Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed
Don’t be too optimistic about the future. Remember that There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip Alexander Pope, who wrote this on... Read more →
The biter sometimes bit
'Biter' is a slang word for a cheat or swindler, e.g. a card-shaper. When he himself is cheated by his prospective victim, 'the biter is bit'.... Read more →
Birds of a feather flock together
Here 'of a feather' means 'of the same kind or family', and the verb 'to flock' means t'o feed or travel in company'. We do not find rooks... Read more →
Birds in their little nests agree
This comes from Love Between Brothers and Sisters,one of the divine songs for children by Isaac Watts. The practical application of the proverb... Read more →
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
If a hunter has shot one bird, he should be satisfied with that and not go off looking for the ones that flew away. We use the proverb to mean... Read more →
Between two stools you fall to the ground
If you cannot make up you mind which of two things to do, you are liable to get yourself into difficulties by doing neither. If a car comes... Read more →
Better to ask the way than go astray
Some people are too proud to admit that they don’t know, and, by refusing to ask, go astray. That is to say, they do the wrong thing or become... Read more →
Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know
An unknown danger or hardship is much more frightening than one we have already experienced. 'I have got to go to Paris again on business next... Read more →
Better late than never
It is better to do a thing after much procrastination than not to do it at all. It is often used as a semi-humorous excuse. Dear Tom, - I'm... Read more →
Better bend than break
The pliant tree bends before the wind and is not damaged by the storm, but the rigid tree is often snapped. In the same way it is sometimes... Read more →