A clean hand wants no washing
This proverb conveys the idea that a person who has done no wrong has no need to confess or seek forgiveness. The proverb also implies that if... Read more →
Proverbs with the word Hand
What is a workman without his tools
The cleverest of craftsmen cannot make things with his bare hands. Similarly, if we are to undertake a task we must have the means of doing it.
One pair of heels is often worth two pairs of hands
Usage associates heels with running. To take to one's heels is to make a hasty departure. This proverb, therefore, means that it is often better... Read more →
Many kiss the hand they wish to cut off
Don't be deceived by mere politeness, as people are often polite to those they intend to harm. Chaucer refers to 'the smiler with the knife... Read more →
Many hands make light work
The more people there are to carry out a task, the less each has to do, and the more quickly is the work finished. It has been said that this... Read more →
Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth
Keep secret any help you give to the poor; don't boast of your almsgiving. The source is Matthew, vi, 1-4
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
If a hunter has shot one bird, he should be satisfied with that and not go off looking for the ones that flew away. We use the proverb to mean... Read more →
The devil finds work for the idle hands to do
Those who have nothing useful to do and seeks some way of passing the time are liable to drift into wrongdoing.
The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world
Mothers who look after their children are bringing up a new generation of men. The following lines were written by William Ross Wallace: They... Read more →