proverbs.......

Hmm

na so!

yea

Water that has been begged for does not quench the thirst.

No matter how powerful one is, one can never make the rain fall only on his own home.

hmmm great words thumbs up

MORE

dat number 3 is possible

Sure

Hmm..true

:-(

What are proverbs? Every culture has a collection of wise sayings that offer advice about how to live your life. These sayings are called "proverbs". How can you use proverbs to learn English? It's good to know the really common English proverbs because you hear them come up in conversation all the time. Sometimes people say the entire proverb to give advice to a friend. More often, someone will say just part of a proverb like this: You know what they say: when the going gets tough... (Read #5 below to learn the rest of this proverb and what it means.) Learning proverbs can also help you to understand the way that people in English-speaking cultures think about the world. Proverbs can also give you good example sentences which you can memorize and use as models for building your own sentences. The most important English Proverbs This is a list of some of the most important and well-known English proverbs. Below each one, there's a simple explanation. The meanings of some of these phrases have shifted over the years, so a proverb might have originally had a different meaning than the one I explain.

"Two wrongs don't make a right."  Tweet This! When someone has done something bad to you, trying to get revenge will only make things worse. 2. "The pen is mightier than the sword."  Tweet This! Trying to convince people with ideas and words is more effective than trying to force people to do what you want. 3. "When in Rome, do as the Romans."  Tweet This! Act the way that the people around you are acting. This phrase might come in handy when you're traveling abroad notice that people do things differently than you're used to. 4. "The squeaky wheel gets the grease."  Tweet This! You can get better service if you complain about something. If you wait patiently, no one's going to help you. 5. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."  Tweet This! Strong people don't give up when they come across challenges. They just work harder.

6. "No man is an island."  Tweet This! You can't live completely independently. Everyone needs help from other people. 7. "Fortune favors the bold."  Tweet This! People who bravely go after what they want are more successful than people who try to live safely. 8. "People who live in glass houses should not throw stones."  Tweet This! Don't criticize other people if you're not perfect yourself. 9. "Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."  Tweet This! Bad things might happen, so be prepared. 10. "Better late than never."  Tweet This! It's best to do something on time. But if you can't do it on time, do it late.

11. "Birds of a feather flock together."  Tweet This! People like to spend time with others who are similar to them. 12. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."  Tweet This! If you have an enemy, pretend to be friends with them instead of openly fighting with them. That way you can watch them carefully and figure out what they're planning. 13. "A picture is worth a thousand words."  Tweet This! Pictures convey emotions and messages better than written or spoken explanations. That's why PhraseMix has illustrations :) 14. "There's no such thing as a free lunch."  Tweet This! Things that are offered for free always have a hidden cost. 15. "There's no place like home."  Tweet This! Your own home is the most comfortable place to be. 16. "Discretion is the greater part of valor."  Tweet This! Sometimes it's important to know when to give up and run away, instead of always acting brave and maybe getting hurt. 17. "The early bird catches the worm."  Tweet This! You should wake up and start work early if you want to succeed. 18. "Never look a gift horse in the mouth."  Tweet This! If someone offers you a gift, don't question it. 19. "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."  Tweet This! When you try to do something great, you'll probably make a few people annoyed or angry. Don't worry about those people; just focus on the good results. 20. "God helps those who help themselves."  Tweet This! Don't just wait for good things to happen to you. Work hard to achieve your goals.

21. "You can't always get what you want."  Tweet This! Don't whine and complain if you don't get what you wanted. 22. "Cleanliness is next to godliness."  Tweet This! Be clean. God likes that. 23. "A watched pot never boils."  Tweet This! If something takes time to finish, don't watch it too closely because it will seem like it's taking forever. 24. "Beggars can't be choosers."  Tweet This! If you're asking for a favor from someone else, you have to take whatever they give you. 25. "Actions speak louder than words."  Tweet This! Just saying that you'll do something doesn't mean much. Actually doing it is harder and more meaningful. 26. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  Tweet This! Don't try to improve something that already works fairly well. You'll probably end up causing new problems. 27. "Practice makes perfect."  Tweet This! You have to practice a skill a lot to become good at it. 28. "Too many cooks spoil the broth."  Tweet This! When there are too many people trying to lead and give their opinions, it's confusing and leads to bad results. Jobs and projects should have one or two strong leaders. 29. "Easy come, easy go."  Tweet This! When you get money quickly, like by winning it, it's easy to spend it or lose it quickly as well. 30. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."  Tweet This! If someone's paying you or helping you out, you have to be careful not to make them angry or say bad things about them.

