Words worth understanding
Start with the thought in plain English. Then explore the imagery, a practical example, when to use it, and what the saying does not mean.
4,000 entries with editorial explanations. The wider collection also contains entries still awaiting an individual interpretation.
proverb · Traditional
An honest correction can be more useful than a pleasant deception. The contrast favours truth that helps someone understand a real problem, without making harshness a virtue or assuming that every rebuke is justified.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
A story can gain details or emphasis as it passes from one teller to another. The phrase never loses uses exaggeration to warn about embellishment, without proving that every retelling is false.
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An open enemy preferred to a false friend contrasts visible opposition with concealed betrayal. The saying values clarity about a relationship.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
Truth contrasted with beautiful wording warns that attractive expression is not a reliable sign of accuracy. The saying gives substance priority over rhetorical appeal.
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Offering a bet does not establish that a claim is true. Confidence or willingness to risk something cannot replace reasons and evidence.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
The rhyme gives a south wind rain in its mouth. It personifies a wind direction as carrying wet weather.
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Independent decisions called wise and following public opinion called ignorant contrast judgment with conformity. The saying values examining a choice oneself.
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The saying mocks women as unable to keep information private unless they do not know it. This is a sexist accusation about confidentiality, not a reliable judgement of any individual.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
The saying assigns verbal power to women. A critical reading can recognise the force of speech while rejecting a fixed rule about gender and ability.
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The saying compares a woman’s speech to a lamb’s moving tail, mocking it as continual or trivial chatter. It is a sexist dismissal of speech, not an assessment of what anyone actually says.
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Once spoken, words can reach other people beyond the speaker’s control. The thrown stone illustrates consequences that cannot simply be withdrawn, encouraging care before release while leaving room for apology and repair afterward.
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An undeserved gift costing freedom pictures a benefit creating pressure or dependence. The saying questions an apparently generous offer with possible hidden expectations.
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The saying expects accidents to occur. It acknowledges unintended events rather than treating every result as fully controlled.
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The phrase appeals to an old proverb without naming it. It borrows the authority of a familiar saying while leaving the actual words and claim unstated.
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The saying gives actions a louder voice than words. It asks that conduct carry more weight than a declaration alone.
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A defendant’s admission valued above a hundred witnesses gives direct acknowledgment an exaggerated evidential importance. The saying contrasts an asserted confession with others’ accounts.
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More said than done after everything is said and done plays on the gap between discussion and action. The saying criticises words exceeding practical fulfilment.
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A dog barking after a hyena leaves contrasts a bold display with the absence of its apparent challenge. The saying questions courage performed only when the risk has passed.
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Pleasant words do not by themselves establish friendship. Look for dependable and considerate conduct rather than assuming that flattery or an agreeable manner proves someone cares for you.
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Displaying the signs of a role does not prove someone can carry it out. Blowing the horn and being a hunter distinguish appearance from demonstrated ability, without making every visible symbol misleading.
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An accusation or hostile reaction does not prove that its target did anything wrong. Look for relevant evidence instead of treating suspicion as a reliable verdict.
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The saying makes all cats grey in darkness. As an explicit analogy, outward differences are pictured as becoming less apparent in a shared condition.
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Flatterers living at the expense of their flatterers presents praise within a costly relationship. The repeated wording makes the precise direction of dependence unclear.
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The saying divides promises into those kept and those broken. It directs attention from making a commitment to what follows it.
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