Proverbs are popular, short, wise sayings with words of advice or warning.
Here is a list of proverbs still in current use.
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin
The show of a fundamental emotion often has the effect of bringing people close together.
One volunteer is worth two pressed men
A volunteer is more likely to be an efficient sailor or soldier.
Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches
No one except the person who experiences it knows the cause of a trouble or difficulty.
Open confession is good for the soul If you make an open confession, it will put your mind at ease.
Opportunity makes the thief
If you allow your valuable articles to lie about, you are asking them to be stolen.
Opportunity seldom knocks twice
When you get an opportunity to do something, you should take the full advantage of it.
Other times, other manners
The standard of behaviour can vary from generation to generation.
An ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit
Your jokes can cause pain in others.
Out of debt, out of danger
Being in debt is risky.
Out of sight, out of mind
Absent friends are soon forgotten.
Paddle your own canoe
Be self-reliant.
Patience is a virtue
We must be patient and not despair.
The pen is mightier than the sword
The written word is more to be feared than physical force.
Per ardua ad astra
It is the Latin expression for ‘Through hardship to the stars.’
A pitcher goes so often to the well that it is broken at last
A trickster can play his tricks successfully many times, but he will finally get caught.
A place for everything, and everything in its place
Everything has its proper place. Then only your life will proceed smoothly.
Pleasant hours fly fast
When you enjoy yourself, time passes quickly.
Possession is nine points of the law
A man who is in possession of something has a greater right to it.
The pot called the kettle black
You tend to blame another for the faults you have.
Pouring oil on the fire is not the way to quench it
If you wish to pacify a man, do not say anything likely to make him angrier.
Poverty is no sin
It is not a crime to be poor.
Practice makes perfect
If you do something again and again, you will become an expert.
Practise what you preach
Behave in the same way as you advise others to behave.
Praise makes good men better and bad men worse
If you praise a good man, he will become a better man.
If you praise a bad man, he will become worse.
Praise without profit puts little in the pot
Flattery does not fill the belly.
Prevention is better than cure
It is better to take precautions against something than repairing the damage after it has occurred.