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Gratitude.

Recognising help without turning appreciation into an unlimited debt. These editorial selections consider gifts, forgotten benefits and the difference between gratitude and obligation. Connections follow agent-reviewed meanings, rather than source word matching. Reviewed editorial meanings may also connect entries to this topic; those assignments are labelled separately from word matching.

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Culture labels and country attributions follow the source collections; earliest origins may be unknown.

13 results · Page 1 of 1Play this collection ▷
01Undated
Eaten bread is soon forgotten.

Meaning: A benefit may fade from attention once its immediate need has passed. Remember helpful actions without assuming that gratitude requires permanent obligation or repayment for every kindness.

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02Undated
Look not a gift horse in the mouth.

Meaning: Receive a gift with gratitude rather than immediately criticising its value. Generosity can be appreciated without measuring the offer as if it were a purchase.

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03Undated
Ingratitude is the daughter of pride.

Meaning: The saying suggests that excessive pride can make someone overlook the help they receive. Recognising your own effort need not prevent acknowledging other people’s contributions.

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05Undated
To every saint his candle.

Meaning: Giving each saint a candle pictures distinct acknowledgement for different recipients. The saying can encourage attention suited to each relationship or contribution.

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06Undated
A thing too much seen is little prized.

Meaning: Frequent familiarity can reduce appreciation. Something useful or valuable may be taken for granted because it is always present rather than because its worth has diminished.

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07Undated
To cry famine on a heap of corn.

Meaning: A complaint of scarcity may overlook resources already available. Check what can actually be used before concluding that a situation offers nothing.

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08Undated
Honour blossoms on the grave.

Meaning: Recognition sometimes arrives only after a person has died. The saying invites attention to whether appreciation could be expressed while that person can receive it.

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09Undated
The saint’s-day over, farewell the saint.

Meaning: Appreciation may disappear once the occasion or benefit has passed. Consider whether thanks reflects continuing regard or only a temporary need for someone’s help.

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10Undated
A merry life forgets father and mother.

Meaning: Enjoyment can absorb attention so completely that important family relationships are neglected. The warning concerns forgotten obligations, without making pleasure or independence inherently wrong.

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11Undated
To the grateful man give more than he asks.

Meaning: A grateful response can invite generosity beyond the immediate request. The saying encourages welcome giving while keeping gratitude separate from entitlement, performance or a requirement to reward the giver.

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12Undated
To him who gives you a capon you may spare a leg and a wing.

Meaning: A small return can acknowledge a larger gift. The capon’s leg and wing make reciprocity modest, while leaving giving voluntary and avoiding the idea that every kindness creates a debt.

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