The Proverbs is a collection of
ancient wisdom, still recognized today as practical advice. It contains
the sayings not only of Solomon, but other sages of ancient Israel as well.
The teachings of this book can be applied by everyone from children to young
men and women to the leaders of business empires and nations.
Fail to steal the chicken while it ate up your bait grain.
Proverb, (Chinese)
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Proverb
Fain would the cat fish eat,
But she is loth to wet her feet.
Proverb, (Latin)
Faint heart never won fair lady.
Proverb, (Danish, French, German)
Faint praise is akin to abuse.
Proverb, (Danish)
Faintheart is always in danger.
Proverb, (Portuguese)
Fair and foolish, little and loud,
Long and lazy, black and proud;
Fat and merry, lean and sad,
Pale and peevish, red and bad.
Proverb
Fair and softly goes far in a day.
Proverb
Fair and softly goes far.
Proverb, (French, Portuguese)
Fair feathers make fair fowls.
Proverb
Fair flowers do not remain long by the wayside.
Proverb
Fair flowers to not remain long by the wayside.
Proverb, (German)
Fair folks are aye fushionless.
Proverb
Fair hair may hae foul roots.
Proverb
Fair in the cradle and foul in the saddle.
Proverb
Fair is he that comes, but fairer he that brings.
Proverb, (French)
Fair maidens wear no purses.
Proverb
Fair money can cover mush that's foul.
Proverb, (Dutch)
Fair play's a jewel.
Proverb
Fair promises bind fools.
Proverb, (Italian)
Fair things are soon snatched away.
Proverb, (French)
Fair without, foul within.
Proverb
Fair words don't fill the pocket.
Proverb, (German)
Fair words make fool fain.
Proverb
Fair words please the fool, and sometimes the wise.
Proverb, (Danish)
Fair words won't feed a cat.
Proverb, (Italian)
Fair words won't fill the sack.
Proverb, (Danish, Dutch)
Fair words, but look to your purse.
Proverb, (Italian)
Fair, good, rich, and wise, is a woman four stories high.
Proverb, (French)
Faith in a lord, a cap for the fool.
Proverb, (Italian)
Faith is confirmed by the heart, confessed by the tongue, and acted upon by
the body.
Proverb, (Suyin)
Faith will move mountains.
Proverb
Falcons don't fly after cage-birds.
Proverb, (Darkovan)
Fall not out with a friend for a trifle.
Proverb
Fall seven times, get up eight.
Proverb, (Japanese)
Fall sick, and you will see who is your friend and who not.
Proverb, (Spanish)
Falling hurts least those who fly low.
Proverb, (Chinese)
Falling is easier than rising.
Proverb, (Irish)
False ambition serves the neck.
Proverb, (Egyptian)
False in one respect, never trustworthy.
Proverb, (Latin)
Falsehood is the Devil's daughter, and speaks her father's tongue.
Proverb, (Danish)
Falsehood never tires of going round about.
Proverb, (Danish)
Falsehood travels and grows.
Proverb, (Danish)
Falsehood, like a nettle, stings those who meddle with it.
Proverb
Falseness often lurks beneath fair hair.
Proverb, (Danish)
Fame and repute follow a man to the door.
Proverb, (Danish)
Fame is a magnifying glass.
Proverb, (English)
Fame is but the breath of the people.
Proverb
Fancy passes beauty.
Proverb
Fancy requires much, necessity but little.
Proverb, (German)
Fancy surpasses beauty.
Proverb, (Spanish)
Far fetched and dear bought is meat for ladies.
Proverb, (Dutch)
Far fowls have fair feathers.
Proverb, (English)
Far from court, far from care.
Proverb
Far from eye, far from heart.
Proverb
Far from Jupiter, far from his thunder.
Proverb, (Latin)
Far from the eye, far from the heart.
Proverb, (Maltese)
Far from the eyes, far from the heart.
Proverb, (Italian)
Far waters cannot quench near fires.
