Index | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | K | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | W | Y
A
a bad beginning makes a bad ending
a bad penny always turns up
a bad workman always blames his tools
a bird in hand is worth two in the bush
a blind leading a blind
absence makes the heart grow fonder
a burnt child dreads the fire
a chain is only as strong as its weakest link
a chip off the old block
a closed mouth catches no flies
actions speak louder than words
a drowning man will clutch at a straw
adversity and loss make a man wise
a fish rots from the head down
a fool and his money are soon parted
after a storm comes a calm
a good beginning makes a good ending
a guilty conscience needs no accuser
a horse may run quickly but it cannot escape its tail
a house divided against itself cannot stand
a journey of thousand miles begins with a single step
a labourer is worthy of his hire
a leopard doesn’t change its spots
all good things come to an end
all is fish that comes to the net
all’s fair in love and war
all that glitters is not gold
all work and no play make jack a dull boy
an apple a day keeps the doctor away
an apple does not fall far from a tree
an empty vessel makes much noise
an evil doer has no distinctive mark
an eye for an eye (and a tooth for a tooth)
an idle brain is the devils workshop
an ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure
a penny saved is a penny earned
appearances can be deceptive
a problem shared is a problem halved
a rolling stone gathers no moss
a ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what a ship is for
a stitch in time saves nine
as you make your bed, so you must lie on it
as you sow, so you shall reap
a watched pot never boils
a wolf in sheeps clothing
a word spoken is past recalling
B
bad news travel fast
barking dogs seldom bite
beauty is in the eye of the beholder
beauty is only skin deep
be fruitful and multiply
beggars cannot be choosers
better to be poor and healthy rather than rich and sick
between a rock and a hard place
big brother is always watching
birds of the same feathers flock together
blood is thicker than water
borrowed garments never fit well
C
calamity is mans true touchstone
charity begins at home
cowards die many times before their deaths
cowboys do not cry
cross the stream where it is shallowest
curiosity killed the cat
curses, like chickens, come home to roost
cutting off the nose to spite the face
D
damned if you do and damned if you do not
dead men tell no tales
discretion is the better part of valor
do not bite off more than you can chew
do not bite the hand that feeds you
do not blow your own trumpet
do not cast pearls before swine
do not count your chickens before they hatch
do not cross a bridge until you come to it
do not make a mountain out of a molehill
do not put all your eggs in one basket
do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today
do not put the cart before the horse
do not put too many irons in the fire
do not work hard but work smart
dynamites come in small packages
E
early bird catches the fattest worm
ears that do not listen to advice, accompany the head when it is chopped off
easy come, easy go
empty bags cannot stand upright
every dog has its day
every man is the architect of his destiny
every rose has its thorn
F
failure is the steppingstone for success
fall on ones sword
familiarity breeds contempt
fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me
fools rush in where angels fear to tread
forewarned is forearmed
fortune favors the brave
G
get out while the getting is good
give a man enough rope and he will hang himself
give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe
give them an inch and they will take a mile
God helps those who help themselves
good things come to those who wait
grief divided is made lighter
H
half a loaf is better than none
hard work pays off
haste makes waste
honesty is the best policy
hope for the best, prepare for the worst
hunger is the best sauce
I
if it not broken, do not fix it
if the mountain will not come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain
if you dance, you must pay the fiddler
if you lie down with dogs you will catch their fleas
if you play with fire, you will get burned
if you run after two hares, you will catch neither
if you scratch my back, then I will scratch yours
if you want something done right, do it yourself
ignorance is bliss
it is better to be safe than sorry
it is easy to be wise after the event
it is never too late to mend
it is not over till the fat lady sings
it is no use crying over spilt milk
it never rains, but it pours
it takes a village to raise a child
it takes two to make a quarrel
it takes two to tango
it will end in tears
K
keep your friends close, and your enemies closer
knowledge is power
L
learn to walk before you can run
let bygones be bygones
let sleeping dogs lie
life begins at forty
life begins at the end of your comfort zone
life is a wheel of fortune
lightning never strikes twice in the same place
like father like son
look before you leap
M
make hay while the sun shines
many hands make light work
men govern but women rule
money makes the world go around
monkey see monkey do
N
necessity is the mother of invention
never test the depth of water with both feet
no gain without pain
no man is an island
O
once bitten twice shy
one cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs
one careless match can start a forest fire
one mans junk is another mans treasure
one should not miss the forest for the trees
out of sight, out of mind
out of the frying pan into the fire
P
people who live in glass houses should not throw stones
perseverance is the mother of success
play the ball, not the man
practice makes perfect
pride comes before fall
procrastination is a thief of time
S
sharing is caring
shoot for the stars, aim for the moon
shoot yourself in the foot
slow and steady wins the race
spare the rod and spoil the child
still waters run deep
straight from the horses mouth
strike while the iron is hot
T
the best-laid plans go astray
the end justifies the means
the face is the index of the mind
the grass is greener on the other side of the fence
the proof of the pudding is in the eating
there is no place like home
there is no time like present
there is safety in numbers
the squeaky wheel gets the grease
time and tide wait for no man
to err is human, to forgive is divine
too many cooks spoil the broth
two heads are better than one
two is a company, three is a crowd
two wrongs do not make a right
U
united we stand, divided we fall
W
what goes around comes around
when days are dark, friends are few
when in Rome, do as the Romans do
when the going gets tough, the tough get going
where one door shuts, another opens
where there is a will, there is a way
where there is smoke there is fire
while the cat is away, the mice will play
Y
you can lead a horse to the water, but you cannot make it drink
you cannot fit a round peg in a square hole
you cannot have your cake and eat it
you cannot serve two masters
you cannot teach an old dog new tricks
you cannot unscramble a scrambled egg
you show me the man and I will show you the rule