub ubi — Always wear underwear. Snigger, snigger.

2019, Michael Mitchell, Final Fire: A Memoir:

(humorous, motto) Always wear underwear. (Literally, ‘always where under where’).


fool me once

fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me#English

Ellipsis of fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.


he laughs best that laughs last

he who laughs last laughs best
he who laughs last laughs best#English

Alternative form of he who laughs last laughs best.


drop acid, not bombs

Originally coined in the late 1960s by those who opposed the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War.

A hippie anti-war slogan encouraging LSD use.


never waste a crisis

Exploit any possible opportunity that arises from difficult situations.


don't mess with success

Cited in print in 1964. Popularized in the 1960s.

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.


what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas

what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas#English

Alternative form of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.


est modus in rebus

It is best to live with moderation; it is best to find a middle ground.


you can't pour from an empty cup

This view is shared widely across the industry, including by London-based yoga teacher Kat Achtelik, who participated in several NGO-led projects in Asia before moving to the UK. For her, practicing yoga and meditation comes down to self-love: “You cannot pour from an empty cup. You have to take care of yourself first, before catering for others.”

2017 September 18, Camille Darroux, “How yoga and meditation can help social care workers deal with trauma”, in The Guardian:

In order to be able to provide other people with emotional support, one must take care of one's own mental health.


time heals

time heals all wounds
time heals all wounds#English


same shit, different toilet

the more things change, the more they stay the same

(vulgar, derogatory) The same problems persist even in a supposedly different situation (usually emphasizing irony and human folly).


head

money won is twice as sweet as money earned

From a line spoken by Paul Newman (as Eddie Folson) in the 1986 film The Color of Money.

It is more enjoyable to obtain money by gambling than to obtain it by working.


drunk words are sober thoughts

drunken words are sober thoughts (alternative)

in wine, there is truth
in wine, there is truth#English


knee-high by the Fourth of July

/ˌniːˈhaɪ baɪ ðə ˌfɔːθ‿əv d͡ʒʊˈlaɪ/

/ˌniˈhaɪ baɪ ðə ˌfɔɹθ‿əv d͡ʒəˈlaɪ/

En-us-knee-high by the Fourth of July.ogg

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-knee-high by the Fourth of July.wav

The terms knee-high and Fourth of July were probably chosen because they rhyme with each other.

(US, agriculture) If a corn (maize) crop planted in spring has grown knee-high by the Fourth of July (Independence Day of the United States), a bountiful harvest is expected.


time heals all hurts

However, it is a true saying that time heals all hurts, and so it was with Jack Grosvenor, for it came to pass that when the first soreness was over Fred induced Jack to pay them another visit before he took his bride back to the bush, […]

1883 February 1, The Australian Woman's Magazine and Domestic Journal, volume 1, number 2, page 332:

She pressed my arm. “Time heals all hurts,” she said, “and some day you will find a woman worthy of you, if such a one exists.”

1930, Edgar Rice Burroughs, A Fighting Man of Mars, New York, N.Y.: Ace Books, Inc., published 1931, page 211:

She also assures Jacob that time heals all hurts. The day will come when Esau's seething will dissipate, and the scenario with Jacob and Esau will become only part of Esau's distant past.

1995 September 26, Victor P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 18-50, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, →ISBN, page 89:


time heals all sorrows

“Time heals all sorrows; and that which, perhaps, appears almost unbearable at the beginning of the year, may be looked upon with calm complacency at the end of it. Time will do that for us which nothing else can; and grateful ought we to be that it is so.”

1844, Anonymous [Eliza Peake], Honour! A Tale, London: Saunders and Otley, page 121:

“Time heals all sorrows,” they tell you; but it is a platitude, and not a true one. Sometimes people deceive themselves; they think they have forgotten, and then something brings all back again, and it is worse than before.’

1891, Mary Linskill, Between The Heather And The Northern Sea, London: Richard Bentley and Son, page 127:

By time, I don’t mean that “time heals all sorrows.” That’s a bad cliché— and nothing could be further from the truth. Time will never heal all sorrows. I know because it hasn’t healed mine, and it certainly hasn’t healed the hearts of the people whose stories I listen to every day.

2013, Rita Schulte, Shattered: Finding Hope and Healing Through the Losses of Life, Abilene, Texas: Leafwood Publishers, →ISBN, page 61:


time heals every wound

Do you say, Time heals every wound? Ay, time heals the wounds of time by slaying eternity. He vampeth up a kind of endurance of threescore and ten years by the death of ages and ages. That is the cure of time.

1865, Edward Irving, The Collected Writings of Edward Irving, volume III, page 228:

Early on, when Maggie says time heals every wound, Mama replies, "I suppose -- if you live long enough." At the end, as anguish reveals how fragile Buddy and Maggie both are, the old woman's quiet compassion turns to steel.

1993 January 25, D. J. R. Bruckner, “Review/Theater; The Ties That Bind And Bind Too Tightly”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2018-01-18:

Time heals every wound – that's still the best solution.' 'We don't have much time. Maybe twenty years if all goes well.' 'You're always so dramatic!' Marianne took several deep breaths. 'Forget it. I'll tell you what I want.

2017 March 2, Nina George, The Little Breton Bistro, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

Alternative form of time heals all wounds.


empty barrels make the most noise

empty vessels make the most sound#English

Alternative form of empty vessels make the most sound.


time heals all things

Time heals all things. Calm endurance took the place of uncontrollable anguish. One hope was left to the pair.

1888, Rudolf Baumbach, “The Ass’s Spring”, in Helen B. Dole, transl., Summer Legends, New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., →OCLC, page 138:

They sye that time ‘eals all things,
They sye you can always forget;

1949 June 8, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter 4, in Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel, London: Secker & Warburg, →OCLC; republished [Australia]: Project Gutenberg of Australia, August 2001, part 2, page 130:

But time heals all things. Marius’s wrath abated, righteous though he held it to have been. He forgave her in the end; but it cost him an effort and he nursed his grievance for three whole days.

1976 [1862], Victor Hugo, “Part Three: Marius; chapter VI”, in Norman Denny, transl., Les Misérables, New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, published 2012, →ISBN, page 616:


ill-gotten gains never prosper

Money or other property acquired dishonestly does not bring long-term and lasting joy.

la farina del diavolo va tutta in crusca


go fash, lose cash

Coined to oppose the earlier phrase get woke, go broke.

