V.
Vad ikke over Vand, hvor du ei seer Bund. _Do not wade where you see no bottom._
Vandet löber, mens Mölleren sover. _The water runs while the miller sleeps._
Vaer dig for Hunden, Skyggen bider ikke. _Beware of the dog himself, his shadow does not bite._
Var Avind en Feber, var al Verden syg. _If envy were a fever, all the world would be ill._
Var det giort med Skiægget, da vandt Giedebukken. _If a beard were all, the goat would be the winner._
Vare Tanker Tingsvidne, da blev mangen, ærlig Mand til en Skielm. _If thoughts were legal witnesses, many an honest man would be proved a rogue._
Vælsk Andagt og tydsk Faste gjelder intet. _Italian devotion and German fasting have no meaning._
Var Lögn Latin, da var der mange lærde Folk. _If lies were Latin, there would be many learned men._
Varp ei mere op end du kan væve. _Do not put in more warp than you can weave._
Værge byder Landefred. _The sword keeps the peace of the land._
Vee vorde ondt Öie. _Woe be to an evil eye._
Vel begyndt er halv fuldendt. _Well begun is half done._
Velgiort skal man aldrig angre. _Never repent a good action._
Venlige Ord og faa ere Qvinders Pryd. _Kind words and few are a woman’s ornament._
Venners Feil maa man mærke, men ei laste. _A friend’s faults may be noticed, but not blamed._
Vigtig Gierning vil drives med faa Ord. _Weighty work must be done with few words._
Vi sidde nu alle vel, sagde Katten han sad paa Flesket. _We are all well placed, said the cat, when she was seated on the bacon._
Vognen faaer at gaa, hvor Hestene drage ham. _The waggon must go whither the horses draw it._
Vor Herre kommer nok, om han end ikke kommer til Hest. _The Lord will not fail to come, though he may not come on horseback._
INDEX.
French 1-64. Italian 65-132. German 133-192. Spanish 193-262. Portuguese 263-295. Dutch 296-345. Danish 346-403.
A.
A bad beginning may make a good ending, 167
A bad (or lean, or meagre) compromise is better than a good (or fat) lawsuit, 62, 97, 135, 144, 231, 314, 350
A bad heart and a good stomach, 38
A bad horse eats as much as a good one, 366
A bad knife cuts one’s finger instead of the stick, 273
A bad labour, and a daughter after all, 239
A bad man’s gift is like his master, 210
A bad penny always comes back, 136
A bad thing never dies, 209
A bad tree does not yield good apples, 394
A bad wife wishes her husband’s heel turned homewards, and not his toe, 394
A bad workman never finds a good tool, 38
A bad wound may be cured, bad repute kills, 227
A baptised Jew is a circumcised Christian, 149
A bargain is a bargain, 150
A barking cur does not bite, 76
A barking dog was never a good biter, 240—_see_ Barking dogs
A barking dog was never a good hunter, 291
A barren sow is never kind to pigs, 371
A bashful dog never fattens, 147
A beard lathered is half shaved, 74, 268
A beard well lathered is half shaved, 204
A beautiful woman smiling, bespeaks a purse weeping, 74
A beggar is never out of his road, 35
A beggar’s estate lies in all lands, 300
A beggar’s hand is a bottomless basket, 306
A beggar’s wallet is never full, 277
A bellyful is a bellyful, 59
A bespattered hog tries to bespatter another, 261
A better seldom comes after, 168
A big (long) nose never spoiled a handsome face, 27
A bird in the cage is worth a hundred at large, 97
A bird may be ever so small, it always seeks a nest of its own, 346
A black hen lays a white egg, 40
A blind hen can sometimes find her corn, 61
A blind horse goes straightforward, 136
A blind man is no judge of colours, 101
A blind man may sometimes shoot a crow, 312
A blind man swallows many a fly, 142
A blind man’s stroke, which raises a dust from beneath water, 239
A blind pigeon may sometimes find a grain of wheat, 351
A blow from a frying-pan, if it does not hurt, smuts, 217
A bold attempt is half success, 369
A bold man has luck in his train, 363
A bold onset is half the battle, 170
A bolt does not always fall when it thunders (There are more threatened than struck), 147
A boor remains a boor, though he sleep on silken bolsters, 365
A borrowed horse and your own spurs make short miles, 383
A boy’s love is water in a sieve, 199
A brain is worth little without a tongue, 61
A braying ass eats little hay, 72
A brilliant daughter makes a brittle wife, 312
Abroad one has a hundred eyes, at home not one, 141
A buffeting threatened is never well given, 205
A burnt child dreads the fire, 149, 313
A burnt child dreads the fire, and a bitten child dreads a dog, 351
A bustling mother makes a slothful daughter, 280
A buxom widow must be married, buried, or cloistered, 262
A cake and a bad custom ought to be broken, 19
A calm portends a storm, 105
A capon eight months old is fit for a king’s table, 208, 272
A cat has nine lives, as the onion seven skins, 143
A cat may look at a king, 169, 314
A cat pent up becomes a lion, 99
A cat that licks the spit is not to be trusted with roast meat, 68
A cat that meweth much catcheth but few mice, 314
A child must creep until it learns to walk, 348
A child of a year old sucks milk from the heel, 210
A child’s back must be bent early, 348
A child’s sorrow is short-lived, 348
A church stone drops gold—(Galician), 239
A churl knows not the worth of spurs (_i.e._ honour), 64
A clean hand moves freely through the land, 395
A clean mouth and an honest hand, will take a man through any land, 166
A clear bargain, a dear friend, 118
A clear conscience is a good pillow, 61
A clever man’s inheritance is found in every country, 354
A cloak is not made for a single shower of rain, 114
A close mouth and open eyes never did any one harm, 172
A clown enriched knows neither relation nor friend, 64
A cock is valiant on his own dunghill, 314
A colt is good for nothing if it does not break its halter, 55
A contented ass enjoys a long life, 267
A courtier should be without feeling and without honour, 61
A covetous abbot for one offering loses a hundred, 193
A covetous woman deserves a swindling gallant, 2
A cow does not know what her tail is worth until she has lost it, 63
A cow from afar gives plenty of milk, 63
A cow is not called dappled unless she has a spot, 381
A cow-year, a sad year; a bull-year, a glad year, 314
A coward often deals a mortal blow to the brave, 14
A cracked bell will never be sound, 207
A cracked pot never fell off the hook, 120
A crazy vessel never falls from the hand, 261
A crooked log makes a good fire, 9
A cross-grained woman and a snappish dog take care of the house, 347
A crow is never the whiter for often washing, 383
A crown is no cure for the headache, 93, 146, 318
A cur’s tail grows fast, 69
A curse will not strike out an eye unless the fist go with it, 348
