Sweet are the use of adversity
Misfortunes can sometimes be a blessing in disguise. In Shakespeare's As You Like It, the exiled duke in he forest of Arden finds he has much to be thankful for. Sweet are the uses of... Read more →
Proverbs starting with letter S
The sun is never the worse for shining on a dunghill
Good people are not corrupted by their surroundings.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof
Don't add to the difficulties and problems of today by worrying about what is going to happen tomorrow. The source is Matthew, vi, 34 ; 'Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall... Read more →
Success has many friends
Those who have won big prizes in the pools will doubtless agree with this! From the social rather than the financial angle, a successful man gains the good opinions of those who had no time for him... Read more →
Submitting to one wrong brings on another
If you allow yourself to be victimised once, you will be victimised again.
Strike while the iron is hot
Iron when it is red-hot is more easily bent and moulded than when it is cold. It should be struck before it has had time to cool down. Hence 'to strike while the iron is hot' is to choose the right... Read more →
Stretch your legs according to your coverlet
This teaches adaptability. If when you lie full length your lower limbs are not covered by the bedclothes, you must bend your legs in order to keep warm. It also teaches prudence. If you stretch your... Read more →
The strength of the chain is in the weakest link
A chain is made up of a row of links fitted together. If all the links are strong, the chain will be strong also, but if even one link is faulty, no greater strain can be put on the whole chain than... Read more →
A straw will show which way the wind blows
Small events can be a guide to momentous happenings. If the Foreign Secretary tells a taxi-driver at two o'clock in the morning to take him to the Prime Minister's residence and drive like the devil,... Read more →
Stolen pleasures are sweetest
This means the same as Forbidden fruit is sweetest. The things we most enjoy doing are those we know we ought not to be doing, such as watching cricket on the television when we should be working. If... Read more →