(informal, neologism, politics) Businesses who focus on catering to right-wing politics, especially extremists, are liable to lose customers.


the first turn of the screw pays all debts

/θə‿fɚɹst‿tɚn‿ʌv‿θə‿skɹu‿peɪ̯z‿ɑl‿dɛts/

On the one hand was Martyn's dictum that the 'first turn of the screw pays all debts';

1943, Geoffrey Willans, One Eye on the Clock, page 41:

—The first turn of the screw pays all debts, he had muttered (crossing himself) in the stern of the Purdue Victory, where the deck shuddered underfoot as the blades of the single screw churned Boston's water beneath him;

1955, William Gaddis, The Recogntions, page 9:

The first turn of the screw pays all debts, they say, except when there is a warship about.

1991, T.R. Frame, J.V.P Goldrick, P.D. Jones, Reflections on the RAN, page 16:

(nautical) One's problems on shore may be forgotten at the first turn of one's ship's propeller.


en-proverb

almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades

Maybe you're the runner-up but the first one to lose the race
Almost only really counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

2009, “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades”, in 21st Century Breakdown, performed by Green Day:

close only counts in horseshoes
close only counts in horseshoes#English

Alternative form of close only counts in horseshoes.


the dogs bark, but the caravan moves on

the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on#English

Alternative form of the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on.


a straw shows which way the wind blows

a straw shows how the wind blows#English

Alternative form of a straw shows how the wind blows.


a straw shows how the wind blows

a straw shows which way the wind blows (alternative)

A general situation can be inferred from minor indications.


sex sells

Victoria's Secret, the American retailer that once parlayed a “sex sells” strategy into a $7bn-revenue-empire of underwear, is heading back to TV screens.

2023 September 30, Chantal Fernandez, “Changing the formula”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 5:

The use of sex appeal is a successful marketing tactic.


the winner takes it all

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


head

Calque of Ancient Greek δυνατὰ δὲ οἱ προύχοντες πράσσουσι καὶ οἱ ἀσθενεῖς ξυγχωροῦσιν (dunatà dè hoi proúkhontes prássousi kaì hoi astheneîs xunkhōroûsin) in Thucydides’s History of the Peloponnesian War 5.89 (the Melian dialogue). Thucydides presents the sentence as part of an ultimatum from Athens to the city of Melos demanding tribute. The Melians having rejected the order, their city was taken by force and their population enslaved and massacred by the Athenians. The wording that has become standard is from Richard Crawley’s 1874 translation.

calque

Bitter is the necessity of it. It knows no law. In the world the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.

1924 November, Arthur W. Wheen, “Two Masters”, in The London Mercury, volume 11, number 61, page 35:

But the present organisation of society, national and international, works on the principle that the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.

1970, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Radhakrishnan: Selected Writings on Philosophy, Religion and Culture, →ISBN, page 48:

I felt then, as I do now, that the growth of the United Nations into a truly effective world organization was our best, perhaps our last, hope of bringing about enduring and creative peace if mankind was to end a savage tradition that the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.

1972, Lester B. Pearson, Memoirs, 1897–1948: Through Diplomacy to Politics, →ISBN, page 283:

But for the weak, power – the power of others – is largely a source of inequality and subordination. The strong do what they can. The weak suffer what they must, including hierarchic subordination.

2000, Jack Donnelly, Realism in International Relations, →ISBN, page 101:

The unilateral actions on the part of the United States, as in Iraq, threaten not so much the integrity of the Concert as the foundational norms of international society, such as sovereignty and non-intervention, which had provided the basis for that society in the first place. If this trend continues, we may end up with a hyper-realist world in which “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must”.

2006, Mohammed Ayoob, Matthew Zierler, “The unipolar concert: Unipolarity and multilateralism in the age of globalization”, in Ramesh Thakur, Waheguru Pal Singh Sidhu, editors, The Iraq Crisis and the World Order: Structural, Institutional and Normative Challenges, →ISBN, pages 52–3:

The overall argument is that powerful states and wealthy capitalists use what power they have to gain even more power. They save the lucrative parts of the production process for themselves, and force weaker actors into the parts that yield relatively little reward. ¶ In this respect, economic structuralism fully agrees with the realist statement that “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must”.

2021, Paul D’Anieri, International Politics: Power and Purpose in Global Affairs, 5th edition, →ISBN, pages 90, 92:

international relations
international relations

(chiefly international relations) The weak cannot resist the decisions of the strong; power, not morality, decides the outcome of any dispute.

History of the Peloponnesian War
Melian dialogue
Richard Crawley
Thucydides


head

the strong do what they can, the weak suffer what they must

the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must#English

Alternative form of the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.


Borrowed from Latin quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur (literally “whatever is said in Latin seems profound”).

bor+

(humorous, ironic) Used to mockingly describe people who seem to use Latin phrases and quotations only to make themselves sound more important or "educated".


head

the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long

the flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long

the light that burns twice as bright burns half as long

The more intensely someone or something works or acts, the more quickly that person will burn out or that thing will end.


hair today, gone tomorrow

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-hair today, gone tomorrow.wav

JOHN DONNELLY—brilliant advertiser for Noonan's Hair Restorer, says it makes you look "Neet" and causes your hair to "come out" fine. But he forgets the old saying, "Hair today, gone tomorrow."

1934, Louis F. Musco, “Prophecies of the Class of '34”, in The 1934 Sub Turri, Chestnut Hill, M.A.: Boston College, page 518:

Snip, snip, snip, I went, and watched it tumble to the floor. Snip, snip, snip. Cut, cut, cut. Bye, bye. Slán leat. And as they say in France, au revoir. Hair today, gone tomorrow. That's the way things were these days.

2017, Alan McMonagle, Ithaca, London: Picador, →ISBN, page 283:

Hair is only temporary, so it is not a big deal for it to be cut.


en-proverb

he who fails to prepare, prepares to fail

failure to prepare is preparing to fail#English

Alternative form of failure to prepare is preparing to fail.


by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail


if it ain't busted, don't fix it

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


practice makes progress

In analogy with practice makes perfect; this proverb states instead that progress must be made before one can perfect something, eliciting patience.

There is a fine balance between asking too many questions and becoming an irritant, asking too few and knowing insufficient. But practice makes progress even if it is not possible to claim perfect.

1987, Michael C. Jackson, Paul Keys, editor, New Directions in Management Science, Gower Publishing, →ISBN, page 50:

Although people may not be good at suppressing unwanted thoughts and derailing unbidden ruminations, practice makes progress.

2010, Susan Fiske, Social Beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology, Wiley, →ISBN, page 171:

But what I find the most inspiring is "Practice makes progress." Whether your progress is a yard or an inch — distance is distance.

