Proverbs starting with letter W

What may be done at any time is done at no time

This is another way of saying One of these days is none of these days. 'I'll do it one of these days.' This means that you propose to do... Read more →

What man has done, man can do

Once a thing has been done, however difficult or dangerous it may be, it can be done again. Take, for example, the example, the exploration of... Read more →

What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is my own

This is a skit on the quotation from Shakespeare's Measure for Measure: 'What's is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine.' A similar saying... Read more →

What is worth doing is worth doing well

This is treated under If a thing is worth doing it is worth doing well.

What is the good of a sundial in the shade?

A sundial tells the time only when the sun is shining upon it. If it is placed where the sun cannot reach it, it will never tell the time. The... Read more →

What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander

Whether we eat goose or gander, we have the same apple sauce with it, so what is good for one is good for the other. If Barry plays a practical... Read more →

What’s done cannot be undone

It is too late to regret an action after it has been performed. It is no use crying over spilt milk.

What is bred in the bone will never come out of the flesh

This saying is often misquoted and misconstrued. People say, 'What's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh' meaning that a natural... Read more →

What is a workman without his tools

The cleverest of craftsmen cannot make things with his bare hands. Similarly, if we are to undertake a task we must have the means of doing it.

What costs little is little esteemed

We tend to value things by the amount we pay for them, which is not always their true worth. The same article may cost twice as much in the... Read more →