A daily guest is a great thief in the kitchen, 312
A dainty stomach beggars the purse (Much taste, much waste), 190
A dead man does not make war, 131
A dead man does not speak (Dead men tell no tales), 279
A dead man has neither relations nor friends, 62
A deaf auditor makes a crazy answerer, 365
A deaf husband and a blind wife are always a happy couple, 38
A dealer in onions is a good judge of scallions, 38
A determined heart will not be counselled, 209
A devotee’s face and a cat’s claws, 208
A doctor and a boor know more than a doctor alone, 142
A dog in the manger, that neither eats nor lets others eat, 271
A dog is a dog whatever his colour, 380
A dog is never offended at being pelted with bones, 114
A dog may look at a bishop, 61
A dog never bit me but I had some of his hair, 97
A dog with a bone knows no friend, 314
A door must either be open or shut, 22
A dram of discretion is worth a pound of wisdom, 144
A drop of honey catches more flies than a hogshead of vinegar, 162
A drop of water breaks a stone, 124
A drowning man clings to a blade of grass, 62
A drowning man would catch at razors, 86
A drunken man may soon be made to dance, 363
A dull ass near home trots without the stick, 267
A fair exchange bring no quarrel, 384
A fair face will get its praise, though the owner keep silent, 367
A fair promise binds a fool, 8
A fair skin often covers a crooked mind, 400
A fair-weather friend changes with the wind, 198, 265
A farthing saved is twice earned, 123
A fast day is the eve of a feast day, 217
A fast horse does not want the spur, 272
A fat kitchen, a lean testament, 100
A fat kitchen is next door to poverty, 69
A fat kitchen makes a lean will, 19, 148
A father’s love, for all other is air, 199
A father maintains ten children better than ten children one father, 145
A fault confessed is half forgiven, 291
A fault denied is twice committed, 61
A fence between makes love more keen, 145
A fence lasts three years, a dog lasts three fences, a horse three dogs, and a man three horses, 145
A fifth wheel to a cart is but an incumbrance, 228
A fine cage won’t feed the bird, 28
A fine girl and a tattered gown always find something to hook them, 8
A fine shot never killed a bird, 74
A finger’s length in a sword, and a palm in a lance, are a great advantage, 274
A fish should swim three times: in water, in sauce, and in wine, 138
A flying crow always catches something, 316
A fool and his money are soon parted, 313
A fool can ask more questions than seven wise men can answer, 130
A fool, if he holds his tongue, passes for wise, 216
A fool is always beginning, 62
A fool is like other men as long as he is silent, 393
A fool knows his own business better than a wise man knows that of others, 124
A fool laughs when others laugh, 347
A fool may chance to say a wise thing, 313
A fool only wins the first game, 365
A fool sometimes gives good counsel, 213
A fool throws a stone into a well, and it requires a hundred wise men to get it out again, 130
A fool, unless he know Latin, is never a great fool, 259
A foolish judge passes a brief sentence (A fool’s bolt is soon shot), 14
A foolish woman is known by her finery, 18
A fool’s bolt is soon shot, 144, 163
A fool’s head never whitens, 58
A fortress on its guard is not surprised, 208
A foul mouth must be provided with a strong back, 366
A friend, and look to thyself, 71
A friend at one’s back is a safe bridge, 316
A friend in need is a friend indeed, 316
A friend is known in time of need, 6, 41
A friend is better than money in the purse (Better a friend than money to spend), 316
A friend is not known till he is lost, 106
A friend is to be taken with his faults, 287
A friend to my table and wine, is no good neighbour, 60
A friend’s dinner is soon dressed, 341
A friend’s fault should be known but not abhorred, 264
A friend’s faults may be noticed, but not blamed, 403
A friend’s meat is soon ready, 63
A full belly counsels well, 63
A full belly dances better than a fine coat, 397
A full belly is neither good for flight nor fighting, 260
A full belly sets a man jigging, 15
A full man is no eater, 279
A full sack pricks up its ear, 124
A full stomach praises Lent, 390
A full vessel must be carried carefully, 369
A galled horse does not want to be curried, 13
A gaunt brute bites sore, 15
A gentleman of Beauce who stays in bed till his breeches are mended, 19
A gift delayed, and long expected, is not given, but sold dear, 93
A gilt bridle for an old mule, 7
A girl, a vineyard, an orchard, and a bean-field, are hard to watch, 283
A girl draws more than a rope, 231
A girl unemployed is thinking of mischief, 18
A glad heart seldom sighs, but a sorrowful mouth often laughs, 397
A glaring sunny morning, a woman that talks Latin, and a child reared on wine, never come to a good end, 57
A glutton young, a beggar old, 156
A goaded ass must needs trot, 4, 72
A golden bit makes none the better horse, 99, 150
A golden hammer breaks an iron gate (Gold goes in at any gate), 150
A golden key opens every door, 78
A golden key opens every door save that of heaven, 372
A good advice is as good as an eye in the hand, 61
A good anvil does not fear the hammer, 75
A good appetite does not want sauce, 75
A good beast heats with eating, 9
A good beginning makes a good ending, 76
A good cause needs help, 8
A good cavalier never lacks a lance, 65
A good cock was never fat, 278
A good conscience is a soft pillow, 151
A good dog hunts by instinct, 8
A good dog never barks at fault, 27
A good dog never gets a good bone, 1
A good driver turns in a small space, 8
A good fire makes a quick cook, 320
A good fox does not eat his neighbour’s fowls, 61
A good friend is better than silver and gold, 314
A good gaper makes two gapers, 61
A good handicraft has a golden foundation, 371
A good head does not want for hats, 48
A good heart breaks bad fortune, 206
A good horse and a bad horse need the spur; a good woman and a bad woman need the stick, 76
A good horse is worth his fodder, 313
A good horse never lacks a saddle, 65
A good king is better than an old law, 371
A good lawyer, a bad neighbour, 8, 205
A good life defers wrinkles, 206
A good man is a man of goods, 9
A good meal is worth hanging for, 143
A good name covers theft, 205
A good name is a rich inheritance, 143
A good name is better than oil (_i. e._ riches), 313
A good neighbour is better than a brother far off, 371
A good paymaster does not hesitate to give good security, 76
A good paymaster is keeper of other men’s purses, 216
A good paymaster needs no security, 196
A good pilot is not known when the sea is calm and the weather fair, 371
A good repast ought to begin with hunger, 61
