List of Dutch Proverbs Sayings
Dutch proverbs and sayings have been a part of Dutch culture for centuries, offering wisdom, humor, and a unique perspective on life. Many of these proverbs and sayings have been passed down through generations and reflect the values and traditions of the Netherlands. Let's explore some of the most popular Dutch proverbs and their meanings.
1. "Een appeltje voor de dorst bewaren."
Translation: "Saving an apple for when you're thirsty."
Meaning: This proverb encourages saving for the future, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for unexpected challenges or needs.
2. "Van een kale kip kan men niet plukken."
Translation: "One can't pluck feathers from a bald chicken."
Meaning: This saying highlights the difficulty of obtaining something from someone who has little or nothing to give, emphasizing the importance of realistic expectations.
3. "De kat uit de boom kijken."
Translation: "Watching the cat out of the tree."
Meaning: This proverb refers to observing a situation before taking action, advising patience and caution in decision-making.
4. "Wie een kuil graaft voor een ander, valt er zelf in."
Translation: "He who digs a pit for another falls into it himself."
Meaning: This warning against causing harm to others reflects the idea that ill intentions can backfire and cause harm to oneself.
These Dutch proverbs and sayings offer valuable insights into the Dutch mindset, providing a glimpse into the culture's emphasis on practicality, observation, and foresight. Whether humorous, cautionary, or instructive, these expressions continue to resonate with people both within and beyond the Netherlands, showcasing the enduring influence of Dutch wisdom.
In conclusion, Dutch proverbs and sayings are an integral part of the country's cultural heritage, serving as timeless sources of guidance and reflection. Their enduring relevance underscores the universal nature of human experiences and the wisdom that transcends borders and time.
Discovering Dutch Proverbs: Wisdom in Short Phrases
Dutch proverbs are little nuggets of wisdom that carry deep meanings. They’re like snippets of advice passed down through generations. Each phrase tells a story, shares a lesson, or paints a picture that reflects Dutch culture. Let's explore some well-known Dutch proverbs and see how they can brighten our understanding of life!
What Are Dutch Proverbs?
Dutch proverbs are traditional sayings that convey wisdom or truths. Think of them as the spice in cooking: they add flavor and depth to everyday conversations. They’re catchy and often metaphorical, making complex ideas easier to grasp. Just like a good story, a proverb can make you laugh, think, or feel.
Famous Dutch Proverbs and Their Meanings
"De appel valt niet ver van de boom."
This popular proverb translates to “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” It suggests that children often resemble their parents, not just in looks but also in behavior and character. Isn’t it funny how traits can repeat through generations? It’s a reminder that family influence shapes who we are.
"Wie niet waagt, die niet wint."
This saying means “Who doesn’t dare, doesn’t win.” It emphasizes the importance of taking risks. Life is full of opportunities, but if you don’t step outside your comfort zone, you’ll never know what you might achieve. Imagine standing at the edge of a diving board; without that leap, you miss out on the splash!
"Beter één vogel in de hand dan tien in de lucht."
Translated as “Better one bird in the hand than ten in the air,” this proverb teaches us to appreciate what we have instead of chasing after unattainable goals. It’s like holding a delicious cupcake in your hand instead of dreaming about an entire bakery. Value what’s real!
"Als de kat van huis is, dansen de muizen op tafel."
This colorful phrase means “When the cat’s away, the mice will dance on the table.” It highlights how people tend to misbehave when authority figures are absent. Picture kids at a sleepover: with no adults around, the rules go out the window, and fun takes over!
The Importance of Proverbs in Dutch Culture
Proverbs are not just sayings; they’re a window into Dutch culture. They reflect values, norms, and the humor of the people. Understanding these phrases can give outsiders a better sense of Dutch identity. Proverbs teach lessons about hard work, family, and community, illustrating what truly matters.
How to Use Dutch Proverbs
Want to sprinkle some Dutch wisdom into your conversations? Start by using proverbs in your daily life. They can be great icebreakers or add flavor to your discussions. For instance, when someone is hesitant to try something new, you could say, “Wie niet waagt, die niet wint.” It’s simple yet effective!
Conclusion: A Treasure of Wisdom
Dutch proverbs are more than just words; they’re a rich part of the culture that provides insights into life’s complexities. They showcase how language can be both playful and profound. So next time you hear a Dutch proverb, think of it as a small piece of advice, tucked into a clever phrase, ready to inspire thought and conversation. Embrace these sayings, and you might find that they resonate with your own experiences!
