English proverbs

Decisions made hastily seldom turn out well. Here, "speed well" means to succeed or fare well, so the warning concerns the outcome of a rushed decision rather than the time it takes.

The saying expresses confidence that a divinely intended result will be achieved through whatever circumstances arise. Even forces that seem scattered, changing, or beyond human control can be understood as contributing to the same beneficial end.

Love that begins with overwhelming heat and urgency may lose its intensity quickly. The proverb contrasts fierce first passion with the cooler feeling that can follow once excitement, novelty, or impulse fades.

Here “fancy” means imagination, and “bolt” uses an older sense of sifting. Imagination can dress up something poor until it seems substantial and valuable.

The saying rejects the idea that physical size measures inner worth. Someone small in stature may possess great feeling, courage, intelligence, dignity, or moral strength.

Do not celebrate, boast, or announce success while danger or difficulty still remains. A result is not secure merely because the worst part seems to have passed; wait until the undertaking is truly complete.

The saying criticizes rejecting an idea merely because one lacks the knowledge or ability to understand it. It treats such rejection as a limit in the observer’s understanding, not as proof that the idea itself is mistaken; its label for people can sound insulting when applied directly.

The saying advises restraint: do not try to take, manage, or claim more than your actual capacity can securely contain. Reaching beyond one’s grasp risks losing control of what one already has.

Jokes can reveal opinions, observations, or feelings that a speaker might hesitate to state directly. Comic framing may make a serious point easier to voice, without necessarily expressing the speaker’s settled view.

The saying contrasts earning money with using it well. It presents this as a relative, proverbial comparison, not as a claim that earning money is always easy; deciding how to spend, save, invest, or distribute funds responsibly may demand greater judgment.

Rushing can cause mistakes that obstruct the very progress a person wants to make. The image presents haste as tripping itself: hurried action creates its own setback.

The saying advises judging a person, plan, or institution by the results it produces rather than by attractive appearances or impressive outward signs.

What has been eagerly awaited or diligently sought for a long time may eventually arrive. The saying gives patient hope a modest reward: delay does not necessarily mean permanent disappointment.

The saying suggests that confusion, conflict, or instability can create opportunities for someone willing to take advantage of the disorder. The imagined fisherman benefits because disturbed water makes conditions favorable for a catch.

The saying advises acting promptly when circumstances turn favorable. A lucky opening, helpful timing, or unexpected opportunity may not last, so hesitation can allow the advantage to disappear.

When people mishear, misread, or wrongly infer what happened, inaccurate accounts can quickly become accepted as fact. The saying traces falsehood not only to deliberate deception, but also to confusion passed from person to person; it does not prove that any particular speaker intended to deceive.

The saying treats honesty as a good that does not become harmful through abundance. However much integrity, frankness, or fair dealing a person has, it is presented as something one cannot rightly possess in excess. “Surfeits” is an archaic word meaning becomes sickened or satiated through excess.

The saying argues that a corrupt or harmful beginning is unlikely to produce a sound result. It treats later consequences as growing out of the moral quality, character, or condition of what first generated them.

The saying warns that habitual inactivity can foster harmful conduct. When people lack purposeful work or engagement, they may be more susceptible to temptation, mischief, or neglecting responsibilities.

The saying presents habitual inactivity as a route to poverty or dependence. “Key” is figurative: it suggests that neglecting useful effort can open the way to material want.

Pleasure can reverse into distress when it is pursued or received beyond a satisfying limit. What first delights may become burdensome, exhausting, or disappointing through excess.

The saying cynically suggests that dishonest people force society to make laws, because some people cannot be trusted to act fairly without restraint.

Real hunger makes even simple, inexpensive food seem sufficient. The saying contrasts necessity, which lowers expectations, with a preference for delicate, choice, or refined fare.

Do not treat an expected gain as though it were already yours. Plans, promises, or bargains based on an outcome not yet secured may leave you unable to deliver what you offered.

