Proverbs Flashcards
Any port in a storm
in an emergency, we’ll accept help from anywhere
a bad penny always turns up
our mistakes return to haunt us; also, nasty people have a way of reappearing
brevity is the soul of wit
intelligent speech and writing should aim to use few words, from Hamlet
the chickens have come home to roost
the consequences of earlier actions are making themselves felt
cold hands, warm heart
cold hands indicate affection, possibly because the emotions affect blood circulation
The course of true love never did runs smooth
true love always encounters difficulties, from Midsummer Night’s Dream
There’s no accounting for taste
When it comes to subjective matters, people have wildly different opinions
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose
even things that are good in themselves (the bible) can be twisted to serve bad purposes, from The Merchant of Venice
Discretion is the better part of valor
Caution is preferable to rash bravery, said by Falstaff in King Henry IV, Part I
Do not cast your pearls before swine
do not waste good things on people who will not appreciate them, came from Jesus warning disciples to preach only to receptive audiences
Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face
don’t engage in an act of anger or revenge that will hurt you more than it hurts anyone else
Don’t hide your light under a bushel
Do not conceal your talents or abilities, Jesus is telling believers to not hide their faith
Don’t lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen
it’s foolish to take precautions after the damage is done
Don’t put the cart before the horse
begin at the proper place, do things in their proper order
East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet
the culture of the West (Europe and America) will always be different than the East (Asia)
Feed a cold, starve a fever
eating will help cure a cold, not eating will help cure a fever
Fish or cut bait
make a decision now, stop hesitating; to cut bait is to stop fishing
a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds
a great person does not have to think consistently from one day to the next, from “Self Reliance”
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
foolish people are often reckless, attempting feels that the wise avoid, from “An Essay on Criticism” by Alexander Pope
For want of a nail the kingdom was lost
something of great importance may depend on an apparently trivial detail; longer version is the loss of a nail in a horseshoe leads to the loss of the horse, then rider, then battle, then kingdom
forewarned is forearmed
those who know something is coming are better prepared to face it than those who do not know
Frailty, thy name is woman!
women are weaker than men, from hamlet
From the sublime to the ridiculous is but a step
In life, things that are noble and magnificent are never far from things that are trivial and laughable, said by Napoleon
the game is not worth the candle
what we would get from the undertaking is not worth the effort, refers to game of cards in which the stakes are smaller than the cost of burning a candle for light to play the game