Words worth understanding
Start with the thought in plain English. Then examine its imagery, practical application and limitations.
2,058 selected entries have editorial explanations. An explanation is not independent authentication of an attribution. Start with the individually source-checked classics ↗
proverb · Traditional
The saying places sound judgement above outward prosperity. It uses poverty and foolishness as a stark comparison, but lacking money does not define a person’s wisdom, and the comparison should not romanticise hardship or demean people who need help.
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Being on your own can be preferable to company that mistreats you or pulls you into harmful conduct. Companionship has value when its quality is considered.
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The saying prefers a position others envy to one they pity, treating envy as a sign of apparent advantage. That comparison exposes a concern with social standing rather than proving that either reaction accurately describes someone’s life.
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The saying exaggerates the misery of an unhappy marriage by comparing it with severe punishment. It stresses the importance of a workable relationship, while rejecting the idea that either violence or lasting distress must be accepted.
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Doing nothing can be preferable to spending effort on something harmful or unsuitable. The saying questions activity for its own sake, without making all inactivity wise or dismissing necessary work.
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The saying prefers one person’s public criticism to many people’s private criticism. It contrasts the distribution of disapproval but does not establish what makes a judgment true.
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A modest position with meaningful independence may be preferable to a subordinate place in a more prestigious setting. The head and tail contrast asks what influence and responsibility a role offers, rather than ranking people by status.
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A longer or less direct route may be better than a shortcut with an avoidable hazard. Going about instead of entering the ditch pictures a worthwhile adjustment, without requiring someone to avoid every uncertain path.
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The saying prefers missing supper to waking in debt. It expresses a strong aversion to owing, even at the cost of immediate comfort or provision.
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The saying ranks encountering reckless foolishness as worse than meeting a bereaved bear. Its extreme comparison emphasises danger attributed to unrestrained folly.
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Passing up a joke can be wiser than hurting a friend for a moment’s amusement. Consider the person affected before deciding that a clever remark must be said.
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Retaining part of an ability or benefit can be preferable to losing it altogether. The comparison argues for a remaining good when a complete one is unavailable.
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An occasional shortage of space may be preferable to the continuing burden of having more than is needed. The house image compares a temporary inconvenience with a lasting commitment, rather than prescribing an ideal home size.
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The saying prefers paying for meat to paying a doctor. It gives food provision priority through a contrast with the expense of illness.
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Material advantage may not be worth gaining through conduct that brings shame or harms others. The saying places integrity above wealth, rather than treating money as the only measure of a good life.
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A modest option that reliably serves its purpose may be better than an impressive one that fails you. Choose usefulness and dependability over prestige alone.
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A careless remark may be harder to put right than an ordinary stumble. The comparison warns about the effects of speech, without proving that physical injury is minor or that necessary words should remain unspoken.
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Allowing extra time may be preferable to missing a moment that matters. The exaggerated comparison stresses the consequences of lateness, without making three hours early a sensible rule for every appointment.
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Harmful company can be worse than an unpleasant immediate setback. The saying warns against relationships that repeatedly lead someone into trouble, but its comparison does not justify violence or abuse.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional (French-language collection)
A definite setback may be easier to address than continuing in unstable uncertainty. The comparison encourages examining whether prolonged hesitation is itself causing harm.
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Poor instruction can leave someone with mistakes that need to be unlearned. The saying warns about teaching quality rather than making ignorance an ideal.
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Religious belief should guide conduct rather than be used to hide it. The two uses of a cloak contrast a genuine purpose with a convenient disguise.
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Good judgement may matter more than possessing a large amount of money. The comparison values how a person understands and acts, without making hardship desirable or dismissing the practical importance of resources.
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The pin image makes a woman’s yes and no seem scarcely separated, suggesting changeability or dismissing the distinction between her answers. This is a sexist viewpoint, not permission to ignore a refusal.
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