Ill weeds grow apace
Though the plants we value will not grow in our gardens without endless care and attention, worthless weeds always thrive; and worthless people... Read more →
An ill payer never wants an excuse
Here 'wants' means 'lacks'. A man who keeps his creditors waiting always has an excuse ready for not paying their bills.
Ill news comes apace
The more modern version of this proverb is Bad news travels fast. Bad news nearly always reaches us more quickly than good news. News about... Read more →
If you want peace, prepare for war
By arming itself to meet aggression, a country reduces the risk of being attacked. George Washington said in his address to Congress on January... Read more →
If you want a thing well done, do it yourself
This is good advice up to a point, yet an employer who does not delegate authority because he does not trust his staff to carry out his... Read more →
If you sing before breakfast, you will cry before night
If you start the day in too joyful a mood, the good spirits are unlikely to last the day out. This is the warning of the pessimist.
If you run after two hares you will catch neither
Don't try to do two things at once. Concentrate on one or the other.
If you do not like it you may lump it
The verb 'to lump' means 'to put up with ungraciously'. This is the answer to anyone who complains about something that is unavoidable. 'We've... Read more →
If you cannot bite never show your teeth
To show your teeth is, figuratively, to leave it in no doubt that you are ready to attack or to defend yourself. Should you be in no position to... Read more →
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride
If we could achieve our aims by merely wishing, life would be very easy. This means the same as if 'ifs' and 'ans' were pots and pans…