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 →
Proverbs starting with letter G
A growing youth has a wolf in his belly
Young people who are growing fast are hungry all the time. 'If you doubt that a growing youth has a wolf in his belly, you should see how much... Read more →
The greatest talkers are the least doers
Those who talks the most do less than anybody else. This proverb means much the same as Actions speak louder than words and Empty vessels make... Read more →
Great oaks from little acorn grow
Everything has to have a small beginning, so don’t be discouraged by your own 'smallness'. Here is an example of the way in which the proverb... Read more →
A great city, a great solitude
Sometime “loneliness” is used instead of “solitude”. The saying comes to us from Greek. It means that in a large centre of... Read more →
Grasp all, lose all
Don’t be avaricious. If you are too greedy you will lose even what you already have. The dog in the fable was carrying a piece of meat across... Read more →
The grapes are sour
People who cannot get what they want are inclined to pretend that they never wanted it, in order to save face. This comes from the fable of the... Read more →
Good wine needs no bush
High-quality goods need no advertising because people soon get to know about them. In olden days, taverns and private houses where beer or wine... Read more →
A good tale is none the worse for being told twice
Children, in particular, love to hear a story again, however many times they heard it before. ‘Mummy, please tell me the story of the girl who... Read more →
A good name is sooner lost than won
It takes a long time to build up a good reputation, but this reputation is quickly lost by just one crime or piece of bad behaviour.