after a storm comes a calm

A period of anger or trouble is usually followed by a period of relative peace: “After a storm comes a calm. Wearied with a for-
mer blustering they began now to repose themselves in a sad silence” (Thomas Fuller, Church History of Britain, 1655).The proverb was first recorded in this form in 1582, but the sentiment it expresses is found in writing more than 200 years ear- lier. It has given rise to the cliché the calm before the storm, which reverses the order of things and describes a period of peace before an upheaval.
Proverbs expressing similar mean- ing: the darkest hour is just before

dawn; when things are at the worst
they begin to mend.

adversity makes strange bedfellows

bedfellows In times of hardship or misfortune people often befriend or form alliances with those whose company they would normally avoid: The merger of the two companies surprised every- body, but these are hard times for the industry and adversity makes strange bedfellows. The proverb was first recorded in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest (2:2) in the form “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”
Variants of this proverb: misery makes strange bedfellows; poverty makes strange bedfellows.

adventures are to the adventurous

Those who are not bold, and who take no risks, will not have exciting lives or achieve spectacular things: “He told himself that adventure was to the adven- turous. . . . If he could not make the effort for the small he would miss the big adventure” (Thomas Hinde, Mr. Nicholas,
1952). The proverb was first recorded in
Benjamin Disraeli’s Coningsby (1844).

admiration is the daughter of ignorance

People often admire others about whom they only have incomplete knowledge: The president’s current popularity only proves the rule that admiration is the daughter of ignorance. This U.S. proverb was first recorded in 1733–58 by Benjamin Frank- lin in Poor Richard’s Almanack.
Proverb expressing similar meaning: what the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.
Proverb expressing opposite mean- ing: prejudice is the daughter of igno- rance.

action without thought is like shooting without aim

without thought is like shooting without aim Think before you act in order to achieve the best results: Disregarding the proverb that action without thought is like shoot- ing without aim, he went straight out and bought
a computer that proved to be totally unsuitable for his needs.
Proverb expressing similar meaning:
look before you leap.

actions speak louder than words

words What you do is more important than what you say, or what you promise to do:
“The gallant foreigner, who could not tell them how he sympathized with them, but whose actions spoke louder than words”
(F. McCullagh, With the Cossacks, 1906). The first recorded use of the proverb, in the form “actions are more precious than words,” was in a speech by the English politician John Pym in 1628. Its current form is of U.S. origin.
Proverb expressing similar mean- ing: deeds are fruits, words are but leaves.

action is worry’s worst enemy

You can banish anxiety by keeping busy and active, or by taking action to solve the problem that is worrying you: Action is worry’s worst enemy, so don’t just sit there brooding—do something!

accusing the times is but excusing our- selves

People who seek to blame the times or conditions they live in are really
trying to avoid taking the blame them- selves: It strikes me that the prime minister needs to be reminded that those who accuse the times are but excusing themselves. The prov- erb was first recorded in 1732 by Thomas Fuller in Gnomologia.
Proverb expressing similar mean- ings: he who excuses himself accuses himself.

accidents will happen in the best-regu- lated families

families No matter how careful you are, you may still do something by accident or mistake; often used to console somebody who has done such a thing: “‘Copperfield,’ said Mr. Micawber,
‘accidents will occur in the best-regulated families; and in families not regulated by
. . . the influence of Woman, in the lofty character of Wife, they must be expected with confidence, and must be borne with philosophy’” (Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, 1850). The proverb was first recorded in George Colman’s play Deuce Is in Him (1763) in the shorter form “acci- dents will happen.”
Variant of this proverb: accidents will happen in the best of families.

absence makes the heart grow fonder

Your affection for those close to you— family and friends—increases when you are parted from them: “. . . meantime he exhorts me to the exercise of patience,
‘that first of woman’s virtues,’ and desires me to remember the saying, ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder,’ and com- fort myself with the assurance that the longer he stays away the better he shall love me when he returns” (Anne Brontë, Tenant of Wildfell Hall, 1848). The proverb was first recorded c. 1850, but the senti- ment is expressed in earlier literature—
for example, by James Howell
(1593?–1666), who wrote “Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.” Compare Sextus Propertius (c. 54 b.c.–a.d. 2), “semper in absentes felicior aestus amantes [passion is always warmer toward absent lovers].”

Proverb expressing opposite mean-
ing: out of sight, out of mind.

the absent are always in the wrong See he who is absent is always in the wrong.

the absent are never without fault nor the present without excuse See he who is absent is always in the wrong.

absence is the mother of disillusion

disillusion A
period of separation may enable you to consider people or things more objec- tively and see them in a truer but less favorable light: While her boyfriend was away she became increasingly aware of all his little faults, which she had ignored when they were together—absence is the mother of disillusion. The proverb is recorded as a regional expression in the United States.

Indexes

Two indexes are included at the back of this dictionary:

Index of themes—a listing of proverbs under thematic headings.

Index of keywords—a listing of the nouns, adjectives, and verbs of the proverbs.

Proverbs with similar or opposite meanings

Proverbs that express similar or opposite meanings are listed at the end of entries:

actions speak louder than words

Proverb expressing similar meaning: deeds are fruits, words are but leaves.

absence makes the heart grow fonder

Proverb expressing opposite meaning: out of sight, out of mind.