2023, Sarah-Kate Duran, “Consistency”, in Paso Robles Press:

If one practices an activity enough, one will steadily make progress and eventually be able to master it in time.


you have to be in it to win it

you've got to be in it to win it#English

Alternative form of you've got to be in it to win it.


it's not what you know but whom you know

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

Alternative form of it's not what you know but who you know.


facts speak louder than words

Facts are stronger than rhetoric; facts are more convincing than eloquent theories.


there are more horses' asses than horses

(Canada, US, slang, humorous) There are plenty of obnoxious people (in the world, or in a specified place or situation). Apparently it can also refer to political situations.


all that glitters

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

Ellipsis of all that glitters is not gold.


water seeks its own level

water finds its level (alternative)
water finds its own level (alternative)
water seeks its level (alternative)

People of similar interests, abilities, morals, etc. tend to end up in each other's company.


water finds its level

water seeks its own level
water seeks its own level#English

Alternative form of water seeks its own level.


it wasn't only only

head

it wasn't only only (present tense it isn't only only, present tense it's not only only)

it isn't only only (present)
it's not only only (present)

From a quote by World Rally Championship ex-driver Henning Solberg, in turn a literal translation of Norwegian Bokmål Men men, det er ikke bare bare.

bor

But but, it wasn't only only.

Sometime between February 2004 and 9 May 2008, exact date unknown, Sigve Kvamme, quoting Henning Solberg, WRC TV / Dagbladet, retrieved 2023-10-16:

Then you could use http client again 🙂 still a bit hacky, but but it isn’t only only

2017 April 12, Christian Westgaard, Enomic Community Forum, retrieved 2023-12-26:

It wasn't only only, but but.

2017 September 2, Folk som liker bøker (team), Apple Podcasts, retrieved 2023-10-16:

It isn’t only only, to be a fly fisherman today.

2022 July 5, Andrew Byles, Instagram, retrieved 2024-10-17:

It's not only only, but but

2023 October 7, Cecilie Bolander, Instagram, retrieved 2023-10-16:

(slang, Norway) An act or task was harder to do than it might seem.


hoes before bros

"Well, I just happened to mention you were a little depressed about the whole Trent thing and needed some girl support, yadda yadda, and my mom totally swallowed it whole. She's all about the hoes before bros," Jen said with a shrug.

2011, Quinn Loftis, Leslie McKee, Prince of Wolves:

After contemplating the friendship code for a situation like this, I knew hoes before bros was the correct answer. Hoes being a term of endearment in this case, of course.

No! I would never date him after this! Hoes before bros, right?

2017, Lele Pons, Melissa de la Cruz, Surviving High School, page 238:

At the moment, so many of the terms and phrases we use around female friendship are either twee or ultimately a bit meaningless: sisterhood, sisters before misters, tribe, girl squad, hoes before bros, hovaries before brovaries, life force, power posse, BFF.

2022, Claire Cohen, BFF?: The truth about female friendship:

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

'He always puts hoes before bros,' Layla moaned.

I think there is something perverse about this request but if I say no Osama will tell the boys tomorrow I'm a dog, that I'm always putting hoes before bros, and it's not worth copping that for Nada, who doesn't even seem to like me.

I admit it, sure: the world definitely wouldn't feel great if the saying were hoes before bros. But. It's not.

(US, vulgar, slang, rare) Said of a man who is willing to sacrifice a friendship for sex.


fire is a good servant but a bad master

Fire is useful when kept under control but dangerous in other situations.


attitude reflects leadership

Uttered by the character Julius Campbell in the film Remember the Titans.

Lower subordinates in an organization practice the behavior that is tolerated and encouraged by their superiors.


your face, your fate

Calque of Cantonese 你的樣子如何，你的命運也必如何 /你的样子如何，你的命运也必如何 (nei⁵ dik¹ joeng⁶ zi² jyu⁴ ho⁴, nei⁵ dik¹ ming⁶ wan⁶ jaa⁵ bit¹ jyu⁴ ho⁴, “And as thy face, so shall thy fate be”), modified from a verse in the Bible 你的日子如何，你的力量也必如何 (“And as thy days, so shall thy strength be”).

calque

你的樣子如何，你的命運也必如何

(Hong Kong) One's fate and how one is treated in life depends on one's looks.

你的日子也必如何

nei⁵ dik¹ joeng⁶ zi² jyu⁴ ho⁴, nei⁵ dik¹ jat⁶ zi² jaa⁵ bit¹ jyu⁴ ho⁴


failure is the best teacher

Failing at something is the best way to gain experience and learn how to succeed at it.


care killed a cat

“Come, come,” said Silver; “stow this talk. He’s dead, and he don’t walk, that I know; leastways, he won’t walk by day, and you may lay to that. Care killed a cat. Fetch ahead for the doubloons.”

1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island:

curiosity killed the cat
curiosity killed the cat#English

(archaic) Synonym of curiosity killed the cat.


as you have brewed, so you must drink

“So, Jim,” said the doctor sadly, “here you are. As you have brewed, so shall you drink, my boy. Heaven knows, I cannot find it in my heart to blame you, but this much I will say, be it kind or unkind: when Captain Smollett was well, you dared not have gone off; and when he was ill and couldn’t help it, by George, it was downright cowardly!”

1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:

as you sow, so shall you reap
as you sow, so shall you reap#English

(archaic) Synonym of as you sow, so shall you reap.


en-proverb

the more one learns about people, the more one likes one's pet

familiarity breeds contempt
familiarity breeds contempt#English


bad facts make bad law

bad facts, bad law (alternative)
easy cases at times produce bad law (alternative)

The tired adage "bad facts make bad law" is given new life in a recent decision by the North Carolina Supreme Court.

2004, Eugene Soar, “McKinney v. Richitelli: Abandoning Parents and Presumptive Penalties”, in North Carolina Central Law Review, volume 26, number 2, retrieved 2014-12-13:

Just as "bad facts make bad law," so too odd facts make odd law.

1992, Clarence Thomas, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

There is an adage among lawyers that "bad facts make bad law." By the 1950s, the "bad facts" that came from ignoring LaRue, Stabler, and Silbert—the disconnect between the paper allocations of the Law and the River and the wet water of the actual Colorado—were driving the basin towards bad law.

2019, Eric Kuhn and John Fleck, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

Unusual circumstances can lead lawmakers or judges to set precedent that applies poorly to most situations.


the grass is always greener on the other side of the road

the grass is always greener on the other side#English

Alternative form of the grass is always greener on the other side.


misery enjoys company

misery loves company
misery loves company#English

Alternative form of misery loves company


the freaks come out at night

Inspired by the 1984 song Freaks Come Out at Night by the American rap group Whodini.

Those who are inclined to engage in mischievous or criminal behavior prefer to commit such activity during the evening.


Coined by George Orwell in 1945 in Animal Farm.

