Proverbs starting with letter I

It is no use crying over spilt milk

It was a great pity that it happened, but there's nothing we can do about it now. Don't bewail the past. What's done cannot be undone.

It is never too late to mend

Here 'to mend' means 'to reform, to mend one's ways'. It is never too late to turn over a new leaf and lead a better life.

It is love that makes the world go round

Love brings children into the world and so keeps human life from becoming extinct.

It is ill waiting for dead men’s shoes

To wait for dead men's shoes is to wait for the death of a person with the expectancy of succeeding to his possessions or office. This sometimes... Read more →

It is ill striving against the stream

It is easier to adapt ourselves to circumstances than to fight against them.

It is ill jesting with edged tools

It is dangerous to play with sharp tools. Similarly it is dangerous to meddle with anything that may get you into trouble. For example, to take... Read more →

It is good fishing in troubled waters

Trout and other fish are more easily caught when the surface of the water is disturbed. Figuratively, 'to fish in troubled waters' is to take... Read more →

It is easy to bear the misfortunes of others

It is easy for us to tell others to be cheerful in the face of misfortune, because we don't have to suffer the hardship ourselves. It perhaps... Read more →

It is easy to be wise after the event

When something has ended badly, it is easy to say what should have been done to ensure success. Foresight is being wise before the event; being... Read more →

It is easier to pull down than to built

It is easier to destroy than to create. It is easier to criticise than to make constructive suggestions.