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
A neutral person wanting eggs without breaking any questions a wish for benefit without an associated cost. The saying criticises avoidance of a difficult choice.
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Playing cards placed in the devil’s prayer book gives a pastime a severe moral or religious condemnation. The saying associates cards with an imagined harmful influence.
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A little money immediately available can provide practical help or reassurance. The pocket companion is a figurative image of usefulness, rather than a claim that money offers the same support as a friend.
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The saying values a saved penny like an earned penny. It gives retaining a small amount the same rhetorical importance as gaining it.
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Money you avoid wasting remains available for another purpose. Small savings can be useful even when they seem less noticeable than earning additional income.
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A small weight of love valued above a large weight of law contrasts care with formal regulation. The saying gives affection moral importance through an exaggerated measure.
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A modest cost can be worthwhile when it removes a real inconvenience. The saying values ease as something with practical worth, without implying that every shortcut is useful or that everyone can afford the same choice.
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A masquerader revealing himself while trying too hard to surpass others gives competitive display an embarrassing unintended outcome. The coarse image questions overreaching in performance.
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A person judged by appearance is compared with a sea measured by a bucket. The saying treats a small visible sample as inadequate for a much larger assessment.
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Speaking of inferiors is turned into evidence that the speaker has none. The saying challenges superiority expressed by ranking other people beneath oneself.
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Give things a clear, usable location and return them there when appropriate. The saying encourages an organised arrangement, without requiring a rigid system that ignores how people actually use the space or materials.
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A promise as comfort for a fool criticises reassurance accepted without sufficient basis. It questions relying on words before fulfilment is known.
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A promise giving comfort to a fool questions reassurance accepted before fulfilment is known. The saying distrusts words used in place of practical evidence.
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A proud heart enduring a shared failure because its pride is untouched contrasts common setback with a personally threatening judgment. The saying examines how comparison affects an apparent response.
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An unpleasant experience can make someone wary even of a harmless reminder. Recognise why caution has increased, while checking whether the present situation carries the same risk as the earlier one.
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The saying claims a Scotch mist can thoroughly wet an Englishman. It contrasts the seemingly slight weather with a substantial effect on the person in it.
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A shortcut often becoming a wrong turn contrasts reduced effort with an unsuccessful route. The saying asks whether omitted steps were necessary.
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The saying values a modest unsuccessful attempt above a boastful success. It judges conduct as well as outcome.
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The saying lets a small house hold a hundred friends. It celebrates welcome and connection despite modest surroundings.
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A small unresolved problem can undermine a much larger undertaking. The leak and ship emphasise consequences that grow if ignored, without claiming that every minor fault will become disastrous or needs the same response.
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The size of a task or stock should fit the capacity available to handle it. The pedlar’s small pack pictures a manageable load.
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A smart head paired with a soft tongue connects judgment with gentle expression. The saying values how understanding is communicated.
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The saying grows a great fire from a spark. As an analogy, a small beginning may have large consequences.
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The saying connects a still tongue with a wise head. It praises restraint in speech as part of thoughtful judgment.
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