But Musk's concept of what constitutes democracy is way off of what it is by definition, hence this classic "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others" move.

2023 April 25, Melanie Mcfarland, “"What a sad, muddled place this has become": The madness of Twitter's blue checkpocalypse”, in Salon:

Dear @FIDE_chess and organisers of the Championship! As known, all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. Is it fair to provide @MagnusCarlsen a personal lounge where he can rest and prepare to the game using a laptop, while nobody else has such an opportunity?

2023 December 26, Ian Nepomniachtchi (@lachesisq), Twitter:

Used to satirize the hypocrisy of unequal political hierarchies in societies that profess equality for all.


here we are

From here + we (“the speaker and the person being addressed”) + are.

compound

And I don’t have a nose, and yet here we are.

2017, Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina, directors, Coco, spoken by Clerk (Gabriel Iglesias), Pixar:

Indicates ambivalence or resignation about the present circumstances; dismisses the previous observations as irrelevant.


head

the highest branch is not the safest roost

A coveted position of power does not guarantee safety to the holder.

the bigger they are, the harder they fall


different clowns, same circus

same shit, different toilet
same shit, different toilet#English

(derogatory) Synonym of same shit, different toilet.

not my circus, not my monkeys

likewise a circus metaphor emphasizing human folly


the forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest

forbidden fruit is the sweetest
forbidden fruit is the sweetest#English

Alternative form of forbidden fruit is the sweetest.


the labourer is worthy of his hire

the laborer is worthy of his hire#English

Alternative form of the laborer is worthy of his hire.


the squeaky wheel gets the oil

the squeaky wheel gets the grease#English

Alternative form of the squeaky wheel gets the grease.


watched toast never burns

a watched pot never boils
a watched pot never boils#English


a healthy body is a healthy mind

Physical fitness leads to mental acuity.


gods may do what cattle may not

Perhaps a modified calque of quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi.

For quotations using this term, see Citations:gods may do what cattle may not.

What is permitted to one important person or group is not permitted to everyone; there is a double standard.


lightning never strikes twice

An allusive shortening of lightning never strikes twice in the same place, usually used figuratively.


en-proverb

lightning does not strike twice in the same place

lightning never strikes twice in the same place#English

Alternative form of lightning never strikes twice in the same place.


lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place


if you want peace, prepare for war

Calque of Latin sī vīs pācem, parā bellum, an adage adapted from a statement found in 4th century AD Roman author Vegetius's tract De re militari, in which the actual phrasing is igitur quī dēsīderat pācem, praeparet bellum (“therefore let him who desires peace prepare for war”).

clq

Visibly preparing for a fight can deter one's enemies from opening hostilities, by not giving the appearance of an easy target.

jeśli chcesz pokoju, przygotuj się do wojny


beauty fades, dumb is forever

Popularized by the American court-show arbitrator Judy Sheindlin.

One's attractiveness will diminish over time, but one's stupidity is perpetual.


there's no business like show business

(literally) The domain of the entertainment industry is more dazzling and exciting than any other business.

(figuratively) One must keep going in life or continue in one's endeavors despite their many challenges.


they'll do it every time

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-they'll do it every time.wav

(often humorous or sarcastic, uncommon) One must be vigilant and cognizant of challenging and hazardous surroundings or situations, or the usual events will occur.

That's women for you. If you don't cry they'll talk and if you cry they'll talk. They'll do it ever time, and New York women's no different from Holden.

1901, “The Widow's Story”, in San Francisco Daily Times, volume 10, page 18:

Used to assert the validity of a stereotype regarding the way people behave.


head

there is a place and time for everything

there is a time and place for everything#English

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


live fast, die young

An individual who chooses to live an exciting but dangerous lifestyle risks dying prematurely.


there's a time and a place for everything


there's a first time for everything

Something could happen even if it has not happened before.

It is wise to try different sorts of things or experiences that one is unaccustomed to or wary of.


time and tide stay for no man

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

Synonym of time and tide wait for no man.


tide nor time tarrieth no man

(dated, archaic) Synonym of time and tide wait for no man.


you can't outrun your fork

Exercise is not enough to counteract an unhealthy diet.


one's time is one's own

(uncommon) A time when one’s work or efforts have not been exchanged as one’s labor time in the framework of industrial capitalism.

(uncommon) A time when one's work or efforts in a certain setting are free from constant supervision.


the devil takes care of his own

the devil looks after his own
the devil looks after his own#English

Alternative form of the devil looks after his own.


a sucker is born every minute

there's a sucker born every minute#English

Alternative form of there's a sucker born every minute.


a leopard does not change its spots

My sother has been loved and respected since the day she was born. It is easy to see why she found it so damnably difficult to risk losing her mother's love. It is easy to see also why I knew she would not lose her mother's love. A leopard doesn't change its spots. If her mother was indeed the woman she had always been, then she would act accordingly no matter what.

1981 August 29, Nancy Walker, “Sother Says It”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 7, page 12:

a leopard cannot change its spots#English

Alternative form of a leopard cannot change its spots.


if you can't lick them, join them

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

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

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

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


time is a great healer of all wounds

time heals all wounds
time heals all wounds#English


nearly never won the race

(Ireland) Near enough is not good enough.


no one should be judge in his own case

no one should be judge in his own cause#English

Synonym of no one should be judge in his own cause.


slow is smooth, smooth is fast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


the best things in life aren't things

the best things in life are free#English

Synonym of the best things in life are free.


en-proverb

even a broken clock is right twice a day

a broken clock is right twice a day#English

Alternative form of a broken clock is right twice a day.


misters before sisters

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


dicks before chicks

misters before sisters
misters before sisters#English

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


beauty is but skin-deep

First use appears c. 1677. See cite below.