Proverb, (Chinese)
Far-fetched and dear bought is good for ladies.
Proverb
Far-fetched and dear-bought is good for ladies.
Proverb
Farewell and be hanged; friends must part!
Proverb
Farewell baskets, the vintage is ended.
Proverb, (French)
Fashion is a tyrant from which there is no deliverance; all must conform to
its whimsical.
Proverb, (French)
Fashion is more powerful than any tyrant.
Proverb, (Latin)
Fast as the hare runs, the greyhound outruns her, since he catches her.
Proverb, (Spanish)
Fast bind, fast find.
Proverb
Fast Ripe, Fast Rotten.
Proverb, (Japanese)
Fat broth cannot be made of nothing.
Proverb, (French)
Fat head, less brains.
Proverb, (Italian)
Fat hens lay few eggs.
Proverb, (German)
Fat pastures make fat venison.
Proverb, (French)
Fat paunches make lean pates.
Proverb, (Greek)
Fat sorrow is better than lean sorrow.
Proverb
Fate and self-help share equally in shaping our destiny.
Proverb, (Indian)
Fate leads the willing but drives the stubborn.
Proverb, (Latin)
Father and mother are kind, but God is kinder.
Proverb, (Danish)
Faults are thick where love is thin.
Proverb, (Danish)
Favour and gifts disturb justice.
Proverb, (Danish)
Favour oft avails more than justice or reason.
Proverb, (Portuguese)
Favours should never be forced upon others against their will.
Proverb, (Latin)
Fear a silent man. He has lips like a drum.
Proverb, (Yoruban)
Fear an ignorant man more than a lion.
Proverb, (Kurdish)
Fear guards the vineyard.
Proverb, (Italian, Spanish)
Fear has big eyes.
Proverb, (Russian)
Fear increasing age, for it does not come without companions.
Proverb, (Latin)
Fear is a fine spur; so is rage.
Proverb, (Irish)
Fear is a great inventor.
Proverb, (French)
Fear is no obstacle to death.
Proverb, (West African)
Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, whine less, breathe more, talk
less, say more, hate less, love more, and all good things will be yours.
Proverb, (Swedish)
Fear may force a man to cast beyond the moon.
Proverb
Fear not a jest. If one throws salt at you, you will not be harmed unless
you have sore places.
Proverb, (Latin)
Fear not the man who fears God.
Proverb, (Arabian)
Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it.
Proverb, (Arab)
Fear the goat from the front, the horse from the rear, and man from all
sides.
Proverb, (Russian)
Fear the Greeks bearing gifts.
Proverb
Fear to let fall a drop and you will spill a lot.
Proverb, (Malaysian)
Feasting is the physician's harvest.
Proverb
Feather by feather the goose can be plucked.
Proverb, (French)
Feather by feather the goose is plucked.
Proverb, (Italian)
February fill dyke, be it black or be it white.
Proverb
February fill dyke.
Proverb
Feed a cold and starve a fever.
Proverb
Feed a cold, starve a fever.
Proverb, (American)
Feed by measure and defy the physician.
Proverb
Feed sparingly and defy the physician.
Proverb
Feet accustomed to go cannot be still.
Proverb, (Portuguese)
Feet that are used to move cannot remain quiet.
Proverb, (Spanish)
Feign death and the bull will leave you.
Proverb, (Portuguese)
Feigned love is worse than hatred.
Proverb, (Latin)
Fetters of gold are still fetters, and silken cords pinch.
Proverb
Few have luck, all have death.
Proverb, (Danish)
Few there are that will endure a true friend.
Proverb
Few women turn grey because their husband dies.
Proverb, (Danish)
Few words are best.
Proverb
Few words to the wise suffice.
Proverb
Fie upon a cloak in fair weather!
Proverb, (French)
"Fie upon thee, how black thou art!" said the kettle to the saucepan.
Proverb, (Danish)
Fields have eyes and woods have ears.