Do you have any favorite Dutch proverbs or sayings? Feel free to share them in the comments below!
Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. |
Learn who are your friends when you are in need. |
Far fetched and dear bought is meat for ladies. |
You never know what you can do till you try. |
He swims on his own bullrush. |
An egg is an egg, said the boor, and took the goose's egg. |
He that abideth low cannot fall hard. |
The beadle's cow may graze in the churchyard. |
Measure twice, cut once. |
Wake not a sleeping dog. |
Love makes labor light. |
Fine feathers make fine birds. |
If you hear a lot of things, you will hear a lot of lies. |
Daughters are brittle ware. |
If you pull one pig by the tail all the rest squeak. |
By night all cats are grey. |
Men must sail while the wind serveth. |
He that can be patient finds his foe at his feet. |
An honest man's word is his bond. |
The best fodder is the mater's eye. |
Walls have ears. |
He that chases another does not sit still himself. |
First a turnip, then a sheep; next a cow, and then the gallows. |
Men dig their graves with their teeth. |
Every one is a thief in his own craft. |
Ill tidings come soon enough. |
He who is outside his door already has the hard part of his journey behind him. |
Keeping an eye on the sail. |
Behind every mountain lies a valley. |
Honours change manners. |
From the father comes honour, from the mother comfort. |
When the husband earns well, the wife spends well. |
In small boxes the best spice. |
He has a ton of knowledge, but the bottom is out. |
Eagles do not breed doves. |
Wasting is a bad habit, saving is a sure income. |
Much wisdom is smothered in a poor man's head. |
Good tree, good fruit. |
The best helmsmen stand on shore. |
He that complies against his will is of his own opinion still. |
Well begun is half done. |
Men go not laughing to heaven. |
In eating 'tis good to begin, one morsel helps the other in. |
Soon fire, soon ashes. |
Were fools silent, they would pass for wise. |
Of hasty counsel take good heed, for haste is very rarely speed. |
Deep swimmers and high climbers usually don't die in their beds. |
A beggar's estate lies in all lands. |
The boor looks after a cent as the devil after a soul. |
Fools build house and wise men live in them. |
What costs nothing is worth nothing. |
Milk the cow, but don't pull off the udder. |
In small woods may be caught large hares. |
A hired horse and one's own spurs make short miles. |
The candle that goes before gives the best light. |
By the living we bury the dead. |
He that has a choice has trouble. |
Offer a clown your finger, and he'll take your fist. |
What has horns will gore. |
An inch too short is as bad as an ell. |
Misfortunes that can't be avoided must be sweetened. |
Before you make a friend, eat a pack of salt with him. |
The cost is high of the honey that must be licked from thorns. |
Caress your dog, and he'll spoil your clothes. |
Old birds are not caught with cats. |
For a good appetite there is no hard bread. |
In the courtroom of the conscience, a case is always in progress. |
On a small pretence the wolf devours the sheep. |
What is long spoken of happens at last. |
Money is power. |
The cow does not know the value of her tail till she has lost it. |
Better a blind horse than an empty halter. |
He that has the luck leads the bride to church. |
Once a whore, always a whore. |
What is wrong to-day won't be right to-morrow. |
A beggar's hand is a bottomless basket. |
Money is truthful. If a man speaks of his honor, make him pay cash. |
The death of one person means bread for another. |
Cast no roses before swine. |
In the land of promise a man may die of hunger. |
What lay hidden under the snow cometh to light at last. |
Once is no custom. |
For great evils strong remedies. |
A bird never flew so high but it had to come to the ground for food. |
The devil has his martyrs among men. |
He that hath an ill name is half hanged. |
A brilliant daughter makes a brittle wife. |
Money isn't everything, but it's way ahead of whatever is in second place. |
What the farmer doesn't recognize, he doesn't eat. |
Cats don't catch the old birds. |
The devil sits behind the cross. |
One bird in the hand is better than two flying. |
In time a mouse will gnaw through a cable. |
A cat may look at a king. |
The devil's in the cards, said Sam, four aces and not a single trump. |
One cannot shoe a running horse. |
For the concert of life, no one receives a program. |
What the old ones sing, the young ones whistle. |
More belongs to dancing than a pair of dancing-shoes. |
It grieveth one dog that another goeth into the kitchen. |
Better a dog fawn on you than bite you. |
The end of mirth is the beginning of sorrow. |
One crow does not peck out another's eyes. |
He that hath many irons in the fire, some of them will cool. |
What the soldier said isn't evidence. |
A cheeky person owns half the world. |
