Proverbs, Axioms, Aphorisms Maxims, Adages and their Meaning
┬аHere is a long list of Proverbs, Axiom, Aphorism Maxim, Adage, and their Meaning in easy language. Make your communication strong with important sentences.
A bad penny always turns up.
A barking dog never bites
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
A cat may look at a king.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
A change is as good as a rest.
A dog is a man’s best friend.
A drowning man will clutch at a straw.
A fish always rots from the head down.
A fool and his money are soon parted.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
A golden key can open any door.
A good beginning makes a good ending
A good man is hard to find.
A house divided against itself cannot stand
A house is not a home
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
A leopard cannot change its spots.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
A little learning is a dangerous thing.
A little of what you fancy does you good.
A man is known by his friends
A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his client.
A miss is as good as a mile.
A new broom sweeps clean
A nod’s as good as a wink to a blind horse.
A penny saved is a penny earned.
A person is known by the company he keeps
A picture paints a thousand words.
A place for everything and everything in its place.
A poor workman always blames his tools
A problem shared is a problem halved.
A prophet is not recognized in his own land
A rising tide lifts all boats
A rolling stone gathers no moss.
A soft answer turneth away wrath
A stitch in time saves nine.
A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly
A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
A time and a place for everything – There’s
A trouble shared is a trouble halved
A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men
A watched pot never boils.
A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke
A woman’s place is in the home.
A woman’s work is never done
A word to the wise is enough
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Accidents will happen (in the best-regulated families).
Actions speak louder than words.
Adversity makes strange bedfellows.
After a storm comes a calm
Age of miracles is past – The
Ain’t over till the fat lady sings – It
All good things come to he who waits.
All good things must come to an end
All is grist that comes to the mill.
All publicity is good publicity.
All roads lead to Rome
All that glisters is not gold.
All that glitters is not gold
All the world loves a lover
All things come to those that wait.
All things must pass.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All you need is love
All’s fair in love and war.
All’s for the best in the best of all possible worlds
All’s well that ends well.
A miss is as good as a mile.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
An army marches on its stomach
An Englishman’s home is his castle.
An exception to every rule – There’s
Always more fish in the sea – There’s
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
An ill wind that blows no one any good – It’s
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Another day, another dollar.
Any port in a storm.
Appearances can be deceptive
Apple a day keeps the doctor away – An
Apple never falls far from the tree – The
April is the cruellest month
April showers bring forth May flowers
Army marches on its stomach – An
As thick as thieves.
As you make your bed, so you must lie upon it
As you sow so shall you reap.
Ashes to ashes dust to dust.
Ask a silly question and you’ll get a silly answer.
Ask no questions and hear no lies
Attack is the best form of defence.
Bad money drives out good.
Bad news travels fast.
Bad penny always turns up – A
Barking dog never bites – A
Be careful what you wish for
Beat swords into ploughshares.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Beauty is only skin deep.
Beggars should not be choosers.
Behind every great man there’s a great woman.
Best defence is a good offence – The
Best is the enemy of the good – The
Best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley – The
Best things in life are free – The
Better late than never.
Better safe than sorry
Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don’t
Best to be on the safe side – It’s
Better to give than to receive – It’s
Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all – It’s
Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness – It’s
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool that to speak and remove all doubt
Better to travel hopefully than to arrive – It’s
Between two stools one falls to the ground.
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.
Beware the Ides of March.
Big fish eat little fish
Big fleas have little fleas upon their back to bite ’em.
Bigger, the better – The
Bigger they are, the harder they fall – The
Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush – A
Birds of a feather flock together.
Blessed are the peacemakers.
Blood is thicker than water.
Blue are the hills that are far away
Bottom line is the bottom line – The
Boy is father to the man – The
Boys will be boys.
Bread always falls buttered side down.
Brevity is the soul of wit.
Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.
Business before pleasure
Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion
Carpe diem (Pluck the day; Seize the day)
Cat may look at a king – A
Chain is only as strong as its weakest link – A
Change is as good as a rest – A
Charity begins at home.
