History repeats itself
What has happened once is liable to happen again. The phrase derives from the works Thucydides the greek historian. 'I shall be content,' he wrote 'if those shall pronounce my History useful who... Read more →
Proverbs starting with letter H
The highest branch is not the safest roost
This is the penalty of greatness. When a man is at the top of his profession he is said to be 'at the top of the tree'. In consequence he has farther to fall than those below him, all of whom are... Read more →
Hide not your light under a bushel
Don’t be too modest to set others a good example. Here a bushel is a measure, a container for corn, ect. The source of the proverb is Matthew, v, 15. During the sermon on the mount Jesus said to... Read more →
Hew not too high lest the chips fall in thine eye
Don’t be too ambitious. Realise your own limitations. Like the man who tries to use an axe above his head instead of at a level low enough for him to use it effectively, if you try to live above... Read more →
Help a lame dog over a stile
Give assistance to anyone in difficulties or distress.
A hedge between keeps friendship green
We remain better friends if we do not see too much of one another. Our neighbour does not live in our house and we do not live in his. Hedge or fence between our properties are not just physical... Read more →
A heavy purse makes a light heart
We can afford to be cheerful when we have no money troubles. The reserve, of course, is A light purse makes a heavy heart.
Heaven helps those who help themselves
Another version of God helps those who help themselves.
Health is better than wealth
It is better to be healthy than rich, since ill-health makes a person unhappy, even though he is rich. This is a consolation to the poor, who can very likely achieve good health as easily as the rich... Read more →
He who would climb the ladder must begin at the bottom
There are no short cuts in the climbing of a ladder; one can reach the top only by going rung by rung. In a figure sense a ladder is a means of rising in the world or attaining one's object, and here... Read more →
