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vol # / no # / January 2007 / issn #

Correct English Proverbs and Their Meanings

By Prof. MERCY L. CANDELARIA International Student Adviser and Professor, Department of English, CAS Manila A proverb is a short traditional saying in general use. It usually expresses some obvious truth or familiar experience. Here are some proverbs and their meanings. They are usually known in English, though some of them were first coined in other languages. The best things in life are free. We dont have to pay for the things that are really valuable, like love, friendship and trust. A stitch in time saves nine. Repair something as soon as it is damaged as the repair to be done is still small. However, if you do it later, you might have a much bigger and more expensive repair job to do. Do it now and youll only need one stitch; do it later and youll need nine stitches! (Why nine and not eight or ten? Because nine rhymes with time.) Still waters run deep. Some rivers have rough surfaces with waves. Thats usually because the water is shallow and there are rocks near the surface. Deep rivers, on the other hand, have no rocks near the surface; hence, the water is smooth and still. Similarly, people who are calm and tranquil on the outside, often have a strong, deep personality. He teaches ill, who teaches all. The unusual structure of this proverb may make it difficult to understand. However, if the structure is changed to He who teaches all teaches ill, it sounds easier to comprehend. The word ill here means badly. Hence, it means that a teacher who teaches students everything, does not teach well. A good teacher allows students to discover some things for themselves. You cant take it with you when you die. We leave everything on earth when we die. We dont take anything with us. Even the richest people cannot take their money with them after death. This proverb reminds us that material things are not really as valuable as we think they are. Better untaught than ill taught. This proverb drops the verb phrase to be. It is better understood as It is better not to be taught at all, than to be taught badly. Its better not to learn something than to learn it badly. This idea is echoed in poet Alexander Popes famous line: A little learning is a dangerous thing. Dont cross your bridges before you come to them. Dont worry about problems before they arrive. Soon learnt, soon forgotten. Something that is learned easily is also forgotten easily. Even a worm will turn. Everybody will revolt if driven too far. Even the lowest of animals will revolt and hit back at some point. Even a worm, the simplest of animals, will defend itself. It was the last straw that broke the camels back. There is a limit to everything. We can load the camel with lots of straw, but too much of it will break the camels back. It is only a single straw that breaks its backthe last straw. This can be applied to many things in life, like when people often say, Thats the last straw! to mean that they will not accept any more of something (i.e., bad attitude). The way to a mans heart is through his stomach. Many women have won a mans love by cooking delicious meals for him. They fed his stomach and found love in his heart. If the stone falls upon the egg, alas for the egg! If the egg falls upon the stone, alas for the egg! Life just isnt fair, and this realistic Arabic proverb recognizes that. No matter what, the stone will always break the egg. Where theres a will, theres a way. If one has the determination to do something, he can always find the path or the means to do it. Marry in haste, and repent at leisure. If one gets married quickly, without thinking carefully, he/she may be sorry laterand he/she will have plenty of time to be sorry.

One tongue is enough for a woman. Some people think that women talk too much. If they already talk too much, they dont need another tongue, so one tongue is enough. This proverb is simply another way of saying that women talk too much. If you wish good advice, consult an old man. Old people have a lot of experience. If you want to get good advice or recommendations, ask an old person, not a young one. The best advice is found on the pillow. If one has a problem, he may find the answer after a good nights sleep. People also often say: Ill sleep on it. All clouds bring not rain. We can rephrase this as Not every cloud brings rain. Sometimes there may be many clouds in the sky, but it wont rain. The same is sometimes true with problems, or what we think are problems. You cant tell a book by its cover. One needs to read a book to know if its good or bad. One cannot know what its like by just looking at the front or back cover. This proverb applies to everything especially peoplenot only books. Bad news travels fast. Bad news refers to bad things like accidents, death, illness, etc. People tend to tell this type of news quickly. But good news like passing an exam, winning some money, getting a job, etc. travels more slowly. No news is good news. This is similar to the proverb Bad news travels fast. If we are waiting for news about someone, its probably good if we hear nothing because bad news would arrive quickly. Live and let live. This proverb suggests that one should not interfere in other peoples business. One should live his own life and let others live their lives. Birds of a feather flock together. Birds of a feather literally means birds of the same type. The whole proverb means that people of the same type (i.e., attitude, personality) stay together. They seldom go with people not of their type or kind. Tell me who you go with and Ill tell you who you are. Similar to Birds of a feather..., this proverb suggests that people of like minds stick together.

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