Charity covers a multitude of sins
Cheaters never win and winners never cheat
Cheats never prosper
Child is father to the man – The
Children and fools tell the truth
Children should be seen and not heard.
Christmas comes but once a year
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
Clothes maketh the man
Cobbler always wears the worst shoes – The
Cold hands, warm heart
Comparisons are odious.
Count your blessings
Course of true love never did run smooth – The
Cowards may die many times before their death
Crime doesn’t pay.
Curiosity killed the cat
Customer is always right – The
Cut your coat to suit your cloth
Darkest hour is just before the dawn – The
Dead men tell no tales
Devil is in the details – The
Devil looks after his own – The
Devil makes work for idle hands to do – The
Devil take the hindmost – The
Different strokes for different folks.
Discretion is the better part of valour.
Distance lends enchantment to the view
Do as I say, not as I do
Do as you would be done by.
Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
Dog is a man’s best friend – A
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you
Don’t burn your bridges behind you
Don’t cast your pearls before swine.
Don’t change horses in midstream.
Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.
Don’t cross the bridge till you come to it
Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.
Don’t get mad, get even.
Don’t keep a dog and bark yourself.
Don’t leave your manners on the doorstep
Don’t let the bastards grind you down.
Don’t let the cat out of the bag.
Don’t let the grass grow under your feet.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Don’t meet troubles half-way
Don’t mix business with pleasure
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Don’t put the cart before the horse.
Don’t put new wine into old bottles
Don’t rock the boat
Don’t shoot the messenger
Don’t spoil the ship for a ha’porth of tar
Don’t shut the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Don’t sweat the small stuff
Don’t throw pearls to swine
Don’t teach your Grandma to suck eggs.
Don’t throw good money after bad.
Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Don’t trust anyone over thirty
Don’t try to run before you can walk
Don’t try to walk before you can crawl
Don’t upset the apple-cart.
Don’t wash your dirty linen in public.
Doubt is the beginning not the end of wisdom
Drowning man will clutch at a straw – A
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Each to their own
Early bird catches the worm – The
East is east, and west is west
East, west, home’s best.
Easy come, easy go
Easy to be wise after the event – It’s
Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.
Empty vessels make the most noise
End justifies the means – The
English are a nation of shopkeepers – The
Englishman’s home is his castle – An
Enough is as good as a feast.
Enough is enough.
Even a worm will turn.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
Every dog has its day.
Every little helps
Every man for himself, and the Devil take the hindmost
Every man has his price.
Every picture tells a story
Every stick has two ends
Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die
Everything comes to him who waits
Exception which proves the rule – The
Eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth – An
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Faint heart never won fair lady
Fair exchange is no robbery.
Faith will move mountains.
Familiarity breeds contempt
Fat is in the fire – The
Feed a cold and starve a fever
Female of the species is more deadly than the male – The
Fight fire with fire.
Fight the good fight.
Finders keepers, losers weepers
Fine words butter no parsnips.
Fire is a good servant but a bad master
First come, first served
First impressions are the most lasting
First things first
Fish always stink from the head down.
Fish and guests smell after three days
Flattery will get you nowhere
Fool and his money are soon parted – A
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
For everything there is a season.
For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the man was lost
Forewarned is forearmed.
Forgive and forget
Fortune favours the brave
Friend in need is a friend indeed – A
From the sublime to the ridiculous is only one step
Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains.
Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.
Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day…
Give a dog a bad name and hang him
Give a man enough rope and he will hang himself
Give credit where credit is due
Give the Devil his due.
Go the extra mile
God helps those who help themselves
Goes without saying – It
Golden key can open any door – A
Good beginning makes a good ending – A
Good die young – The
Good fences make good neighbours.
Good man is hard to find – A
Good talk saves the food
Good things come in small packages
Good things come to those that wait.
Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence – The
Great minds think alike.