A good swimmer is not safe against drowning, 8
A good swordsman is never quarrelsome, 9
A good thing is known when it is lost, 269
A good thing lost is a good thing valued, 205
A good thing lost is valued, 75
A good trade will carry farther than a thousand florins, 161
A good word extinguishes more than a pailful of water, 231
A good word quenches more than a caldron of water, 281
A goose, a woman, and a goat, are bad things lean, 263
A goose drinks as much as a gander, 365
A gosling flew over the Rhine, and came home a goose, 145
A gossiping woman talks of everybody, and everybody of her, 283
A grain does not fill a sieve, but it helps its fellow, 223
A greased mouth cannot say no, 75
A great book is a great evil, 314
A great church and little devotion, 100
A great estate is not gotten in a few hours, 19
A great lance-thrust to a dead Moor, 199, 260
A great leap gives a great shake, 195
A great liar has need of a good memory, 74
A great man’s entreaty is a command, 254
A great talker is a great liar, 19
Agree between yourselves (as to the time), quoth Arlotto, and I will make it rain, 66
A greedy mill grinds all kinds of corn, 370
A green Christmas makes a fat churchyard, 365
A guest and a fish after three days are poison, 37
A guest and a fish stink in three days, 109, 218, 288, 313
A hair casts its shadow on the ground, 260
A hair of the dog cures the bite, 91
A handful of good life is better than seven bushels of learning, 39
A handful of might is better than a sack full of right, 143
A handful of motherwit is worth a bushel of learning, 231
A handsome hostess is bad for the purse, 8, 224, 279
A handsome woman is either silly or vain, 227
A handsome shoe often pinches the foot, 31
A handsome man is not quite poor, 205
A happy heart is better than a full purse, 96
A hard bit does not make the better horse, 372
A hawk’s marriage: the hen is the better bird, 38
A head is not to be cut off because it is scabby, 387
A headless army fights badly, 380
A hearth of your own is worth gold, 365
A heavy shower is soon over, 104
A hired horse and one’s own spurs make short miles, 149, 313
A honeyed tongue with a heart of gall, 30
A horse grown fat kicks, 77
A horse may stumble, though he have four legs, 76, 315
A house filled with guests is eaten up and ill spoken of, 208
A house full of daughters is a cellar full of sour beer, 314
A house ready built and a vineyard ready planted, 208
A house ready made and a wife to make, 37
A huckster who cannot pass off mouseturd for pepper, has not learned his trade, 144
A hundred bakers, a hundred millers, and a hundred tailors are three hundred thieves, 328
A hundred tailors, a hundred millers, and a hundred weavers are three hundred thieves, 208
A hundred waggonsful of sorrow will not pay a handful of debt, 380
A hundred years a banner, a hundred years a barrow—A very old proverb, signifying the changeful fortunes of great feudal families], 10
A hundred years cannot repair a moment’s loss of honour, 70
A hundred years hence we shall all be bald, 193
A hundred years is not much, but never is a long while, 10
A hundred years of regret pay not a farthing of debt, 10, 153
A hundred years of wrong do not make an hour of right, 153
A hungry ass eats any straw, 72
A hungry belly has no ears, 63, 131, 143, 220, 290, 314
A hungry clown is half mad, 64
A hungry dog and a thirsty horse take no heed of blows, 380
A hungry dog does not fear the stick, 13, 76
A hungry man discovers more than a hundred lawyers, 231
A hungry wolf is not at rest, 280
A husband with one eye rather than with one son, 218
A jackfish does more than a letter of recommendation, 61
A jade eats as much as a good horse, 110
A joyous evening often leads to a sorrowful morning, 371
A kick from a mare never hurt a horse, 27
A kitchen-dog is never a good rabbit-hunter, 240
A kitchen dog never was good for the chase, 76
A lame goat will not sleep by day, 206
A lame man won’t walk with one who is lamer, 60
A landmark is well placed between two brothers’ fields, 28
A large fire often comes from a small spark, 346
A lawsuit for a maravedi consumes a real’s worth of paper, 198
A lawyer and a cart-wheel must be greased, 142
A lazy boy and a warm bed are difficult to part, 354
A lazy ox is little the better for the goad, 193
A lean calf forgets to skip, 386
A lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit (Agree, for the law is costly), 144, 314—_see also_ A bad compromise, &c.
A lean horse does not kick, 77
A liar is sooner caught than a cripple, 121, 126, 281
A liar must have a good memory, 74, 314
A lie has short legs, 273
A light belly, a heavy heart, 158
A litigious man, a liar, 20
A little absence does much good, 62
A little dinner, long expected and cold, is by no means given, but dearly sold, 45
A little dog, a cow without horns, and a short man, are generally proud, 399
A little gall spoils (or embitters) a great deal of honey, 62, 121, 240, 242
A little help does a great deal, 62
A little injury dismays, and a great one stills, 292
A little leaven leavens (sours) a great mass, 45
A little loss frightens, a great one tames, 240
A little makes a debtor and much an enemy, 290
A little man fells a great oak, 45
A little man often casts a long shadow, 92
A little man sometimes casts a long shadow, 62
A little pack serves a little pedlar, 4
A little pot is soon hot, 314
A little rain stills a great wind, 45
A little sheep always seems young, 45
A little spark kindles a great fire, 120, 173, 212
A little spark shines in the dark, 45
A little stone may upset a large cart, 120, 384
A little thing often helps, 45
A little too late, much too late, 144, 316
A little truth makes the whole lie pass, 130
A living ass is better than a dead doctor, 131
A load of March dust is worth a ducat, 144
A long tongue betokens a short hand, 226, 265
A lord of straw devours a vassal of steel, 62
A lord without land, is like a cask without wine, 374
A lordly taste makes a beggar’s purse, 151
A lovelorn cook oversalts the porridge, 172
A lover’s anger is short-lived, 125
A loving man, a jealous man, 131
A mad dog cannot live long, 13
A mad parish, a mad priest, 68
A man cannot carry all his kin on his back, 388
A man assailed is half overcome, 20
A man, a word; a word, a man, 144
A man conducts himself abroad as he has been taught at home, 375
A man dances all the same, though he may dance against his will, 373
A man does not always aim at what he means to hit, 400
A man does not look behind the door unless he has stood there himself, 354
A man forewarned is as good as two—(Forewarned is forearmed), 224—_see_ A man warned, &c.
