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
The saying imagines exceptional reliability through a horse that never stumbles and a wife who never complains. Its standard of perfect performance and silence needs questioning.
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A conflict that leaves no one unharmed has a terrible cost even if someone claims victory. The saying directs attention to what everyone loses when a contest becomes destructive.
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Even someone regarded unfavourably may deserve some recognition or kindness. The bone represents a modest good that should not be withheld without thought.
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Someone determined to punish or mistreat another can often find a pretext. Examine whether the supposed reason is fair rather than accepting it because an accusation has been made.
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Even apparently pleasant conditions may have an unwanted effect. The saying expresses regret that what seems favourable can still create difficulty.
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An official’s work can depend heavily on the person who prepares and manages its records. The saying draws attention to expertise behind visible authority.
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Retaliation can turn an initial wrong into an ongoing fight. The second blow pictures the point at which answering harm may extend the conflict.
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A vulture protecting eggs despite not being edible gives distrust a reason beyond one apparent motive for harm. The saying questions safety inferred from a single feature.
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A bad haircut described as two people’s shame gives an unsatisfactory result a shared embarrassment. The saying points toward both sides of an encounter.
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A wound healing while a bad word does not contrasts bodily injury with the persistence of hurtful speech. The saying gives words an enduring consequence in its image.
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An agreement should be taken seriously once it has been made. The repetition gives the commitment weight, while leaving room to examine whether the terms were understood, fair and within the participants’ ability to fulfil.
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The saying demands that a capable person contribute even when unwilling. The bird’s song makes the demand vivid but does not establish a right to force performance.
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Fragrance lingering on the hand that gives roses pictures generosity leaving something pleasant with the giver. The saying values an act that may benefit both sides.
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An outward difference need not make one thing less good than another. The contrasting plums encourage judging what matters beyond appearance, without claiming that all differences are irrelevant or that their qualities must be identical.
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An improper incentive can gain access to a decision that ought to depend on fair reasons. The image warns about influence slipping past normal scrutiny, rather than claiming every gift is corrupt or every decision-maker can be bought.
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A busy mother causing a lazy daughter assigns a child’s conduct to a parent’s workload. The saying presents a gendered family explanation.
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A person of modest status can still take notice of someone powerful. Rank should not be used to deny ordinary attention or dignity to those below it.
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The saying makes a chain’s strength depend on its weakest link. It highlights a vulnerable part within something that relies on connected parts.
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The saying makes a chain’s strength depend on its weakest link. As an explicit analogy, a vulnerable connection may limit a connected process.
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A change of ruler called joy for fools questions hope attached merely to a new holder of power. The saying warns against equating replacement with improvement.
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A cheerful wife called the spice of life praises pleasant companionship through a household image. The saying assigns a valued mood to a gendered role.
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A future cock identifiable on hatching imagines later potential visible from an early sign. The saying favours recognising what a beginning may suggest.
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A child not laughing at a mother’s supposed ugliness places affection beside a judgment of appearance. The saying asks for loyalty and respect despite an external beauty label.
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A mother handing a child hot yam without scalding imagines parental care shielding the recipient. The saying gives a trusted relationship an apparently protective role.
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