Common Proverbs
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Meaning: to risk losing everything by putting all your efforts or all your money into one plan or one course of action
Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Meaning: Don't get rid of something valuable along with something undesirable by mistake.
The early bird gets the worm.
Meaning: If you do something early or before anyone else, you will have an advantage and be successful.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Meaning: It's better to have a lesser but certain advantage than the possibility of a greater one that may come to nothing.
A stitch in time saves nine.
Meaning: You should repair something as soon as it is damaged. If not, you will have a much bigger and more expensive repair job later. Do it now
and you'll need one stitch. Do it later and you'll need 9 stitches! (Why nine and not eight or ten? Because "nine" rhymes, approximately, with "time".)
Meaning: Save your money.
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Meaning: Getting a good night sleep, waking early to work, will make you healthy, rich, and wise.
A drop of honey catches more flies than a hogshead of vinegar.
Meaning: You can get more people to be on your side with kind words than harsh words.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Meaning: "Birds of a feather" means "birds of the same type". The whole proverb means that people of the same type or sort stay together. They don't
mix with people of another type.
Meaning: Your plans might not work out, so don't start thinking about what you'll do after you succeed. Wait until you've already succeeded, and then
you can think about what to do next.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Meaning: to risk losing everything by putting all your efforts or all your money into one plan or one course of action
Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Meaning: Don't get rid of something valuable along with something undesirable by mistake.
The early bird gets the worm.
Meaning: If you do something early or before anyone else, you will have an advantage and be successful.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Meaning: It's better to have a lesser but certain advantage than the possibility of a greater one that may come to nothing.
A stitch in time saves nine.
Meaning: You should repair something as soon as it is damaged. If not, you will have a much bigger and more expensive repair job later. Do it now
and you'll need one stitch. Do it later and you'll need 9 stitches! (Why nine and not eight or ten? Because "nine" rhymes, approximately, with "time".)
- stitch (noun) = a link made with thread in sewing
- in time = not late
Meaning: Save your money.
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Meaning: Getting a good night sleep, waking early to work, will make you healthy, rich, and wise.
A drop of honey catches more flies than a hogshead of vinegar.
Meaning: You can get more people to be on your side with kind words than harsh words.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Meaning: "Birds of a feather" means "birds of the same type". The whole proverb means that people of the same type or sort stay together. They don't
mix with people of another type.
- feather (noun) = part of the soft, light covering of a bird's body
- flock (verb) = gather in a crowd
Meaning: Your plans might not work out, so don't start thinking about what you'll do after you succeed. Wait until you've already succeeded, and then
you can think about what to do next.
Resources
The early bird gets the worm.
Click on link above for 50 most important English Proverbs.
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