31. "All good things must come to an end."  Tweet This! You can't keep having good luck or fun forever; eventually it will stop. 32. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."  Tweet This! When you try to change someone's behavior and it doesn't work, you might have to change instead. For example, if you're trying to get your classmates to focus on studying but they want to party, maybe you should just party with them. 33. "One man's trash is another man's treasure."  Tweet This! Different people have different ideas about what's valuable. 34. "There's no time like the present."  Tweet This! If you need to do something, don't wait until later. Do it now. 35. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."  Tweet This! Different people have different ideas about what's beautiful. 36. "Necessity is the mother of invention."  Tweet This! When you're really in need, you think of creative solutions to your problems. 37. "A penny saved is a penny earned."  Tweet This! Save your money. Saving money is just like making money. 38. "Familiarity breeds contempt."  Tweet This! When you're around someone for too long, you get tired of them and annoyed by them. 39. "You can't judge a book by its cover."  Tweet This! Things sometimes look different than they really are. A restaurant that looks old and small might have amazing food, for example. 40. "Good things come to those who wait."  Tweet This! Be patient. Eventually something good will happen to you.

41. "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."  Tweet This! Have a backup plan. Don't risk all of your money or time in one plan. 42. "Two heads are better than one."  Tweet This! When two people cooperate with each other, they come up with better ideas. 43. "The grass is always greener on the other side of the hill."  Tweet This! People tend to want whatever they don't have. 44. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  Tweet This! Don't do mean things to people. 45. "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link."  Tweet This! If one member of a team doesn't perform well, the whole team will fail. 46. "Honesty is the best policy."  Tweet This! Don't lie. 47. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."  Tweet This! Sometimes it's good to be away from your partner, because it makes you want to see each other again. 48. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."  Tweet This! If you try to help someone, but they don't take your advice or offers, give up. You can't force someone to accept your help. 49. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."  Tweet This! Your plans might not work out, so don't start thinking about what you'll do after you succeed. Wait until you've already succeeded, and then you can think about what to do next. 50. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."  Tweet This! Don't trust other people to do important things for you. You have to do things yourself to control the quality of the results.

1. Only a fool tests the depth of a river with both feet. Meaning: You don’t jump straight into a situation without thinking about it first. 2 . Knowledge is like a garden: If it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested. Meaning: If you don’t make efforts to acquire knowledge then you would not expect to have it and if you do not put the knowledge you have to use, you cannot expect to gain anything from it. 3. S ugarcane is sweetest at its joint. Meaning: Good and sweet things of live may appear difficult to achieve but in the end, it is worth it. 4. If you offend, ask for a pardon; if offended forgive. Meaning: This is as simple as it sounds: If you upset someone, apologize to him or her. If someone upsets you, forgive him or her because what goes around, comes around. 5. Don’t set sail using someone else’s star. Meaning: Avoid copying someone else. Just because someone has been successful in what he/she does should not be what will make you to do the same thing and expect to be successful. 6. The best way to eat an elephant in your path is cut him up into little pieces. Meaning: The best approach to solving a problem is to take it bit by bit; one at a time. 7. A restless feet may walk into a snake pit. Meaning: If someone is busy doing nothing or is involved in what he does noe know about, it is easy for him to get into trouble. 8. A chick that will grow into a cock can be spotted the very day it hatches. Meaning: You can easily foresee the future of something through the character and tell-tale signs it exhibits today. 9. After a foolish deed comes remorse. Meaning: Feeling sorry always follows a foolish act. 10. A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness. Meaning: What goes around, comes around so whatever you sow, you shall reap

11. He who does not know one thing knows another. Meaning: No one knows everything, but everyone knows something. 12. A roaring lion kills no game. Meaning: You cannot achieve or gain anything by mere sitting around and just talking about it. 13. Do not call the forest that shelters you a jungle. Meaning: Do not insult someone who is capable of taking your responsibility or taking care of you 14. When a king has good counselors, his reign is peaceful. Meaning: What defines a man is the circumstances and people around him and if they are good, he turns out good. 15. It takes a whole village to raise a child. Meaning: The society is responsible for the moral characters it creates and everyone in a community should be responsible for helping to train a child irrespective of who the parents are; offering correction where they are needed. 16. If a child washes his hands he could eat with kings. Meaning: If you prepare and allow yourself to be well trained when you have the opportunity, you will achieve a lot and be favored in due course. 17. Rain does not fall on one roof alone. Meaning: Trouble comes to everyone at one time or another. 18. Life is like a shadow and a mist; it passes quickly by, and is no more. Meaning: Life is short, and you only live it once. 19. Wherever a man goes to dwell, his character goes with him. Meaning: What defines a man is his character which is inseparable from him and follows him wherever he goes. 20. Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped. Meaning: Don’t look at your mistakes; look at what caused you to make the mistakes otherwise you may repeat the mistake.

now tell me the meaning of this ones 21. A child’s fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which his mother puts into his palm. 22. An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb. 23. By the time the fool has learned the game, the players have dispersed. 24. Even though the old man is strong and hearty, he will not live forever. 25. A bird will always use another birds’ feathers to feather its own nest. 26. A person is a person because of other persons. 27. Two small antelopes can beat a big one. 28. What is bad luck for one man is good luck for another. 29. Fire and gunpowder do not sleep together. 30. Hunger is felt by a slave and hunger is felt by a king.