A man is bound by his word, an ox with a hempen cord, 395
A man is not a lord because he feeds off fine dishes, 386
A man is not known till he cometh to honour, 333
A man is valued according to his own estimate of himself, 7
A man may hap to bring home with him what makes him weep, 196
A man may threaten yet be afraid, 58
A man must eat, though every tree were a gallows, 333
A man must keep his mouth open a long while before a roast pigeon flies into it, 389
A man of straw is worth a woman of gold, 62, 279
A man of straw needs a woman of gold, 130
A man often kisses the hand he would fain see cut off, 386
A man overboard, a mouth the less, 315
A man’s character reaches town before his person, 396
A man’s face is a lion’s, 140
A man’s own opinion is never wrong, 103
A man’s will is his heaven, 386
A man’s word is his honour, 386
A man takes his own wherever he finds it, 43
A man that has had his fill is no eater, 224
A man that is lean, not from hunger, is harder than brass, 256
A man travels as far in a day as a snail in a hundred years, 6
A man warned is as good as two, 62, 130, 224
A man warned is half saved, 149
A man well mounted is always proud, 62
A man who has but one eye must take good care of it, 50
A man who is not spoken of is not abused, 396
A man who wants bread is ready for anything, 15
A man who wants to drown his dog says he is mad, 54
A man without money is like a ship without sails, 315
A meagre (or lean) compromise is better than a fat lawsuit, 350
A measly hog infects the whole sty, 219
A melon and a woman are hard to know (or choose), 18, 219
A merry host makes merry guests, 316
A merry life forgets father and mother, 28
A mewing cat is never a good mouser, 223
A mild sheep is sucked by every lamb, 119
A modest dog seldom grows fat, 397
A monkey remains a monkey, though dressed in silk, 203
A Montgomery division: all on one side, nothing on the other, 44
A morsel eaten gains no friend, 269
A morsel eaten selfishly does not gain a friend, 205
A muffled cat never caught a mouse, 27, 99
A mule and a woman do what is expected of them, 227
A nail secures the horse-shoe, the shoe the horse, the horse the man, the man the castle, and the castle the whole land, 144
A naughty child must be roughly rocked, 394
A near neighbour is better than a distant cousin, 97
A necessary lie is harmless, 143
A neighbour’s eye is full of jealousy, 393
A new broom is good for three days, 100
A new net won’t catch an old bird, 124
A noble prince or king never has a coin to bless himself, 62
A north wind has no corn, and a poor man no friend, 259
A pack of cards is the devil’s prayer-book, 156
A pair of light shoes is not all that is wanted for dancing, 357
A peasant between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats—(Catalan), 202
A peg for every hole, 7
A penny in time is as good as a dollar, 366
A penny saved is a penny gained, 145
A penny saved is twopence got, 142
A penny spared is a penny saved, 247
A penny spared is better than a florin gained, 316
A pet child has many names, 381
A pig bought on credit grunts all the year, 242
A pig on credit makes a good winter and a bad spring, 268
A pig’s life, short and sweet, 63
A pig’s tail will never make a good arrow, 212
A plaster house, a horse at grass, and a friend in words, are all mere glass, 314
A pleasant companion on a journey is as good as a postchaise, 14
A pleasant thing never comes too soon, 362
A plough that worketh, shines; but still water stinks, 315
A poor man has few acquaintances, 368
A poor man is all schemes, 224
A poor man is hungry after eating, 279
A poor man’s joy has much alloy, 368
A Portuguese apprentice who can’t sew, yet would be cutting out, 200
A priest’s pocket is not easily filled, 395
A promise is a debt, 172
A proud pauper and a rich miser are contemptible beings, 75
A ragged coat finds little credit, 74
A ragged colt may make a handsome horse, 38, 272
A ragged sack holds no grain, a poor man is not taken into counsel, 124
A rash man, a skin of good wine, and a glass vessel, do not last long, 279
A reconciled friend is a twofold enemy, 199
A resolute heart endures no counsel, 273
A restive morsel needs a spur of wine, 3
A rich child often sits in a poor mother’s lap, 394
A rich man is never ugly in the eyes of a girl, 62
A rich widow weeps with one eye and laughs with the other, 268
A rich wife is a source of quarrel, 396
A rickety chair will not long serve as a seat, 392
A rod is better than a fox’s brush, 396
A rolling stone gathers no moss, 45, 120, 174, 240, 291, 315
A royal heart is often hid under a tattered cloak, 393
A runaway horse punishes himself, 77
A runaway monk never speaks well of his convent, 316
A sack full of fleas is easier to watch than a woman, 143
A sack is best tied before it is full, 42
A sack was never so full but it could hold another grain, 33, 113
A sad bride makes a glad wife, 313
A saddle fits more backs than one, 130
A scabby colt may make a good horse, 212
A scabby head fears the comb, 315
A scald head needs strong lye, 357
A scalded cat dreads cold water, 13, 278
A scalded dog thinks cold water hot, 65
A scorpion never stung me but I cured myself with its grease, 113
A seat in the council is honour without profit, 288
A secret between two is God’s secret, a secret between three is everybody’s, 242
A secret imparted is no longer a secret, 125
A servant and a cock must be kept but one year, 289
A sharp tooth for hard bread, 200, 266
A sheep’s bite is never more than skin deep, 110
A shock dog is starved and nobody believes it, 240
A short cut is often a wrong cut, 370
A short halter for a greedy horse, 194
A short mass and a long dinner, 14
A short rest is always good, 384
A short sword for a brave man, 7
A short tail won’t keep off flies, 89
A shut mouth keeps me out of strife, 269
A sick man sleeps, but not a debtor, 215
A silent man’s words are not brought into court, 400
A silly song may be sung in many ways, 368
A silver hammer breaks an iron door, 62
A sin concealed is half pardoned (meaning when care is taken to conceal the scandal), 45, 119
A sin confessed is half forgiven, 119, 130
A single day grants what a whole year denies, 312
A single penny fairly got, is worth a thousand that are not, 144
A single stroke don’t fell the oak, 173
A slight suspicion may destroy a good repute, 396
A slothful man never has time, 131
A small bolt to the house is better than none at all, 350
A small cloud may hide both sun and moon, 367
A small fire that warms you, is better than a large one that burns you, 366
A small hatchet fells a great oak, 291
A smart coat is a good letter of introduction, 317
A smooth tongue is better than smooth locks, 350
A soft answer turneth away wrath, 316
A solitary man is either a brute or an angel, 131
A son-in-law’s friendship is a winter’s sun, 199
A sow is always dreaming of bran, 59
A sow may find an acorn as well as a hog, 366
A sow prefers bran to roses, 60
A sparrow in the hand is better than a bustard on the wing, 231
A sparrow in the hand is better than a crane on the wing, 62
A sparrow in the hand is better than a pigeon on the roof, 144
A sparrow in the hand is better than a pigeon on the wing, 39
A sparrow suffers as much when it breaks its leg as does a Flanders horse, 366
A spot shows most on the finest cloth, 221
A starved town is soon forced to surrender, 88
A stepmother has a hard hand, 356
A stick is a peacemaker, 7
A stick is soon found to beat a dog, 128
A still sow eats up all the draff, 307
A stingy man is always poor, 20
A stout heart tempers adversity, 89, 270, 320
A Sunday’s child never dies of the plague, 50
A table friend is changeable, 3
A tender-hearted mother makes a scabby daughter, 38, 106
A thankless man never does a thankful deed, 400
A thief makes opportunity, 312
A thief seldom grows rich by thieving, 142
A thief thinks every man steals, 402
A thing done has a head (The exultation of an ancient sculptor on his satisfactorily completing the head of his statue), 89
A thing is never much talked of but there is some truth in it, 114
A thing is not bad if well understood, 142
A thing lost is a thing known, 13
A thing too much seen is little prized, 13
A thorn comes into the world point foremost, 33
A thousand probabilities do not make one truth, 110
A threatened buffet is never well given, 125
A threatened man lives long, if he can get bread, 383
A threatened man lives longer than one that is hanged, 132
A threatened man lives seven years, 312
A timid man has little chance, 395
A tottering man must lean upon a staff, 399
A tree often transplanted is never loaded with fruit, 69
A tree often transplanted neither grows nor thrives, 240
A true gentleman would rather have his clothes torn than mended, 224
A truth-teller finds the doors closed against him, 363
A truth-telling woman has few friends, 397
A turn of the key is better than the conscience of a friar, 232
A used plough shines, standing water stinks, 149
A usurer, a miller, a banker, and a publican, are the four evangelists of Lucifer, 316
A vagabond monk never spoke well of his convent, 110
A vicious colt may make a good horse, 38
A vicious dog must be tied short, 3
A voluntary burthen is no burthen, 77
A well-formed figure needs no cloak, 273
A well-wisher sees from afar, 246
A white wall is the fool’s paper, 39, 110
A wicked dog must be tied short, 38
A willing helper does not wait until he is asked, 366
A wise man, a strong man, 176
A wise man and a fool together, know more than a wise man alone, 125
A wise man does at first what a fool must do at last, 123
A wise man may learn of a fool, 62
A wolf hankers after sheep even at his last gasp (The ruling passion strong in death), 316
A woman and a glass are always in danger, 144, 227
A woman and a hen are soon lost through gadding, 265
A woman and a melon are hard to choose, 18, 219
A woman conceals only what she does not know, 61, 144
A woman laughs when she can, and weeps when she pleases, 18
A woman may be ever so old, if she take fire she will jump, 346
A woman strong in flounces is weak in the head, 145
A woman’s first counsel is the best, 362
A woman’s in pain, a woman’s in woe, a woman is ill when she likes to be so, 93
A woman’s tears and a dog’s limping are not real, 235
A woman’s tongue is her sword and she does not let it rust, 29
A woman’s vengeance knows no bounds, 176
A woman who accepts, sells herself; a woman who gives, surrenders, 18
A woman who looks much in the glass spins but little, 18
A woman who loves to be at the window is like a bunch of grapes on the wayside, 93
A word and a stone once let go cannot be recalled, 239, 267
A word from the mouth, a stone from the hand (A word and a blow), 239, 291
A word once out flies everywhere, 44
A word is enough to the wise, 149, 270
A wound foreseen pains the less, 120
A wound never heals so well that the scar cannot be seen, 346
A wreck on shore is a beacon at sea, 316
A young angel, an old devil, 15
A young ewe and an old ram, every year bring forth a lamb, 314
A young foal and an old horse draw not well together, 402
A young wife is an old man’s post-horse to the grave, 156
Abbot of Carçuela, you eat up the pot and ask for the pipkin, 193
About the King and the Inquisition, hush!, 209
Absence is a foe to love; away from the eyes, away from the heart, 204
Absence is a foe to love; out of sight out of mind, 73
Absent, none without blame; present, none without excuse, 1, 233
Abstinence and fasting cure many a complaint, 369
According to his pinions the bird flies, 396
According to the arm be the bleeding, 56
According to the custom of Aragon, good service, bad guerdon, 194
According to the worth of the man is the worth of his land, 58
Act honestly, and answer boldly, 370
Act so in the valley, that you need not fear those who stand on the hill, 370
Adam got a hoe, and Eve got a spinning-wheel, and thence came all our nobles, 346
Adam must have an Eve to blame for his own faults, 133
Adversity makes a man wise, 63
Advice after the mischief is like medicine after death, 395
Advice is not compulsion, 166
Advice should precede the act, 166
Advice to a fool goes in at one ear and out at the other, 351
Advisers are not givers, 337
Advisers are not the payers, 34
Advising is easier than helping, 166
Advising is often better than fighting, 166
After a feast a man scratches his head, 4
After a thrifty father, a prodigal son, 200
After breaking my head you bring plaister, 213
After Christmas comes Lent, 163
After death the doctor, 4
After dinner stand a while, or walk nearly half a mile, 163
After ebb comes flood, and friends with good, 334
After great droughts come great rains, 335
After high floods come low ebbs, 335
After honour and state follow envy and hate, 334
After meat comes mustard, 168, 334
After me the deluge, 4
After mischance every one is wise, 4
After one loss come many, 4
After one pope another is made, 93
After one that earns comes one that wastes, 365
After one vice a greater follows, 259
After pleasant scratching comes unpleasant smarting, 365
After rain comes sunshine, 4, 134, 163, 334, 335
After shaving there’s nothing to shear, 4, 93, 275
After stuffing pears within, drink old wine till they swim, 258
After the act wishing is in vain, 4
After the daughter is married, then come sons-in-law in plenty, 47
After the house is finished, he deserts it, 213
After the sour comes the sweet, 335
After the vintage, baskets, 213
Age is a sorry travelling companion, 346
Age makes many a man whiter, but not better, 346
Alas! father, another daughter is born to you, 223
Alas for the son whose father went to heaven, 278
All are brave when the enemy flies, 129
All are not asleep who have their eyes shut, 147
All are not cooks who carry long knives, 147, 325, 352
All are not free who mock their chains, 147
All are not hunters that blow the horn, 40, 147, 352
All are not friends who smile on you, 325
All are not princes who ride with the emperor, 345
All are not saints who go to church, 115
All are not soldiers who go to the wars, 237, 286
All are not thieves whom the dogs bark at, 163
All beginnings are hard, said the thief, and began by stealing an anvil, 296
All bite the bitten dog, 263
All but saves many a man, 393
All cats are not to be set down for witches, 23
All clouds do not rain, 297
All cocks must have a comb, 297
All covet, all lose, 86, 299
All do not beg for one saint, 237
All do not bite that show their teeth, 345
All flesh is not venison, 59
All freight lightens, said the skipper, when he threw his wife overboard, 133
All hairy skins must not be singed, 389
All heads are not sense-boxes, 59
All in the way of joke the wolf goes to the ass, 206
All is luck or ill luck in this world, 26
All is not butter that comes from the cow, 112
All is not gold that glitters, 59, 118, 146, 286, 322, 324
All is not lost that is delayed, 11
All is not lost that is in danger, 237
All is well: for if the bride has not fair hair, she has a fair skin, 297
All’s well that ends well, 120, 145, 322, 391
All keys hang not at one woman’s girdle, 347—_see_ All the keys, &c.
All leaf and no fruit, 256
All my goods are of silver and gold, even my copper kettles, says the boaster, 329
All offices are greasy (_i.e._ open to receive what the Dutch call smear-money, a term derived from the fee paid for greasing wheels), 296
All roads lead to Rome (There are more ways to the wood than one), 129
All saints do not work miracles, 129
All ships leak: some midships, some in the bows, some in the hold, 116
All state, and nothing on the plate, 59
All tastes are tastes (There’s no disputing about tastes), 129
All that’s fair must fade, 74
All the brains are not in one head, 129
All the fingers are not alike, 129
All the keys don’t hang at one girdle, 59, 129, 141, 347
All the sheep are not for the wolf, 115
All things of this world are nothing, unless they have reference to the next, 259
All threateners don’t fight, 312
All too good is every man’s fool (He that makes himself a sheep will be eaten by the wolf), 299
All truths are not fit to be uttered, 59
All water runs to the sea, 116
All who snore are not asleep, 357
All wish to live long, but not to be called old, 347
All women are good Lutherans, they would rather preach than hear mass, 347
All wooers are rich, and all captives poor, 133
All wool is hair, more or less, 292
Almost kills no man, 393
Almost never killed a fly, 135
Alms do not empty the purse, and a mass does not exhaust the day’s duty, 347
Alone in counsel, alone in sorrow, 365
Always in love, never married, 59
Always say no, and you will never be married, 16
Always something new, seldom something good, 153
Always taking out, and never putting in, soon reaches the bottom, 194
Always talk big and you will never be forgotten, 16
Always to be sparing is always to be in want, 347
Among men of honour a word is a bond, 99
Among thorns grow roses, 72
An ambassador beareth no blame, 70
An amen clerk, 255
An angry man heeds no counsel, 279
An ape, a priest, and a louse, are three devils in one house, 312
An ape’s an ape, though he wear a gold ring, 312
An apothecary need not be long a cuckold, 60
An art requires a whole man, 61
An ass does not hit himself twice against the same stone, 313
An ass does not stumble twice over the same stone, 60
An ass let him be who brays at an ass, 203
An ass’s tail will not make a sieve, 88
An ass’s trot does not last long, 128
An ass with her colt goes not straight to the mill, 202
An easy shepherd makes the wolf void wood, 3
An eel escapes from a good fisherman, 1
An egg is an egg, said the boor, and took the goose’s egg, 142, 313
An empty purse, and a finished house, make a man wise, but too late, 269
An empty sack won’t stand upright, 124, 144
An enemy does not sleep, 7
An ennobled peasant does not know his own father, 313
An estate inherited is the less valued, 277
An evil deed has a witness in the bosom, 394
An evil eye can see no good, 395
An honest man does not make himself a dog for the sake of a bone, 370
An honest man is not the worse because a dog barks at him, 348
An honest man’s word is as good as the king’s, 279
An honest man’s word is his bond, 313
An hour of play discovers more than a year of conversation, 281
An idle brain is the devil’s workshop, 162
An idle man is the devil’s bolster, 131, 314
An ill-tempered dog has a scarred nose, 380
An ill-tempered woman is the devil’s door-nail, 394
An inch in a sword, or a palm in a lance, is a great advantage, 211
An inch too short is as bad as an ell, 313
An indulgent mother makes a sluttish daughter, 313
An innocent heart suspects no guile, 273
An oak is not felled at one blow, 213, 261
An old ape never made a pretty grimace, 41
An old coachman loves the crack of the whip, 138, 315
An old dog does not bark for nothing, 63, 76
An old dog does not grow used to the collar, 77
An old flag is an honour to its captain, 74
An old fool is worse than a young simpleton, 370
An old fox doesn’t go twice into the trap, 142, 315
An old horse for a young soldier, 68
An old man’s sayings are seldom untrue, 370
An old mule with a golden bridle (_we say_, An old ewe dressed lamb-fashion), 315
An old oven is easier to heat than a new one, 63
An old ox makes a straight furrow, 63, 75, 206, 270
An old quarrel is easily renewed, 89
An old rat easily finds a hole, 315
An old rat won’t go into the trap, 315
An old wolf is not scared by loud cries, 370
An old wolf is used to be shouted at, 315
An open box tempts an honest man, 284
An open door tempts a saint, 242
Another man’s burden is always light, 384
Another man’s horse and your own spurs outrun the wind, 148
Another man’s horse and your own whip can do a great deal, 365
Another man’s trade costs money, 288
Another year will bring another Christmas, 367
Another’s bread costs dear, 239, 291
Another’s care hangs by a hair, 210
Another’s misfortune does not cure my pain, 282
Another’s misfortune is only a dream, 37
An ounce of discretion is better than a pound of knowledge, 131
An ounce of favour goes further (or is worth more) than a pound of justice, 61
An ounce of luck is worth a pound of wisdom, 39
An ounce of mother-wit is worth a pound of school-wit, 143
An ounce of patience is worth a pound of brains, 315
An ounce of state to a pound of gold, 238
An ox and an ass don’t yoke well to the same plough, 315
An unasked excuse infers transgression, 107
An unpleasant guest is as welcome as salt to a sore eye, 394
Anger hears no counsel, 191
Anger increases love, 125
Anger is a short madness, 320
Anger without power is folly (Anger can’t stand, without a strong hand), 191
Anoint a villain and he will prick you, prick a villain and he will anoint you, 41
Any excuse is good if it hold good, 117
Anything for a quiet life, 69
Any water will put out fire, 59, 116
Apes remain apes, though you clothe them in velvet, 133
Appearances are deceitful, 167
Appetite comes with eating, 30, 110
Are there not spots on the sun? 35
Argus at home, a mole abroad, 104
Arms and money require good hands, 202
Arms carry peace, 107
Arms, women, and books should be looked at daily, 342
Arrange your cloak as the wind blows, 38
Art and knowledge bring bread and honour, 383
Art holds fast when all else is lost, 157
Art is art, even though unsuccessful, 383
As a man dresses so is he esteemed, 396
As a man eats, so he works (Quick at meat, quick at work), 187
As a thing is used, so it brightens, 187
As are the times, so are the manners, 243
As fast as laws are devised, their evasion is contrived, 169
As for friars, live with them, eat with them, and walk with them; then sell them as they do themselves, 223
As fortune is sought, so it is found (Good luck, with good looking after! _or_, As you make your bed, so you must lie on it), 188
As is the king, so are his people, 243
As is the lover, so is the beloved, 122
As is the master so are his men (Like master, like man), 398
As is the master, so is his dog, 243
As long as I was a daughter-in-law I never had a good mother-in-law, and as long as I was a mother-in-law I never had a good daughter-in-law, 221
As old as the itch, 261
As poor as a church mouse, 121
As princes fiddle, subjects must dance, 175
As soon as man is born he begins to die, 154
As soon dies the calf as the cow, 6
As the abbot sings, the sacristan responds, 209
As the field, so the crops; as the father, so the sons, 187
As the labour, so the pay (No pains, no gains), 187
As the man is, so is his speech, 398
As the man is worth, his land is worth, 58
As the master, so the work, 187
As the mistress, so the maid (Hackney mistress, Hackney maid), 187
As the old birds sing, the young ones twitter, 187, 398
As the tree, so the fruit, 187
As the tree, so the fruit; as the mistress; so the maid, 187
As the virtue in the tree, such is the fruit, 352
As the wind so the sail (Set your sail to the wind), 56
As they pipe to me, I will dance, 273
As useless as monkey’s fat, 212
As water runs towards the shore, so does money towards the rich man’s hand, 347
As won, so spent (Lightly come, lightly go), 187
As you began the dance you may pay the piper, 319
As you make your bed so you must lie on it, 13, 187, 250, 398
As you sow, you shall reap, 187, 345
As you would have a daughter so choose a wife, 122
Ask advice of your equals, help of your superiors, 398
Ask my chum if I am a thief, 93
Ask my comrade, who is as great a liar as myself, 15
Ask not after a good man’s pedigree, 196
Ask too much to get enough, 239
Ask which was born first, the hen or the egg, 93
Asking costs little, 102
Assertion is no proof, 135
Asses carry the oats and horses eat them, 304
Asses must not be tied up with horses, 23
Asses sing badly because they pitch their voices too high, 147
Associate with the good and you will be one of them, 66, 197
At a bridge, a plank, or a river, the servant foremost, the master behind, 63
At a dangerous passage yield precedence, 76
At a great river be the last to pass, 68
At a good bargain pause and ponder, 65
At a little fountain one drinks at one’s ease, 4
At an ambuscade of villains a man does better with his feet than his hands, 194
At an auction keep your mouth shut, 221
At an open chest the righteous sins, 68
At borrowing cousin german, at repaying son of a whore, 6
At court there are many hands, but few hearts, 191
At court they sell a good deal of smoke without fire, 401
At evening the sluggard is busy, 133
At last the foxes all meet at the furrier’s, 129
At night all cats are grey, 191, 212, 274
At Rome do as Rome does, 5
At Shrovetide every one has need of his frying-pan, 1
At table bashfulness is out of place, 73
At the end of the game we see who wins, 69
At the end the Gloria is chanted, 196
At the king’s court every one for himself, 17
At the wars do as they do at the wars, 3
At the wedding-feast the least eater is the bride, 221
Avarice bursts the bag, 31
Avoid a friend who covers you with his wings and destroys you with his beak, 254
Away from the battle all are soldiers (Of war all can tattle, away from the battle), 176
Away with thee, sickness, to where they make a good pillow for thee, 197
“Away with you, be a pedlar, a knave,” says the hangman to his man, 149
B.
Bachelor, a peacock; betrothed, a lion; married, an ass, 258
Bad bird, bad egg, 136
“Bad company,” said the thief, as he went to the gallows between the hangman and a monk, 331
Bad egg, bad chick, 331
Bad eyes never see any good, 136
Bad grass does not make good hay, 92
Bad is never good until worse happens, 394
Bad is the sack that will not bear patching, 77
Bad is the wool that cannot be died, 77
Bad money always comes back, 167
Bad news always comes too soon, 171
Bad news has wings, 35
Bad news is always true, 228
Bad news is the first to come, 108
Bad ware is never cheap, 42
Bad ware must be cried up, 136
Bad watch often feeds the wolf, 29
Bargains are costly, 190, 229
Barking dogs don’t bite, 13, 135, 301
Bashfulness is of no use to the needy, 306
Baskets after the vintage, 275
Be a custom good or bad, a peasant will have it continue in force, 210
Be a horse ever so well shod, he may slip, 25
Be merry, Shrovetide, for to-morrow thou wilt be ashes, 196
Be my enemy and go to my mill, 256
Be not a baker if your head is butter, 237
Be not an esquire where you were a page, 214
Be not ashamed of your craft, 167
Be silent, or say something better than silence, 168
Be the horse good or bad always wear your spurs, 66
Be the thing you would be called (Be as you would seem to be), 169
Be truly what thou wouldst be thought to be, 57
Bear and bull catch no fox, 135
Bear patiently that which thou sufferest by thine own fault, 341
Beat the churl and he will be your friend, 74
Beauty and folly are often companions, 7, 75
Beauty carries its dower in its face, 352
Beauty is a good letter of introduction, 141
Beauty is but dross if honesty be lost, 337
Beauty without virtue is like a rose without scent, 367
Bees do not become hornets, 33
Before a man learns to hang he is half dead, 368
Before the time great courage; when at the point, great fear, 200
Before you make a friend, eat a peck of salt with him, 296
Before you marry, beware, for it is a knot difficult to untie, 200
Before you marry consider what you do, 292
Before you marry, have a house to live in, fields to till, and vines to cut, 200
Before you marry reflect, for it is a knot you cannot untie, 266
Before you mount, look to the girth, 317
Beggars must not be choosers, 201
Beginning and ending shake hands, 134
Begun is half done, 135
Behind every mountain lies a vale, 296
Believe a boaster as you would a liar, 89
Believe that, and drink some water (to wash it down), 14
Belles are not for the beaux, 34
Bells call to church but do not enter, 34
Bend the willow while it is young, 120, 390
Better a bird in the hand than ten in the air, 301
Better a blind horse than an empty halter, 300
Better a distant good than a near evil, 281
Better a good dinner than a fine coat, 38
Better a friendly denial than an unwilling compliance, 135
Better a friend’s bite than an enemy’s caress, 350
Better a lean agreement than a fat lawsuit, 97, 135—_see_ A bad or a lean, &c.
Better a leg broken than the neck, 300
Better a little in peace and with right, than much with anxiety and strife, 351
Better a living dog than a dead lion, 135
Better a near neighbour than a distant cousin, 110
Better a patch than a hole, 135
Better a poor horse than an empty stall. Better half a loaf than none at all. Better a little furniture than an empty house, 350
Better a red face than a black heart, 283
Better a ruined than a lost land, 39, 300
Better a salt herring on your own table, than a fresh pike on another’s, 349
Better a slip of the foot than the tongue, 39
Better a sparrow in the hand than two flying, 283
Better afield with the birds than hanging on lords, 301
Better alone than in bad company, 96, 135, 232, 282, 300
Better an ass that carries me than a horse that throws me, 281
Better an open enemy than a false friend, 349
Better an unjust peace than a just war (Better a lean peace than a fat victory), 171
Better anticipate than be anticipated, 283
Better ask than go astray, 96
Better ask twice than lose your way once, 358
Better aught than nought, 110, 147
Better badly mounted than proud on foot, 167
Better be a bird of the wood than a bird in the cage, 96
Better be a coward than foolhardy, 38
Better be a free bird than a captive king, 349
Better be carried by an ass than thrown by a horse, 300
Better be convinced by words than by blows, 358
Better be envied than pitied, 27, 38, 96, 300
Better be killed by robbers than by the kick of an ass, 266
Better be mad with all the world than wise alone, 26
Better be one-eyed than quite blind, 283
Better be silent than talk ill, 281
Better be the head of a cat than the tail of a lion, 96
Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion, 38
Better be the head of a lizard than the tail of a dragon, 96
Better be the head of a rat than the tail of a lion (Better rule in hell, than serve in heaven), 231
Better be wrong with the many than right with the few, 283
Better beg than steal, 322
Better belly burst than good victuals spoil, 300
Better bend than break, 97, 159, 232, 283
Better blow hard than burn yourself, 349
Better coarse cloth than naked thighs, 350
Better come late to church than never, 349
Better cross an angry man than a fasting man, 358
Better deny at once than promise long, 350
Better deserve honour and not have it, than have it and not deserve it, 282
Better envy than pity, 159
Better fall from the window than the roof, 96
Better fed than taught, 38
Better free in a foreign land than a serf at home, 135
Better gain in mud than lose in gold, 121, 281
Better give nothing than stolen alms, 136
Better give than have to give, 96
Better give the wool than the sheep, 96
Better go about than be drowned, 231, 281
Better go to bed supperless than run in debt, 136
Better half an egg than empty shells, 135, 301
Better have a bad ass than be your own ass, 232, 282
Better have a dog for your friend than your enemy (Better a dog fawn on you than bite you), 301
Better have an egg to-day than a hen to-morrow, 96
Better have a friend on the road than gold or silver in your purse, 38
Better have friends in the market-place than money in your coffer, 281
Better have one bee than a host of flies, 96
Better have something yourself than beg of your sister, 350
Better have to give than have to beg, 283
Better in an old carriage than in a new ship, 350
Better is a leap over the ditch than the entreaties of good men, 282
Better is an enemy to good, 102, 136
Better is better, 135
Better is my neighbour’s hen than mine, 283
Better is rule than rent, 231
Better is the branch that bends, than the branch that breaks, 350
Better is the smoke of my own house than the fire of another’s, 231
Better keep peace than make peace, 301
Better keep than have to beg, 281
Better late than never, 39, 97, 110, 232, 282, 301, 351
Better lose than lose more, 282
Better lose the anchor than the whole ship, 301
Better lose the saddle than the horse, 97
Better lose the wool than the sheep, 39
Better lose your labour than your time in idleness, 335
Better make a short circuit than wet your hose, 343
Better mine than ours, 283
Better no law, than law not enforced, 350
Better on the heath with an old cart than at sea in a new ship, 301
Better once in heaven than ten times at the gate, 301
Better once than never, 97
Better one-eyed than stone blind, 135, 232
Better one eye-witness than ten hearsay witnesses, 300
Better one living word than a hundred dead ones, 135
Better one “Take this,” than two “I will give you,” 232, 281
Better poor on land than rich at sea, 300
Better poor with honour than rich with shame, 300
Better reap two days too soon than one too late, 332
Better repair the gutter than the whole house, 283
Better return half way than lose yourself, 301
Better ride a good horse for a year, than an ass all your life, 301
Better slip with the foot than with the tongue, 97
Better something on the arm than all in the stomach, 351
Better something than nothing at all, 136
Better spare at the brim than at the bottom, 349
Better squinting than blind, 301
Better straw, than nothing, 283
Better stretch your hand than your neck (Better beg than steal), 300
Better stumble once than be always tottering, 27
Better suffer a known evil than change for uncertain good, 231
Better suffer for truth, than prosper by falsehood, 349
Better the child cry, than the mother sigh, 349
Better the child cry than the old man, 349
Better the world should know you as a sinner than God know you as a hypocrite, 349
Better, There he goes, than There he hangs, 135
Better there should be too much than too little, 231
Better they should say, “There he ran away,” than “There he died,” 231
Better to be a free bird than a captive king, 349
Better twice measured than once wrong, 350
Better twice remembered than once forgotten, 324
Better walk before a hen than behind an ox, 39
Better walk on wooden legs than be carried on a wooden bier, 351
Better walk unshackled in a green meadow than be bound to a thornbush, 349
Better weak beer than an empty cask, 350
Better where birds sing than where irons ring, 301
Better whole than patched with gold, 350
Between a woman’s “Yes” and “No” there is no room for the point of a needle, 192
Between evil tongues and evil ears, there is nothing to choose, 394
Between neighbours’ gardens a hedge is not amiss, 192
Between promising and giving a man should marry his daughter, 17
Between saying and doing many a pair of shoes is worn out, 99
Between saying and doing there is a long road, 211, 390
Between smith and smith no money passes, 211, 274
Between the hammer and the anvil, 192, 339
Between the hand and the mouth the soup is often spilt (’Twixt the cup and the lip there’s many a slip), 15, 90, 173, 211, 274
Between two cowards, he has the advantage who first detects the other, 128
Between two friends, a notary and two witnesses, 222
Between two sharpers, the sharpest, 211
Between two stools the breech comes to the ground, 17, 339
Between wording and working is a long road, 173
Between wrangling and disputing truth is lost, 190
Beware, froth is not beer, 397
Beware of a bad woman, and put no trust in a good one, 211, 273
Beware of a door that has many keys, 285
Beware of a man that does not talk, and of a dog that does not bark, 279
Beware of a pledge that eats, 291
Beware of a poor alchemist, 100
Beware of a reconciled friend as of the devil, 210
Beware of a reconciled enemy (Take heed of an enemy reconciled), 22
Beware of a white Spaniard and a black Englishman, 336
Beware of “Had I but known,” 100
Beware of him who makes you presents, 90
Beware of laughing hosts and weeping priests, 174
Beware of one who has nothing to lose, 100
Beware of the dog himself, his shadow does not bite, 402
Beware of the dog that does not bark, 272
Beware of the man of two faces, 342
Beware of the vinegar of sweet wine, 100
Biding makes thriving, 301
Big churches, little saints, 151
Big fish devour the little ones, 321
Big fish spring out of the kettle, 320
Big flies break the spider’s web, 104
Big head, little wit, 19, 140
Big mouthfuls often choke, 100
Big words seldom go with good deeds, 399
Bird never flew so high but it had to come to the ground for food, 302
Birds of a feather flock together, 173, 341
Birds of prey do not flock together, 276
Birds of prey do not sing, 166
Bite me not, my name is little grizzle; had I a little tail I should be a little lion, 301
Bite not the dog that bites, 388
Bite the biter, 283
Bitter pills are gilded, 136
Black cows give white milk, 168
Black hens lay white eggs, 313
Blacksmith’s children are not afraid of sparks, 398
Blame is the lazy man’s wages, 354
Bleed him, purge him, and if he dies, bury him, 256, 299
Blessed is the misfortune that comes alone, 75
Blessings on him that said, Face about, 206
Blood boils without fire, 228
Blood is thicker than water, 136
Blossoms are not fruits, 301
Blow, smith, and you’ll get money, 258
Blows are not given upon conditions, 101
Boldly ventured is half won, 148
Borderers are either thieves or murderers, 99
Borrowers must not be choosers, 23
Borrowing brings care (He that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing), 302
Borrowing does well only once, 136
Both legs in the stocks or only one, ’tis all the same, 161
Brackish water is sweet in a drought, 264
Bread in one hand, a stone in the other, 154
Bread is better than the song of birds, 349
Bring up a raven and he will peck out your eyes, 16, 145
Broad thongs may be cut from other men’s leather, 91
Broken friendship may be soldered but can never be made sound, 265
Build golden bridges for the flying foe, 137
But for all that the honest man has not got his purse, 10
Butter spoils no meat, and moderation injures no cause, 398
Buy the bed of a great debtor, 88
Buy when it is market time, 160
Buy your greyhound, don’t rear him, 278
Buy your neighbour’s ox, and woo your neighbour’s daughter, 156
Buyers want a hundred eyes, sellers only one, 156
Buying is cheaper than asking, 156
By beating love decays, 6
By candlelight a goat looks like a lady, 2
By dint of going wrong all will come right, 2
By falling we learn to go safely, 334
By gnawing skin a dog learns to eat leather, 346
By going gains the mill, and not by standing still, 266
By labour fire is got out of a stone, 334
By lamplight every country wench seems handsome, 70
By night all cats are grey, 30, 92, 135, 301
By slow degrees the bird builds his nest, 331
By telling our woes we often assuage them, 5
By the living we bury the dead, 334
By the street of “By-and-by” one arrives at the house of “Never,” 241
By the thread we unwind the skein, 241
By their marks the bales are known, 72
By working in the smithy one becomes a smith, 17