Words worth understanding
Start with the thought in plain English. Then explore the imagery, a practical example, when to use it, and what the saying does not mean.
4,000 entries with editorial explanations. The wider collection also contains entries still awaiting an individual interpretation.
proverb · Traditional
The saying dismisses routine talk about changing weather as an easy substitute for substance. Its insult should not be mistaken for a fair judgment of every casual conversation.
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This expression gives someone or something strong praise by comparing them with gold. In a useful reading it recognises reliability or welcome conduct, but the praise should stay specific rather than turn obedience, appearance or possessions into a measure of personal worth.
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The saying exaggerates how exclusion can feel when someone is out of fashion. It reveals the pressure of belonging to a social trend, rather than establishing that conformity is necessary for a worthwhile life or that older tastes have no value.
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An archer valuing the departing arrow and the steady bow gives appreciation to both movement outward and support that remains. The saying pairs different contributions to an undertaking.
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A dog naming mutual falling as play gives shared participation a role in how an encounter is understood. The saying presents reciprocity as distinguishing the scene.
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The phrase compares close companions with thieves acting together. It describes strong familiarity or a shared confidence.
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A person or event is warmly welcomed as a pleasing arrival. May flowers give the welcome an image of freshness and delight.
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Advice sought from equals and help from superiors divides assistance according to a social hierarchy. The saying imagines different roles for peers and powerful people.
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The company of people acting well can encourage similar conduct. Association is presented as an influence, without guaranteeing goodness, making moral worth contagious or dividing people into permanently good and bad groups.
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The saying gives married men a more intense laugh than bachelors, extending it until their hearts ache. The apparent praise carries a possible hint of pain.
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The saying makes bad friends block good friendships. It warns that one relationship may interfere with other welcome connections.
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A bad servant considered preferable to none contrasts an unsatisfactory arrangement with a lack of assistance. The saying judges imperfect help through a hierarchical role.
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Careful management can leave resources for personal needs, assistance and friendship. The three pennies picture several purposes served by stewardship.
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The saying contrasts learning with wise companions and decline among people it calls fools. It emphasises the possible influence of company.
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Trust is developed through time and shared experience rather than a first impression alone. Eating a large quantity of salt together stands for repeated ordinary encounters in which reliability can become clearer.
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The saying prefers a considerate refusal to a reluctant promise. It values an honest limit over an undertaking someone does not willingly accept.
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Being on your own can be preferable to company that mistreats you or pulls you into harmful conduct. Companionship has value when its quality is considered.
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Passing up a joke can be wiser than hurting a friend for a moment’s amusement. Consider the person affected before deciding that a clever remark must be said.
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Harmful company can be worse than an unpleasant immediate setback. The saying warns against relationships that repeatedly lead someone into trouble, but its comparison does not justify violence or abuse.
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The saying makes even plain water sweet enough between true friends. It values shared connection over an elaborate occasion.
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People with similar interests, habits or outlooks often spend time together. A shared activity or way of thinking can make a group feel familiar and easier to join.
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Blood emphatically distinguished from water gives kinship or shared ties an image of special significance. The short saying values a bond through a familiar contrast.
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Family ties may inspire especially strong loyalty. Blood represents kinship, while water provides the contrast with relationships outside the family.
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An attempt to cheer someone can be unsuitable for what they are experiencing. The bagpipe pictures a noisy diversion offered during trouble, encouraging attention to the person’s needs rather than assuming that entertainment always helps.
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