The proper study of mankind is man
Taken from the poet Alexander Pope's Essay on Man (1733), this proverb means that our thinking and study should be devoted primarily to... Read more →
Proverbs starting with letter P
The proof of the pudding is in the eating
A pudding is intended for only one purpose; to be eaten. Only by eating it can we prove its excellence – or lack of it. In the same way, we... Read more →
Promises are like pie-crust, made to be broken
That is the trouble with promises; so often they are made and never kept. 'A man apt to promise,' wrote Thomas Fuller, ' is apt to... Read more →
Procrastination is the thief of time
To procrastinate is to delay, to put off doing something. Procrastinating – deferring things from day to day – wastes a lot of time and... Read more →
Prevention is better than cure
It is better to take precautions against a thing happening than to have to repair the damage after it has occurred. For example, if a bicycle... Read more →
Praise without profit puts little in the pot
Flattery does not fill the belly, and when people speak kindly of what you have done, it is of no real advantage to you unless they show their... Read more →
Praise makes good men better and bed men worse
Praise is encouragement, so to praise a good man is to encourage him in rectitude, and to praise a bad man is to encourage him in wickedness.
Practise what you preach
Here 'practise' means 'carry out in action'. The moral is: Behave in the same way as you advice others to behave. Do not recommend early rising... Read more →
Practice makes perfect
Only by doing a thing again and again can you attain skill or efficiency. A professional juggler does not learn to balance three billiards balls... Read more →
Poverty is no sin
It is not a crime to be poor. That, however, does not make it any easier to put up with. 'Poverty is no disgrace to a man,' said Sydney Smith,... Read more →