98 Classic Proverbs for You to Ponder and Share

Keep an eye on the cat and another on the frying pan.

The right man comes at the right time.

Luck is the idol of the idle.

When the moon is not full, the stars shine more brightly.

It is bad luck to fall out of a thirteenth story window on Friday.

A good captain is not made from calm seas.

''They say'' is often a great liar.

The community of living is the carriage of the Lord.

Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.

Where gold speaks every tongue is silent.

However big the whale may be, the tiny harpoon can rob him of life.

The heaviest baggage for a traveller is an empty purse.

Follow love and it will flee, flee love and it will follow.

To lengthen your life, shorten your meals.

There is nothing noble in being superior to some other person. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.

Hunger is a good cook.

A brother is a friend God gave you; a friend is a brother your heart chose for you.

To attract good fortune, spend a new penny on an old friend, share an old pleasure with a new friend and lift up the heart of a true friend by writing his name on the wings of a dragon.

Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunters.

Even the lion has to defend himself against flies.

It is better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a mighty ocean.

Fish always stinks from the head downwards.

If the fish had not opened its mouth, it would not have been caught.

Fish, to taste right, must swim three times -- in water, in butter, and in wine.

Men's skins have many colors, but human blood is always red.

Rain does not fall on one roof alone.

A hundred years cannot repair a moment's loss of honor.

Hygiene is two thirds of health.

Gossiping and lying go hand in hand.

Not the glittering weapon fights the fight, but rather the hero's heart.

The more you eat, the less flavor; the less you eat, the more flavor.

The first step toward greatness is to be honest.

All clever men are birds of prey.

The fool is always beginning to live.

An empty belly hears nobody.

Do little things now; so shall big things come to thee by and by asking to be done.

Exaggeration is to paint a snake and add legs.

Don't do what you'll have to find an excuse for.

A spoken word is not a sparrow. Once it flies out, you can't catch it.

All people smile in the same language.

If you see a friend without a smile; give him one of yours.

Never sell your hen on a rainy day.

A real cousin (or friend) is someone who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.

Cousins by chance, friends by choice.

A Sunday well-spent brings a week of content.

Man is harder than iron, stronger than stone and more fragile than a rose.

A misty morning does not signify a cloudy day.

A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.

Eyes are the window to the soul.

Before you begin on the journey of revenge, dig two graves.

Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein.

Deceit is in haste, but honesty can wait a fair leisure.

A bad day never hath a good night.

Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something.

He who does not research has nothing to teach.

A lost friendship is an enemy won.

Empty vessels make most noise.

A loaded wagon makes no noise.

Unless a serpent devour a serpent it will not become a dragon. Unless one power absorb another, it will not become great.

Sickness comes on horseback but departs on foot.

No man is quick enough to enjoy life to the full.

He who does not have common sense at age thirty will never have it.

A handful of common sense is worth a bushel of learning.

Like mother, like daughter.

Six feet of earth make all men equal.

A man's home is his castle.

Don't use a lot where a little will do.

If you steal something small you are a petty thief, but if you steal millions you are a gentleman of society.

When the will is ready the feet are light.

He loses his thanks who promises and delays.

April showers bring forth May flowers.

He that will cheat at play, will cheat you any way.

As the call, so the echo.

Grief is light that is capable of counsel.

Stupid people always think they are right. Wise people listen to advice.

You cannot be lost on a road that is straight.

One meets his destiny often in the road he takes to avoid it.

Some have been thought brave because they didn't have the courage to run away.

Better a thousand times careful than once dead.

Where there is smoke there is fire.

Fire is never a gentle master.

Fire, water, and government know nothing of mercy.

Fire and gunpowder do not sleep together.

A kiss without a hug is like a flower without the fragrance.

Better to be known as a sinner than a hypocrite.

If you can't get people to listen to you any other way, tell them it's confidential.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance.

The whisper of a pretty girl can be heard further than the roar of a lion.

Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill.

A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses.

The charitable give out the door and God puts it back through the window.

Take what you want and pay for it, says God.

If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have little, give of your heart.

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, he turned into a butterfly.

A wise man once said nothing.

All good things come to he who waits.

Spoil not an act of kindness by speaking of it.

Charity sees the need, not the cause.