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

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

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


you can't polish shit

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


too many cooks spoils the broth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uncommon form of too many cooks spoil the broth.


on the Internet nobody knows you're a dog

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


success is a great deodorant

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

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


winning is a great deodorant

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

Synonym of success is a great deodorant.


the Internet never forgets

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


if you believe everything you read, better not to read

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


repetition, repetition, repetition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


life's a bitch, and then you die

Life’s a bitch, and then you die.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


head

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

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

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

if the mountain won't come to Muhammad#English

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


drastic times call for drastic measures

desperate times call for desperate measures#English

Synonym of desperate times call for desperate measures.


the love of money is the root of all evil

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

Synonym of money is the root of all evil.


there's more than one way to fuck a cat

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

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

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

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

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

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


believing is seeing

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

(idiomatic, religion) Faith often precedes any miracle.


beauty won't make the pot boil

beauty won't boil the pot (alternative)
beauty never boiled the pot (alternative)

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

uiterlijk schoon is sletchts vertoon

physical attractiveness alone isn't enough

ní hí an bhreáthacht a bhruitheann na prátaí


there is a time and a place for everything

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

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

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

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

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

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

there is a time and place for everything#English

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


beauty won't boil the pot

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

Alternative form of beauty won't make the pot boil.


once an adult, twice a child

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

once an adult and twice a child (alternative)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


once an adult and twice a child

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alternative form of once an adult, twice a child.


en-proverb

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


bis dat qui cito dat

Borrowed from Latin bis dat qui cito dat.

bor+

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


head

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

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

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

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

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

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

the road to hell is paved with good intentions#English

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


you can't turn a hoe into a housewife

you can't turn a ho into a housewife (alternative)
you can't turn a whore into a housewife (alternative)

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

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

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


so far so bad

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-so far so bad.wav

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

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

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


how you get them is how you lose them

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


hard cases make bad law

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

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

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


the victor gets the spoils

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

Alternative form of to the victor go the spoils.


the rich get richer

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


karma's a bitch

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


karma is a bitch

(vulgar) Alternative form of karma's a bitch.


a closed mouth doesn't get fed

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


en-proverb

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

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

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


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


absence makes the heart go yonder

Derived from absence makes the heart grow fonder.

absence makes the heart grow fonder#English

Synonym of absence makes the heart grow fonder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


hunger is the best pickle

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


fas est et ab hoste doceri

Borrowed from Latin fas est et ab hoste doceri (literally “it is right to be taught even by [one's] enemy”).

bor+

it is right to be taught even by 􂀿one's􂁀 enemy

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


money talks, wealth whispers

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


en-proverb

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

There’s a saying among blak mob, ‘It doesn’t matter how much milk you put in tea, it’s still tea'.’ I am a descendant of genocide survivors, a child of the oldest living culture on Earth. Nothing, no amount of milk, can change that.

2021 November 7, Claire [G.] Coleman, “Not quite blak enough: ‘The people who think I am too white to be Aboriginal are all white’”, in The Guardian:

(Australia, New Zealand) One's blood quantum (percentage of person's ancestors who are full-blooded indigenous people) does not negate indigenous identity.


if the mountain won't come to Mohammed

if the mountain won't come to Muhammad#English

Synonym of if the mountain won't come to Muhammad.


drunken words are sober thoughts

drunk words are sober thoughts
drunk words are sober thoughts#English

Alternative form of drunk words are sober thoughts.


iura novit curia

Borrowed from Latin iura novit curia. Literally, “the court knows the law”.

(law) Parties to a legal dispute do not need to plead or prove the law that applies to their case.


head

when I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck

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

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


rules are meant to be broken

rules are made to be broken
rules are made to be broken#English

Alternative form of rules are made to be broken.


there are none so deaf as those who will not hear

there are none so blind as those who will not see#English

Synonym of there are none so blind as those who will not see.


every accusation is a confession

(chiefly politics) A person who accuses others of a thing (act, behavior, wrongdoing, etc) is in fact doing that same thing themselves.


only dead fish go with the flow

Conforming to the influences of others does not allow a person to follow their own goals and desires.


a good conscience is a soft pillow

A clear conscience allows one to sleep peacefully.


everything is fair in love and war

People ignore societal norms or morality in matters of romance and conflict.


move your feet, lose your seat

If you stand up from your seat, someone else will take it.


the law is an arse

From reanalysis of ass as the American form of arse, when in fact it originally referred to the animal.

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


opportunity makes the thief

People are more likely to steal something if presented with a convenient opportunity to do so.

пло́хо не клади́, во́ра в грех не вводи́


en-proverb

lightning never strikes the same place twice

lightning never strikes twice in the same place#English

Alternative form of lightning never strikes twice in the same place.


dogs have masters; cats have staff

dogs have masters (canonical)
cats have staff (canonical)

> ~Krysta Sutterfield / Lady Shandra
> Chaos Coordinator
> Dogs have masters; cats have staff.

1997 May 5, Patty Winter, quoting Krysta Sutterfield, “Solo Traveling in the East Kingdom”, in rec.org.sca (Usenet), archived from the original on 2024-12-07:

According to [Jeffrey Moussaieff] Masson, cats are innately spiritual (“There does seem to be a Zen of cats”), their psychological lives are complicated, and we humans had better be aware of the immutable fact that “dogs have masters; cats have staff.”

2002 December 7, Margaret Gunning, “Three new books explore the feline mystique”, in The Gazette, Montreal, Que., →ISSN, page H7, columns 5–6:

She lives in Brookeville, Maryland, with her husband and two cats who live by the adage “Dogs have masters; cats have staff!”

2009, “2010 Author Biographies”, in Ardis Stenbakken, editor, Sanctuary: Finding Sanctuary for the Soul in the Presence of God (The Women’s Devotional Series; 18), Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald® Publishing Association, →ISBN, page 392:

If I could divide the world into two nice, neat camps, it’d look like this: Dog People and Other. Some sage put it this way: “Dogs have masters; cats have staff.” That sums it up pretty well, huh?

2009, Kristine Lowder, “Eve”, in How I Got to Be 50 and Other Atrocities: A Baby Boomer Reflects on the Boom and Other Splashes of Everyday Life, Warrens, Wis.: Living Stones Fellowship International, →ISBN, section “Faith”, page 139:

As the joke goes, a dog looks at all the things we provide for it and thinks, You must be God. A cat looks at all the things we provide for it and thinks, I must be God. Here’s another favorite: “Dogs have masters; cats have staff.”

2013, Mieshelle Nagelschneider, “Life on the Wild Side—Where Even the Tamest Cats Live”, in The Cat Whisperer: Why Cats Do What They Do—and How to Get Them to Do What You Want, New York, N.Y.: Bantam Books, →ISBN, page 53:

Like Deloris’s conversations, the writings often incorporated what she had heard on television. […] Dogs have masters; cats have staff.

2014, Allan Ament, “Negotiating the Rapids”, in Learning to Float: Memoir of a Caregiver-Husband, Seattle, Wash.: Booktrope Editions, →ISBN, pages 60–61:

She’d lost all sympathy for the dog. Eva was more of a cat person anyway. She admired their character. Dogs have masters; cats have staff. Felix demonstrated this time and time again.

2015, Elke Becker, translated by Terry Laster, chapter 5, in Over the Fench, Seattle, Wash.: AmazonCrossing, →ISBN, page 48:

We have two cats we’re crazy about, but it would be nice to once again have a pet that seems to actually be happy that we are alive. […] As the saying goes, dogs have masters; cats have staff.

