The collection / 8,152 fragments
Explore passages mentioning wisdom, wise. Topic suggestions use transparent word matching, not scholarly classification. Reviewed editorial meanings may also connect entries to this topic; those assignments are labelled separately from word matching.
Meaning: 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.
Editorial context: Bats can see. This expression exaggerates a failure to notice; it is not an accurate animal fact or a fair judgement about people who are blind.
Meaning: The expression exaggerates a failure to notice something or difficulty seeing it. Its bat comparison is factually misleading: bats can see. It should not be used to equate visual disability with carelessness or lack of understanding.
Meaning: The saying uses an imagined blind person’s wish to see something as praise for it. Its compliment depends on a disability comparison rather than explaining the thing’s merit.
Meaning: You cannot obtain something from a person or resource that does not have it to give. More pressure will not overcome a genuine lack of capacity.
Meaning: Loud, forceful insistence may be used to cover a weak argument. The saying suggests asking what supports the claim beneath the bluster, without assuming that every emphatic speaker is concealing a lack of reason.
Meaning: Impressive claims can conceal a modest result. The contrast between a large boast and a small roast invites comparison of what was promised with what was actually provided, without treating confidence itself as dishonesty.
Meaning: Changing the procedure may leave the basic result unchanged. Ask whether a different-looking method actually alters the substance of what is being produced.
Meaning: The saying values meat close to the bone. As an explicit analogy, it can suggest that something less showy or easily reached may still be especially rewarding.
Meaning: The saying imagines a predetermined death by hanging preventing death by drowning. It turns one danger into an apparent escape through a claim of fixed destiny.
Meaning: Something adopted from someone else may not suit your own circumstances. Adapt a borrowed method or style to the actual purpose instead of assuming it will work simply because it worked elsewhere.
Meaning: A lesson learned through a costly mistake can be especially memorable. Experience may sharpen judgement when the person reflects on what the mistake revealed.
Meaning: A lesson that costs something can make its consequences easier to remember. The saying values learning from experience, without requiring costly mistakes or treating every painful experience as an improvement.
Meaning: A task can seem easy when the conditions already favour it. The downhill image asks how much the favourable situation contributes, rather than assuming a smooth result proves exceptional skill or that easy work has no value.
Meaning: Ability does not remove the need for guidance and learning. Even a promising beginner benefits from suitable instruction rather than being expected to know how to use their strengths without support.
Meaning: What happens at an earlier stage shapes the result of the stage that follows. The saying links preparation with outcome, while leaving room for unexpected events, shared responsibilities and opportunities to correct an earlier choice.
Meaning: An attractive surface does not repair an underlying problem. The broken-leg image contrasts decoration with what a difficulty actually requires, encouraging attention to causes and function without dismissing appearance or presenting a medical treatment rule.
Meaning: The hardest or most demanding task is not necessarily the most rewarding. Consider what the effort actually achieves rather than using the size of the burden as proof of its value.
Meaning: An unpleasant experience can make someone cautious about encountering the same danger again. Their reluctance may reflect what happened before rather than the present situation alone.
Meaning: People may need to act according to the particular responsibilities or circumstances before them. The saying invites attention to the task that actually belongs to someone, without making occupation the whole of their identity.
Meaning: Imperfect protection can be preferable to having none. The bush and open field contrast limited shelter with exposure, without proving that any poor option is acceptable or that a better alternative cannot be found.
Meaning: Visible busyness can be out of proportion to the work that needs doing. The saying questions an appearance of activity, without proving that an observer knows someone’s full workload or that every unproductive-looking task is pointless.
Meaning: A modest supply may be too small to satisfy many demands. The butter-and-hounds image asks whether the amount available fits the number and scale of needs placed upon it.
Meaning: Someone understands where their advantage comes from and acts to protect it. The saying often points to self-interest behind a choice, especially when loyalty or agreement brings a benefit.
Meaning: 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.