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English Proverbs (1901-2000)

Ready money will away.

No flying without wings.

He's a fool that is wiser abroad than at home.

Women wind and fortune are given to change.

A wise man wonders at nothing.

Better direct well than work hard.

A word before is worth two behind.

The younger brother is the better gentleman.

Such carpenter, such chips.

Great wealth and content seldom live together.

Wives must be had, be they good or bad.

If the staff be crooked,
the shadow cannot be straight.

Rats fly from the falling house.

Where the horse lies down,
there some hairs will be found.

Better be half hanged than ill wed.

It is best to take half in hand and the rest by and by.

The second blow makes the fray.

Pleasing ware is half sold.

It is not all butter that comes from the cow.

Where the plough shall fail to go,
there the weeds will surely grow.

The horse that draws his halter is not quite escaped.

Truth has always a sure bottom.

It is no shame to eat one's meat.

Public reproof hardens shame.

Advantage is a better soldier than rashness.

A handful of trade is worth a handful of gold.

A good handicraft has a golden foundation.

He that handles honey shall feel it cling to his fingers.

He that handles thorns shall prick his fingers.

He will burn his house to warm his hands.

Crosses are ladders to heaven.

Rogues hang together.

A woman is an angel at ten, a saint at fifteen,
a devil at forty, and a witch at fourscore.

Happy man, happy dole.

He is not happy that knows not himself happy.

An unhappy lad may make a good man.

Old sores are hardly cured.

Fools never know when they are well.

Much heed does no harm.

Good counsel does no harm.

Wounds by a sharp knife are easily cured.

The tailor cuts three sleeves for every woman’s gown.

He that has lands has quarrels.

Who has not a good tongue, ought to have good hands.

Knowledge has no enemy but ignorance.

Every knave has a fool in his sleeve.

He is at ease who has enough.

He that desires but little has no need of much.

What has been, may be.

Brag's a good dog but that he has lost his tail.

Money has no smell.

He that has no patience has nothing.

Pleasure has a sting in its tail.

Every thing has its time.

The weaker has worse.

He that has time has life.

He that has time and looks for a better time, loses time.

Every why has its wherefore.

He is not poor that has little, but he that desires much.

Every man can rule a shrew but he who has her.

Error is always in haste.

Anger and haste hinder good counsel.

Ill haste is not good.

No man makes haste to the market where
there's nothing to be bought but blows.

Make no more haste when you come down than when you went up.

Who suddenly will judge, hastens himself to repentance.

Be not too hasty to outbid another.

Eat at pleasure drink by measure.

He that does ill hates the light.

All things have their changes.

Women have their fears.

Money must be made, or we should soon
have the wolf at the door.

Much business must have much pardon.

All things have a beginning.

Much would have more.

It is misery enough to have once been happy.

High buildings have a low foundation.

We have better counsel to give than to take.

Those that have marbles may play,
but those that have none must look on.

The man shall have his mare again.

Idle folk have the least leisure.

He that would have the fruit must climb the tree.

Barbers learn to shave by shaving fools.

A bittern makes no good hawk.

You can't make a sparrow hawk of a buzzard.

Venture little, hazard little.

It is good to have friends but bad to need them.

Every door may be shut but death's door.

A bad ploughman beats the boy.

Light fare begets light dreams.

He that seeks to beguile is overtaken in his will.

Sometimes the best gain is to lose.

The black ox treads on one's foot.

Boldness is blind.

Wit bought is better than taught.

Hunger breaks through stone walls.

A broken glass can't be hurt.

If you buy the cow, take the tail into the bargain.

We must live by the quick and not by the dead.

Mischief comes by the pound and goes away by the ounce.

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