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
Being able to arrange the conditions of a contest is different from being able to take part skilfully. Packing the cards points to manipulating the setup, which should not be mistaken for ability demonstrated in fair play.
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An attempt to gain an advantage can leave the seeker worse off. Going for wool and returning shorn reverses the expected benefit.
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Attention directed toward one person may be intended to please someone connected with them. The child and nurse picture indirect favour, without proving that every friendly gesture has a hidden or dishonest motive.
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Talking at length does not guarantee clear or useful communication. Consider whether your words explain the point, answer the question and leave room for others, rather than measuring contribution by quantity.
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An undertaking can produce things that were not deliberately intended. The garden’s unplanted growth pictures unexpected additions, without proving that every unplanned development is harmful or beyond anyone’s influence.
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A larger quantity of speech does not itself provide a required resource or result. The unfilled bushel questions substituting repeated words for a practical contribution, without making every long discussion unproductive.
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An important commitment made without enough thought can leave difficult consequences later. The marriage image warns about rushed agreement, without claiming that quick decisions always fail or that an unhappy commitment must be endured.
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Check the important details before taking an action that is difficult to reverse. A small amount of preparation can prevent an avoidable mistake, without requiring endless checking.
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The saying pictures men holding visible control while women determine its direction. The reins-and-driving image describes indirect influence, but should not be treated as a natural arrangement between genders.
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People sometimes object strongly to a minor fault while accepting a much larger one. Check whether your standards are proportionate and consistently applied.
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Great energy can cause trouble when it is not guided by an understanding of the situation. Enthusiasm or force needs relevant awareness rather than being admired independently of its effect.
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When the intended use of something is unavailable, consider whether another suitable use is possible. The saying encourages adaptation to a constraint rather than insisting that the original plan is the only worthwhile outcome.
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Modesty can support good conduct by leaving room for others and for correction. The saying treats it as an aid to virtue, without making quietness proof of goodness or requiring a person to conceal an achievement.
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The saying assigns good or bad outcomes to the weekday of an undertaking. Its list promises wealth, health or misfortune from timing alone.
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Obtaining money and using it well require different kinds of judgement. Consider purpose, priorities and consequences rather than assuming that earning more automatically tells you how best to spend it.
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Seeking still more after already having much can put existing gains at risk. The saying warns about overreaching, while its dramatic loss should not be treated as an inevitable outcome or a reason to reject every worthwhile opportunity.
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Restricting a tool or person in a way that prevents its function makes the expected result unlikely. A hindered cat cannot perform the task it is judged by.
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A pleasant distraction may leave the central problem unanswered. Music and toothache provide a contrast between enjoyment and a specific difficulty, without denying the value of comfort or supplying a rule about pain relief or treatment.
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Avoid seeking a gain in the middle of disorder or conflict when doing so may draw you into trouble or unfair conduct. This warning takes a cautious view of an opportunity another saying might celebrate.
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Do not enlarge a small difficulty until it seems overwhelming. Keeping its scale in view can help you choose a response that fits the actual problem.
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Do not make a small matter more troublesome than its consequences justify. The saying encourages proportionate attention, while the label trifle must be examined rather than used to dismiss another person’s legitimate concern.
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Be cautious about giving up something dependable for an uncertain expectation. Consider what is actually secured and what is only hoped for before treating a possible improvement as an available replacement.
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A worthwhile offer deserves consideration instead of automatic dismissal. The word good carries the judgement the saying depends on, so an attractive proposal still needs to fit someone’s circumstances and respect their freedom to decline.
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Work with the relevant characteristics of a task rather than forcing a method that fights them. The timber’s grain supplies the image, without making every existing arrangement natural, fixed or beyond improvement.
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