Cross-references

Cross-references are given from all variant entries that are not alphabetically adja- cent to the main form:

A word is enough to the wise See A WORD TO THE WISE IS SUFFICIENT.

Variants and use of proverbs

Variants on the proverb are given after the main entry:

a word to the wise is sufficient

Variant of this proverb: a word is enough to the wise.

Alterations to the words of the proverb, shorter expressions of the proverb, or humorous applications are also shown:

once a thief always a thief

. . . Other words may be substituted for thief, such as crook, drunkard, fool, or whore, and the proverb is occasionally applied to those with enduring virtues rather than persistent vices, as in “Once a lady, always a lady.”

to err is human, to forgive divine

. . . A modern facetious variant is “To err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer.”

Origins II

a rose by any other name would smell as sweet

. . . The proverb comes from Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet (2:2): “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Some proverbs have come into use in contemporary times. These include:

garbage in, garbage out

. . . First recorded in 1964, the proverb originally referred to computer input and output, and is still used in that context, often in the form of the acronym GIGO.

if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

. . . The proverb was first recorded in 1977, popularized by Bert Lance, director of the
Office of Management and Budget in President Jimmy Carter’s administration.

it takes a village to raise a child

. . . Of African origin, the proverb was popularized by Hillary Clinton, wife of
President Bill Clinton, in the mid-1990s.

The “first recorded” date given is not the date of origin—most proverbs origi- nated in spoken language, and this is simply the first known written record of the proverb:

first impressions are the most lasting

. . . The proverb was first recorded in William Congreve’s play TheWay of theWorld
(1700) in the form “There is a great deal in the first impression.”

Where an early form of a proverb or other quotation is taken from a named source, the spellings of the original have been retained; in other cases spellings have been modernized for the convenience of the user:

nature abhors a vacuum

. . . Of ancient origin, the proverb was first recorded in English in 1551, in Thomas
Cranmer’s Answer to Gardiner: “Naturall reason abhorreth vacuum.”

a cat has nine lives

. . . The proverb was first recorded in 1546 in the form “A woman has nine lives like a cat.”

Origins

Many proverbs have been in use for many years:

every man is his own worst enemy

. . . The proverb was first recorded in Thomas Browne’s Religio Medici (1643).

every man is the architect of his own fortune

. . . The proverb is attributed to the Roman politician Appius Claudius Caecus, who held the post of censor from 312 b.c. to 308 b.c.

Sometimes, proverbs are quotations:

the leopard can’t change its spots

. . . The proverb is of biblical origin: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?” (Jeremiah 13:23).

Examples

Examples have been chosen to demonstrate the use of a proverb. They come from
English literature or have been specially compiled for this text:

boys will be boys

Boys must be forgiven for their bad or boisterous behavior; also used ironically when grown men behave in an irresponsible or childish manner: “Aunt Sally was
a good deal uneasy; but Uncle Silas he said there warn’t no occasion to be—boys will be boys, he said, and you’ll see this one turn up in the morning all sound and right” (Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn, 1884).

a good name is sooner lost than won

It takes a lot of time and effort to earn a good name for yourself, but you can lose it
in an instant with a single foolish act: Think carefully before you get involved in anything that is not strictly legal—remember that a good name is sooner lost than won.

Definitions

After the proverb itself comes an explanation of the meaning of the proverb:

pride goes before a fall


Arrogance and overconfidence often lead to humiliation or disaster; often used
as a warning . . .

uneasy lies the head that wears a crown

Those in power are weighed down by responsibilities, feelings of insecurity, or fears
of losing their position and can never rest easy . . .

Arrangement of proverbs

In this dictionary the proverbs are listed by strict letter-by-letter alphabetical order
of the proverb, excluding only at the beginning of a proverb, A, An, and The:

big fish eat little fish

the bigger they are, the harder they fall

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush a bird never flew on one wing
too much of a good thing is worse than none at all toot your own horn lest the same be never tooted to the pure all things are pure
Proverbs can also be found using the keyword index, which lists all the main nouns,
adjectives, and verbs.

. Where can the following sentence best be added to the passage?

They sold quickly to a public anxious to have accurate copies of the master dramatist’s plays.
(A) At the end of paragraph 1
(B) After the word “formality” in para- graph 2
(C) After the word “performance” in para- graph 3
(D) After the phrase “William’s son” in paragraph 4

According to the passage, all of the follow- ing were involved in the publishing of the First Folio EXCEPT:

(A) Edward Blount
(B) Henry Condell
(C) William Jaggard
(D) John Danter

The passage implies that John Danter acquired the text of Romeo and Juliet by

(A) paying an actor for a copy of the script
(B) buying the copyright from Shakespeare
(C) taking notes during a performance
(D) hiring an actor to recite the lines to him

. According to the passage, how many of Shakespeare’s plays were printed in quartos?

(A) 17
(B) 18
(C) 19
(D) 20

Which word is closest in meaning to the phrase “brought out” as used in line 22?

(A) Published
(B) Printed
(C) Performed
(D) Defect

According to the passage, when were Shakespeare’s sonnets published?

(A) 1609
(B) 1610
(C) 1611
(D) 1612

Which of the following is closest in mean- ing to the phrase “dispensed with” as used in line 15?

(A) Gave away to customers
(B) Managed without something
(C) Wrote a denial to an accusation
(D) Compensated another’s loss