"Two wrongs don't make a right."
Meaning: When someone has done something bad to you, trying to get revenge will only make things worse.
"A hungry man is an angry man."
Meaning: A person who does not get what he wants or needs is a frustrated person and will be easily provoked to rage.
"Marry in haste, and repent at leisure."
Meaning: If we get married quickly, without thinking carefully, we may be sorry later. And we will have plenty of time to be sorry.
"Honesty is the best policy."
Meaning: Don't lie.
Don't bark if you can't bite.
Meaning: Don't complain if you can't enforce your point of view.
"No man is an island."
Meaning: You can't live completely independently. Everyone needs help from other people.
"Where there's a will there's a way"
Meaning: When a person really wants to do something, he will find a way of doing it.
"Live and let live."
Meaning: we should not interfere in other people's business. We should live our own lives and let others live their lives.
"Empty vessels make the most noise"
Meaning: Those people who have a little knowledge usually talk the most and make the greatest fuss.
"If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."
Meaning: Don't trust other people to do important things for you. You have to do things yourself to control the quality of the results.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Meaning: Don't try to improve something that already works fairly well. You'll probably end up causing new problems.
"Barking dogs seldom bite."
Meaning: Those who make loud threats seldom carry them out.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
Meaning: Different people have different ideas about what's beautiful.
"Between the devil and the deep sea."
Meaning: To choose between two equally bad alternatives in a serious dilemma.
"People who live in glass houses should not throw stones."
Meaning: Don't criticize other people if you're not perfect yourself.
"An idle brain is the devil's workshop."
Meaning: One who has nothing to do will be tempted to do many mischievous acts.
"Charity begins at home."
Meaning: A person's first obligation should be to help the member of his own family before he can begin thinking of talking about helping others.
"First come, first served."
Meaning: The first in line will be attended to first.
"The early bird catches the worm."
Meaning: You should wake up and start work early if you want to succeed.
"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."
Meaning: If you try to help someone, but they don't take your advice or offers, give up. You can't force someone to accept your help.
"A bad tree does not yield good apples."
Meaning: A bad parent does not raise good children.
"The best things in life are free."
Meaning: We don't have to pay for the things that are really valuable, like love, friendship and good health.
"A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on."
Meaning: A verbal contract is completely useless.
"Great minds think alike."
Meaning: Wise people will normally think and behave alike in certain situations.
"Faint heart never won fair lady."
Meaning: To succeed in life one must have the courage to pursue what he wants.
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch."
Meaning: Your plans might not work out, so don't start thinking about what you'll do after you succeed. Wait until you've already succeeded, and then you can think about what to do next.
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder."
Meaning: One usually desires another more when he or she is far away.
"There's no time like the present."
Meaning: If you need to do something, don't wait until later. Do it now.
"Still waters run deep."
Meaning: One who is usually silent and goes about his business quietly may be a very wise person.
"Don't bite the hand that feeds you."
Meaning: If someone's paying you or helping you out, you have to be careful not to make them angry or say bad things about them.
"Practice makes perfect."
Meaning: You have to practice a skill a lot to become good at it.
"A man is as old as he feels."
Meaning: A person's age is immaterial - it is only when he thinks and feels that he is ageing that he actually becomes old.
"Beggars can't be choosers."
Meaning: If you're asking for a favour from someone else, you have to take whatever they give you.
"No news is good news."
Meaning: When there is no news, it is likely that everything is all right.
"You can't always get what you want."
Meaning: Don't whine and complain if you don't get what you wanted.
"God helps those who help themselves."
Meaning: Don't just wait for good things to happen to you. Work hard to achieve your goals.
"Necessity is the mother of invention."
Meaning: When a person is in great need of something, he will find a way of getting it.
"Speech is silver, silence is golden"
Meaning: Talk may be beneficial, but sometimes acquiescence may be the best option to take.
"Eat to live, but do not live to eat."
Meaning: Man was created for a divine purpose and he has a destiny with his Creator - he was not born just to enjoy food.
"There's no place like home."
Meaning: Your own home is the most comfortable place to be.
"Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."
Meaning: Bad things might happen, so be prepared.
"Great talkers are little doers."
Meaning: Those people who talk a lot and are always teaching others usually do not do much work.
"Better late than never."
Meaning: To do something that is right, profitable, or good a little late is still better than not doing it at all.
"All that glitters is not gold."
Meaning: Do not be deceived by things or offers that appear to be attractive.
"Every one can find fault, few can do better."
Meaning: It is easier to find fault in other people's actions or methods than to do it properly or correctly.
"Fire is a good servant but a bad master."
Meaning: Fire, like any other man made tool or device, will serve man well only when it is controlled and used wisely.
"Rotten apple spoils the barrel."
Meaning: A dishonest or immoral person can have a bad influence on a group.
"Blood is thicker than water."
Meaning: Family relationship is stronger than others.
"Don't judge a book by its cover."
Meaning: Don't judge by appearances or Don't use looks as the criteria to assess someone.
"Art is long, life is short."
Meaning: Life is too short to learn all the art in this world.
"Fortune favours the bold."
Meaning: People who bravely go after what they want are more successful than people who try to live safely.
"Discretion is the greater part of valour."
