A bad shearer never had a good sickle
Good workmanship depends no more on the quality of the tools than it does on the way in which they are used, so to blame the tools for the bad workmanship... more →
The blacksmith has a piece of iron which he wishes to make into some useful article. For this purpose he puts it in a bed of burning coals, which we kept alive and glowing by a huge pair of bellows. The iron, after awhile, becomes so hot that it is as soft as lead, and is easily hammered into any shape that is desired. The blacksmith now draws it from the fire with his tongs, places it on his anvil, and while it remains hot, strikes with his hammer upon it as fast as he can, as it grows cooler and. harder every moment it is out of the fire. Whatever is done, must be done while the iron is hot, otherwise all his hammering will prove of no avail. Read More →
Good workmanship depends no more on the quality of the tools than it does on the way in which they are used, so to blame the tools for the bad workmanship... more →
If we try to get rid of a counterfeit coin by passing it off upon somebody else, sooner or later it will find the way back into our pocket. Figuratively a... more →
By this we mean that bad news nearly always reaches as more quickly than good news. The old version of the proverb is Ill news comes apace.
It is what we do that really matters, not just what we say. In Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha, Hiawatha answers the mighty and bragging... more →
Used by Sir Walter Scott in 1823 and still in common use in modern times, this proverb has a general application and means that even the most efficient... more →
Choose the less bad thing of a pair of bad things. ‘When compelled to chose one of two evils,’ wrote Socrates, ‘no one will chose the... more →
Do it yourself. Don’t always expect others to help you. Be self-reliant.
It is also the art of hoping. We must be patient and not despair.
A sarcastic way of saying: ‘That’s old news. I heard that weeks ago.’ The death of Queen Anne was officially hushed up for a while. News... more →