Proverbs starting with letter N

Needs must when the devil drives

The proverb is similar to Necessity knows no law, but it is also as an excuse for not resisting temptation. 'Needs must'  is used here without... Read more →

Necessity knows no law

The proverb is used to express the idea that when someone is desperate and has no other options, they may be willing to break the law to obtain... Read more →

Necessity is the mother of invention

Here 'mother' means something that gives rise to something else. If we do not really need a thing, the lack of it does not trouble us, but when... Read more →

The nearer the church, the farther from God

This proverb springs from the idea that true religion cannot be satisfactorily organized into a church. It suggests that those most closely... Read more →

Nature abhors a vacuum

This idea was first expressed by Plutarch as early as the first century AD and is much quoted today. It means that any natural deficiency tends... Read more →