Sticks the stones and may break my bones, but words will never hurt me
However much one person insults another, he causes him no physical injury at all. Only when words lead to blows are bones liable to be... Read more →
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak
However willing we may be to do a thing, our physical condition may prevent us from doing it. The source is Matthew, xxvi, 41. Here is the... Read more →
Speech is silver, silence is golden
Gold is more precious than silver, and there are times when it is better to be silent than to speak.
Speak well of the dead
Speak well of them, for they cannot speak for themselves. 'Death softens all resentments', wrote John Greenleaf Whittier, the American poet,... Read more →
Speak the truth and shame the devil
Speak the truth boldly in defiance of strong temptation to tell lies.
Speak fair and think what you like
To 'speak fair' is to treat others with civility. Think what you like about them, but be polite when you speak to them. There is, however, the... Read more →
Spare the rod and spoil the child
It does not improve a child's character if he is not punished when he has done wrong. The source is Proverbs, xiii, 24. 'He that spareth his... Read more →
Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind
One evil leads to a worse. The source is Hosea, viii, 7: 'For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.'
Some people cannot see the wood for the trees
When we stand in the middle of a wood, we can see only the trees immediately around us, but we know that the wood is there, for if there were no... Read more →
Some are wise and some are otherwise
This is a play on words. It means quite simply that some people are wise and others are not. The proverb is originally a quotation from the... Read more →