It hits like a grip on a pig. |
One fool makes many. |
When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman? |
More flies are taken with a drop of honey than a tun of vinegar. |
Forced love does not last. |
The eye of the master makes the horse fat, and that of the mistress the chambers neat. |
A cow-year, a sad year; a bull-year, a glad year. |
One good turn deserves another. |
It is a bad well that you have to fill with water. |
Fortune and glass break soon, alas. |
The farther from Rome the nearer to God. |
Cent-wisdom and dollar-folly. |
When apes climb high, they show their naked rumps. |
Much talk, little work. |
One lost, two found. |
It is a hard morsel that chokes. |
An old coachman loves the crack of the whip. |
He that hears much and speaks not at all Shall be welcome both in bower and hall. |
Mustard after the meal. |
When cats are mousing they don't mew. |
One must sometimes hold a candle to the devil. |
The first occasion offered quickly take, lest thou repine at what thou didst forsake. |
Better a good neighbour than a distant friend. |
It is bad marketing with empty pockets. |
Fortune is round; it makes one a king, another a dunghill. |
He that is at sea has not the wind in his hands. |
The fly flutters around the candle till it gets burnt. |
My shirt is nearer than my cloak. |
One penny in the pot makes more noise than when it is full. |
Coffee has two virtues, it's wet and it's warm. |
When flies swarm in March, sheep come to their death. |
It is better to ride for half a year on a good horse than to spend your entire life riding on a mule. |
Friends are known in time of need. |
He that is embarked with the devil must sail with him. |
One rotten apple in the basket infects the whole. |
Necessity is the mother of invention. |
The fox never fares better than when he's bann'd. |
When gnats swarm in January, the peasant becomes a beggar. |
A daily guest is a great thief in the kitchen. |
Clothes make the man. |
It is easier to prevent ill habits than to break them. |
Need makes the old wife trot. |
When had comes, have is too late. |
One should not think about it too much when marrying or taking pills. |
The frog will jump back into the pool, although it sits on a golden stool. |
A dog with a bone knows no friends. |
He that lives with wolves, must howl with wolves. |
Cold broth hot again, that loved I never; Old love renew'd again, that loved I ever. |
From a spark the house is burnt. |
A flying crow always catches something. |
One swallow does not make a summer. |
When industry goes out of the door, poverty comes in at the window. |
The fruit falls not far from the stem. |
It is easy to cut thongs form other men's leather. |
Never was hood so holy but the devil could get his head into it. |
Better a ruined than a lost land. |
When many shepherds tend the sheep, they but so much the longer sleep. |
Common Goods, no goods. |
One take-this, is better than two thou-shalt-haves. |
He that looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery already with her in his heart. |
The goose hisses, but does not bite. |
He is of the race of Johnny Van Cleeve; who would always much rather have than give. |
New brooms sweep clean. |
An old fox doesn't go twice into the trap. |
It is good fishing in troubled waters. |
From small beginning come great things. |
One's own hearth is worth gold. |
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. |
Correction bringeth fruit. |
When nought comes to aught, it does not know itself. |
He that makes himself a sheep will be eaten by the wolf. |
No corn without chaff. |
A fool by chance may say a wise thing. |
It is good rowing with the sail set. |
Opportunity makes desire. |
Every day a thread makes a skein in the year. |
He keeps his word, as the sun keeps butter. |
He is noble who performs noble deeds. |
Precious things are mostly in small compass. |
Friends are like fiddle-strings; they must not be screwed too tight. |
Evil words corrupt good manners. |
Falling with the door into the house. |
An envious man waxes lean with the fatness of his neighbour. |
Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains. |
Beware of the man of two faces. |
Dogs that bark at a distance bite not at hand. |
If fools went not to market, bad wares would not be sold. |
A handful of trade, a handful of gold. |
Folly hath eagle's wings, but the eyes of an owl. |
Being able to feel it on wooden shoes. |
Men that crawl, never fall. |
He that despises the small is not worthy of the great. |
The best pilots are ashore. |
An idle man is the devil's pillow. |
Were every one to sweep before his own house, every street would be clean. |
In prosperity think of adversity. |
Might is not right. |
Fools ask questions that wise men cannot answer. |
Being someones right hand. |
The better the day, the better the deed. |
He that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing. |
