Put the saddle on the right horse

Blame those who deserve it, not those who don't. An author's new book had been reviewed unfavourably in a literary weekly. He said to an... Read more →

The purse of the patient protracts the disease

If a doctor receives a fee for every visit, and should the patient have plenty of money, the doctor may be temped to ensure that the patient... Read more →

Punctuality is the politeness of kings

It is very important to be punctual and it is very rude to be unpunctual. Sometimes 'princess' is used instead of 'kings'. The above was the... Read more →

Providence is always on the side of the big battalions

This means the same as God is always on the side of the big battalions, which is also referred to under Might is right.

Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them

It is not until a rich man has come down in the world that he knows who are his real friends.

A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house

A man's abilities are seldom recognised by his family and others who know him well. The source is Matthew, xiii, 57. Here is the story as told... Read more →

The proper study of mankind is man

Taken from the poet Alexander Pope's Essay on Man (1733), this proverb means that our thinking and study should be devoted primarily to... Read more →

The proof of the pudding is in the eating

A pudding is intended for only one purpose; to be eaten. Only by eating it can we prove its excellence – or lack of it. In the same way, we... Read more →

Promises are like pie-crust, made to be broken

That is the trouble with promises; so often they are made and never kept. 'A man apt to promise,' wrote Thomas Fuller, ' is apt to... Read more →

Procrastination is the thief of time

To procrastinate is to delay, to put off doing something. Procrastinating – deferring things from day to day – wastes a lot of time and... Read more →