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 (French-language collection)
Leaving a place or situation may not end the constraint it imposed. Notice what obligations, habits or pressures still limit a person after departure.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
Choosing a relationship chiefly for wealth may create obligations or dependence that restrict personal choice. Selling liberty makes the material gain sound like a costly exchange.
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Allow others room to live differently while seeking the same room for yourself. The saying encourages tolerance and mutual freedom, without making every choice immune from criticism or excusing conduct that harms others.
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A restriction can remain unwelcome even when it comes with valuable benefits. Material rewards do not automatically make a loss of freedom acceptable to the person experiencing it.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional (French-language collection)
The saying portrays a harsh choice between imposing force and receiving it. Its narrow contrast can expose a struggle for dominance while hiding cooperative alternatives.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional (French-language collection)
Enduring every burden without question is not always a virtue. Distinguish useful patience from submission that allows an avoidable or harmful situation to continue.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional (French-language collection)
A harmful legacy need not become someone else’s identity or obligation. The speaker rejects inheriting the devil’s horns rather than treating succession as unavoidable.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional (French-language collection)
Rules can be influenced by the wishes of those who hold power. Distinguish the existence of a rule from evidence that it is impartial or fair.
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A person who always accommodates others can become overburdened by repeated demands. The nursing image highlights the need to recognise limits, while avoiding blame toward people who need support.
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The open fields represent room to move beyond confinement. The saying values the relief and possibility of having space to act rather than remaining enclosed.
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A person’s inner judgment can remain independent even when outward choices are constrained. The saying values freedom of thought without claiming that thought is untouched by circumstances.
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Freedom without regard for consequences or shared responsibilities can undermine a situation. The saying warns about excess rather than defining every legitimate limit.
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