| Proverb | Explanation / Meaning | |
| A | Absence makes the heart grow fonder. | When you are away from someone you love, you love them even more. |
| Accidents will happen. | Some unfortunate events must be accepted as inevitable. | |
| Actions speak louder than words. | What a person actually does is more important that what they say they will do. | |
| Advice is cheap. | It doesn't cost anything to offer advice. | |
| Advice is least heeded when most needed. | When a problem is serious, people often do not follow the advice given. | |
| Advisers run no risks. | It's easier to give advice than to act. | |
| All cats are grey in the dark. | People are undistinguished until they have made a name. | |
| All good things come to those who wait. | Patience brings rewards. | |
| All that glitters is not gold. | Appearances can be deceptive. | |
| All days are short to Industry and long to Idleness. | Time goes by slowly when you have nothing to do. | |
| All is fair in love and war | Things that are done in love or war can often be excused. | |
| All's well that ends well | There is a solution to everything even though there are doubts. | |
| All that glitters is not gold. | What look good on the outside may not be so in reality. | |
| All things grow with time - except grief. | As time goes by, grief subsides little by little. | |
| All things are difficult before they are easy. | With practice things become easier. | |
| All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. | Everybody needs a certain amount of relaxation. It is not good to work all the time. | |
| An apple a day keeps the doctor away.* | Eating an apple every day can help to keep you healthy. Other interpretation : A small preventive treatment wards off serious problems. | |
| An empty purse frightens away friends. | When one's financial situation deteriorates, friends tend to disappear. | |
| An Englishman's home is his castle. | An Englishman's home is a place where he feels safe, enjoys privacy and can do as he wishes. | |
| An idle brain is the devil's workshop. | When you work you avoid temptation. | |
| An onion a day keeps everyone away.* | *A humoristic version of "an apple a day..." | |
| An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. | It is easier to prevent something from happening than to repair the damage or cure the disease later. | |
| Anger is the one thing made better by delay. | When you are angry, it is best not to speak or act immediately. | |
| Any time means no time. | If the date of an event remains vague, it will never happen. | |
| April showers bring May flowers. | Something bad or unpleasant today may bring good things in the future. | |
| A bad tree does not yield good apples. | A bad parent does not raise good children. | |
| A bad workman blames his tools. | Blaming the tools for bad workmanship is an excuse for lack of skill. | |
| A bird in hand is worth two in a bush. | It's better to keep what you have than to risk losing it by searching for something better. | |
| A broken friendship may be soldered but will never be sound. | Friendships can be rebuilt after a dispute but will never be as strong as before. | |
| A burden of one's own choice is not felt. | Something difficult seems easier when it is done voluntarily. | |
| A burnt child dreads the fire. | A bad experience will make people stay away from certain things. | |
| A cat has nine lives. | 1) Cats can survive many accidents because they land on their feet without injury. 2) Three lives = 3 years to play, 3 years to stray, 3 years to stay. | |
| A chain is no stronger than its weakest link. | The strength of a group depends on each individual member. | |
| A change is as good as a rest. | A change in routine is often as refreshing as a break or a holiday. | |
| A dry March, a wet April and a cool May fill barn and cellar and bring much hay. | Harvest predictions according to the weather. | |
| A fault confessed is half redressed. | Confession is the beginning of forgiveness. | |
| A flower blooms more than once. | If you miss an occasion, you can avail of it at another time. | |
| A fool and his money are soon (easily) parted. | A foolish person usually spends money carelessly. | |
| A fool at forty is a fool forever. | If a person hasn't matured by the age of 40, they never will. | |
| A friend in need is a friend indeed. | Someone who helps you when you are in trouble is a real friend. | |
| A friend to all is a friend to none. | Someone who is a friend to everyone makes none of them feel special. | |
| A friend's eye is a good mirror. | A real friend will tell you the truth. | |
| A good example is the best sermon. | Giving an example is better than giving advice. | |
| A good beginning makes a good end. | If a task is carefully planned, there's a better chance that it will be done well. | |
| A good conscience is a soft pillow. | You sleep well when you have nothing to feel guilty about. | |
| A guilty conscience needs no accuser. | ||
| A leopard cannot change its spots. | It is not possible for a bad or unpleasant person to become good or pleasant. | |
| A loaded wagon makes no noise. | Really wealthy don't talk about money. | |
| A loveless life is a living death. | ||
| A man can die but once. | ||
| A man is as old as he feels himself to be. | ||