Money can open doors that would otherwise remain closed, overcoming worldly barriers through influence, access, or, at its harshest, bribery. The saying presents wealth as a powerful force in ordinary human affairs, not as a justification for corrupt influence.

The saying condemns a person who harms, disgraces, or speaks maliciously about the family, group, or place to which they belong. The image treats such conduct as unnatural and shameful because it soils one’s own home.

Having something limited is preferable to having nothing at all. The image of impaired sight stresses that an incomplete advantage can still preserve a valuable degree of ability, access, or hope.

The saying observes that foolish mistakes are part of ordinary human life. Even sensible, capable people can misjudge a situation, act rashly, or overlook something obvious on occasion.

The saying observes that, once the Lammas season has arrived, grain is believed to move rapidly toward full ripeness. Growth or change is pictured as continuing with equal force through the night as through daylight.

One verified piece of evidence can settle a question more effectively than extensive debate. The saying contrasts the decisive force of fact with the limited value of arguments that remain unsupported.

Information or understanding loses much of its value when it comes after the moment for action has passed. Belated knowledge may even deepen distress, because it reveals what might have been known sooner without allowing harm to be prevented.

The saying presents an ordinary chain of cause and effect: choosing or collecting something thorny makes an unpleasant result foreseeable rather than surprising.

The proverb presents good fortune as an opportunity that eventually reaches everyone. Fortune is pictured as a visitor knocking at each person’s gate at least once.

The saying treats hope as valuable at the outset: it can lift spirits and make a difficult beginning feel possible.

Deep affection can make plain speech difficult. In its archaic wording, the saying suggests that feeling, vulnerability, and fear of causing hurt may leave a person unable to put much into words with those who matter most.

A person who has done wrong is especially watchful, expecting suspicion, exposure, or consequences. Here, “faulty” means a person at fault or guilty, rather than merely someone who makes mistakes; their guarded manner may arise from awareness of their own fault.

Good advice is not made worthless by the shortcomings of the person who offers it. Even someone usually regarded as foolish can notice a sound course of action or speak a useful truth.

People are often ready to offer help, association, or credit once the difficult part of an undertaking is over. The saying contrasts plentiful ceremonial supporters with the earlier need for practical assistance.

A delay at the start of the day can disrupt the rest of it, making lost time difficult to recover later.

Understanding how the world works, including its changing conditions and tendencies, takes considerable time. Quick impressions are not enough to reveal its deeper patterns.

Learning acquired early in life can support sound judgment later, as experience, reflection, and good judgment give earlier knowledge practical depth and perspective.

When the available choices are genuinely limited and every option has harmful consequences, choose the one likely to cause less damage. The saying frames the decision as harm reduction rather than a search for an ideal outcome.

A substantial success need not be rejected because it includes a few defects, losses, or unwelcome details. The overall gain can justify accepting minor drawbacks rather than demanding an impossible state of complete perfection.

The saying warns that someone drawn to lawsuits, disputes, or legal procedure is unlikely to lack involvement in them. Their appetite for legal contention brings an ample, perhaps burdensome, share of it.

The rhetorical question presents misfortune as an especially harsh condition, inviting the listener to consider bad luck among life’s most difficult burdens. Its implied answer is that very little seems more painful or discouraging, though the tone may be serious lament or dry irony according to context.

The saying jokes that divine providence may supply excellent food, only for disastrous cooks to spoil it. Its contrast between God and the devil emphasizes the frustration of seeing good ingredients defeated by bad preparation.

People tend to take advantage where resistance is weakest. In the older generic wording, “men” means people generally; a person, rule, or boundary that is poorly defended is more likely to be ignored, tested, or exploited than one firmly maintained.

It advises controlling one’s speech: speak with restraint rather than letting anger, impulse, or harshness direct the words.

Initial appearances offer too little information for a fair assessment. A person's character, or the worth and nature of an object or situation, may become clearer after closer attention.

Bright conditions at the beginning are not guaranteed to continue. The saying advises against treating an early success, favourable mood, or promising start as if it assured a lasting outcome.