When one sheep is over the dam, the rest follow. |
From the cradle to the tomb, Not all gladness, not all gloom. |
A fool may give a wise man counsel. |
The higher the mountain the lower the valley, the taller the tree the harder the fall. |
No greater promisers than they who have nothing to give. |
Counsel is as welcome to him as a shoulder of mutton to a sick horse. |
Opportunity never knocks twice at any man's door. |
When the ass is too happy he begins dancing on the ice. |
He that pryeth into the clouds, may be struck with a thunderbolt. |
From trivial things great arguments often arise. |
It is good speaking that improves good silence. |
The less said the sooner mended. |
When the cat is not home, the mice dance on the table. |
Better afield with the birds than hanging on lords. |
Coupled sheep drown one another. |
No mad dog runs seven years. |
Our time runs on like a stream; first fall the leaves and then the tree. |
He that spares something to-day will have something to-morrow. |
It is good spinning from another's yarn. |
A friend at one's back is a safe bridge. |
When the cat's away, it is jubilee with the mice. |
It is good to go afoot when one is tired of riding. |
Many words will not fill a bushel. |
The magpie cannot leave her hopping. |
Full bottles and glasses make swearers and asses. |
A friend's dinner is soon dressed. |
Out before day, in before night. |
He that well considers the world, must own he has never seen a better. |
No man learneth but by pain or shame. |
The maw costs much. |
Covetousness is always filling a bottomless vessel. |
It is good to warm oneself by another's fire. |
When the devil gets into the church he seats himself on the altar. |
An old rat easily finds a hole. |
The more haste, the less speed. |
Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. |
Geese are plucked as long as they have any feathers. |
It is hard to blow with a full mouth. |
When the head is sick the whole body is sick. |
No news is good news. |
A good fire makes a quick cook. |
The more you stir a turd, the more it stinks. |
He that will conquer must fight. |
A hundred men can make an encampment, but it requires a woman to make a home. |
Out of the fulness of the heart the mouth speaketh. |
When the mouse has had its fill, the meal turns bitter. |
Better be carried by an ass than thrown by a horse. |
Gentility, sent to market, will not buy a peck of meal. |
No one can have peace longer than his neighbour pleases. |
He that will have fire must bear with smoke. |
A good horse is worth his fodder. |
When the ox falls, there are many that will help to kill him. |
The most learned are not the wisest. |
It is hard to find a pin in the dark. |
Creaking carts last the longest. |
Painted flowers have no odour. |
When the pirate prays, there is great danger. |
Give an ass oats and he runs after thistles. |
A good start is half the job done. |
No one knows where another's shoe pinches. |
Give at first asking what you safely can; 'tis certain gain to help an honest man. |
Patience surpasses learning. |
It is hard to steal where the host is a thief. |
An old wolf is used to be shouted at. |
He that will have the kernel, must crack the shell. |
When the sack is full, it pricks up its ears. |
Perseverance brings success. |
| No rose without a thorn. |
Better beg than steal. |
It is hard to swim against the stream. |
The mouse that hath but one hold is soon caught. |
Cut your coat according to your cloth. |
Give him an inch and he'll take an ell. |
When the stomach is full the heart is glad. |
A guest, like a fish, stinks the third day. |
Pleasures, while they flatter, sting. |
No wheat without chaff. |
Give him your finger and he will seize your hand. |
The nearest boor is the nearest kinsman when the calf lies in the ditch. |
A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains. |
When the water level decreases, the ice will crack. |
God cures, and the doctor gets the money. |
It is hasty speed that doesn't succeed. |
Postponement is cancellation. |
The noblest vengeance is to forgive. |
When the wine is in the man, the wit is in the can. |
Darkness and night are mothers of thought. |
Nobody's sweetheart is ugly. |
Hastiness is the beginning of wrath, and its end repentance. |
He whom the shoe fits should put it on. |
He that would have the kernel must crack the shell. |
An ounce of practice is worth a pound of precept. |
God deliver us from a gentleman by day and a friar by night. |
The older one grows the more one learns. |
Not having all of them in a row. |
When thieves fall out, honest men get their goods back. |
Precaution said, Good friend, this counsel keep: strip not yourself until you're laid to sleep. |
Better half an egg than empty shells. |
He that would make a golden gate, must bring a nail to it daily. |
A handfull of patience is worth a bushel of brains. |
When things are at the worst they begin to mend. |
