Английские пословицы и поговорки с объяснением их употребления на английском языке. A - D

	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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