Proverbs starting with letter P

Pouring oil on the fire is not the way to quench it

If you wish to pacify someone who has lost his temper, don't say anything that it's likely to make them even more angrier.

The pot called the kettle black

A person tends to blame another for the faults he has himself. The soot from an open fire blackens the kooking utensils placed upon it, and the... Read more →

Possession is nine points of the law

We use this to mean that even though full legal right to a thing has not been established, he who is in possession of it has a far greater right... Read more →

Pleasant hours fly fast

When we are enjoying ourselves, time passes far too quickly , but it passes very slowly when we are bored, or have nothing to do, or we are... Read more →

A place for everything, and everything in its place

The proverb recommends  tidiness. Everything has its proper place, and when it is to be found there when it is needed, life goes more... Read more →

The pitcher goes so often to the well that it is broken at last

This means that long-continued success ends at length in failure; and that long-continued impunity ends at length in punishment. However many... Read more →

Per ardua ad astra

It is the Latin for Through hardship to the stars. This is one of those proverbs that have remained more common in their original form than in... Read more →

The pen is mightier than the sword

The written word is more to be feared than the physical force. 'Tyranny has not enemy as formidable as the pen,' wrote William Cobbett , and... Read more →

Patience is a virtue

It is also the art of hoping. We must be patient and not despair.

Paddle your own canoe

Do it yourself. Don't always expect others to help you. Be self-reliant.