The young will sow their wild oats
To sow ones wild oats is to commit youthful excesses or follies and, having commuted them, to mend one's ways. Thomas Nashe wrote over four... Read more →
You scratch my back and I will scratch yours
If you do me a favour then I will do you a favour in return. You praise me and I will praise you; you flatter me and I will flatter you. Such a... Read more →
You never know what you can do till you try
Don't be a faint-heart and say, 'I’ll never mange to do it'. Have a go, and you will be surprised at your own ability.
You must lose a fly to catch a trout
It is worth sacrificing a little in order to gain a great deal more. Here the fly is the bait on the angler's hook. This proverbs means the same... Read more →
You must grin and bear it
This does not necessarily mean that you should endure misfortunes or difficulties with a broad smile, but rather that you should put up with... Read more →
You may lead a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink
You may be acting in the best interests of the horse by taking him to the trough, but if he doesn’t want to drink is not going to – and... Read more →
You may know by a handful the whole sack
The quality of the contents of a sack of corn, flour, etc., may be judged by the quality of a sample. Putting it another way, we do not have to... Read more →
You cannot teach an old dog new tricks
You cannot easily make people change their usual habits, especially when people have been doing something for a long time. As people get older... Read more →
You cannot serve God and Mammon
Mammon is the god of riches. You must choose between godliness and worldliness. The source is Matthew, vi, 24, which is quoted under No man can... Read more →
You cannot sell the cow and drink the milk
You cannot enjoy the milk and have at the same time the advantages of the money got for the cow. In the other words, you must have one thing or... Read more →