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PROVERBS TO REMEMBER

Proverbs are short and wise sayings that express traditionally held popular beliefs.
These expressions are metaphorical and they are commonly used to give a piece of
advice or reflect upon a situation. Every culture has a collection of proverbs and if we
analyse them in detail, we can learn a lot about the values and traditions of a particular
society.

Exercise: The following proverbs in italics are in the wrong dialogues. Rearrange
them so that they are in the correct dialogues. The definitions of the proverbs are
at the bottom of the post.

1) A: I can’t believe I've forgotten to call Julia for her birthday. Should I send her a
bunch of flowers with a greeting card? B: The early bird catches the worm.

2) A: Hey, Paul! Could I have a word with you? I’m a little bit curious. Why do you
always get to work so early? B: Better late than never.

3) A: Lisa Lambert is the most conceited person I’ve ever met. And I’ve heard on the
grapevine that she’s going out with Peter Pembrose, the most snobbish and
pretentious guy at school. B: Two heads are better than one.

4) A: I’ve been on a diet for almost six months and my husband’s had the “brilliant”
idea of giving me a box of chocolates for our wedding anniversary. B: A barking dog
never bites.
5) A: Yesterday we had a general meeting at work and all the managers from the
different departments wanted to be in charge of the meeting. As a consequence, the
instructions for the activities were not clear and we couldn't come up with any
interesting ideas. B: Don’t bite more than you can chew.

6) A: I’ve just come into a large inheritance from my uncle Arthur and I’m planning to
invest all the money in tech stocks. I’ve recently read in a business magazine that tech
stocks are likely to go up in the following months. B: Don't count your chickens
before they’re hatched.

7) A: I don’t want to work with Julia Jones on the new marketing project. Julia is the
typical know-it-all and she's all the time boasting about her PhD in Economics from
Stanford University. However, I think I have no way out. I’ll have to design the new
marketing strategy of the company with her. B: Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

8) A: When I graduate from college, I’m going to study IT and Biology at University.
Also, I’m going to start working because I don’t want to depend on my parents for
financial stability. B: Too many cooks spoil the broth.

9) A: The doorman of the building where I live is ill-tempered and a little bit off his
rocker. Moreover, he hates animals and every time I take my dog out for a walk, he
threatens to call the police because he says that pets aren’t allowed in the
building. B: Birds of a feather flock together.

10) A: I have just handed in a new project to my boss to increase the revenues of the
company. If he decides to implement the project, I’m sure I’m going to be promoted and
get a whopping 25% pay rise. B: Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

www.liceobritanico.com
info@liceobritanico.com
0800-44-INGLES (464537)
DEFINITIONS

The early bird catches the worm: If you want to succeed, you should start working
early. In this way, you will have an advantage over your workmates.

Better late than never: Doing something late is better than not doing it at all.

Two heads are better than one: When two people cooperate with each other, they
have a better chance of solving a problem.

A barking dog never bites: A person who is all the time making threats usually
doesn’t carry them out.

Don’t bite more than you can chew: This expression is used to advise people
against engaging in more activities than they can handle.

Don't count your chickens before they’re hatched: Don’t start talking about the
success of your plan in advance. Your plan might not work out well and you may get
disappointed.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth: If someone gives you a present that you don’t
like, you shouldn’t be ungrateful when you receive it.

Too many cooks spoil the broth: When there are too many people trying to manage
an activity, things can become confusing and disorganized. As a consequence, the
activity can be ruined.

Birds of a feather flock together: People with similar personalities tend to associate
with each other and spend time together.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket: Don’t invest all your money in just one plan or
activity. Don’t place all your resources in one place, account, etc.

www.liceobritanico.com
info@liceobritanico.com
0800-44-INGLES (464537)
PROVERBS TO REMEMBER > KEYS

Exercise: The following proverbs in italics are in the wrong dialogues. Rearrange
them so that they are in the correct dialogues. The definitions of the proverbs are
at the bottom of the post. (Exercise published on our blog >
www.lcblearning.wordpress.com).

1) A: I can’t believe I've forgotten to call Julia for her birthday. Should I send her a
bunch of flowers with a greeting card? B: Better late than never. (Más vale tarde que
nunca).

2) A: Hey, Paul! Could I have a word with you? I’m a little bit curious. Why do you
always get to work so early? B: The early bird catches the worm. (Al que madruga
Dios lo ayuda).

3) A: Lisa Lambert is the most conceited person I’ve ever met. And I’ve heard on the
grapevine that she’s going out with Peter Pembrose, the most snobbish and
pretentious guy at school. B: Birds of a feather flock together. (Dios los cría y el
viento los amontona).

4) A: I’ve been on a diet for almost six months and my husband’s had the “brilliant”
idea of giving me a box of chocolates for our wedding anniversary. B: Never look a
gift horse in the mouth. (A caballo regalado no se le miran los dientes).

5) A: Yesterday we had a general meeting at work and all the managers from the
different departments wanted to be in charge of the meeting. As a consequence, the
instructions for the activities were not clear and we couldn't come up with any
interesting ideas. B: Too many cooks spoil the broth. (Muchas manos en un plato
hacen mucho garabato).

6) A: I’ve just come into a large inheritance from my uncle Arthur and I’m planning to
invest all the money in tech stocks. I’ve recently read in a business magazine that tech
stocks are likely to go up in the following months. B: Don't put all your eggs in one
basket. (No pongas todos los huevos en una canasta).

7) A: I don’t want to work with Julia Jones on the new marketing project. Julia is the
typical know-it-all and she's all the time boasting about her PhD in Economics from
Stanford University. However, I think I have no way out. I’ll have to design the new
marketing strategy of the company with her. B: Two heads are better than one. (Dos
cabezas piensan más que una).

www.liceobritanico.com
info@liceobritanico.com
0800-44-INGLES (464537)
8) A: When I graduate from college, I’m going to study IT and Biology at University.
Also, I’m going to start working because I don’t want to depend on my parents for
financial stability. B: Don’t bite more than you can chew. (El que mucho abarca poco
aprieta).

9) A: The doorman of the building where I live is ill-tempered and a little bit off his
rocker. Moreover, he hates animals and every time I take my dog out for a walk, he
threatens to call the police because he says that pets aren’t allowed in the building. B:
A barking dog never bites. (Perro que ladra no muerde).

10) A: I have just handed in a new project to my boss to increase the revenues of the
company. If he decides to implement the project, I’m sure I’m going to be promoted and
get a whopping 25% pay rise. B: Don't count your chickens before they’re hatched.
(No cantes victoria antes de tiempo).

www.liceobritanico.com
info@liceobritanico.com
0800-44-INGLES (464537)