2016 December 10, Doug Showalter, “Doggone it: Thinking of expanding our family”, in The Republic, Columbus, Ind., →ISSN, page B4, columns 1–2:

dogs have masters, cats have staff#English

Alternative form of dogs have masters, cats have staff.


game is game

The end justifies the means
the end justifies the means#English

(slang) The end justifies the means when seeking a sexual partner.


shared sorrow is half sorrow

Standing shoulder- to- shoulder regularly with other men strengthens our listening skills, increases our ability to be present and open, and helps us work through some of our issues— qualities that also tremendously enhance intimacy with our partner. An old tribal proverb remembers that shared joy is double joy, and shared sorrow is half sorrow.

2018, Victor La Cerva, Cornerstones: Daily Meditations for the Journey into Manhood and Recovery, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:

a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved#English

Alternative form of a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved.


shared joy is double joy

Having company enhances the pleasure of good times.


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

no matter how much milk you put in coffee, it's still coffee#English

Alternative form of no matter how much milk you put in coffee, it's still coffee.


a worry shared is a worry halved

a problem shared is a problem halved#English

Synonym of a problem shared is a problem halved.


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

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

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


head

the shoemaker always wears the worst shoes

the cobbler always wears the worst shoes#English

Synonym of the cobbler always wears the worst shoes.


doctor, heal thyself

physician, heal thyself
physician, heal thyself#English


judge not, lest ye be judged

judge not, that ye be not judged#English

Alternative form of judge not, that ye be not judged.


a chain is as strong as its weakest link

a chain is only as strong as its weakest link#English

Alternative form of a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.


a chain is no stronger than its weakest link


give a dog a bad name and hang him

A person whose reputation has been besmirched will suffer hardship as a result.

por un perro que maté, mataperros me llamaron

throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick


God doesn't give with both hands

"Here's the thing: pretty and funny and a good actress—that's a hard combination," says casting director Lisa Miller Katz (Everybody Loves Raymond). 'God doesn't give with both hands' is the saying."

2005, Rob Kendt, How They Cast it: An Insider's Look at Film and Television Casting, Lone Eagle Publishing Company, LLC:

Cameron Tucker: Laugh at his jokes.
Lily Tucker-Pritchett: What if they aren't funny?
Cameron Tucker: Oh, honey, the cute ones rarely are. God doesn't give with both hands.

2016 January 6, Jeffrey Richman, “Playdates”, in Modern Family, season 7, episode 10:

That was Kirihara Takuto. They say God doesn't give with both hands, but this guy was handsome, charismatic, and good at everything he tried—top stats across the board.

2020 December 10, Kaoru Shinozaki, Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells (Light Novel) Vol. 1, Seven Seas Entertainment, →ISBN:

Nobody is gifted or lucky in all areas; someone who has talents of one kind will have flaws of another.


hurt people hurt people

Those who have been hurt in the past tend to propagate their hurt when interacting with new people.


a hungry man is an angry man

One who is deprived of a basic need is easily angered.


it's not over until the fat lady sings

Despite Yaffe’s ruling, Bradford said he was unbothered by Tuesday’s decision. “It’s not over until the fat lady sings, and you can quote me on that,” he said, noting his intention to appeal Yaffe’s decision.

1990 August 30, Michael Lawrence, “Ex-registrar loses UC policy conflict”, in Summer Bruin, volume CXXXI, number 20, Los Angeles, Calif.: Associated Students of the University of California, Los Angeles, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1, column 4:

Just when you think it’s all over, there’s another tale to be told … What do they say? ‘It’s not over until the fat lady sings.’

2004, Jack Clyde, “A Free Hurl”, in Glasgow Taxi, London: Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers) Ltd, →ISBN, section 2 (Pick-Ups and Put-Downs), page 57:

“Of course we can’t treat anything as being in the bag. Not just yet.” / Claire appeared to agree. “Naturally. What do they say? It’s not over until the fat lady sings.” / “It’s not over until Terence is kind enough to sign. Which he will.”

2009 November 8, Alexander McCall Smith, “The Dog who Came in from the Cold Chapter 42: Behind the Arras”, in The Daily Telegraph, London: Telegraph Media Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2009-11-11:

it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings#English

Alternative form of it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.


it's not over 'til the fat lady sings

“I figure between fifteen and seventeen hours. She’s already coming out of rigor.” / Dina did a fast calculation. “So that would be somewhere between four and six p.m. yesterday.” / “Don’t count your chicks, Lieutenant. It’s not over ’til the fat lady sings.” / “I’m approximating. Cause?”

1988, Jack Early [pseudonym; Sandra Scoppettone], chapter 2, in Donato & Daughter, New York, N.Y.: E. P. Dutton, →ISBN, page 15:

She didn’t remember the rest of the auditions. They passed in a haze of certain failure. Finally, the ordeal was over. Barri couldn’t get out of the auditorium fast enough! As she and Melanie started for the doors, Joel caught up with them. Noticing Barri’s glum expression, he slung his arms around Barri’s and Melanie’s shoulders. “It’s not over ’til the fat lady sings,” he reminded them. “She just did,” Barri replied sadly, “only she was wearing a disguise and looked like a tall, thin, beautiful redhead.”

1991, Ellen Ashley, chapter 9, in Understudy (Center Stage; 3), New York, N.Y.: Fawcett Girls Only, →ISBN, pages 135–136:

"There's hundreds of them out there!" he hissed "And they've got a battering ram! We're done for!" Sera bit her lip. Then she came to a decision. "It's not over 'til the fat lady sings!" she shouted gathering up her dwarven artefacts. "Or until the fat lady doesn't get reinforcements and gets stepped on by a giant, in my case! Here, take a weapon or two."

2011, Alicia L. Wright, “Ragnarok”, in Eggs, Butter, Sugar and Disaster, Coulsdon, Croydon: Tannbourne, →ISBN, page 233:


it's not over till the fat lady sings

When the score climbs to 10–1, I ask him how it feels. A huge grin spreads across his face as he replies, “Great.” Some pitchers would try to be tough in the situation: It’s not over till the fat lady sings, the last man is out, and all that. Not Sid [Fernandez]. He’s happy and why hide it?

1986, Keith Hernandez, Mike Bryan, “September 2—San Diego”, in If at First: A Season with the Mets, New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Book Company, →ISBN, section 5 (Strike Two: August 2–September 3), page 277:

“Gee, we’re slowing down? We may be tight on fuel—” / “This would be really tough,” Dick said, “if we had to sweat fuel. You know how I hate to sweat fuel.” Hah, hah. Little did we know. / The guy in charge of this gauntlet we were running was not going to let us home free. He was going to make us sweat every damn mile. / “Well,” I kept reminding Dick, “remember it’s not over till the fat lady sings.”