| A man is known by the company he keeps. | A person's character is judged by the type of people with whom they spend their time. | |
| A monkey in silk is a monkey no less. | No matter how someone dresses, it's the same person underneath. | |
| A new broom sweeps clean. | A newly-appointed person makes changes energetically. | |
| A problem shared is a problem halved. | It will be easier to deal with a problem if you discuss it with someone. | |
| A rising tide lifts all boats. | Describes something that will be helpful to all. | |
| A rolling stone gathers no moss. | If a person keeps moving from place to place, they gain neither friends nor possessions. Another interpretation is that, by moving often, one avoids being tied down! | |
| A rotten apple spoils the barrel. | A dishonest or immoral person can have a bad influence on a group. | |
| A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner. | Overcoming adversity leads to competence. | |
| A stitch in time saves nine. | It's better to deal with a problem at an early stage, to prevent it from getting worse. | |
| A stumble may prevent a fall. | Correcting a small mistake may help you to avoid making a bigger one. | |
| A swallow does not make the summer. | One good event does not mean that everything is alright. | |
| A tree is known by its fruit. | A man is judged by his actions. | |
| A watched pot never boils | If you wait anxiously for something, it seems to take a long time. | |
| A young idler, an old beggar. | If you don't work, you won't have any money when you're old. | |
| After dinner rest a while, after supper walk a mile. | Today 'dinner' is usually called 'lunch', and 'supper' more often called 'dinner'. | |
| As you sow, so shall you reap | You have to accept the consequences of your actions. | |
| Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies. | There are subjects I'd rather not discuss. | |
| B | Bad news travels fast. | People tend to circulate bad news (accidents, illness etc.) very quickly. |
| Beauty is only skin deep. | A person's character is more important than their appearance. | |
| Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. | Different people have different tastes. | |
| Beauty is the wisdom of women. Wisdom is the beauty of men. | ||
| Be swift to hear, slow to speak. | Listen carefully before speaking. | |
| Better be alone than in bad company. | Be careful in the choice of the people you associate with. | |
| Better be the head of a dog then the tail of a lion. | It's better to be the leader of a small group than a subordinate in a bigger one. | |
| Better flatter a fool than fight him. | It's better to avoid disputes with stupid people. | |
| Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know | It's better to deal with somebody difficult but familiar, than change and risk dealing with somebody worse. | |
| Better late than never. | It's better to do something, even if it's late, than not do it at all. | |
| Better lose the saddle than the horse. | It's better to stop and accept a small loss, rather than continue and risk losing everything. | |
| Better safe than sorry | It's better to be too careful than to be careless and regret it later. | |
| Better to drink the milk than to eat the cow. | Be careful not to destroy the source of your income or welfare. | |
| Better untaught than ill-taught | It's better not to be taught at all than to be taught badly. | |
| Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. | Don't trust your enemies. | |
| Birds of a feather flock together. | People of the same sort are usually found together. | |
| Blood is thicker than water | Family relationships are stronger than relationships with other people. | |
| Blood will out. | A person's background or education will eventually show. | |
| C | Charity begins at home. | A person's first duty is to help and care for his own family. |
| Children and fools tell the truth. | ||
| Cleanliness is next to godliness. | A clean body is just as important as a pure soul. | |
| Clear moon, frost soon. | If the atmosphere is clear, frost may form. | |
| Clothes don't make the man. | Appearances can be deceiving. | |
| Constant occupation prevents temptation. | When you work you avoid temptation. | |
| D | Dead men tell no tales | A dead person cannot cause difficulties by revealing something that it would be preferable to conceal. |
| Diamond cuts diamond. | Refers to two people equally matched in wit or cunning. | |
| Diligence is the mother of good fortune. | Hard work brings rewards. | |
| Discretion is the better part of valour | It is useless to take unnecessary risks. | |
| Diseases of the soul are more dangerous than those of the body. | ||
| Distance makes the heart grow fonder. | When you are separated from the person you love, your feelings are even stronger. | |
| Dogs of the same street bark alike. | People from the same background have the same behaviour. | |
| Don't bark if you can't bite. | Don't complain if you can't enforce your point of view. | |
| Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. | You must not be too confident that something will be successful. | |
| Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork. | Don't do something yourself which causes your own downfall. | |
| Don't judge a book by its cover. | Don't judge by appearances. | |
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