Share a proverb

[Hottentot]

Everyone knows proverbs. Some cultures use them more than the others, but they exist everywhere. Many of them are shared or based on foreign proverbs with different words, others are Biblical. Some are national, some are local. Most of them tell a lot with only a few catchy words.

Since we have an international forum here I'm curious of what kind of proverbs you have and use in your everyday lives. Please share some examples. If they are not in English to begin with, consider writing them in the original language as well.

A few in Finnish to begin with:


Ahneella on paskainen loppu.
The greedy person has a crappy ending.

Aidan takana ruohokin on vihreämpää.
The grass is greener behind the fence. (A fairly common one. I have heard that at least the Russians have exactly the same saying.)

Aina on oksan ottajia, kun on kuusen kaatajia.
There are always people to take the branches when there are people cutting down a spruce.

Akoilla ja susilla on maailma pilattu.
The world has been spoiled with the hags and the wolves.

Aukaista sanainen arkkunsa.
To open one's chest full of words, as in to start speaking.

Ei auta itku markkinoilla.
It's no use to cry on a market place.

Ei kannettu vesi kaivossa pysy.
The water brought to the well doesn't stay in there, as in it's no use to try anything with anyone if that person him/herself isn't willing to do it.

Ei korppi korpin silmää noki.
A raven doesn't peck a raven's eye, as in the people of a same group look after each other. This could be said for example when a police is investigating a crime committed by another police.

Ei kukaan ole seppä syntyessänsä.
No one is born a blacksmith, as in practise makes perfect.

Ei nimi miestä pahenna, jos ei mies nimeä.
A name doesn't make a man worse if the man doesn't make the name worse.

Ei parta pahoille kasva.
A beard doesn't grow on the evil people.

Ei se ota jos ei annakaan.
It won't take if it won't give either, as in it's worth it to try something despite of the odds.

Ei sitä kortilla autoa ajeta.
A car isn't driven with a driver's license.

Ei suuret sanat suuta halkaise.
Big words won't split the mouth, as in you can talk and brag all you want, but it's the deeds that make the difference.

Ei tippa tapa ja ämpäriin ei huku.
A drop won't kill and you won't drown in a bucket. Usually related to alcohol.

Ei tässä kurjuutta kummempaa.
Nothing especial apart from misery. Can be said when someone asks "how are you".

Eniten tyhjät tynnyrit ääntä pitää.
The empty barrels make the loudest noise.

Eteenpäin, sanoi mummo lumessa.
"Forward!" said the granny in the snow.

Happamia, sanoi kettu pihlajanmarjoista.
"Sour", said the fox about a rowan berries. It's based on a tale of a fox trying to eat rowan berries and when it couldn't reach them on the tree, it left and said: "they were sour anyway!"

Helppoa ku heinänteko.
Easy as making hay.

Hulluilla on halvat huvit.
The lunatics have cheap amusements.

Hullu paljon työtä tekee, viisas pääsee vähemmällä.
A crazy man works a lot, a wise man gets along with less work (gah, horrible translation, Finns help me out here!)

Hätä ei lue lakia.
Emergency doesn't know the law.

Idästä ei tule muuta hyvää kuin aurinko.
The only good thing coming from the East is the sun.

Joka laulaen tulee, se viheltäen menee.
That which comes singing, leaves whistling. Easy come, easy go.

Joka leikkiin ryhtyy, se sen kestäköön.
He who participates in a game should also endure the game.

Jos ei viina, terva ja sauna auta, niin sitten kaivetaan hauta.
If booze, tar and sauna won't help, we will dig a grave.

Kateus vie kalatkin järvestä.
Envy takes even the fish away from the lake.

Kenellä olutta, sillä ystäviä.
He who has beer has friends.

Kenen leipää syöt, sen lauluja laulat.
Whose bread you eat, his songs you sing. Probably based on the tribal era when there was a god for everything and each of them had their own spells that were sung to get good luck. If you were a fisherman, then you sung the spells of a water god and so on.

Kerta se on ensimmäinenkin.
The first time is a time too.

Kiittämättömyys on maailman palkka.
Ingratitude is the reward of the world.

Kissa kiitoksella elää.
A cat can live on "thanks". Said when you want a more concrete reward for something.

Konstit on monet sano akka ku kissalla pöytää pyyhki.
"There are many ways", said the hag while sweeping the table with a cat.

Kukas kissan hännän nostaa, jos ei kissa itse.
Who is going to raise a cat's tail if not the cat itself? As in no one is going to notice your achievements if you don't let anyone know about them.

Kun köyhyys astuu ovesta sisään, rakkaus karkaa ikkunasta ulos.
When the poverty steps in through the door, the love escapes through the window.

Kun merellä vahinko sattuu, niin kaikki ovat maalla viisaita.
When an accident happens on the sea, everyone on the land is wise.

Kun on lusikalla annettu, niin ei voi kauhalla vaatia.
When it has been given with a spoon, you can't demand with a dipper. Said to imply that someone may be a little too dumb to do or understand something.