If it were not for hope, the heart would break
When things are very difficult, what prevents us from giving up in despair is the hope that things will get better.
Haste makes waste
The more hurry we are in, the more likely we are to drop an egg on the floor or spill the milk. 'Haste makes waste,' runs the old saying, 'and... Read more →
Give knave an inch and they will take a yard
If you grant some people a small favour, it only encourages them to take much more than they are offered. 'I told old Joe to help himself to... Read more →
Fine words butter no parsnips
This is another way of saying that Actions speak louder than words. High-flown declarations and airy promises are useless substitutes for... Read more →
An empty sack cannot stand upright
The sack here is a sack of flour, from which bread is made. Just as the sack is kept upright by the flour, so is man supported and kept alive by... Read more →
Desperate diseases must have desperate remedies
Some forms of medical treatment are not normally used because they are liable to be as dangerous in effect as the diseases themselves. But when... Read more →
A cat may look at a king
A cat may look at a King And surely I many look at an ugly thing. This is one of Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes. It means 'If a cat may look at... Read more →
The beaten road is the safest
Don't take unnecessary risks. Profit from the experience of others. The proverb can be better understood if the 'beaten road' would read 'beaten... Read more →
Be just before you are generous
You have no right to be generous till you have first met the demands of justness. You should not, for example, start giving presents to your... Read more →
All are not thieves that dogs bark at
Beware of judging people by appearance. An honest man may give the impression that he is the biggest scoundrel in the world. Good looks do not... Read more →