Great oaks from little acorns grow.
Half a loaf is better than no bread.
Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world – The
Handsome is as handsome does
Hard cases make bad law.
Hard work never did anyone any harm
Haste makes waste.
He that goes a-borrowing, goes a-sorrowing
He who can does, he who cannot, teaches.
He who fights and runs away, may live to fight another day
He who hesitates is lost
He who laughs last laughs longest.
He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword
He who pays the piper calls the tune
He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon.
Hear all, see all, say nowt, tak’ all, keep all, gie nowt, and if tha ever does owt for nowt do it for thysen
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Hindsight is always twenty-twenty
History repeats itself
Hold with the hare and run with the hounds – You can’t
Home is where the heart is.
Honesty is the best policy.
Honey catches more flies than vinegar.
Honour among thieves – There’s
Hope springs eternal
Horses for courses
House divided against itself cannot stand – A
House is not a home – A
Husband is always the last to know – The
If anything can go wrong, it will
If a job is worth doing it is worth doing well
If at first you don’t succeed try, try and try again
If God had meant us to fly he’d have given us wings
If ifs and ands were pots and pans there’d be no work for tinkers
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
If life deals you lemons, make lemonade
If the cap fits, wear it.
If the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain.
If the shoe fits, wear it.
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
If you build it they will come
If you can’t be good, be careful
If you can’t beat em, join em
If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.
If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas
If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys
If you want a thing done well, do it yourself
Ignorance is bliss
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
In for a penny, in for a pound
In the kingdom of the blind the one eyed man is king
In the midst of life we are in death
Into every life a little rain must fall
It ain’t over till the fat lady sings
It goes without saying
It never rains but it pours.
It takes a thief to catch a thief
It takes all sorts to make a world
It takes one to know one
It takes two to tango
It’s all grist to the mill.
It’s an ill wind that blows no one any good.
It’s best to be on the safe side
It’s better to give than to receive.
It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
It’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
It’s better to travel hopefully than to arrive.
It’s easy to be wise after the event
It’s never too late
It’s no use crying over spilt milk
It’s no use shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.
It’s the early bird that catches the worm.
It’s the empty can that makes the most noise
It’s the singer not the song
It’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease
Jack of all trades, master of none.
Jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, but never jam today.
Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – A
Judge not, that ye be not judged
Keep your chin up.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
Keep your powder dry.
Know which side your bread is buttered.
Labourer is worthy of his hire – The
Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone
Laughter is the best medicine
Law is an ass – The
Least said, soonest mended
Leopard cannot change its spots – A
Less is more.
Let bygones be bygones.
Let not the sun go down on your wrath.
Let sleeping dogs lie
Let the buyer beware.
Let the dead bury the dead
Let the punishment fit the crime
Let well alone
Life begins at forty.
Life is just a bowl of cherries
Life is what you make it
Life’s not all beer and skittles.
Lightning never strikes twice in the same place
Like father, like son
Little knowledge is a dangerous thing – A
Little learning is a dangerous thing – A
Little of what you fancy does you good – A
Little pitchers have big ears.
Little strokes fell great oaks
Little things please little minds
Live and learn
Live and let live
Live for today for tomorrow never comes
Longest journey starts with a single step – The
Look before you leap.
Love of money is the root of all evil.
Love is blind.
Love makes the world go round
Love thy neighbour as thyself.
Love will find a way
Make hay while the sun shines.
Make haste slowly
Make love not war
Man does not live by bread alone.
Man is known by his friends – A
Man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his client – A
Manners maketh man
Many a good tune played on an old fiddle – There’s
Many a little makes a mickle.
Many a mickle makes a muckle
Many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip – There’s
Many a true word is spoken in jest.
Many are called but few are chosen.
Many hands make light work
March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb
March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers
Marriages are made in heaven
Marry in haste, repent at leisure.
Might is right
Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.
Misery loves company
Miss is as good as a mile – A
Moderation in all things
Monday’s child is fair of face
Money doesn’t grow on trees
Money is the root of all evil.