1987, Jeana Yeager, Dick Rutan, with Phil Patton, “Until the Fat Lady Sings”, in Voyager, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., →ISBN, page 308:

I’m reminded of what he [Virgil Fox] often said to audiences: “Fasten your seat belts!” And as Bette Davis said, “It’s going to be a bumpy night!” However, as with both of these icons—for whom theatrical producing was always worthwhile—with results still only in sight, we must acknowledge that “It’s not over till the fat lady sings” (and the bills are paid).

2005 September, Richard Torrence, “Organs on Broadway! Honoring Virgil Fox”, in The American Organist, volume 39, number 9, New York, N.Y.: American Guild of Organists, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 66, column 1:


a lie can run around the world before the truth can get its boots on

A falsehood may spread widely before it can be counteracted with the truth.


faith can move mountains

faith will move mountains
faith will move mountains#English

Alternative form of faith will move mountains.


hate the game, not the player

don't hate the player, hate the game#English

Alternative form of don't hate the player, hate the game.


don't count your chicks before they hatch

This is the last week of this semester, fellows. Are all your spirits high? Or are they like your grades? I’m glad those exams are down the river, aren’t you? Don’t count your chicks before they hatch. We have one more semester before we celebrate all summer.

1949 March 11, Myron Auer, “Apprentice Broadcast”, in Fort Wayne Works News, volume 32, number 10, Fort Wayne, Ind., →OCLC, page 7, column 4:

Armstrong (with scorn): Abe, where are your muscles? I’m gonna throw you, Stringbean! / Lincoln (speaking slowly): Oh, I have a few muscles, Jack. You will see. Don’t count your chicks before they hatch.

1974, Laura Ross, “Young Abe Wrestles Armstrong”, in Holiday Puppets, New York, N.Y.: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Company, →ISBN, “Lincoln’s Birthday” section, page 32:

“I think I’ll adopt that little Baby Doe myself,” Martha said. “I know they’ll have a hard time finding a home willing to take in a crack baby, and I’ll already have her as a foster child.” / Nettie Lee blew air through her teeth. “Don’t count your chicks before they hatch.” She stopped rocking and looked at Martha. “You know, folks get paid money to take those babies in. I thought you said money didn’t interest you. Guess you say anything that suits you at the time. Being a foster is a paid job, just like anything else.”

1994, Linda Raymond, chapter 6, in Rocking the Babies, New York, N.Y.: Viking, →ISBN, page 139:

don't count your chickens before they're hatched#English

Alternative form of don't count your chickens before they're hatched.


don't count your chicks before they're hatched

Don’t count your chicks before they’re hatched / As victory from you may be snatched. / Though many boastful claims are made, / The game’s not over till it’s played.

1921 November 25, L. C. Davis, “Sport Salad: You Can Never Tell”, in St. Louis Post-Dispatch, volume 74, number 83, St. Louis, Mo., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 41, column 2:

“Oh, well, I just thought, if it is getting that bad with you and Mabel, perhaps I ought to be looking around for a bridesmaid’s outfit.” John laughed a queer, hard laugh. / “Don’t count your chicks before they’re hatched, Sis. We may break off yet, for all you know.”

1926 February, “Her Sacrifice”, in The Grail, volume 7, number 10, Saint Meinrad, Ind., →OCLC, “Maid and Mother” section (conducted by Clare Hampton), page 472, column 1:

Hannah saw the smile and warmed to it like the sun. This was how she always wanted to see him—happy, open, and trusting. She sighed. All this for that doomed goose egg. / “Now Jess,” she said softly, “you’d best not be gettin’ your hopes up too high. It’s not for nothin’ they say it, you know: Don’t count your chicks before they’re hatched.”

1985, Clayton Bess, chapter 5, in Big Man and the Burn-out, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, page 31:

‘We can’t do nothing about it now but we’ll skin him this evening,’ said one of the men. / ‘Yeah,’ said the other. They were both pleased with themselves and with their good fortune. / Renard lying doggo on the baskets just behind them, said nothing but smiled to himself. ‘Don’t count your chicks before they’re hatched, nor your foxes before they’re skinned,’ he thought.

1986, Rachel Anderson, David Bradby, “Renard and the Eels”, in Renard the Fox, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 47:


don't count your chickens

“We’ve started now,” the hot-heads crowed. “’Twon’t be long ’fore we’ve got Nappy on the run from end to end of the Continent.” / “Don’t count your chickens,” the wise retorted. “’Tis mightily encouraging, but the greatest military power on earth ain’t likely to throw in his hand because an odd battle has gone agin’ him.”

1942, Thomas Armstrong, chapter 3, in Dover Harbour, London: Collins […], →OCLC, section 4, page 528:

Only the inexperience of a Will Dorman would leap to conclusions. / “Want a word of advice, Will? Don’t count your chickens. The wardrobe sketches for Lucretia have already been approved by Rex. I’m starting fittings on Monday.” / “I’ll admit I’m not used to backing winners, but this time I’ve got my money on the nose. It’s Show Folks On The River, by two lengths, Laurette.”

1961, Jesse L[ouis] Lasky Jr., chapter 4, in Naked in a Cactus Garden, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., →LCCN, →OCLC, page 75:

“They do not know we have landed on Earth,” Mardan cried gleefully. “All thanks to you, Mel Prather . . .” / “Don’t count your chickens,” the farmer remarked, failing to make sense to them. “In any case,” Prather went on, “you have no reason to fear the police or anybody else unless you have criminal or treasonous leanings. You promise that you haven’t, folks?”

1975, Scott Howell, chapter 7, in Passage to Oblivion, London: Robert Hale & Company […], →ISBN, page 80:

Ellipsis of don't count your chickens before they're hatched.


don't count your chicks

Angie, Margaret, and Mary joined them in chortling as their mates and sons went about the adult game. / “Mine’s longer than yours,” said one. / “Hell, it is not,” answered another. / Joe said, “Wait a minute, guys, don’t count your chicks. We haven’t measured Freddy’s or mine yet. Right, Fred?”

2019, Joan T. Petrosine, “Whew”, in Family Corners: Their Children Within, Meadville, Pa.: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc., →ISBN:

“Good work, Jackson.” Doreen Heckle-Flipper and a couple other penguins from the Mom Squad came shuffling over. “I think we’re soon gonna have to start calling you Mayor Rockflopper!” / The Games official next to them shook her head. “Don’t count your chicks. Look up there!” / The head scarf-wearing grandma penguin who’d been behind Jackson in the line bounded across the tightrope above them, almost in one leap.

