Cheap things are real. Cheap things are accessible. Cheap things are made for us because we don’t have any money, and even though we’d like to think we’ll have it someday, we know we don’t now.

Meaning: Difficulty may teach practical lessons without bringing material success. Gaining understanding from a setback is different from becoming better off because of it.

Meaning: The rhyme presents a spring ague as medicine fit for a king. It gives a feverish illness a surprising positive value rather than simply treating it as misfortune.

Meaning: 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.

Meaning: April’s wind is pictured as a horn announcing favourable conditions for hay and corn. The saying links an early-season sign with a hoped-for later yield.