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
Giving to people in need is pictured as enriching the giver. That increase may be understood as moral or communal value rather than a promised material return.
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The comparison warns about unchecked appetite by portraying it as more destructive than open violence. It is rhetorical emphasis, not a reliable comparison of deaths or a dietary rule.
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The saying assigns healing to God while giving the physician the thanks. It separates an ultimate cause imagined through faith from the person visibly credited.
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The saying gives ironic attention to the rich while treating begging as a sufficient answer for the poor. A critical reading exposes the unequal concern rather than endorsing it.
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Human worth is not measured by physical height. The saying uses a religious image to reject an outward yardstick, but it should not replace that yardstick with another demand that people demonstrate their value through size, ability, status or impressive performance.
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The saying connects divine help with human action. It can encourage participation in a hoped-for result, but it should not make faith a guarantee of success or imply that people who need assistance have failed to use their hands well enough.
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Honest criticism can help you notice faults that praise conceals. A friend’s considered feedback is preferable to learning only from someone hostile, but neither source is automatically accurate.
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Good material can be spoiled by how it is prepared. The saying contrasts a valued provision with disappointing handling, using God and the devil as exaggerated figures rather than establishing who causes a particular meal or mistake.
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The saying expresses trust that divine care makes allowance for vulnerability. The shorn sheep and moderated wind picture compassion toward exposed need.
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Money by itself does not constitute a fully flourishing life. Other conditions can matter, while having sufficient material resources remains a real and legitimate need.
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The prospect of wealth can distract people from relevant facts or objections. The saying warns about distorted judgement, without proving that every person will ignore evidence when money is involved.
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Money can open many worldly doors, but the saying denies it the same power over Heaven. It contrasts material influence with spiritual worth, rather than describing a purchase that guarantees access everywhere.
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Visible symbols of status can differ from the quality of the person holding it. Judge character and conduct rather than assuming that splendid equipment proves merit.
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The saying praises good ale as food, drink and clothing at once. Its extravagant list imagines one comfort supplying several kinds of provision.
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Good work and quick completion can be difficult to combine when the task needs care. The saying asks whether speed is compromising the result, without making slow work automatically good or prompt work automatically careless.
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Useful advice can still help after the ideal moment has passed. Consider what can improve now instead of dismissing guidance solely because it arrived late.
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Plenty may encourage careless use, while scarcity can encourage caution about what is available. The harvest comparison describes possible changes in behaviour, without proving that either condition determines someone’s character or that hardship is desirable.
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Luck is pictured making room for itself rather than waiting passively. The elbowing image values active pursuit of an opening, without promising success or endorsing harm to people in the way.
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A fair amount can make an exchange satisfactory to those involved. Good measure connects accuracy and generosity with a happier arrangement.
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The saying welcomes October wind for bringing acorns and mast within a hog’s reach. It judges a seasonal force through the provision it is imagined to supply.
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The quality of support can shape how well a leader carries out a role. The saying recognises a relationship between leadership and the people doing its supporting work.
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Careful attention can help work proceed successfully. The saying praises taking heed before acting, while its confident promise should not be read as a guarantee that preparation prevents every difficulty.
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Starting well is useful, but carrying the work through to a worthwhile result matters more. Do not let an impressive opening replace the attention needed to complete what you began.
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Useful, sound goods can attract buyers more readily. The saying encourages attention to quality while exaggerating its ability to secure a quick sale.
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