The pen is mightier than the sword. |
Not turning his hand around for it. |
God gives birds their food, but they must fly for it. |
Proffered service is little valued. |
A hog in armor is still a hog. |
When thy neighbour's house is on fire it's time to look about thee. |
The pot upbraids the kettle that it is black. |
It is ill sailing against wind and tide. |
God sells knowledge for labour, honour for risk. |
Profit by the folly of others. |
Daughters may be seen but not heard. |
Not wrapping it in cloth. |
The price of a laugh is too high, if it is raised at the expense of another. |
A horse may stumble, though he has four feet. |
When two dogs fight over a bone, a third one carries it away. |
It is ill takin' the breeks off a highlandman. |
Going around with the hat. |
Promises make debts, and debts make promises. |
Better keep peace than make peace. |
When two quarrel, both are to blame. |
He that's born to be hanged will never be drowned. |
The rich devour the poor, and the devil devours the rich and so both are devoured. |
Nothing is haste but catching flies. |
A hundred bakers, a hundred millers, and a hundred tailors are three hundred thieves. |
When we least expect it, the hare darts out of the ditch. |
Promising is one thing, performing another. |
It is not the hen which cackles most that lays most eggs. |
Good company on a journey is worth a coach. |
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour. |
The rich man has his ice in the summer and the poor man gets his in the winter. |
Nothing so bad but it might have been worse. |
Pull gently at a weak rope. |
Where poverty comes in at the door, loves flies out at the window. |
A hungry belly has no ears. |
The richest man, whatever his lot, is he who is content with what he has got. |
Good drink drives out bad thoughts. |
It is prophet-drink. |
Where the bird was hatched it haunts. |
Better lose the anchor than the whole ship. |
He thinks to catch shell-fish in the trees. |
Put not your trust in princes. |
Death is nature's way of telling you to slow down. |
Where the hedge is lowest every one goes over. |
It is safest to sail within reach of the shore. |
The ruling passion strong in death. |
Nothing so bold as a blind mare. |
An understanding person needs only half a word. |
Death pays all debts. |
Good leading makes good following. |
Putting salt on every snail. |
The seeds of the day are best planted in the first hour. |
A lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit. |
He wants for ever, who would more acquire. |
The that creepeth falleth not. |
Better on the heath with an old cart that at sea in a new ship. |
It needs a cunning hand to shave a fool's head. |
Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's. |
Good right needs good help. |
The third time pays for all. |
A liar ought to have a good memory. |
It's a long lane that has no turning. |
Do not wake sleeping dogs. |
Reynard is still Reynard, though he put on a cowl. |
He wants to learn how to shave using my beard. |
The trade of thick-headed Michael: eating, drinking, and idling. |
A little pot boils easily. |
Where there's a will, there is a way. |
Good things require time. |
Dogs have teeth in all countries. |
Neither reprove nor flatter thy wife, where any one heareth or seeth it. |
It's bad combing where there is no hair. |
Ridicule is the test of truth. |
Better one bird in the hand than ten in the sky. |
Good wine needs no bush. |
He who has no thirst has no business at the fountain. |
The tree is known by its fruit. |
He who attempts too much seldom succeeds. |
Arms, women, and books should be looked at daily. |
While the grass grows, the steed starves. |
Dominies come for your wine, and officers for your daughters. |
Roast pigeons don't fly through the air. |
It's good dancing on another man's floor. |
| Idleness is hunger's mother, and of theft it is bull brother. |
The wicked shun the light as the devil does the cross. |
A little too late is much too late. |
Who buys wants a hundred eyes, who sells need have but one. |
Grass grows not upon the highway. |
Better poor on land than rich at sea. |
Roses fall, but the thorns remain. |
Great boast. little roast. |
The workman is known by his work. |
It's good steering with wind and tide. |
Who chastises his child will be honoured by him, who chastises him not will be shamed. |
Don't buy a pig in a poke. |
He who comes first, he who chews first. |
A man must eat, though every tree were a gallows. |
Who does well, meets goodwill. |
Great fishes break the net. |
The world likes to be cheated. |
Self-love is blind. |
Better poor with honor than rich with shame. |
It's good to watch the rain from a dry standpoint. |
Who don't keep faith with God won't keep it with man. |
As long as there's life, there is hope. |
He who giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord. |
Don't cry holloa! till you're out of the bush. |