Proverb
Fight a wolf with a flex stalk.
Proverb, (Chinese)
Fight fire with fire.
Proverb
Fight with silver spears, and you will overcome everything.
Proverb, (Latin)
Figs he calls figs, a spade a spade. [Said of a man who speaks with
sincerity and means what he says.]
Proverb, (Latin)
Fill your garners, harvest lasts not for ever.
Proverb, (Latin)
Find a cruel man and you see a coward.
Proverb
Find words butter no parsnips.
Proverb
Find you without an excuse, and find a hare without a meuse.
Proverb
Finders keepers losers weepers.
Proverb
Finding's keeping.
Proverb
Findings keepings.
Proverb
Fine and fine make but a slender doublet.
Proverb, (French)
Fine birds are commonly plucked.
Proverb, (French)
Fine dressing is a foul house, swept before the windows.
Proverb
Fine feathers make find birds.
Proverb
Fine feathers make fine birds.
Proverb, (Dutch, English, French)
Fine linen often conceals scabby skin.
Proverb, (Danish)
Fine words butter no parsnips.
Proverb
Fine words do not produce food.
Proverb, (Nigerian)
Fine words don't fill the belly.
Proverb, (Dutch, Portuguese)
Fine words without deeds go not far.
Proverb, (Danish)
Fingers were made before forks.
Proverb
Fir and water are good servants, but bad masters.
Proverb, (German)
Fire and faggot are but sad reformers.
Proverb
Fire and gunpowder do not sleep together.
Proverb, (Ghanaian)
Fire and love do not say "Go to your work."
Proverb, (Spanish)
Fire and straw soon make a flame.
Proverb, (Danish)
Fire and water are good servants but bad masters.
Proverb, (Danish)
Fire drives the wasp out of its nest.
Proverb, (Italian)
Fire in the heart sends smoke into the head.
Proverb, (German)
Fire is a good servant but a bad master.
Proverb
Fire is a good servant but a poor master.
Proverb, (Darkovan)
Fire is not quenched with fire.
Proverb, (Italian)
Fire that is closest kept burns most of all.
Proverb
Fire will not put out fire. Anger is not appeased by anger.
Proverb, (Latin)
Fire, fire, many pots on. and one pea in them all.
Proverb, (Spanish)
Fire, the sea, and woman; these are three ills.
Proverb, (Latin)
Fire, water, and government know nothing of mercy.
Proverb
Firelight will not let you read fine stories but it's warm and you won't see
the dust on the floor.
Proverb, (Irish)
First a turnip, then a sheep; next a cow, and then the gallows.
Proverb, (Dutch)
First catch your hare, then cook it.
Proverb
First catch your hare.
Proverb
First cobwebs, then chains.
Proverb, (Spanish)
First come to the mill, first grind.
Proverb
First creep and then go.
Proverb
First deserve, and then desire.
Proverb, (English)
First impressions are the most lasting.
Proverb
First look at home, then censure me.
Proverb, (German)
First love is strongest.
Proverb
First secure an independent income, then practice virtue.
Proverb, (Greek)
First the man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink
takes the man.
Proverb, (Japanese)
First things first.
Proverb
First think and then speak.
Proverb
First thrive and then wive.
Proverb
First weigh, then venture.
Proverb, (German)
Fish and company stink in three days.
Proverb
Fish and guests smell at three days old.
Proverb, (Danish)
Fish and guests stink after three days.
Proverb, (Danish)
Fish begin to stink at the head.
Proverb, (German)
Fish is cast away that is cast in dry pools.
Proverb
Fish or cut bait.
Proverb, (American)
Fish, to taste good, must swim three times: in water, in butter, and in
wine.
Proverb, (Polish)
Five fingers are brothers but not equals.
Proverb, (Afghan)
Five fingers hold more than two forks.
Proverb, (German)
Five hours sleepeth a traveller, seven a scholar, eight a merchant, and
eleven every knave.
