PROVERB

a short, well-known saying, stating a general truth or piece of advice.

Absence makes the Being away from “I used to hate going to

heart grow fonder someone or something my aunt’s house, but
for a period of time now I kind of miss it.
makes you appreciate Absence makes the
that person or thing heart grow fonder.”
more when you see
them or it again
Actions speak louder What you do is more “Don’t just tell me you’re
than words. important than what you going to change. Do it!
say Actions speak louder
than words.”
A journey of a You must begin “If you want to lose
thousand miles begins something if you hope to weight, you need to stop
with a single step finish it; something that eating junk, and you
takes a long time to need to start exercising.
finish begins with one Today. Not tomorrow. A
step journey of a thousand
miles begins with a
single step.”
All good things must “I wish this vacation
come to an end would go on forever. It’s
Everything ends; good
too bad that all good
times don’t last forever
things must come to an
end.”
A picture is worth a An image can tell a story “I wasn’t sure that he
thousand words better than words loved her, but then I saw
them hugging at the
airport. A picture is worth
a thousand words.”
A watched pot never “I know you think he’s
boils going to be a great guitar
If something takes time
player one day, but stop
to do, it doesn’t help to
criticizing him so much.
constantly check on it.
He just started taking
You just have to give it
lessons two weeks ago!
time.
A watched pot never
boils.”
Beggars can’t be If you’re in a bad “I was unemployed, and
choosers situation and someone they offered me a job
offers to help you, you cleaning prison toilets. I
have to take whatever didn’t like the job, but I
they give you and accepted it. Beggars
shouldn’t ask for more can’t be choosers.”
Beauty is in the eye of What is “beautiful” is “I think their house is
the beholder ugly, but they seem to
different for each person like it. Beauty is in the
eye of the beholder.”
Better late than never “Hello, Mr. Jameson.
It’s better to finish
Here is my final essay.
something late than to
Better late than never,
never do it at all
right?”
Birds of a feather flock “I think we all started
together People who are similar hanging out because we
spend time together all liked anime. Birds of a
feather flock together.”