Who fears no shame comes to no honour. |
It's ill jesting with edged tools. |
The worse service, the better luck. |
Great gaps may be filled with small stones. |
sell beets/apples as lemons. |
A man overboard, a mouth the less. |
He who has a choice has trouble. |
Better reap two day too soon than one too late. |
Who goes fasting to bed will sleep but lightly. |
It's ill waiting for dead men's shoes. |
The worse the wheel, the more it creaks. |
Don't postpone until tomorrow, what you can do today. |
A merry host makes merry guests. |
Set a thief to catch a thief. |
Let every one look to himself, and no one will be lost. |
The worth of a thing is best known by the want. |
Great promisers, bad paymasters. |
A penny saved is better than a florin earned. |
Stretch your legs no farther than your coverlet. |
Set a beggar on horseback, and he don't trot, but gallops. |
He who hunts two hares at once, catches neither. |
Better reap two days too soon than one too late. |
It's no crime to steal from a thief. |
Set thy expense according to thy trade. |
Who has but one eye must take good care of it. |
Don't sell the skin till you've caught the bear. |
The young may die, the old must die. |
Great thieves hang little thieves. |
As the old cock crows, the young cock learns. |
He who is afraid of the leaves must not go into the wood. |
Shame lasts longer than poverty. |
There are more thieves than are hanged. |
Don't throw away your own shoes till you have got new ones. |
Who has many servants has many thieves. |
It's raining pipestems. |
A pennyworth of mirth is worth a pound of sorrow. |
Great weights may hang on small wires. |
Who has only one eye must take good care of it. |
Better ride a good horse for a year, than an ass all your life. |
She hangs out the broom. |
There come as many calf-skins to market as ox-skins. |
He who is outside the door has already a good part of his journey behind him. |
A plough that worketh, shines; but still water stinks. |
Who is righteous overmuch is a morsel for the Old One. |
Don't yoke the plough before the horses. |
Half a word to the wise is enough. |
Shoemaker stick to your last. |
A runaway monk never speaks well of his convent. |
Handsome apples are sometimes sour. |
Half an egg is better than an empty shell. |
There is a loose stitch with him. |
Better stretch your hand than your neck. |
Who knows the language is at home everywhere. |
He who laughs last, laughs best. |
He that tickles himself, may laugh when he will. |
Show me a liar, and I'll show you a thief. |
It's the little things in life that count. |
A scabby head fears the comb. |
Who reckons without his host must reckon again. |
Hannibal is at the gate. |
There is more to dancing than a pair of dancing shoes. |
Eagles catch no flies. |
Sickness comes on horseback, but goes away on foot. |
He who mixes himself with the draff will be eaten by the swine. |
Who seeds wind, shall harvest storm. |
As you brew so shall you bake. |
Just toss it in my hat and I'll sort it tomorrow. |
Eagles don't catch flies. |
A single day grants what a whole hear denies. |
There is no point in combing where there is no hair. |
Silence is the answer to many things. |
Who spits against the wind, fouls his beard. |
Haste and speed are rarely good. |
Keeping the finger on the wrist. |
Better to lose the anchor than the whole ship. |
He who plants fruit-trees, must not count upon the fruit. |
Who travels for love finds a thousand miles not longer than one. |
Sitting securely in the saddle. |
Who undertakes too much, succeeds but little. |
A soft answer turneth away wrath. |
There's more to dancing than a pair of dancing shoes. |
He who throws the ball, must expect it back. |
East West, home best. |
Who ventures to lend, loses money and friend. |
Know what you say, but don't say all that you know. |
Hasty questions require slow answers. |
There's no making a silk purse of a sow's ear. |
As you sow, you shall reap. |
Skill and assurance form an invincible combination. |
He who undertakes too much seldom succeeds. |
Who wants to beat a dog, soon finds a stick. |
Better when birds sing than where irons ring. |
Hasty speed is rarely good. |
Who weds a sot to get his cot, will lose the cot and keep the sot. |
Knowing where Abraham gets the mustard. |
They are fools whose sheep run away twice. |
Eat bread that's light, and cheese by weight. |
Who writes love letters grows thin; who carries them, fat. |
Sloth is the beginning of vice. |
Having two left hands. |
A still tongue makes a wise head. |
He who would catch a rogue must watch behind the door. |
Lead for old iron. |
Whoso hunteth with cats will catch nothing but rats. |
Empty vessels make the most sound. |
He buys honey dear who has to lick it off thorns. |
They understand one another like thieves in a fair. |
A stout heart tempers adversity. |
Small gains bring great wealth. |
He who would gather honey must brave the sting of bees. |