Meaning: Sometimes it's important to know when to give up and run away, instead of always acting brave and may be getting hurt.
"You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."
Meaning: When you try to do something great, you'll probably make a few people annoyed or angry. Don't worry about those people; just focus on the good results.
"Cleanliness is next to godliness."
Meaning: Be clean. God likes that.
"A penny saved is a penny earned."
Meaning: Save your money. Saving money is just like making money.
"Two heads are better than one."
Meaning: When two people cooperate with each other, they come up with better ideas.
"Justice delayed is justice denied."
Meaning: If the law is applied too late, there is no justice.
"Knowledge is power."
Meaning: It is easier to make progress or be successful if you are educated or possess a lot of information.
"Friend's eye is a good mirror."
Meaning: A real friend will tell you the truth.
"Stolen fruit is sweet / the sweetest Stolen pleasures are the sweetest."
Meaning: What is forbidden is the most tempting.
"Variety is the spice of life."
Meaning: Doing a lot of different things makes life more interesting.
"The squeaky wheel gets the grease."
Meaning: You can get better service if you complain about something. If you wait patiently, no one's going to help you.
"The pen is mightier than the sword."
Meaning: Trying to convince people with ideas and words is more effective than trying to force people to do what you want.
"Birds of a feather flock together."
Meaning: People like to spend time with others who are similar to them.
"Every cloud has a silver lining."
Meaning: There is a positive or hopeful side to every situation.
"Experience is the father of wisdom."
Meaning: Experience and knowledge result in better judgement.
"Dead men tell no lies."
Meaning: A dead person cannot cause difficulties by revealing something that it would be preferable to conceal.
"Diseases of the soul are more dangerous than those of the body."
Meaning: Thought to refer to mental and emotional disorder or spiritual torment as opposed to bodily pain.
"Every dog has its day"
Meaning: Everyone will get a period of success or satisfaction during his lifetime.
"You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."
Meaning: If you help me, I'll help you.
"Closed mouth catches no flies."
Meaning: If you learn when to keep silent you will avoid trouble.
"Death is the great leveller."
Meaning: All people are equal when they die.
"Every rose has its thorn."
Meaning: Every good thing has an unpleasant side.
"Failure teaches success."
Meaning: People can learn from their failures and be successful later on.
"Grasp all, lose all."
Meaning: Trying to obtain everything will often result in gaining nothing.
"He laughs best who laughs last."
Meaning: Don't express your joy, or triumph, too soon.
"Hunger is a good sauce."
Meaning: All food tastes good when you are hungry.
"Haste makes waste."
Meaning: If something is done too quickly, it may be done carelessly and need to be redone.
"Ignorance is bliss."
Meaning: Possible interpretation: what you do not know causes no worry or sadness.
"Familiarity breeds contempt."
Meaning: When you're around someone for too long, you get tired of them and annoyed by them.
"As you sow, so you shall reap."
Meaning: One will either enjoy or suffer the consequences of his earlier actions or inactions.
"Never trouble troubles until troubles trouble you."
Meaning: Don't look for problems in advance; deal with them when they arise.
"A new broom sweeps clean."
Meaning: A newly-appointed person makes changes energetically.
"Out of sight, out of mind."
Meaning: We tend to forget people or things that we do not see.
"Pride comes before a fall."
Meaning: Don't be too self-confident or proud; something may happen to make you look foolish.
"Spare the rod and spoil the child."
Meaning: If you don't punish a child when he does wrong, you will spoil his character.
"A great talker is a great liar."
Meaning: A smooth and persuasive talker may be a good liar.
"Habit is second nature."
Meaning: An act done repeatedly and often enough will sooner or later become a habit or second nature.
"Let sleeping dogs lie."
Meaning: One should preferably avoid discussing issues that are likely to create trouble.
"Once bitten twice shy."
Meaning: If a person has been tricked once he will more be careful and alert the next time.
"Strike while the iron is hot."
Meaning: Seize a good opportunity as quickly as possible.
"There's no smoke without fire."
Meaning: Rumours do not spread unless there is some element of truth in them.
"The sky is the limit."
Meaning: There is no upper limit to something.
"Money is the root of all evil."
Meaning: Crimes and wickedness are associated with money.
"Truth is stranger than fiction."
Meaning: Real life can be more incredible than anything which can be imagined.
"Cut your coat according to your cloth."
Meaning: Live within your income; don't be too ambitious in your plans.
"Better be safe than sorry."
Meaning: It is wise to take precautions rather than be upset that you did not prepare for an eventuality after something has happened.
"A tree is known by its fruit."
Meaning: A person is judged by their actions.
"Unwillingness easily finds an excuse."
Meaning: A person who doesn't want to do something always finds a reason to avoid it.
"When the cat's away, the mice play."
Meaning: People sometimes misbehave when the person in authority, is absent.
"Bitter pills may have blessed effects."
Meaning: Something may be unpleasant or painful, but it can help you in the long run.
"Brain is better than brawn."
Meaning: Intelligence is more valuable than physical strength.
"Comparisons are odious."
Meaning: It is bad to compare people to one another.
"Danger and delight grow on the same stalk."
Meaning: Some pleasures will lead you to danger.