P R O V E R B Cleanliness is next to godliness

M E A N I N G It’s good to be clean. God is clean, and you should be too.
11 EXAMPLE
“Go take a shower before your date. You know what they
say; cleanliness is next to godliness.”
P R O V E R B Don’t bite the hand that feeds you
Don’t make someone angry or hurt someone who is helping
MEANING
12 you or paying for you
“You had a fight with your boss? Are you stupid? Don’t bite
EXAMPLE
the hand that feeds you.”
P R O V E R B Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
M E A N I N G Don’t expect a positive result before you actually see it
13 A: “This idea is going to make me millions of dollars!”
E X A M P L E B: “Whoa. Let’s slow down. Don’t count your chickens before
they hatch.”
P R O V E R B Don’t judge a book by its cover
M E A N I N G Don’t judge someone or something by appearance alone
14 EXAMPLE
“Racism is still a problem today, and it will continue to be
that way until we learn not to judge a book by its cover.”
P R O V E R B Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket
Don’t put all of your hopes and resources into one goal or
MEANING
dream
15 “I know you really want to be an actor, but don’t you think
E X A M P L E you’re being financially irresponsible? Don’t put all of your
eggs in one basket.”
P R O V E R B Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today
If you can do something today, do it. Don’t wait until
MEANING
tomorrow; don’t procrastinate.
16 “You have 6 hours of free time now. You should start on that
E X A M P L E final psychology assignment. Don’t put off until tomorrow
what you can do today.”
P R O V E R B Don’t put too many irons in the fire
 Don’t try to do too many things at the same time; focus on
MEANING
one thing at a time
17 E X A M P L E “No wonder you’re exhausted. You’re trying to work 4 jobs at
the same time! You have too many irons in the fire right
now.”
PROVERB Easy come, easy go
When you make money quickly, it’s very easy to lose it
MEANING
quickly as well
18 “I won $200 at the casino, and then I spent it on a very
EXAMPLE expensive meal for me and some friends. Easy come, easy
go.”
PROVERB Fortune favors the bold
People who are brave and who take risks are more
19 M E A N I N G successful than people who are do things safely all the time
“It’s a risk, but the reward could be great. I say you go for it.
EXAMPLE
Fortune favors the bold.”
PROVERB God helps those who help themselves
Don’t just wait for good things to happen to you. Work hard
MEANING
to make them happen
20 “If you want a better life, you can’t just sit on your butt
EXAMPLE thinking about it. You have to work to make it happen. God
helps those who help themselves.”
PROVERB Good things come to those who wait
MEANING If you are patient, good things can happen
21 E X A M P L E “I know you’re hungry, but stop being so impatient. We just
ordered our food. Good things come to those who wait.”
PROVERB Honesty is the best policy
MEANING It’s always better to tell the truth than it is to lie
22 E X A M P L E “If you want people to trust you, you need to be honest with
them. Honesty is the best policy.”
PROVERB Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
In any situation, be optimistic about the result, but always be
MEANING
ready for the worst outcome
23 “We’re going on vacation next week. It’s supposed to rain a
EXAMPLE lot, so we’re bringing our umbrellas and a bunch of board
games. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.”
PROVERB If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
If something is already working well, don’t try to change it or
24 M E A N I N G improve it
“Why are you trying to upgrade your PC again? It was
EXAMPLE
working fine before. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
PROVERB If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em
If you can’t change someone’s behavior or opinion,
MEANING
sometimes it’s better or easier to do what they want to do
25 “I told Mark that we needed to study, but he kept playing
EXAMPLE video games. Eventually I gave up and just played video
games too. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”
PROVERB If you play with fire, you’ll get burned
 If you get involved in something dangerous or beyond your
MEANING abilities, you will probably experience negative
26 consequences
“Don’t make him angry. If you play with fire, you’ll get
EXAMPLE
burned.”
If you want something done right, you have to do it
PROVERB
yourself
Don’t depend on someone else to do a good job; do it
27 M E A N I N G yourself
“I asked my roommate to wash the dishes, but they ended
EXAMPLE up super filthy! I guess it’s true what they say: if you want
something done right, you have to do it yourself.”
PROVERB Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer
If someone is your enemy, treat them like a friend so you
MEANING
can be ready if they ever try to betray you
“We don’t trust each other, but we have to be nice to each
28 other because we work for the same company. I’m worried
EXAMPLE about him stealing my promotion, so I’m going to keep being
nice to him. Keep your friends close, but your enemies
closer, and all that.”
PROVERB Knowledge is power
The more you know, the more powerful you can be in
MEANING
different areas of your life
29 “When we were kids, our parents taught us how to swim.
EXAMPLE That knowledge helped me to save my cousin’s life when he
was 5 years old. Knowledge is power.”
PROVERB Laughter is the best medicine.
When you’re in a difficult situation, laughing can make it
30 M E A N I N G easier to get through that situation
“I’m sorry to hear about your dog. Want to watch a funny
EXAMPLE
movie? Sometimes, laughter is the best medicine.”
PROVERB Like father, like son
Said when a son is similar to his father; also, “Like mother,
31 M E A N I N G like daughter”
“Ryan started playing hockey at a very young age. He’s just
EXAMPLE
like his dad. Like father, like son.”
PROVERB No man is an island
No one is truly capable of living alone. We need human
32 M E A N I N G connection to be healthy
“You can’t just abandon your friends and family. No man is
EXAMPLE
an island.”
People who live in glass houses should not throw
33 P R O V E R B stones
Don’t criticize someone if you’re not perfect either; don’t be a
MEANING
hyprocrite
EXAMPLE “Why are you always bothering her about being addicted to
her phone? You’ve been smoking for 20 years and haven’t
been able to give it up. People who live in glass houses
 should not throw stones.”
PROVERB Practice makes perfect
MEANING The more you do something, the better you will become at it
34 E X A M P L E “Don’t give up on learning the violin. Practice makes
perfect.”
PROVERB The early bird gets the worm
People who wake up early or who get to places early have a
35 M E A N I N G better chance of success
“I got to the ticket office before anyone else. I got front row
EXAMPLE
seats to the show! The early bird gets the worm.”