Proverb
Five of them would run from the bang of one empty gun.
Proverb, (Afghan)
Flatterers are cats that lick before and scratch behind.
Proverb, (German)
Flatterers haunt not cottages.
Proverb
Flattery is sweet food for those who can swallow it.
Proverb, (Danish)
Flattery makes friends and truth makes enemies.
Proverb, (Yiddish)
Flattery sits in the parlour when plain dealing is kicked out of doors.
Proverb
Flattery will get you nowhere.
Proverb
Fleas are not lobsters.
Proverb
Flies are easier caught with honey than with vinegar.
Proverb, (French)
Flies don't light on a boiling pot.
Proverb, (Italian)
Flies flock to the lean horse.
Proverb, (Italian)
Flies will not light on a boiling pot.
Proverb, (French)
Flies, dogs. and mimics are the first to rush to the dish.
Proverb, (Latin)
Flight towards preferment will be but slow without some golden feathers.
Proverb
Fling dirt enough, and some will stick.
Proverb, (Latin)
Fling him into the Nile, and he will come up with a fish in his mouth.
Proverb
Flowers are the pledges of fruit.
Proverb, (Danish)
Flowers leave a part of their fragrance in the hands that bestow them.
Proverb, (Chinese)
Flowers leave some of their fragrance in the hand that bestows them.
Proverb, (Chinese)
Flowing water never goes bad; our door hubs never gather termites.
Proverb, (Chinese)
Flying from the bull he fell into the river.
Proverb, (Spanish)
Folks say there is a lack of four sorts of people on earth: of priests, else
one would not have six or seven benefices; of gentleman, else every boor
would not want to be a squire; of whores, else married women and nuns would
not carry on the trade; of Jews, else Christians would not practise usury.
Proverb, (German)
Follow Love and it will flee,
Flee love and it will follow thee.
Proverb
Follow the customs, or fly the country.
Proverb, (Danish)
Follow the river and you will reach the sea.
Proverb, (French)
Follow the road and you will reach an inn.
Proverb, (Portuguese)
Folly hath eagle's wings, but the eyes of an owl.
Proverb, (Dutch)
Folly is the most incurable of maladies.
Proverb, (Spanish)
Folly is the product of all countries and ages.
Proverb
Fond of lawsuits, little wealth,
Fond of doctors, little health.
Proverb
Fond of lawsuits, little wealth; fond of doctors, little health; fond of
friars, little honour.
Proverb, (Spanish)
Fond pride of dress is sure a very curse;
Ere fancy you consult, consult your purse.
Proverb
Fools and bairns should never see half-done work.
Proverb
Fools and madmen speak the truth.
Proverb
Fools and obstinate men make rich lawyers.
Proverb, (Spanish)
Fools and the perverse fill the lawyers' purse.
Proverb, (Spanish)
Fools are fain of flittin.
Proverb
Fools are free all the world over.
Proverb, (Dutch)
Fools ask questions that wise men cannot answer.
Proverb
Fools ask what's o'clock, but wise men know their time.
Proverb, (Dutch)
Fools build house and wise men live in them.
Proverb
Fools build houses, and wise men buy them.
Proverb, (English)
Fools build houses, wise men buy them.
Proverb, (German)
Fools cut their fingers, but wise men cut their thumbs.
Proverb
Fools for luck.
Proverb
Fools go in throngs.
Proverb, (French)
Fools grow without watering.
Proverb, (German, Italian)
Fools live poor to die rich.
Proverb
Fools look to tomorrow. Wise men use tonight.
Proverb, (Scottish)
Fools must not be set on eggs.
Proverb, (German)
Fools refuse favours.
Proverb
Fools sometimes give wise men counsel.
Proverb, (Portuguese)
Fools tie knots and wise men loose them.
Proverb
Foot firm till death.
Proverb, (Portuguese)
For a bad tongue scissors.
Proverb, (Portuguese)
For a flying enemy make a golden bridge.
