proverb · Traditional
An ounce of proof is worth a ton of assertions.
A small amount of proof outweighing many assertions contrasts evidence with repeated claims. The saying values support over volume.
Read the explanation and example ↗Words worth understanding
What does it mean?
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.
739 matching explanations
proverb · Traditional
Any fool can bet.
Making a wager is easy and does not itself demonstrate knowledge or judgement. The dismissive wording challenges treating willingness to stake something as proof of being right, rather than fairly describing the person making the bet.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
Appearances are deceptive.
The saying calls appearances deceptive. It warns that an impression can differ from what further evidence shows.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
Apples don’t fall far from the tree.
The saying keeps fallen apples near their tree. In the supplied reading, it points to a resemblance between children and parents.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
Apples, eggs, and nuts, One may eat after sluts.
The saying treats apples, eggs and nuts as acceptable after someone it calls a slut. It uses a demeaning label while making an unverified claim about food handled by another person.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
Argus at home, but a mole abroad.
The saying contrasts an Argus-like watcher at home with a mole abroad. It pictures someone sharply observant in familiar surroundings but much less perceptive elsewhere.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As blind as a bat.
The expression exaggerates a failure to notice something or difficulty seeing it. Its bat comparison is factually misleading: bats can see. It should not be used to equate visual disability with carelessness or lack of understanding.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As clear as mud.
Something presented as clear is actually confusing or difficult to understand. The comparison is usually ironic: mud supplies the opposite of transparency, so the phrase can gently or sharply challenge an inadequate explanation.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As fit as a fiddle.
The phrase compares being fit with a fiddle. In the supplied reading, it emphatically describes feeling healthy or strong.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As good twenty as nineteen.
The saying regards twenty as no worse than nineteen. It suggests that a small additional amount may make little difference in a situation already being considered.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As green as grass.
The phrase compares inexperience with green grass. In the supplied context, it describes people unfamiliar with a task.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As hard as nails.
The phrase compares a person with hard nails. In the supplied reading, it describes toughness or an unyielding attitude.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As Hungry as a Horse.
The phrase compares strong hunger with a horse. It uses an animal image to emphasise appetite rather than measure it.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As like as two peas.
The expression describes a striking resemblance between two things or people. Its pea comparison emphasises similarity, without establishing that the pair is identical in every respect or has the same history, character or needs.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As sick as a dog.
The phrase compares being very sick with a dog. It gives illness or upset an emphatic expression in the supplied reading.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As sound as a nut.
The phrase uses a sound nut as an image of being intact or in good condition. It is a compact expression of confidence in the thing described.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As the fish sees the bait not the hook, a man sees no danger, only the profit.
A fish noticing bait instead of a hook compares attraction to profit with overlooking danger. The saying asks what an appealing benefit may conceal.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As the Friday, so the Sunday, As the Sunday, so the week.
The saying treats Friday as a sign of Sunday and Sunday as a sign of the whole week. It extends a short observation into a much longer expectation.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As the old cock crows, the young cock learns.
A young cock learning from an old cock’s crow gives example a role in learning across experience. The saying imagines a pattern received from another.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As thick as thieves.
The phrase compares close companions with thieves acting together. It describes strong familiarity or a shared confidence.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
As you go through life, make this your goal, watch the doughnut and not the hole.
The saying asks for attention to the doughnut rather than its hole. It recommends noticing what is present instead of only what is missing.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
Ask advice of your equals, help of your superiors.
Advice sought from equals and help from superiors divides assistance according to a social hierarchy. The saying imagines different roles for peers and powerful people.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
Ask no questions and you’ll get no lies.
Avoiding questions to avoid lies connects inquiry with the risk of an untruthful answer. The saying presents noninquiry as a cynical protection.
Read the explanation and example ↗proverb · Traditional
Attitudes don’t prove anything.
Attitudes separated from proof asks for evidence beyond a displayed stance. The saying questions treating confidence or manner as sufficient support for a claim.
Read the explanation and example ↗