Learn to creep before you run. |
Wisdom in the man, patience in the wife, brings peace to the house, and a happy life. |
Between two stools you come to the ground. |
Wise men sue for offices, and blockheads get them. |
A thief passes for a gentleman when stealing has made him rich. |
They who come from afar have leave to lie. |
It is good rowing with set sail. |
Smoke, stench, and a troublesome wife are what drive men from home. |
Envy crieth of spite where honour rideth. |
Wise rats run from a falling house. |
He who would travel through the land, must go with open purse in hand. |
Learned young is done old. |
Think before acting and whilst acting still think. |
Away from the eye, out of the heart. |
He counts his chickens before they are hatched. |
With a French sweep. |
Soft and fair goeth far. |
Beware of an oak, it draws the stroke; avoid an ash, it counts the flash; creep under the thorn, it can save you from harm. |
He would be wise who knew all things beforehand. |
Thistles and thorns prick sore, but evil tongues prick even more. |
Let God's waters run over God's acres. |
With a good name one may easily sin. |
Even hares pull a lion by the beard when he is dead. |
He would rather have a bumper in hand than a Bible. |
Let lie what is too heavy to lift. |
Soon ripe, soon rotten; soon wise, soon foolish. |
Those that eat cherries with great persons shall have their eyes squirted out with the stones. |
With hard work, you can get fire out of a stone. |
A usurer, a miller, a banker, and a publican, are the four evangelists of Lucifer. |
He earns a farthing and has a penn'orth of thirst. |
He did hear the sound of the bell, but doesn't know where the clapper hangs. |
With the good we become good. |
A wolf hankers after sheep even at his last gasp. |
Hearsay is half lies. |
Threats don't kill. |
Sorrow will pay no debts. |
Women who are often at the looking-glass seldom spin. |
Barking dogs don't bite. |
He feels like a cat in an strange warehouse. |
Let me get over the lake, and I will have no fear of the brook. |
Spare at the spigot, and let out the bunghole. |
A word is enough to the wise. |
Worldly good is ebb and flood. |
Heaven protects children, sailors, and drunken men. |
Throwing the hat at something. |
Every bird sings as it is beaked. |
Light gains make a heavy purse. |
He gapes like a clown at a fair. |
You can't shoe a horse while it is running. |
Spare the rod, spoil the child. |
A young ewe and an old ram, every year bring forth a lamb. |
Time and place make the thief. |
Heavy purses and light hearts can sustain much. |
Beware of the person with two faces. |
Speaking is silver, silence is gold. |
Lightning never strikes the same place twice. |
No office so humble but it is better than nothing. |
You never know how a cow catches a rabbit. |
Sitting with the hands in the hair. |
He has a wolf-conscience. |
Every day is not a holiday. |
Hens like to lay when they see an egg. |
You've got to stare the cat down out of the tree. |
Like a snail on a barrel of tar. |
Time brings roses. |
Advisers are not givers. |
He has lost the nest-egg. |
Better return half way than lose yourself. |
Starved lice bite the hardest. |
Big fish devour the little ones. |
Like pot, like cover. |
Young folk, silly folk; old folk, cold folk. |
Herring in the land, the doctor at a stand. |
| Time fleeth away without delay. |
Every flood has it ebb. |
Like will to like, be they poor or rich. |
After great droughts come great rains. |
Step by step one goes far. |
Young fools think that the old are dotards, but the old have forgotten more than the young fools know. |
He has the Bible on his lips, but not in his heart. |
Barnaby bright, Barnaby bright, the longest day and the shortest night. |
Time goes, death comes. |
High trees catch lots of wind. |
Little is done where many command. |
Stock-fish are made tender by much beating. |
Your friend lends and your enemy asks for payment. |
Every house has its cross. |
He heed have plenty of meal who would stop every man's mouth. |
Time is money. |
After honor and state follow envy and hate. |
Big fish spring out of the kettle. |
Strain not your bow beyond its bent, lest it break. |
Little pitchers have large ears. |
High winds blow on high hills. |
After meat comes mustard. |
Little strokes fell great oaks. |
Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. |
Strew no roses before swine. |
Birds of a feather flock together. |
He invites future injuries who rewards past ones. |
Every little pot has a fitting lid. |
To do nothing teacheth to do evil. |
Little thieves have iron chains, and great thieves gold ones. |
Stroke your dog, and he'll spoil your clothes. |
His money takes the place of wisdom. |
To find the dog in the pot. |
Bashfulness is of no use to the needy. |
He is an aristocrat in folio. |
Little things attract light minds. |
To get eggs there must be some cackling. |
After rain comes sunshine. |