Proverb, (French)
For a flying enemy make a silver bridge.
Proverb, (Dutch)
For a good appetite there is no hard bread.
Proverb
For a good companion good company.
Proverb, (Spanish)
For a good dinner and a gentle wife you can afford to wait.
Proverb, (Danish)
For a paltry gift, little thanks.
Proverb, (Latin)
For a stubborn ass a hard goad.
Proverb, (French)
For a stubborn ass a stubborn driver.
Proverb, (French)
For a voracious beast pebbles in his feed.
Proverb, (Portuguese)
For a web begun God sends thread.
Proverb, (French, Italian)
For a wife and a horse go to your neighbour.
Proverb, (Italian)
For age and want save while you may, no morning sun lasts a whole day.
Proverb, (American)
For all one's early rising, it dawns none the sooner.
Proverb, (Spanish)
For an honest man half his wits are enough; the whole is too little for a
knave.
Proverb, (Italian)
For better for worse they have married me.
Proverb, (Spanish)
For every evil under the sun
There is a remedy or there is none:
If there be one, try and find it;
IF there be none, never mind it.
Proverb
For every wise man there is one still wiser.
Proverb, (Kurdish)
For evil tongues, scissors.
Proverb, (Spanish)
For extreme ills extreme remedies.
Proverb, (Italian)
For God and our country.
Proverb, (Latin)
For great evils strong remedies.
Proverb, (Dutch)
For him who does not believe in signs, there is no way to live in the world.
Proverb, (Russian)
For ill do well,
Then fear not hell.
Proverb
For lack of men they made my father a justice.
Proverb, (Portuguese)
For love of the ox the wolf licks the yoke.
Proverb, (Catalan)
For love the wolf eats the sheep.
Proverb, (German)
For news of the heart, ask the face.
Proverb, (Guinean)
For one pleasure a thousand pains.
Proverb, (French)
For our altars and our hearths.
Proverb, (Latin)
For overbuying there's no help but selling again.
Proverb, (French)
For poor people small coin.
Proverb, (Portuguese)
For sake of the knight the lady kisses the squire.
Proverb, (French)
For the buyer a hundred eyes are too few, for the seller one is enough.
Proverb, (Italian)
For the diligent, a week has seven days; for the slothful, seven tomorrows.
Proverb, (German)
For the flying enemy a golden bridge.
Proverb, (Italian)
For the king, the laws and the people.
Proverb, (Latin)
For the last comer the bones.
Proverb
For the last-comer the bones.
Proverb, (French)
For the sake of one good action, a hundred evil ones should be forgotten.
Proverb, (Chinese)
For the upright there are no laws.
Proverb, (German)
For the want of worthy men they made my father alcade.
Proverb, (Spanish)
For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.
Proverb, (African)
For want of a nail the shoe is lost.
Proverb, (Spanish)
For want of company, welcome trumpery.
Proverb
For whom does the blind man's wife adorn herself?
Proverb, (Spanish)
For whom sword and courage are not enough, corslet and lance will not be
enough.
Proverb, (Spanish)
For wolf's flesh dog sauce.
Proverb, (French)
Forbear a quarrel with a friend to move: anger breeds hatred; concord
sweetens love.
Proverb, (Dutch)
Forbearance is no acquittance.
Proverb, (German)
Forbid a thing, and that we will do.
Proverb
Forbidden fruit is sweet.
Proverb, (German)
Forbidden fruit is sweetest.
Proverb, (Italian)
"Force me, and I shall commit no sin," said the girl.
Proverb, (German)
Force not favours on the unwilling.
Proverb, (Latin)
Forced love does not last.
Proverb, (Dutch)
Fore-talk spares after-talk.
Proverb, (German)
Foresight could make wise men of Durraman's donkeys.
Proverb, (Darkovan)
Forethought is easy, repentance hard.
Proverb, (Chinese)
Forewarned is forearmed.
Proverb, (Latin, French, Spanish)
