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Friendship.

Explore passages mentioning friend, friends, friendship. Topic suggestions use transparent word matching, not scholarly classification. Editorial meanings and lexical matches are discovery aids, not independent authentication of a quotation.

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Culture labels and country attributions follow the source collections; earliest origins may be unknown.

353 results · Page 7 of 15Play this collection ▷
01Undated
Study to be worthy of your parents.

Meaning: Aim to conduct yourself in a way that honours the care or example you received. Being worthy of parents is better understood as reflection on values than obedience to every expectation.

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02Undated
Pay him in his own coin.

Meaning: Respond to someone with treatment resembling what they gave you. Paying in the same coin pictures reciprocity, which may be fair acknowledgment or harmful retaliation.

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03Undated
Let every pedlar carry his own pack.

Meaning: Each person should account for the responsibilities they have taken on. The travelling-seller image encourages clarity about who carries a task, while sharing an agreed load or asking for needed assistance can still be part of responsible cooperation.

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05Undated
Peril proves who dearly loves.

Meaning: A difficult or dangerous moment can reveal who is willing to give practical support. Love is measured here through conduct under pressure rather than declarations alone.

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06Undated
Foolish pity spoils a city.

Meaning: Compassion that ignores consequences can fail to help the people affected. The saying asks for thoughtfulness alongside pity.

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07Undated
Plain dealing's a jewel.

Meaning: Straightforward, honest treatment is something to value. The jewel praises clarity in dealings, without making bluntness a virtue or requiring someone to disclose private information unrelated to the matter at hand.

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09Undated
Poor folk have few kindred.

Meaning: People with few resources may find that supposed family supporters are less willing to acknowledge them. The saying criticises loyalty that depends on advantage.

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10Undated
Poor folk are glad of pottage.

Meaning: A modest provision can be welcome when resources are limited. The pottage image recognises relief but should not lower the standard of dignity owed to anyone.

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12Undated
Poverty parteth good fellowship.

Meaning: Lack of resources can strain or interrupt companionship. The saying recognises a practical pressure on social life rather than proving that affection is absent.

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13Undated
Prosperity gains friends, adversity tries them.

Meaning: Success may attract companions, while difficulty reveals how dependable those relationships are. Notice who offers fair and considerate support when circumstances become less rewarding.

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14Undated
Pry not into other people's affairs.

Meaning: Respect other people’s privacy rather than investigating a matter merely out of curiosity. The saying sets a boundary around intrusion, without forbidding relevant questions, freely offered support or appropriate attention to harm.

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15Undated
Punctuality begets confidence.

Meaning: Keeping agreed times can help others trust an arrangement. The saying connects punctuality with dependability, without treating every delay as dishonesty or making timeliness the only evidence of a person’s reliability.

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16Undated
Wrinkled purses make wrinkled faces.

Meaning: Material strain can weigh on a person’s expression and mood. The wrinkled purse and face make the connection visible without defining everyone’s experience.

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17Undated
Next to love, quietness.

Meaning: A peaceful atmosphere can be deeply valuable alongside affection. The saying praises quietness, without requiring silence at all costs or treating disagreement and a person’s need to speak as failures of love.

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18Undated
He is a real friend who assists one in a pinch.

Meaning: A friend’s willingness to provide suitable help at a difficult moment is a meaningful sign of care. Practical support can reveal more than a promise made when nothing is needed.

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19Undated
Short reckonings make long friends.

Meaning: Settling shared expenses or obligations promptly can prevent resentment between friends. Clear, manageable accounts help money matters stay separate from uncertainty about the relationship.

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21Undated
A rugged stone grows smooth from hand to hand.

Meaning: Experience with other people can soften rough habits or improve how someone deals with others. The stone passing from hand to hand suggests gradual change, without making conformity or mistreatment a necessary route to maturity.

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22Undated
Love rules his kingdom without a sword.

Meaning: Affection can create influence through willing connection rather than force. The kingdom-without-a-sword image praises that possibility, without treating love as ownership or excusing pressure presented as care.

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23Undated
Seldom seen, soon forgotten.

Meaning: Someone or something encountered infrequently may slip from active attention. The saying warns about neglected contact or reminders, without proving that absence destroys affection, memory or the value of a relationship.

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24Undated
Good servants make good masters.

Meaning: The quality of support can shape how well a leader carries out a role. The saying recognises a relationship between leadership and the people doing its supporting work.

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