Money isn’t everything
Money makes the world go round
Money talks
More haste, less speed.
More the merrier – The
More things change, the more they stay the same – The
More ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream – There are
Music has charms to soothe the savage breast.
Nature abhors a vacuum
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Needs must when the devil drives.
Ne’er cast a clout till May be out.
Never give a sucker an even break.
Never go to bed on an argument
Never judge a book by its cover
Never let the sun go down on your anger
Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today
Never rains but it pours – It
Never speak ill of the dead
Never tell tales out of school
Never too late – It’s
New broom sweeps clean – A
Nine tailors make a man
No accounting for tastes – There’s
No fool like an old fool – There’s
No man can serve two masters
No man is an island.
No names, no pack-drill.
No news is good news
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent
No pain, no gain
No place like home – There’s
No rest for the wicked.
No smoke without fire – There’s
No such thing as a free lunch – There’s
No such thing as bad publicity – There’s
No time like the present – There’s
No use crying over spilt milk – It’s
Nod’s as good as a wink to a blind horse – A
None so blind as those who will not see – There’s
None so deaf as those who will not hear – There’s
Nothing new under the sun
Nothing is certain but death and taxes.
Nothing succeeds like success.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Oil and water don’t mix
Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away..
Once a thief, always a thief
Once bitten, twice shy.
One good turn deserves another.
One half of the world does not know how the other half lives
One hand washes the other.
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
One might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb
One law for the rich and another law for the poor.
One swallow does not make a summer.
One volunteer is worth ten pressed men
One year’s seeding makes seven years weeding
Only fools and horses work
Opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings – The
Opportunity never knocks twice at any man’s door
Opposites attract
Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – An
Out of sight, out of mind.
Out of the frying pan into the fire.
Paddle your own canoe
Parsley seed goes nine times to the Devil
Patience is a virtue
Pearls of wisdom
Pen is mightier than sword – The
Penny saved is a penny earned – A
Penny wise and pound foolish
People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
Person is known by the company he keeps – A
Physician, heal thyself.
Picture paints a thousand words – A
Place for everything and everything in its place – A
Poor workman always blames his tools – A
Possession is nine points of the law
Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Practice makes perfect
Practice what you preach
Prevention is better than cure
Price of liberty is eternal vigilance – The
Pride comes before a fall.
Procrastination is the thief of time.
Problem shared is a problem halved – A
Proof of the pudding is in the eating – The
Prophet is not recognized in his own land – A
Put the cart before the horse.
Put your best foot forward.
Put your best foot forward.
Put your shoulder to the wheel.
Quid pro quo.
Rain before seven, fine before eleven
Red sky at night shepherd’s delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning.
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Revenge is sweet
Rising tide lifts all boats – A
Road to hell is paved with good intentions – The
Rob Peter to pay Paul.
Rolling stone gathers no moss – A
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
See a pin and pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck you’ll have all day.
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil
Seeing is believing
Seek and you shall find.
Set a thief to catch a thief
Share and share alike.
Shoemaker’s son always goes barefoot – The
Shrouds have no pockets
Silence is golden.
Slow but sure
Soft answer turneth away wrath – A
Softly, softly, catchee monkey
Spare the rod and spoil the child.
Speak as you find
Speak softly and carry a big stick.
Squeaky wheel gets the grease – The
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
Still waters run deep
Stitch in time saves nine – A
Strike while the iron is hot.
Stupid is as stupid does
Success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan
Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves.
Takes a thief to catch a thief – It
Takes all sorts to make a world – It
Takes one to know one – It
Talk is cheap
Talk of the Devil, and he is bound to appear.
Tell the truth and shame the Devil.
That which does not kill us makes us stronger
The age of miracles is past
The apple never falls far from the tree.
The best defense is a good offence.
The best is the enemy of the good
The best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley.