31. The lizard that jumped from the high Iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no one else did. 32. The mouth which eats does not talk. 33. He that digs up a grave for his enemy, may be digging it for himself. 34. Money is sharper than a sword. 35. No one tests the depth of a river with both feet. 36. A proud heart can survive a general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride. 37. As the dog said, ‘If I fall down for you and you fall down for me, it is playing.’ 38. If you are in hiding, don’t light a fire. 39. It is Mr. Old-Man-Monkey who marries Mrs. Old-Woman-Monkey. 40.If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for something.

41. It takes a whole village to raise a child 42. When the cock is drunk, he forgets about the hawk. 43. When the fool is told a proverb, its meaning has to be explained to him. 44. Only when you have crossed the river, can you say the crocodile has a lump on his snout. 45. Rain beats a leopard’s skin, but it does not wash out the spots. 46. The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them. 47. Those whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble. 48. When a man is coming toward you, you need not say: “Come here.” 49. When a man is wealthy, he may wear an old cloth. 50. A man’s grave is by the roadside.

51. When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him. 52. Wood already touched by fire is not hard to set alight. 53. It is no shame at all to work for money. 54. It is the calm and silent water that drowns a man. 55. A wise man who knows proverbs, reconciles difficulties. (Yoruba) 56. Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped. 57. The poor man and the rich man do not play together. 58. The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people. 59. A bad name is like a stigma. 60. When a woman is hungry, she says, “Roast something for the children that they might eat.”

61. When you are rich, you are hated; when you are poor, you are despised. 62. You can tell a ripe corn by its look. 63. You must judge a man by the work of his hands. 64. The moon moves slowly, but it crosses the town. 65. There is no medicine to cure hatred. 66. People should not talk while they are eating or pepper may go down the wrong way. 67. When a man says yes, his chi (personal god) says yes also. 68. It’s a bad child who does not take advice. 69. One cannot both feast and become rich. 70. Looking at a king’s mouth one would never think he sucked his mother’s breast.

71. When the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk. 72. It is the fool’s sheep that break loose twice. 73. One falsehood spoils a thousand truths. 74. By crawling a child learns to stand 75. The wise create proverbs for fools to learn, not to repeat. 76. Every woman is beautiful until she speaks. 77. One who causes others misfortune also teaches them wisdom 78. The surface of the water is beautiful, but it is no good to sleep on. 79. Ears that do not listen to advice, accompany the head when it is chopped off. 80. He who refuses to obey cannot command

81. Milk and honey have different colors, but they share the same house peacefully. 82. The one who loves an unsightly person is the one who makes him beautiful. 83. If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together 84. A fight between grasshoppers is a joy to the crow. 85. You do not teach the paths of the forest to an old gorilla. 86. Dogs do not actually prefer bones to meat; it is just that no one ever gives them meat. 87. Dine with a stranger but save your love for your family. 88. An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. 89. You are beautiful because of your possessions. 90. Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone.

91. He who fears the sun will not become chief. 92. The old woman looks after the child to grow its teeth and the young one in turn looks after the old woman when she loses her teeth. 93. He who is destined for power does not have to fight for it. 94. A large chair does not make a king. 95. You are beautiful, but learn to work, for you cannot eat your beauty. 96. When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him. 97. War has no eyes 98. Having beauty doesn’t mean understanding the perseverance of marriage. 99. He who thinks he is leading and has no one following him is only taking a walk. 100. Money is not the medicine against death.

101. When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled. 102. A small house will hold a hundred friends. 103. Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far. 104. If the cockroach wants to rule over the chicken, then it must hire the fox as a body-guard 105. If there is character, ugliness becomes beauty; if there is none, beauty becomes ugliness. 106. There can be no peace without understanding. 107. A close friend can become a close enemy. 108. A single bracelet does not jingle 109. Money can’t talk, yet it can make lies look true. 110. When there is peace in the country, the chief does not carry a shield. 111. He who earns calamity, eats it with his family.