For Lovers of English - 100 English Proverbs
Jeremy Taylor
Copyright 2011 by Jeremy Taylor
Smashwords Edition
Cartoons by Karmentxu Elizegi
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Introduction
Good to see that you have an interest in English proverbs. They appear in all areas of life, offering sage advice to help us get on with people and stay healthy, wealthy and wise. In this little collection there are 100 proverbs divided up into ten chapters with ten proverbs in each chapter. If you want to play for points, you can award yourself 5 points if you can work out the proverb without any context. You get 2 points if you can work it out when you see the proverb in context. How many points can you score in each chapter? Can you beat your husband, wife, daughter, son, grandma?
However you choose to use the book, I hope you enjoy it - and please look out for more books in the 'For Lovers of English' range.
Jeremy Taylor
Chapter One - Money matters
1.
Time i_ m____.
"Hey guys, don't stand around drinking tea when you should be working. Don't forget, time i_ m_____."
Time is money.
2.
Where t______ m___, t____ b____.
A friend of mine is a scrap metal dealer. Last week I saw him at the airport - flying off for two weeks in the Seychelles. I had no idea dealing in scrap metal was such a good business but perhaps it’s true that where t______ m___, t____ b____.
Where there's muck, there's brass.
Please note the answer is brass, not bras.
3.
You c____ t___ i_ w___ y__.
I cannot believe the number of world cruises my grandmother has been on. And she bought a new car – a top of the range Volvo. Well I suppose she hasn’t got much time left on this Earth and you c____ t___ i_ w___ y__.
You can’t take it with you.
4.
A fool a__ h__ m____ a__ s___ p_____.
My Uncle went to Petticoat Lane market in London and he came home with a Bulgarian radio – which doesn’t work, that cost him £35, A real authentic Russian pilot’s cap – made in China, that set him back £65 and a genuine handmade Rollecks watch, which cost him £90. It just goes to show that a fool a__ h__ m____ a__ s___ p_____.
A fool and his money are soon parted.
5.
The best t_____ i_ l___ a__ f___.
Last weekend I cycled out to the New Forest with my girlfriend. We had a wonderful picnic, went skinny dipping in a pool and then lay in some long grass, watching the clouds floating by - a perfect day which didn’t cost a penny. I agree 100% that the best t_____ i_ l___ a__ f___.
The best things in life are free.
6.
A penny s____ i_ a p____ e_____.
My girlfriend calls me a cheapskate because I make three cups of tea from one teabag - but she’s the one who has no money at the end of the month! She should remember that a penny s____ i_ a p____ e_____.
A penny saved is a penny earned
7.
Nothing s_______ l___ s______.
It is much easier to earn your second million than your first which probably means that there is some truth to the phrase: Nothing s_______ l___ s______.
Nothing succeeds like success.
It shouldn't be forgotten that nothing succeeds - like a budgie with no teeth.
8.
Money i____ e_________.
My brother works about fifty hours a week, he never sees his kids and I reckon he’s going to have a heart attack before he’s fifty. Someone needs to tell him that money i____ e_________.
Money isn't everything.
As Woody Allen once said: Someone earning 10 million a year is no happier than someone earning nine million a year.
9.
One m____ l___ i_ a______ m_____ g____.
In the recent recession some people who had big expensive cars had to sell them. A friend of mine picked up a Rolls Royce Silver Spirit for less than £8000. That's a good case of 'One m____ l___ i_ a______ m_____ g____'.
One man's loss is another man's gain.
10.
Nothing i_ c______ i_ l___ e_____ d____ a__ t____.
I have an American friend who moved to a Pacific island to get away from it all and just write poetry. After about six months on the island he got a letter – from the I.R.S.! Which just goes to show that nothing i_ c______ i_ l___ e_____ d____ a__ t____.
Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes.
Chapter Two – Work
11.
Make h__ w____ t__ s__ s_____.
In the early 1980s a friend of mine had a very profitable computer business. They were selling computers for stupidly high prices – making over a thousand dollars profit on each computer. He could see that such good fortune wouldn’t last – but he made his millions while he had the opportunity. As he regularly told me: “Make h__ w____ t__ s__ s_____.”
Make hay while the sun shines
12.
Many h____ m___ l____ w___.
When I moved house I was planning to do the tough job of packing everything myself - and took two weeks off work. But then when I started packing, loads of friends came round and helped me. I was very pleasantly surprised to see that after two days everything was packed up – which just goes to show that many h____ m___ l____ w___.
Many hands make light work
13.
Nothing v_______ n______ g_____.
"I've decided to invest in an online writing course. It's about time I did something about my plan to be a bestselling author."
"Are you sure that's a good idea? I've heard they're a bit of a con."
"I'm not sure, but as they say: Nothing v_______ n______ g_____."
Nothing ventured nothing gained.
14.
Idle h____ a__ t__ d______ t____.
"I always like to keep my boys busy. I don't think it's healthy for them to be lazing around doing nothing."
"I agree completely. Idle h____ a__ t__ d______ t____!"
Idle hands are the devil’s tools.
15.
A woman’s w___ i_ n____ d___.
My dad always thinks that he works hard but my mum also works 8 hours a day in a hospital and then she comes home and cooks dinner for us, washes up afterwards and there is still a load more things to do. It's definitely true that a woman’s w___ i_ n____ d___.
A woman's work is never done.
16.
If a j____ w____ d____, i___ w____ d____ w___.
A friend of mine painted his window frames last week. He finished the work in under an hour. I looked at his work and it was pretty lousy. He said that people don't really look at window frames and he couldn't be bothered to do a better job. I reminded him: "If a j____ w____ d____, i___ w____ d____ w___."
If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.
17.
Business b_____ p_______.
Some people like to party and then come home and get on with their work. I prefer to get my work out the way and then party. For me it's always business b_____ p_______.
Business before pleasure.
18.
Practice m____ p______.
I am trying to learn a new juggling trick. I've been working on it for hours but I'm still not there. I refuse to give up as I believe practice m____ p______.