2020, Sam Hay, chapter 10, in Golden Egg (Spy Penguins), New York, N.Y.: Square Fish, published 2021, →ISBN:

don't count your chicks before they're hatched#English

Ellipsis of don't count your chicks before they're hatched.


do not sit in Rome and strive with the Pope

It is best not to criticize or oppose someone in their own territory.


nothing is certain but death and taxes

Variant of a 1789 quotation from Benjamin Franklin, used in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy.

(humorous) Nothing in life is certain nor can be taken for granted, except (humorously) that one will die one day and that one is required to pay taxes.


there is nothing more permanent than a temporary solution

Short-term provisions tend to gain traction and become difficult to remove.


money cannot buy happiness

They toil, lie, cheat, swindle, and endanger their souls for wealth. There are but few exceptions to this rule—we are nearly all in the same boat. It is strange that humanity will conduct itself thus, when it sees how little pleasure is derived from its riches; when it knows, as well as it knows anything, that money cannot buy happiness.

1866 February 3, “More Money”, in The Palmer Journal, volume XVI, number 46, Palmer, Mass.: Gordon M. Fisk & Co., →OCLC, front page, column 4:

“Ah! then, why do you not try to marry here?” / “To marry! It seems to me when one has no fortune, the first thought should be to assure one’s self of an independence. You are not absolutely without means; and money cannot buy happiness. I pity young girls who, like Marguerite, are only married for their gold.”

1871, Maurice Sand [pseudonym; Jean-François-Maurice-Arnauld Dudevant], translated by S[ophia] A. Da Ponte, “Mark’s Journal”, in Callirhoé. […], Philadelphia, Pa.: Claxton, Remsen, and Haffelfinger, →OCLC, part I, pages 48–49:

Money cannot buy happiness; as you can see, my family is deeply saddened by the loss of our father.

2015, Anthony Ford, chapter 4, in Unequal Exchange, [CreateSpace], →ISBN, page 44:

money can't buy happiness
money can't buy happiness#English

Alternative form of money can't buy happiness.


if you build it, they will come

The region may be sparsely populated now, but our new infrastructure project will surely attract tons of development and investment. If you build it, they will come.

Once we got the product out, I'm sure we will see the sector skyrocket! Sure, there might be very little market demand now, but if you build it, they will come.

Creating the right circumstances for a goal will result in that goal realizing itself.


an image is worth a thousand words

An image is worth a thousand words. That’s why we display pictures for many words.

a picture is worth a thousand words#English

Alternative form of a picture is worth a thousand words.


don't count your chickens before they've hatched

“Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched,” Frank put in. “We’ll have to catch him first, and that won’t be easy.”

1971, Franklin W. Dixon [pseudonym; Andrew Edward Svenson], “Prince Cuthbert”, in Danger on Vampire Trail (Hardy Boys Mystery Stories; 50), New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →ISBN, page 103:

The rare privilege of being pampered will delight you, but don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched.

1996, Leslee Becker, “Correspondence”, in The Sincere Cafe: Stories, Minneapolis, Minn.: Mid-List Press, →ISBN, page 121:

“Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched,” I warned her. “Sure it seems like we’ve won, but you never know when something bad might happen.[…]”

2017, Eric Bower, “Luckily My Mouth Was Too Full of Muck”, in The Magnificent Flying Baron Estate (The Bizarre Baron Inventions; 1), New York, N.Y.: Amberjack Publishing, →ISBN, page 152:


once a thief, always a thief

A person found to have stolen another's property will always be marked as a thief.


all's fish that comes to the net

all is fish that comes to the net#English

Alternative form of all is fish that comes to the net.


en-proverb

when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras

when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras#English

Alternative form of when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras.


when you hear hoofbeats, look for horses, not zebras


horses, not zebras

Synonym of when you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras.


pride comes before the fall

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

Alternative form of pride comes before a fall.


the Devil makes work for idle hands

‘[…] We’re self-sufficient in food now too: sheep and cattle graze on the island, and we grow our own vegetables and corn at the agricultural station at Longridge, about a mile inland from here.’ / ‘And the convicts do all this?’ asked Fallon. / Price nodded. ‘It keeps them out of trouble. You know what they say: the Devil makes work for idle hands![…]’

2002, Jonathan Lunn, “The Isle of Mis’ry”, in Killigrew and the Incorrigibles, London: Headline, →ISBN, pages 87–88:

“My brother, a mobster?” / “That’s right. Mike, we were wasting our time with that piece meal—one job every six months—line. You know what they say ‘the Devil makes work for idle hands.’[…]”

2015, J.L. Vaughan, chapter 23, in No Good Son, Flybarrier Press, →ISBN, page 128:

“You’ve been busy since we were at school together.” / “Well you know what they say: the Devil makes work for idle hands.[…]”

2017, Jonathan Green, “Worthless Remains”, in Matthew Bright, editor, Clockwork Cairo: Steampunk Tales of Egypt, Twopenny Books, →ISBN, page 67:

idle hands are the devil's workshop#English

Synonym of idle hands are the devil's workshop.


eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die

eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die#English

Alternative form of eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.


We are told that mankind is the product of a mindless process of evolution. If this is so, our greatest needs are physical and material. Such things as prosperity and pleasure are all that matter. If there is no God, then we should ‘eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die’.

2000, Peter Jeffery, “What is man?”, in Which Way to God?, Darlington, Durham; Webster, N.Y.: Evangelical Press, published 2005 (4th printing), →ISBN, page 8:

Each day feels different. Some days I feel like it’s all so simple; nobody really knows any more than anybody else, so why don’t we all just eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die…

2008, Blake Madden, chapter 10, in The List Maker, Hop-on On It!, →ISBN, page 102:

The captain’s clerk, a man named Mitchell, was a free thinker and only too happy to share his convictions with a young friend. Life, said Mitchell, was for the taking. God was a phantom invented by killjoy religious types. We must eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.

2009, Chris R[obert] Armstrong, “John Newton: Proclaiming Grace and Uniting the Church”, in Patron Saints for Postmoderns: 10 from the Past Who Speak to Our Future, Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Books, →ISBN, page 116:

Vovo said, only half arguing, “Who can you point out that ever profited by this moderation teaching? Who in history ever got anywhere practicing moderation? Some say you must live to the hilt. Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”

2011, Mack Reynolds, Tomorrow Might Be Different, →ISBN:


big fish eat little fish

Bigger animals, people, and companies tend to eliminate, or at least dominate, those that are smaller.


nothing gold can stay

Coined by American poet Robert Frost in 1923 in his short poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” the theme of which is change and ephemerality.

coinage

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

1923 October 4, Robert Lee Frost, “Nothing Gold Can Stay”, in The Yale Review: