Table of Content:
- What is a proverb?
- Famous proverbs in English:
- List of important proverbs
- Popular proverbs with meaning
- References and Sources
What is a proverb?
Can you recall your parents or your teachers uttering such phrases as ‘Those who wake up early catch a worm’ or ‘It is not what you say that counts but what you do’? Such brief and memorable sayings are called proverbs. First, however, what does it take to be a proverb?
A proverb is a short, precise and easily memorable saying that conveys some moral teaching or piece of counsel. Proverbs are words of knowledge and have been around for centuries and are used to pass a message while entertaining at the same time. Idioms can be viewed as small gems of knowledge which will be useful in struggling life and which can act as a reference to definite or other values.
There is no culture that doesn’t have proverbs as these are sayings that express truth in a more artistic way. They’re simply like a brand of social media that does not require a long story in order to pass a message. However, they provide much more information within a rather limited number of words.
Below are some of the most used proverbs in English and what they mean.
Famous proverbs in English
- “Actions speak louder than words”: This proverb tells that better deeds are over words. Those, you know, are like the statements, basically like the spoken words, while this, on the other hand, is like the actual walk the talk.
- “The early bird catches the worm”: They have shown that people who get out of bed early and begin their day with vigor can, indeed, triumph. This is a proverb that call on people to be more active and take chances.
- “Practice makes perfect”: Repetition of a certain activity improves on it and so is the case with practicing the above activities. This proverb simply means that the higher one rises up the chequers board, the further one has to go to get downloads.
- “Don’t judge a book by its cover”: This saying is indeed an elaboration of the adage ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’. People can have so much in them on the inside even if they do not look like it on the outside just like the case of having an interesting story in a dull cover of the book.
- “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”: The saying above simply means that one should conform to the identity of the area when one is in that particular territory. It is something as simple as acknowledging and accepting the existence of other people’s culture.
Do you know of somewhere where you have witnessed such proverbs at work? Perhaps one has expanded efforts to perfect a certain game instrument or any other physical act just to show that practice indeed makes perfection. Or perhaps, you have met a new kid in school who at initial instance appeared to be quite different, thus proving the adage of a book by its cover.
List of important proverbs
Now that we’ve explored some famous proverbs, let’s look at a list of other important ones that can teach us valuable lessons:
- “A penny saved is a penny earned”
- “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”
- “Every cloud has a silver lining”
- “Honesty is the best policy”
- “Laughter is the best medicine”
- “Look before you leap”
- “Slow and steady wins the race”
- “Two wrongs don’t make a right”
- “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”
- “You can’t have your cake and eat it too”
A message can be found in every of these proverbs. For instance, the proverbs such as ‘A penny saved is a penny earned,’ that assist us in the process of learning when it comes to saving. The saying ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket’, to us, explains why the concept of relying only on one item, or on one thought, is so perilous.
Out of these two proverbs do you find which one is more informative? Think, before you look at the meanings of each of them in detail, about what you think each one might represent.
Popular proverbs with meaning
Let’s dive deeper into some popular proverbs and uncover their meanings:
- “Every cloud has a silver lining”
- “Honesty is the best policy”
- “Laughter is the best medicine”
- “Slow and steady wins the race”
- “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”
Meaning: In any case there is always something to be happy about if only one looks hard enough.
Example: Sometimes it’s better to miss the bus: you can get a good chance for an excellent walk in this case.
Meaning: One can easily understand, though, that it is always better to tell the truth, notwithstanding the fact that at first it might appear to be quite difficult in any given situation.
Example: It may be frightening to utter ‘I was wrong’ to your teacher but that is the right thing to do.
Meaning: If, for instance, you are feeling sad or stressed, it is important to pull a face that makes you laugh.
Example: Friends, visiting a cinema, and watching a funny movie can help one to be happy after a long day at school.
Meaning: Again and again, it has been proven that the old adage that ‘practice makes perfect’ or as it is more apt to say makes more perfect than when an individual decided that he could take the shortcut to gain that perfection.
Example: Maintaining a routine is better than all-night cramming before a test or an exam, although credited to Cram.
Meaning: To my mind, to accomplish any action, when one really wants it, it is always possible to find a way to do it.
Example: However, if drilling for a musical instrument seems difficult you think it is going to be difficult, your persistent hard work will make it possible.
These proverbs can be like tutors which though are not seen but guide one through different stages of life. They encourage people to be positive, tell the truth, laugh, build our careers patiently and to have confidence in ourselves.
Most of them are not plain clichés; they are tiny philosophies which can guide and enlighten us more than once. At least after reading and thinking about a particular proverb, one gets knowledge that he could have acquired only after years of experience.
The next time you hear one, try to stop and consider what it is that it is saying. It’s amazing to know that there can be so much insightful information which can be squeezed into a number of words! And do not forget that as proverbs are accumulated and used, its deeper meanings as well as their advisability in applying to one’s life will certainly be realized.
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