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
Do not offer something valuable where it will be neither understood nor appreciated. Pearls and swine create an intentionally sharp contrast between value and reception.
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The saying proposes catching a bird by putting salt on its tail. Its apparent method invites the question of how someone reaches the tail in the first place.
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Do not sacrifice something real and useful for an appearance or promise that lacks substance. Check what is actually available before letting an attractive impression displace a sound option.
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Something desirable can seem unpleasant when a person has already had too much. The full blackbird’s response to cherries illustrates how satisfaction changes appetite.
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A greater height can make a fall more consequential. The climbing image warns about the exposure that may accompany ambition, without proving that seeking responsibility or achievement is wrong or that failure is inevitable.
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What helps create an obstacle may later be obscured by it. The sun and its clouds give a vivid image of a cause losing visibility behind its own result.
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Careless words can create constraints for their speaker. Confining the tongue pictures restraint before a statement produces consequences that are harder to manage.
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Contentment can make what someone already has feel sufficient. The transforming-stone comparison values satisfaction, without claiming that an attitude removes deprivation or that people should stop seeking necessary improvements.
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Seeking thoughtful advice can remain useful even when circumstances change. The saying values counsel as a practice, without proving that an old recommendation stays accurate or that every adviser understands the current situation.
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Plans made while drinking may be poorly considered. The saying recommends reconsidering a decision before relying on the confidence of the moment.
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Do not treat an expected benefit as if you already have it. Plans should allow for the possibility that an uncertain result will not arrive.
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Do not treat an expected result as already secured. Plan with uncertainty in view rather than making commitments that depend entirely on an outcome that has not yet happened.
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Wanting something too intensely can make it harder to judge what pursuing it requires. The warning concerns desire becoming disproportionate, without condemning ordinary ambition or deciding that a particular goal is not worth seeking.
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An imperfect-looking input can still serve a useful purpose. The crooked-log image challenges judging suitability by neatness alone, without making every flawed material adequate or excusing harmful conduct because it produces a desired result.
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Hostile words can bring consequences back to the speaker. Chickens returning to roost picture that rebound, without establishing that curses have supernatural power or that every misfortune is deserved.
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Plan your spending or ambitions to fit the resources actually available. Adjusting the scope of a project can be wiser than committing to something you cannot presently sustain.
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The contrast between dainty preferences and unappealing food suggests that circumstances may limit choice. The saying can encourage flexibility when a preferred option is unavailable, but it should not be used to demand acceptance of unsafe, degrading or otherwise unsuitable conditions.
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An extreme difficulty may call for a substantial response. The cutting-and-curing image stresses the scale of a problem, but it does not establish that a drastic action is justified or likely to succeed.
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The saying presents a discreet woman as someone who notices or acknowledges nothing. It reflects a restrictive expectation of silence and noninterference, rather than a universal standard of good judgement.
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Following a common practice can attract less criticism than standing apart. The saying observes social pressure towards conformity, but popularity and a quiet reception do not establish that a choice is right or suitable.
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Following instructions may appear to protect someone from blame. The proverb voices that promise strongly, but obedience does not establish that the instruction or the resulting action is right.
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Inspect what you are agreeing to acquire before committing. An unseen or poorly understood offer may turn out to be different from what you expected.
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A serious action may be preceded by a warning or an expression of anger. The barking image encourages attention to possible signals, without promising that every threat will be carried out or every harmful action announced.
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Do not assume the worst before the feared harm has occurred. The saying cautions against premature alarm, without requiring silence about a credible risk or dismissing pain that someone already experiences.
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