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 same standard should apply to people in comparable circumstances. Do not defend a privilege for one person while denying an equivalent treatment to another.
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Regret cannot restore an opportunity or resource after it has been used up. The saying warns about waiting until the consequences are complete, while leaving room for repair, support or a different next step where those remain possible.
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Make considered use of favourable circumstances while they are available. A real opportunity can be worth acting on, but an appealing appearance or urgent offer does not by itself show that it is suitable.
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When trouble has subsided, avoid needlessly restarting it. Sleeping ill luck pictures a problem that is temporarily quiet and best left undisturbed.
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Do not needlessly revive a distress that has temporarily eased. Sleeping sorrow pictures a respite worth treating with care.
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An apparently relaxed adversary may still have intentions you cannot see. The cat and mouse image warns against treating an outward gesture as complete evidence of another person’s plans.
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Persuasive or virtuous-sounding words can conceal a self-serving purpose. Consider the speaker’s conduct and interests before entrusting them with what their proposal puts at risk.
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The saying makes an aching head worsen the whole body’s condition. As an explicit analogy, difficulty in one part of a connected undertaking may affect the rest.
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A safeguard introduced only after the loss may come too late to prevent that particular harm. The stable-door image warns about delayed precautions, while leaving room for repair and measures that protect against a future recurrence.
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When someone or something loses its position, others may rush to take advantage. The fallen tree and ready hatchets picture opportunism, rather than establishing that every response to a failure is selfish.
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The saying offers hope that a severe difficulty will improve. Its confidence that the worst must turn better is reassurance rather than a reliable prediction.
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A difficulty affecting a neighbour may also require attention to your own situation. The nearby-fire image encourages awareness of connected risks, without making self-protection an excuse to ignore someone else’s need for help.
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The saying warns that drinking can undermine judgement and self-restraint. It contrasts the presence of wine with the loss of the clear thinking needed for a considered response.
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When entering an unfamiliar place or group, learn its ordinary customs and adapt where appropriate. Respectful participation often begins with noticing how others do things.
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Before attempting an unfamiliar or unpredictable task, check that the basic preparations are secure. The young colt and tightened saddle picture readiness for uncertainty.
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When every available option is poor, choosing the best may still leave a poor result. The saying recognises a constrained comparison, inviting scrutiny of the options without proving that no improvement or alternative can be found.
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Look for the activity that makes a desired result possible. The bees and honey suggest a connection between productive work and what it yields, rather than a guarantee that every effort succeeds.
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A strained system is likely to fail at its least capable or least supported point. The thread image directs attention to a vulnerable connection, rather than assuming that strength elsewhere will compensate for it.
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People may choose the easiest place to cross a boundary. The lowest hedge draws attention to an arrangement’s weak or convenient point, without establishing that crossing is wrong or that the people doing it are dishonest.
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An outcome or opportunity may emerge in a direction that was not expected. The escaping hare warns against fixing attention too narrowly, without making surprise inevitable or replacing careful observation with random guessing.
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Changing the procedure may leave the basic result unchanged. Ask whether a different-looking method actually alters the substance of what is being produced.
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A person accepting an item may need to examine it more carefully than the person offering it. Do not assume the giver’s or seller’s knowledge makes your own questions unnecessary.
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The saying imagines a shoemaker’s wife having the poorest shoes despite living close to the relevant skill. It points to nearby needs being neglected while a person attends to work for others.
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Having sufficient resources can permit more choice in how they are used. The spice and meal picture an option that depends on what is available.
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