proverb · Traditional
Bad news travels fast.
The saying pictures bad news moving quickly between people. It emphasises the rapid circulation of reports of trouble or misfortune.
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What does it mean?
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.
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586 matching explanations
proverb · Traditional proverb
Be as you would seem to be.
Let your conduct match the impression you want to give. The saying asks for substance behind a respectable appearance, rather than a performance designed only to win approval.
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Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.
The saying warns against shame turning mistakes into crimes. A qualified reading concerns responding to an error without concealment or further wrongdoing.
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Be not disturbed by being misunderstood; be disturbed by not understanding.
Not understanding given priority over being misunderstood redirects attention from reputation to one’s own knowledge. The saying values inquiry instead of only correcting others’ impressions.
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Be not fooled–magic does obey the laws of nature.
Magic said to obey natural laws challenges an appearance that might be mistaken for exemption from ordinary explanation. The saying asks a reader not to be fooled.
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Better a friendly refusal than an unwilling promise.
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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Better a polite refusal than a worthless promise.
A polite refusal preferred to a worthless promise values an honest limit over an assurance that cannot be relied upon. The saying connects care with clarity.
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Better be ill spoken of by one before all, than by all before one.
The saying prefers one person’s public criticism to many people’s private criticism. It contrasts the distribution of disapproval but does not establish what makes a judgment true.
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Better to be too skeptical than to be too trusting.
Excessive skepticism preferred to excessive trust values caution about claims. The saying gives doubt a protective role.
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Better untaught than ill-taught.
Poor instruction can leave someone with mistakes that need to be unlearned. The saying warns about teaching quality rather than making ignorance an ideal.
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Better wear a cloak for religion than religion for a cloak.
Religious belief should guide conduct rather than be used to hide it. The two uses of a cloak contrast a genuine purpose with a convenient disguise.
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Between a woman's yes and no, There is not room for a pin to go.
The pin image makes a woman’s yes and no seem scarcely separated, suggesting changeability or dismissing the distinction between her answers. This is a sexist viewpoint, not permission to ignore a refusal.
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Big thunder, little rain.
The saying pairs big thunder with little rain. It contrasts an impressive sound with a comparatively small result.
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Blushing is virtue's colour.
Blushing is imagined as the visible colour of moral sensitivity. The saying can praise a moment of modesty, but a bodily reaction does not prove honesty or virtue, and the absence of visible embarrassment does not establish a defect of character.
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Brag's a good dog, but that he hath lost his tail.
Boasting can seem impressive while lacking what would make it convincing. The incomplete dog turns grand talk into an image of missing substance.
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Bury your head in the sand.
The phrase describes hiding one’s head in sand. In the supplied reading, it means avoiding an unpleasant issue instead of confronting it.
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By knowing, one reaches belief.
Knowing described as leading to belief connects understanding with a position one comes to accept. The saying values a basis for conviction beyond assertion alone.
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call a spade a spade.
The phrase asks for plain naming instead of evasive description. In the checked idiomatic sense, it favours speaking directly about what one means.
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Call me cousin; but cozen me not.
Friendly names and claims of closeness do not excuse dishonest treatment. The wordplay contrasts being called cousin with being deceived, asking that warmth in a relationship be matched by straightforward conduct.
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Cast the first stone.
The phrase describes being first to cast a stone. In the supplied reading, it concerns initiating blame, criticism or punishment.
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Catch not at the shadow and lose the substance.
Do not sacrifice something real and useful for an appearance or promise that lacks substance. Check what is actually available before letting an attractive impression displace a sound option.
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Cats don’t catch mice to please God.
Cats catching mice without seeking God’s approval question an elevated motive being assigned to an ordinary action. The saying contrasts conduct with an asserted religious purpose.
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Celebrity gossip is still gossip.
The saying insists that gossip remains gossip when its subject is famous. Public visibility is not treated as changing the character of speculative personal talk.
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Ceremony is the smoke of friendship.
The saying makes ceremony the smoke of friendship. It connects outward forms of regard with an underlying relationship.
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