Extras 6. English proverbs

Question 1

A stitch in time saves nine

Answer 1

If you sort out a problem immediately it may save extra work later.

Question 2

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Answer 2

You feel more affection for people when you have been away from them

Question 3

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

Answer 3

Children are similar to their parents

Question 4

Actions speak louder than words

Answer 4

What people do shows their true feelings, rather than what they might say

Question 5

Slow and steady wins the race

Answer 5

If you work slowly but consistently, you will do better than if you try to work quickly and rush something

Question 6

A watched pot never boils

Answer 6

Time goes slowly if you are just waiting for something to happen.

Question 7

Beggars can’t be choosers

Answer 7

When you ask for help, you should be happy with any help that you get, even if it isn’t exactly what you wanted

Question 8

Better late than never

Answer 8

It is better to do something late than never do it

Question 9

Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves

Answer 9

If you’re careful to save small amounts of money, you’ll soon have a large amount of it

Question 10

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Answer 10

Different people have different opinions on whether something is good or not

Question 11

You can’t have your cake and eat it

Answer 11

You can’t have all the good things in a situation where having one good thing means you can’t have the other.

For example, Brian wants to go to football training. But training is at the weekends, and he doesn’t want to do anything at the weekend.

Question 12

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch

Answer 12

Don’t rely on something that hasn’t already happened.

Question 13

Don’t judge a book by its cover

Answer 13

Don’t decide if something or someone is good or not from how it looks

Question 14

Many hands make light work

Answer 14

A task is finished quicker if lots of people help out.

Question 15

Necessity is the mother of invention

Answer 15

When you really need something to happen, you are forced to find a way to make it happen

Question 16

Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket

Answer 16

Don’t only try really hard, or focus, on one thing, because if it doesn’t work out then you’ll be left with nothing

Question 17

If you play with fire, you’ll get burned

Answer 17

If you get involved with something dangerous, you may hurt yourself or get in trouble

Question 18

Don’t cry over spilt milk

Answer 18

Don’t waste time worrying about things that have happened in the past and can’t be changed

Question 19

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones

Answer 19

Don’t criticise other people about faults/problems that you also have.

Question 20

Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise

Answer 20

Getting enough sleep will help you be successful in life.

Question 21

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

Answer 21

If you don’t take time for a break, it will make you bored and boring

Question 22

The early bird catches the worm

Answer 22

If you try and do something as early as possible, you will have an advantage over others

Question 23

Look before you leap

Answer 23

Don’t do things without considering the consequences

Question 24

A friend in need is a friend indeed

Answer 24

A person who helps you at a difficult time is a person you can really rely on

Question 25

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks

Answer 25

It can be hard to get people to try a new way of doing things, especially if they have done it a certain way for a long time

Question 26

Too many cooks spoil the broth

Answer 26

If too many people are involved in an activity, it will not be done well

Question 27

Jack of all trades, master of none

Answer 27

Describes someone who tries to do too many things and never becomes good at any of them

Question 28

The grass is always greener on the other side

Answer 28

Other people’s lives or situations always seem better than your own

Question 29

Every cloud has a silver lining

Answer 29

No matter how bad a situation may seem, there is always something good that can come out of it

Question 30

More haste, less speed

Answer 30

You’ll make better progress with a task if you don’t try to do it too quickly

Question 31

Never look a gift horse in the mouth

Answer 31

If someone gives you a present, don’t think about how much it costs

Question 32

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link

Answer 32

A group or team is only as good as its weakest member

Question 33

There’s no such thing as a free lunch

Answer 33

You can never get something for nothing

Question 34

Two heads are better than one

Answer 34

It can be helpful to get advice or an opinion from another person

Question 35

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink

Answer 35

You can give someone an opportunity, but you can’t force them to take it

Question 36

When in Rome, do as the Romans

Answer 36

When you are visiting another place, you should follow their rules

Question 37

When the going gets tough, the tough get going

Answer 37

When things become difficult, the strong people will manage to get through it

Question 38

No man is an island

Answer 38

No one can do everything on their own - everyone relies on other people to help them

Question 39

Birds of a feather flock together

Answer 39

People who are similar, or who have similar interests, are more likely to become friends

Question 40

Rome wasn’t built in a day

Answer 40

If you want to achieve something big, you need to realise it will take a long time