A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

two see also BETTER one house spoiled than two; BETWEEN two stools one falls to the ground; a BIRD in the hand is worth two in t ...

U undone see what’s DONE cannot be undone. The UNEXPECTED always happens Similar to NOTHING is certain but the unforeseen. Cf. P ...

Strange Murder of Hatton xxix. Union is strength. We, by pooling our resources,.. are able.. to secure a steady income. 1981 E. ...

up see also FIRST up, best dressed; up like a ROCKET, down like a stick. upright see EMPTY sacks will never stand upright. USE i ...

V vacuum see NATURE abhors a vacuum. vain see in vain the NET is spread in the sight of the bird. valet see NO man is a hero to ...

It takes a whole VILLAGE to bring up a child Nigerian (Igbo and Yoruba) proverb, meaning that the whole community has a role in ...

visitor see FISH and guests smell after three days. The VOICE of the people is the voice of God Cf. a 804 ALCUIN Letter clxiv. i ...

W wag see it is MERRY in hall when beards wag all. wait see ALL things come to those who wait; TIME and tide wait for no man. wa ...

to walk before they could run. 1980 K. AMIS Russian Hide & Seek iv. At the moment we can’t leave it to the English to do any ...

for himself; he plants it for posterity. 1907 W. C. HAZLITT English Proverbs 361 Plant pears for your heirs. A proverb which no ...

for want of a nail the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the horse was lost, an’ for want of a horse the man was lost—aw, that’s ...

One does not WASH one’s dirty linen in public It is unwise to publicize private disputes or scandals. The saying is very often u ...

1848 GASKELL Mary Barton II. xiv. What’s the use of watching? A watched pot never boils. 1880 M. E. BRADDON Cloven Foot III. vii ...

1854 S. SMITH ‘Way down East viii. 166 This is a money digging world of ours and, as it is said, ‘there are more ways than one t ...

See also the two preceding entries. 1678 J. RAY English Proverbs (ed. 2) 127 There are more ways to kill a dog then hanging. 172 ...

weary see be the DAY weary or be the day long, at last it ringeth to evensong. weather see there is no such thing as BAD weather ...

week see if you would be HAPPY for a week take a wife. weep see LAUGH and the world laughs with you. weeper see FINDERS keepers ...

the story. All’s well that ends well. beginnings and endings; good fortune well see also (noun) the FROG in the well knows nothi ...

A WHISTLING woman and a crowing hen are neither fit for God nor men The rhyme has at least three common variants. 1721 J. KELLY ...

wife see a BLIND man’s wife needs no paint; CAESAR’S wife must be above suspicion; a DEAF husband and a blind wife are always a ...