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
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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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 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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Even something imagined to be unusually resilient can be worn down by worry. The cat’s nine lives make the exaggeration of care killing it more striking.
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A Christian forgiving and an idiot forgetting contrasts religiously framed mercy with erased memory through an insult. The saying separates two responses to a wrong.
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A considerate approach can win cooperation more readily than a sour or hostile one. Honey and vinegar contrast inviting and repellent manners, rather than offering a literal rule about catching insects.
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Having resources can ease some burdens of a difficult situation. Fat and lean sorrow contrast hardship with and without material support.
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The saying compares a good conscience with a soft pillow. It imagines peace about one’s conduct as a source of inward comfort.
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Choosing a considerate word can take no longer than choosing a hurtful one. Where either would express your point, consider the effect of the manner you use.
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Having resources for a pressing need can bring relief. The heavy purse and light heart contrast material provision with a reduced emotional burden.
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The saying puts a hedge between friends to keep the friendship green. It suggests that boundaries can help a relationship remain healthy.
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Clear boundaries can help a friendship remain healthy. Some separation in space, time or responsibilities may prevent small intrusions from becoming repeated resentment.
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The saying pictures a divided house as unable to stand. It connects internal conflict with loss of stability in a shared arrangement.
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A person with an unmet immediate need may be irritable. The rhyme links hunger with anger as an observation about a possible circumstance.
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A small provocation can quickly stir a person who reacts readily. The small pot heating gives a compact image to a short temper.
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Strong anger or agitation can carry a person into actions they would not choose calmly. The runaway horse suggests losing direction under an emotion, while allowing that feelings may reveal a concern worth addressing.
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A person can choose silence when speaking would be poorly timed or unhelpful. The saying invites judgment about an occasion rather than a permanent duty to remain quiet.
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A rich person unable to afford unrest gives stability a cost relationship with possessions or status. The saying questions what disruption may mean for someone with much to retain.
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A smart head paired with a soft tongue connects judgment with gentle expression. The saying values how understanding is communicated.
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A thousand friends called too few and one enemy too many favour companionship over antagonism. The saying exaggerates the value of welcome relationships and the cost of hostility.
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The saying halves a trouble when it is shared. It gives talking or receiving support a concrete image of reducing a burden.
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A weapon called an enemy even to its owner gives a means of force an image of possible danger to the person possessing it. The saying questions control being assumed from ownership.
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The instruction asks for a calm, relaxed attitude. It encourages a composed approach to a situation without describing a particular way to achieve it.
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After a trial one party naked and another without a shirt gives both sides a costly outcome. The supplied sentence includes a Serb label.
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