Surfeits slay mae than swords. |
He is as easily caught as a hare with drums. |
Every man is master in his own house. |
Little wood, much fruit. |
To hang your sickle on another man's corn. |
He is as good a divine as Judas was an apostle. |
After the storm comes a calm. |
Honour once lost never returns. |
Black hens lays white eggs. * |
To make an elephant out of a mosquito. |
Big fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite them, and little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum. |
Sweep in front of your own door before you look after your neighbor's. |
All are not cooks who wear long knives. |
Long fasting doesn't save bread. |
How we apples swim! said the horse-turd. |
Blossoms are not fruits. |
He is as sharp as a leaden dagger. |
Every man's friend is every man's fool. |
Take counsel before it goes ill, lest it go worse. |
Hunger eats through stone walls. |
To marry one is a duty; twice a folly; thrice is madness. |
All are not princes who ride with the emperor. |
Long looked for comes at last. |
He is no merchant who always gains. |
Bear patiently that which you suffer by your own fault. |
He is nobody's enemy but his own. |
All beginnings are hard, said the thief, and began by stealing an anvil. |
Take off your hat to your yesterdays; take off your coat for your tomorrows. |
Great cry and little wool, quoth the devil, when he sheared his hogs. |
Every one is a preacher under the gallows. |
Hunger gives a relish even to raw beans. |
To resist with hand and tooth. |
Look not out for dead men's shoes. |
Borrowing brings care. |
Looking for nails at low tide. |
One nail drives in another. |
Talk of the Devil, and he is bound to appear. |
All cocks must have a comb. |
He is so wise, that he goes upon the ice three days before it freezes. |
Every one must row with the oars he has. |
Tall trees catch much wind. |
Hungry flies bite sore. |
Love makes labour light. |
To-day for money, to-morrow for nothing. |
He that will have eggs, must bear with cackling. |
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. |
All feet tread not in one shoe. |
He is too stupid to be trusted alone by the fire. |
He runs as fast as if he had eggs in his shoes. |
Teachers die, but books live on. |
Every why has its wherefore. |
I have a mouth which I feed, it must speak what I please. |
To-day stately and brave, to-morrow in the grave. |
Butter with the fish. |
Love others well, but love thyself the most; give good for good, but not to thine own cost. |
All is fish that comes to the net. |
Tell no one what you would have known only to yourself. |
He lays his eggs beside his nest. |
Too many cooks oversalt the porridge. |
| Man proposes, God disposes. |
Beauty is potent, but money is omnipotent. |
I wish that he would sink as deep in the ground as a hare can run in ten years. |
Everything has an end except God. |
All is well: for if the bride has not fair hair, she has a fair skin. |
When things go well it is easy to advise. |
That beer's of your own brewing, and you must drink it. |
He lives long who lives well. |
Touch a galled horse and he'll wince. |
Before you mount, look to the girth. |
Many hands make light work. |
I'll sleep on it. |
Everything has two handles. |
The innkeeper trusts his guests like he is himself. |
Trees often transplanted seldom prosper. |
All offices are greasy. |
By falling we earn to go safely. |
That is good wisdom which is wisdom in the end. |
If fools ate no bread, corn would be cheap. |
Many hounds are the death of the hare. |
Truth is lost with too much debating. |
He means well, but has a bad way of showing it. |
Fair money can cover much that's foul. |
Truth is the daughter of time. |
Many open a door to shut a window. |
That which burns thee not, cool not. |
All too good is every man's fool. |
Beggars can never be bankrupts. |
If he waits long enough the world will be his own. |
Many seek good nights and waste good days. |
He must gape wide who would gape against an oven. |
Two dogs seldom agree over one bone. |
| The fox may lose his hair, but not his cunning. |
An ennobled peasant does not know his own father. |
If one won't another will. |
Many words go to a sackful. |
That's quickly done which is long repented. |
By labor fire is got out of stone. |
Fair play's a jewel. |
He must indeed be a good master who never does wrong. |
An ape's an ape, though he wear a gold ring. |
Union is strength. |
If the rope is weak, pull gently. |
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. |
Marry in haste and repent at leisure. |
Falling teaches us to walk safely. |
Beggars fear no rebellion. |
Using a cannon to shoot a mosquito. |
He must shoot well who always hits the mark. |
If you eat someone's cake, you must also eat his lentils. |
He said devil, but meant you. |
The art is not in making money, but in keeping it. |
Marry in May, rue for aye. |
Virtue consists of action. |
