Proverb Examples

Proverb Examples

In Blog by Rafael Morel

Proverbs have been with us for decades – some even for centuries – offering valuable lessons passed down from generation to generation and expressing universal truths, advice, or moral principles. They’re part of our everyday speech, even if oftentimes we don’t realize it.

But what are proverbs, and what are some common examples? Let’s take a look.

Common Proverbs Examples

In simplest words, a proverb is usually a short sentence that’s been around for a while, expressing some commonplace truth or providing advice.

The English language is full of proverbs – some more commonly used than others. That’s why we combined some of the most popular examples of English proverbs and gathered them in one table, along with the explanation and example of a situation in which they can be used.

You most likely know at least some of them, but it doesn’t harm to see if you’re using them correctly, does it?

Proverb  Explanation Example
A drowning man will clutch at a straw.  Someone in a difficult situation will take any opportunity to make it better.  She wasn’t sure if she’s going to go through with the treatment, but in the end, she decided to do it anyway. After all, a drowning man will clutch at a straw. 
A goose quill is more dangerous than a lion’s claw. Words can hurt more than a physical attack.  Always be careful with what you say in the heat of the moment – a goose quill is more dangerous than a lion’s claw. 
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a simple step.  No matter how big your goal is, it can be achieved as long as you take the first step.  If you want to become a doctor, you have to start studying biology harder. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a simple step. 
A leopard can’t change its spots.  A person’s character trait can’t and will not change.  He cheated on you before, so think carefully about taking him back – a leopard can’t change its spots. 
A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. Difficulties and challenging situations are what allow you to develop your skills and improve yourself.  I know that dealing with it is very stressful, but you’ll see in the end that it was worth it. After all, a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. 
A watched pot never boils.  Time passes significantly slower if you’re eagerly waiting for something and want it to come as soon as possible.  You should go watch some TV instead of looking at your phone constantly. A watched pot never boils. 
Accidents will happen in the best-regulated families.  Mishaps and setbacks are a part of life, and no matter how much you will prepare yourself for them not to happen, they are inevitable.  Don’t beat yourself over breaking that vase – accidents will happen in the best-regulated families. Plus, she told me she was thinking of donating it anyway. 
All that glitters is not gold.  Not everything that seems good or valuable at first is that way after you look at it closer.  I really wanted to be an actress, but once I got into the industry, I realized that all that glitters is not gold. 
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  Eating healthy and taking care of yourself will result in good well-being, preventing you from having to see a doctor often.  Always remember to add fruits and vegetables to your diet. Remember – an apple a day keeps the doctor away. 
An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. A group is only as effective as the person leading it – a group of weaker followers can achieve more if they have a strong leader than a group of strong followers with a weak leader.  I really hope that we get James as our project manager – we might not be the best team in the company, but an army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. 
An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure.  It’s easier to stop something from happening than to deal with it once it happens.  It’s good you got home insurance – an ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure. 
April showers bring May flowers.  After a period of hardship comes a period of happiness and joy. I’m exhausted from all the studying, but I know seeing the report card will make it all worth it. After all, April showers bring May flowers. 
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is subjective, and what might seem ugly to one can be beautiful to another.  A: I still don’t understand why you bought this lamp. It’s hideous.
B: I love it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 
Better late than ever.  Finishing something late is still better than not doing it at all.  I finished my assignment two hours after the submission deadline. Still, better late than ever, right? 
Better safe than sorry.  It is better to be careful than take a risk that might bring a negative result.  Put your seatbelt on every time you get in the car – accidents happen, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. 
Do as you would be done by.  Treat others as you would want to be treated.  You should’ve been nicer to him. You know he’s new – do as you would be done by. 
Don’t bite off more than you can chew.  Don’t take on more tasks or responsibilities than you can handle.  Before answering him about changing positions, make sure you know what you’re signing up for. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. 
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.  Don’t be ungrateful or act badly toward someone who has helped you in the past or who is helping you now.  What you said was completely out of line, especially considering that she pays your tuition. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. 
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.  Don’t make plans that depend on something happening before it happens.  He told everyone he passed the exams flawlessly, but once he got the results back, it turned out he actually failed two of them. I guess what they say is true – don’t count your chickens before they hatch. 
Don’t cry over spilled milk.  It’s pointless to be upset about something bad that has already happened and that cannot be changed in any way.  We understand that you’re heartbroken, but there’s no use crying over spilled milk. 
Don’t put too many irons in the fire.  Don’t try to do too many things at once.  I had to quit my second job – I felt like I had too many irons in the fire already. 
Empty vessels make the most noise. Those without knowledge of the topic are always the ones talking the most.  Don’t take her words to heart, you know empty vessels make the most noise. 
Every cloud has a silver lining.  Every sad, unpleasant, or difficult situation has a positive side to it.  I know it doesn’t seem that way now, but every cloud has a silver lining, and you’ll see it eventually. 
Familiarity breeds contempt.  If you know someone or something very well, you lose respect for it as you’ve seen all of their or its poor qualities.  I remember when Johnny was so excited to be going to work. Ten years in, and he hates it – as they say, familiarity breeds contempt. 
For want of a nail.*
Fortune favors the bold.  People who make riskier decisions are more successful than those who play it safe.  I know you’re not sure about it, but I would go for it. Fortune favors the bold. 
