Proverbs 1 Flashcards
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
it’s better to keep what you have than risk it for more | “He decided not to sell his reliable car for an expensive one
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link
a group is only as strong as its weakest member | “The team needs everyone to perform well because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”
A fool and his money are soon parted
people who spend carelessly lose money quickly | “He wasted all his lottery winnings because a fool and his money are soon parted.”
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
great things start with small actions | “If you want to learn piano
A leopard doesn’t change its spots
people don’t change their true nature | “I doubt he’ll be more responsible; a leopard doesn’t change its spots.”
Actions speak louder than words
what you do is more important than what you say | “She says she cares
All good things must come to an end
nothing lasts forever | “The vacation was wonderful
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
eating healthy prevents illness | “Start eating more fruits; an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
preventing problems is better than fixing them | “Install antivirus software; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Beggars can’t be choosers
accept what is given when you have no other options | “I wanted a better job offer
Better late than never
it’s better to do something late than not at all | “He finally apologized; better late than never.”
Better safe than sorry
it’s better to be cautious than take risks | “Bring your umbrella; better safe than sorry.”
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you
don’t harm those who help you | “You shouldn’t criticize your boss; don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
don’t assume success before it happens | “She started spending her bonus before receiving it—don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
Don’t judge a book by its cover
appearances can be deceiving | “He looked unfriendly
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
don’t risk everything on one venture | “You should diversify your investments; don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy
wealthy
Every cloud has a silver lining
there’s something good in every bad situation | “Losing the job was tough
Failing to plan is planning to fail
preparation is essential for success | “Write out your goals; failing to plan is planning to fail.”
Fortune favors the brave
taking risks often leads to success | “He invested in his dream business
Good things come to those who wait
patience leads to rewards | “Be patient with your goals; good things come to those who wait.”
Haste makes waste
rushing leads to mistakes | “Slow down and do it right—haste makes waste.”
Honesty is the best policy
it’s always better to be truthful | “Tell the truth in your application; honesty is the best policy.”
If it ain’t broke
don’t fix it
If the shoe fits
wear it
It takes two to tango
both sides are responsible | “They’re both to blame; it takes two to tango.”
Knowledge is power
having knowledge makes you powerful | “Keep learning; knowledge is power.”
Laughter is the best medicine
humor can heal | “Whenever I’m stressed
Look before you leap
think carefully before making decisions | “He rushed into the deal without checking—look before you leap.”
Make hay while the sun shines
take advantage of good conditions | “Summer won’t last forever; make hay while the sun shines.”
Many hands make light work
teamwork makes tasks easier | “Let’s all help; many hands make light work.”
Necessity is the mother of invention
challenges inspire creativity | “He built a new tool because necessity is the mother of invention.”
No pain
no gain
Once bitten
twice shy
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure
what’s useless to one person may be valuable to another | “I found a great chair at the flea market—one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Out of sight
out of mind
Practice makes perfect
repetition leads to mastery | “Keep practicing your piano; practice makes perfect.”
Prevention is better than cure
it’s easier to avoid problems than fix them | “Exercise regularly—prevention is better than cure.”
Rome wasn’t built in a day
great things take time | “Learning a language is tough
Still waters run deep
quiet people often have deep thoughts | “He doesn’t say much
Strike while the iron is hot
take advantage of opportunities quickly | “They launched the product right after the announcement—strike while the iron is hot.”
The early bird catches the worm
those who act quickly get rewards | “Wake up early; the early bird catches the worm.”
The grass is always greener on the other side
people think others have it better | “She wants a new job
The pen is mightier than the sword
writing is more powerful than fighting | “They used protests
Time and tide wait for no man
time moves forward
Too many cooks spoil the broth
too many people involved can ruin something | “We need a smaller team—too many cooks spoil the broth.”
Two heads are better than one
collaboration leads to better results | “Let’s work on this together; two heads are better than one.”
What goes around comes around
your actions will return to you | “He treated people poorly
When in Rome
do as the Romans do
Where there’s a will
there’s a way
You can’t have your cake and eat it too
you can’t enjoy two conflicting benefits | “You can’t spend all your money and save it—choose one.”
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks
it’s hard to change habits | “He won’t use new technology—you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
