| 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? |