Honesty is the best policy.  It’s always best to tell the truth, even if it might be hard.  You should tell her regardless. Honesty is the best policy. 
If you buy cheaply, you pay dearly.  When trying to save on important items, you might end up paying a higher cost later on.  I thought I lucked out when I bought that radiator for cheap, but now I pay double for electricity. If you buy cheaply, you pay dearly. 
If you play with fire, you’ll get burned.  If you get involved in something you shouldn’t, you’ll most likely have to deal with negative fallout.  I told you not to go to that party! If you play with fire, you’ll get burned. 
If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.  Instead of depending on someone else to do a good job, do it yourself.  I asked my project partner to write the introduction, but it was completely off-topic! I guess it’s true that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. 
It takes a village.  The involvement of several people is needed in achieving the goal.  Come on, let’s go ask my parents for help – it takes a village to finish this project. 
Learn to walk before you run.  Focus on learning the easier things before jumping into more difficult ones.  If you want to learn to speak Spanish fluently, you need to start with basic vocabulary first. Learn to walk before you run. 
Many hands make light work.  If many people work together on a difficult task, it becomes easier to complete.  I was unsure if I’d be able to complete the project on my own after seeing the guidelines, but it turned out to be a group project, and we completed it quickly. I guess many hands make light work. 
Once bitten, twice shy. A person who has been hurt or failed when doing something is going to be fearful or cautious when doing it again.  She doesn’t know if she wants to be in a relationship again after everything that happened. Once bitten, twice shy. 
Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Going from a bad situation to an even worse one. He needs to think about his next move very carefully – otherwise, he might find himself out of the frying pan and into the fire. 
Practice makes perfect.  The more you do something, the better you will get at it.  Don’t give up on the pottery classes. Remember – practice makes perfect. 
Rome wasn’t built in a day.  Important things cannot be rushed and take time.  Wedding planning might take a lot of time, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. 
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  Children tend to take after their parents, both in looks and character.  You look just like your mother! I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree after all. 
The forbidden fruit is always the sweetest. People desire things that they cannot have or do.  A: You know he’s married, right? 
B: I know, but the forbidden fruit is always the sweetest. 
The grass is always greener on the other side.  People always want what they don’t have.  A: I’m so jealous of your pin-straight hair. Mine is always frizzy!
B: See, I’m jealous of your curly hair. The grass is always greener on the other side. 
The proof is in the pudding (or the proof of the pudding is in the eating). The quality of something can only be judged after you’ve tried it.  You always say that you don’t like seafood, but you’ve never even tried it. The proof is in the pudding! 
There is no such thing as a free lunch.  Nothing is free, even if it claims to be.  They said they would give him a free pack of croissants, no strings attached, but he actually had to sign up for their app to get it. There is no such thing as a free lunch. 
There is no time like the present.  Don’t wait to do something that you can do now.  Wait, didn’t you want to go to Paris? Stop talking about it and book the tickets! There is no time like the present. 
Too many cooks spoil the broth.  If there are too many people trying to complete the same task, it will not be done well.  Truthfully, I think that seven people per project group is too much. Too many cooks spoil the broth. 
Two heads are better than one.  Dealing with something as a team is easier than doing so by yourself.  I’ve been trying to figure out this assignment for the past two days. Can you help me? Two heads are better than one, after all. 
Two wrongs don’t make a right. The fact that someone hurt you or did something dishonest is not a justification for another person to act the same way.  I know it hurt when she got with your ex-boyfriend, but it’s no use getting back at her. Two wrongs don’t make a right. 
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.  When someone in power falls, their followers will leave them.  I wish I could say I am surprised everyone abandoned him after his fall from the top, but I am not. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.  
You can lead the horse to water, but you cannot make him drink it.  You can give someone advice, but you cannot make them follow it.  She told him to choose another destination, but he still decided to go with the one he had chosen initially. I guess you can lead the horse to water, but you cannot make him drink it. 
You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.  It’s impossible to complete something without encountering some problems or making a mistake.  So what if you have to rewrite part of your essay? You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs. 
You can’t unscramble eggs.  You cannot undo something that has been done.  I told you not to do it, but you still did, so now you have to deal with the consequences. You can’t unscramble eggs. 
You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.  Used when telling someone that if they help you, you will help them.  We’re both going to fail that test if we don’t study. What do you say – you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours? 

*Full proverb: For want of a nail, the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe, the horse was lost. For want of a horse, the rider was lost. For want of a rider, the battle was lost. For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost. And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

The Bottom Line 

The proverbs we mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg – there are hundreds, if not more, of different proverbs, some more known than others.

Still, this list of proverbs examples is a pretty good basis if you want to expand your vocabulary. It also highlights the importance of quality translation, as experienced translators know how to convey the meaning behind the proverb without translating it directly.

At Lighthouse Online, we know that the translation is only as good as the person doing it, which is why we make sure to work with native speakers with backgrounds in all kinds of industries. Whether you need professional Spanish translation, quality French translation, or other top-class translation and interpretation services, we’ve got you covered.

For more things linguistics, don’t hesitate to take a look at our blog section, where you’ll find, for example, a comparison of formal and informal words or learn about English’s longest words.