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
A steady, gentle approach can carry a task further than impatient effort. The saying values sustainable progress, without making slowness a virtue in itself or claiming that every situation calls for the same pace.
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Something already pleasing need not be improved by decoration. The face and paint picture an existing quality that extra embellishment may not help.
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The saying welcomes truth and the clarity represented by daylight. It values bringing matters into view, while leaving room for privacy, considerate timing and a fair way to establish what is actually true.
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Attractive presentation can make something look more appealing. The fine feathers explain the favourable impression, while leaving open whether what is being presented also has the qualities someone needs.
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Pleasant words cannot replace the practical help or work a situation requires. Promises and praise matter most when they are followed by a useful contribution.
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Kind or pleasing words cannot replace the practical help needed to meet a real need. Check whether reassurance is accompanied by the action the situation requires.
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Do not let a small disagreement needlessly destroy a worthwhile friendship. Consider the importance of the issue and seek a proportionate response before turning irritation into a lasting quarrel.
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A strong preference can make something seem better than it is. Imagining bran as flour pictures wishful judgement, without proving that every hope or favourable opinion is mistaken.
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Distance from a centre of power can mean distance from its pressures and intrigues. The saying values relief from courtly concerns, but being outside influential circles does not remove every worry or make exclusion a desirable condition.
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Baskets dismissed after the vintage is finished picture equipment whose immediate season of use has ended. Recognise when a particular task is over.
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Criticism becomes more useful when it helps correct the problem. If you point out a fault, consider whether you can contribute a remedy rather than stopping at blame.
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Fear can produce ingenious preparations or imagined dangers. Examine whether a new idea responds to evidence and helps the situation rather than merely extending the alarm.
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Do not worry more about a small loss than about a larger loss that includes it. Keep the relative importance of what is at stake in view when deciding where attention belongs.
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A series of small removals can amount to a substantial loss. Plucking the goose one feather at a time pictures gradual depletion that may be missed when each change is considered separately.
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The saying imagines February filling ditches with dark rainwater or white snow and favours the white form. It assigns value to contrasting winter conditions.
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February is pictured as building an icy bridge that March breaks. The months become makers and destroyers of a temporary winter crossing.
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The saying presents restrained eating as a way to defy the physician. It makes one habit sound sufficient to escape the need for medical help.
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Almost anyone can become the subject of a harmful false report. The saying recognises vulnerability to slander rather than treating accusation as proof of wrongdoing.
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The saying pictures a fiddler’s reward as food, drink and money. It combines sustenance and payment in a compact account of what the performer receives.
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A conversation that seems private may still be overheard. Do not assume an open or apparently empty place guarantees that sensitive words will remain confidential.
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Good presentation can make someone or something appear impressive. The saying recognises the effect of outward display without proving that impressive clothing or decoration reveals the quality underneath.
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Something powerful can be useful when kept within appropriate bounds and destructive when it controls the situation. Consider both its value and the consequences of losing control over it.
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People are attended to in the order they arrive or apply. This describes one allocation rule, whose fairness depends on access, urgency and the purpose of the service.
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Learn the basic steps before attempting a more demanding task. Gradual preparation can help, while the appropriate starting point depends on the learner and the skill involved.
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