The best things in life are free
The bigger, the better
The bigger they are, the harder they fall
The bottom line is the bottom line
The boy is father to the man
The bread always falls buttered side down
The child is father to the man.
The cobbler always wears the worst shoes.
The course of true love never did run smooth.
The customer is always right.
The darkest hour is just before the dawn.
The Devil has all the best tunes.
The Devil is in the details.
The Devil looks after his own
The Devil makes work for idle hands to do.
The Devil take the hindmost.
The early bird catches the worm
The empty can that makes the most noise – It’s
The end justifies the means
The English are a nation of shopkeepers.
The exception which proves the rule.
The fat is in the fire.
The female of the species is more deadly than the male
The good die young
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world
The husband is always the last to know
The labourer is worthy of his hire
The law is an ass.
The leopard does not change his spots.
The longest journey starts with a single step.
The more the merrier.
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings.
The pen is mightier than sword.
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance
The proof of the pudding is in the eating
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
The shoemaker’s son always goes barefoot.
The singer not the song – It’s
The squeaky wheel that gets the grease – It’s
The truth will out.
The wages of sin is death.
The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts
There are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream.
There are none so blind as those, that will not see
There are two sides to every question
There but for the grace of God, go I.
There’s a time and a place for everything.
There’s an exception to every rule.
There’s always more fish in the sea
There’s honour among thieves
There’s many a good tune played on an old fiddle
There’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip
There’s more than one way to skin a cat.
There’s no accounting for tastes
There’s no fool like an old fool.
There’s no place like home.
There’s no smoke without fire
There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
There’s no such thing as bad publicity.
There’s no time like the present
There’s none so blind as those who will not see
There’s none so deaf as those who will not hear
There’s nowt so queer as folk
There’s one born every minute.
There’s one law for the rich and another law for the poor.
There’s safety in numbers
They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind
Thing of beauty is a joy forever – A
Third time lucky.
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it
Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
Those who sleep with dogs will rise with fleas
Trouble shared is a trouble halved – A
Thou shalt not kill.
Time and tide wait for no man.
Time flies
Time is a great healer
Time is money
Time will tell
’tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.
To err is human; to forgive divine.
To every thing there is a season
To the victor go the spoils
To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.
Tomorrow is another day.
Tomorrow never comes
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Truth is stranger than fiction.
Truth will out.
Two blacks don’t make a white
Two heads are better than one.
Two is company, but three’s a crowd
Two sides to every question – There are
Two wrongs don’t make a right
Variety is the spice of life
Virtue is its own reward
Volunteer is worth twenty pressed men – A
Wages of sin is death – The
Walls have ears
Walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs.
Waste not want not
Watched pot never boils – A
Way to a man’s heart is through his stomach – The
What can’t be cured must be endured
What goes up must come down
What you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts
What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
When the cat’s away the mice will play
When the going gets tough, the tough get going
When the oak is before the ash, then you will only get a splash; when the ash is before the oak, then you may expect a soak
What the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over
Where there’s a will there’s a way
Where there’s muck there’s brass.
Wherever you wander, there’s no place like home.
While there’s life there’s hope
Whole is greater than the sum of the parts – The
Whom the Gods love die young
Why keep a dog and bark yourself?.
Woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke – A
Woman’s place is in the home – A
Woman’s work is never done
Women and children first.
Wonders will never cease
Word to the wise is enough – A
Work expands so as to fill the time available
Worrying never did anyone any good
You are never too old to learn
You are what you eat.
You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family
You can have too much of a good thing
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
You can’t have your cake and eat it too
You can’t get blood out of a stone.
You can’t get blood out of a turnip.
You can’t hold with the hare and run with the hounds.
You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear
You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.
You can’t make bricks without straw
You can’t run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.
You can’t take it with you [when you die]
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
You can’t judge a book by its cover
You can’t win them all
You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar
You pays your money and you takes your choice
You reap what you sow
You win some, you lose some
Youth is wasted on the young