Category: Proverbs
Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade. – PROVERB
Beggars can’t be choosers – English proverb
For those who don’t know the meaning of “beggar”:
BEGGAR => a person who lives by asking for money, food, etc.
Image source
Article from Daily Mail Online:
Humiliations of being a midlife renter: HANNAH BETTS is 45, gainfully employed – and has never been a homeowner
[…]
[…]
A watched pot never boils – English proverb
Image source
Example sentences from the web:
- Whoever said “a watched pot never boils” obviously didn’t own a microwave.
- Jane was nine months pregnant and Tom hovered over her anxiously. She said, “You might as well go away and play some golf. A watched pot never boils, you know!”
- There’s no point sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring. A watched pot never boils.
Image source
“A good husband makes a good wife” – English proverb
Image source
Example sentence:
- Don’t blame your wife for being quick-tempered with you; you haven’t been kind to her lately. A good husband makes a good wife!
QUICK-TEMPERED => becoming angry quickly and easily.
“To steal someone’s thunder” – English proverb
Example sentences from the web:
– Mike stole my thunder when he said he had done all the work. That isn’t true. In fact, I did most of it!
– What do you mean by coming in here and stealing my thunder? I’m in charge here!
– She stole my thunder, just like she stole last week’s pantsuit design from Versace.
Image source
Image source
Image source
Post & articles on the web with his saying (click on the images to read the whole post/article):
“You snooze, you lose.” – English proverb
Image source
Example sentences from the web:
- John: Hey! I wanted a glass of milk too!
Sarah: It’s too late. You snooze, you lose. - Isabel: Mark is so selfish, he knew I wanted to go to the show, but yesterday he bought the last ticket for himself.
Cristina: If it was so important, why didn’t you buy the ticket before? You snooze, you lose.
Image source
“Love is blind” – English proverb
St. Valentine’s Day is approaching, for this reason, I decided to tell you about this proverb:
I think this saying is common all around the world, but what is less known is that a research study was conducted to find out if the blindness of love was just a figurative matter. In 2004, a group of researchers of UCL (University College London) found that feelings of love suppressed the activity of the areas of the brain that control critical thought. So guys … be careful with love 
!
What’s the origin of this proverb?
This saying was first found approximatively in 1405, in Chaucer’s Merchant’s Tale:
For loue is blynd alday and may nat see.
At that time, it didn’t become a popular expression. Only later on, Shakespeare decided to use it in several of his plays making it famous and popular all around the world.
Two Gentlemen of Verona:
SPEED: Because Love is blind. O, that you had mine eyes;
or your own eyes had the lights they were wont to
have when you chid at Sir Proteus for going ungartered!
(2.1.67-69).
“Faint heart never won fair lady.” – English Proverb
“Every cloud has a silver lining” – English proverb
This phrase is often said to people who are feeling down or depressed in an attempt to try and cheer them up.
Here you can read some information on this proverb: Origin of this proverb.
Example sentences from the web:
- Well, I suppose it’s nice to know that every cloud has a silver lining.
- Interview With Mexican Quake Witness (CNN, 2003):
HARRIS: Well, actually, then, if that’s the case, this toll of only 23 deaths can — I should say — shouldn’t say only 23 deaths — but 23 deaths is actually quite a low number, considering the fact this could be a lot worse, then.
PETERS: In fact, Mexican authorities are saying they’re quite amazed that the casualties appear to be so low at this point. They do expect them to rise, but they say — well, I guess every cloud has a silver lining. This may be that for this earthquake because previous earthquakes of this magnitude in Mexico have killed hundreds.
HARRIS: Well, here’s hoping that silver lining gets even bigger and more pronounced there. Thank you, Gretchen Peters, thank you very much. We appreciate it. Take care. Gretchen Peters of the ” Christian Science Monitor ” talking to us from Mexico City. - Don’t forget that every cloud has a silver lining. The sun will shine again.
Words from the example sentences you may not know:
- TOLL: the extent of loss, damage, suffering, etc., resulting from some action or calamity: The toll was 200 persons dead or missing.
- CASUALTIES: loss in numerical strength through any cause, as death, wounds, sickness, capture, or desertion.
- EARTHQUAKE: a shaking of a part of the earth’s surface that often causes great damage
Free English Materials For You 