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 →
Prevention is better than cure
It is better to take precautions against a thing happening than to have to repair the damage after it has occurred. For example, if a bicycle... Read more →
Praise without profit puts little in the pot
Flattery does not fill the belly, and when people speak kindly of what you have done, it is of no real advantage to you unless they show their... Read more →
Praise makes good men better and bed men worse
Praise is encouragement, so to praise a good man is to encourage him in rectitude, and to praise a bad man is to encourage him in wickedness.