He that will not when he may, when he will he shall have nay
Here 'nay' means 'a refusal'. This proverb could apply to a certain Mr Lambert. One afternoon he was telephoned by a friend who offered him a... Read more →
He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled
This comes from the Apocrypha and is a warning against mixing with the rich. 'As the wild ass is the lion's prey in the wilderness, so the rich... Read more →
He that is down need fear no fall
A person who occupies the lowest position in life cannot fall any further and therefore has no fear of falling, whereas the great constantly... Read more →
He that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune
A man with a wife and family cannot be so adventurous, or take so many chances, as an unmarried man. A hostage is a person given to another as a... Read more →
He that hath not silver in his purse should have silk in his tongue
A man without money cannot afford to offend those to whom he looks for financial assistance.
He that hath a full purse never wanted a friend
Here 'wanted' means 'lacked. A similar proverb is Success has many friends. Because a man is rich, he is always surrounded by flatterers and... Read more →
He that has a great nose thinks everybody is speaking of it
Don't be self-conscious. Don't be embarrassed if you have a big nose, or your ears stick out, or you need a hair-do, or you didn't clean your... Read more →
He that fights and runs away may live to fight another day
Although a brave man is better than a coward, caution is often better than rashness.
He that commits a fault thinks everyone speaks of it
When you have done something wrong you are so conscious of it that you feel that everyone else knows about it.
He that cannot obey, cannot command
We must learn to obey orders before we are qualified to give them. The experience gained in a subordinate position is invaluable when we have... Read more →