|
Author A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Keyword A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Proverbs A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Proverbs Beginning with [I] I always knew that this could happen I am a man; and nothing human is alien to me. [I accept that it is human nature to be imperfect; therefore, I am open-minded about other people's behavior.] I am not a crook. [Richard Nixon] I am not my brother's keeper. I am the state. [Louis XIV] I am what I am and that's what I am. [God's name, meaning "I cause to be what is to be"; my nature is fixed and unchanging. Of Biblical origin.] I came, I saw, I conquered. [Julius Caesar] I cannot tell a lie. [A statement used to admit one's wrongdoing. This specious bromide is generally attributed George Washington.] I can't change the past I can't think when I concentrate. I couldn't agree (with you) more [I'm of the same mind; I agree emphatically.] I couldn't care less [I don't care at all. Often expresses contempt on the part of the speaker.] I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. [Francois Voltaire] I don't care what you call me, as long as you don't call me late to dinner. [A saying] I don't give a damn I fear the Greeks, even when they are bearing gifts I have a dream [Martin Luther King, Jr.] I have news for you! [Things are not as you say. Let me bring you up to date. Often used to disagree with someone's point of view or statement.] I have not yet begun to fight I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. [Winston Churchill] I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep. [My life is not my own; I have higher duties that will require a lifetime to achieve.] [The woods are lovely, dark and deep, / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep, / And miles to go before I sleep.---Robert Frost, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"] I have seen the future, and it works. [Lincoln Steffens] I need that like I need a hole in my head. [I don't need that at all.] I never had a slice of bread, / Particularly large and wide, / That did not fall upon the floor, / And always on the buttered side. [A saying] I never met a man I didn't like. [Will Rogers whose epitaph reads: "I joked about every prominent man in my lifetime, but I never met one I didn't like."] I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. [Last words of American patriot Nathan Hale.] I shall return. [Douglas McArthur] I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree [Alfred Joyce Kilmer] I think, therefore I am. [Descartes] I told you so. [I warned you, but you acted otherwise.] I, too, shall pass. I used to think I had it bad because I had no shoes, then I met a man with no feet I was not born yesterday. [I'm not naive. I am knowledgeable and experienced.] I won't take no for an answer. [I insist. I'm determined to get my way. Often used as a polite way of urging an unwilling or uncertain person to do something.] I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees. [Resistance at any cost is preferable to slavery] I wouldn't give him the time of day. [That person is not important to me; I regard him with contempt. I won't give him a chance.] I wouldn't like to meet him in the dark. [That person is sinister and untrustworthy.] I wouldn't touch it (him) with a ten-foot pole. [I won't have anything to do with it.] I wouldn't want to be in his shoes (place). [I wouldn't want to be in that situation] Idle hands are the devil's tools [Idleness is the root of mischief.] Idleness is the mother [root] of all evil If a bee stings you once, it's the bee's fault; if a bee stings you twice, it's your own damn fault. If a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his backside every time he jumps. If a pig had wings, it could fly. [What you say is just wishful thinking: it can never happen.] If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing twice. If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing well [If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well] If a tree falls in a forest and there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound? [A saying] If anyone betrays you once, it's his fault; if he betrays you twice, it's your fault. If anything can go wrong, it will If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again If English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me. [A saying] If frogs had wings, they wouldn't bump their tails on rocks. [You're just indulging in wishful thinking.] If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. If in doubt, do nothing If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it doesn't come naturally, leave it. If it isn't one thing it's another. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. If it moves salute it. If it doesn't move pick it up. If you can't pick it up, paint it. [Military saying] If I'd have known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself. [A saying] If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. [You're not paying attention to me! I mean what I say! Stop ignoring me! Often used to scold a child.] If it's not one thing it's another If life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. If not us, who? If not now, when? [We must act and we must act now.] [If I am not for myself, who is for me? and if I am only for myself, what am I? and if not now, when?---Hillel, The Wisdom of the Fathers] If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. [Ignorant leaders can only bring their followers to ruin.] If silence be good for the wise, how much better for fools If the camel once gets his nose into the tent his whole body will soon enter. [Arab proverb] If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain. If the mountain will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet must go to the mountain. If the shoe fits, wear it. [If my assessment is correct, you must accept it, even if it is unflattering.] If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent Him. [Voltaire] If voting could change things, it would be illegal. [A saying] If we don't hang together, we will hang separately. If wishes were horses then beggars would ride [It is useless to indulge in wishful thinking.] If you always do what you always have done, you'll only have what you have now If you believe that, there is a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you. [Don't be so gullible: that's an obvious lie.] If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. If you can't beat (lick) 'em, join (jine) 'em. If you can't be good, be careful If you can't enjoy your company, how could anyone anyone else? If you can't run with the big dogs, stay under the porch. [Know your limitations; don't try to compete with stronger and more experienced players.] If you can't say anything good about people don't say anything. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. [If the pressures are too great for you, leave it to those of us who can handle it without complaining.] If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen If you don't like it, you can lump it. [Too bad! You'll have to put up with it whether you like it or not.] If you don't make mistakes you don't make anything If you don't work you shan't eat If you had time to do it twice, you had time to do it right the first time If you know what I mean. [Often used ironically following a vague and unclear statement.] If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas. [People who associate with disreputable characters are inevitably harmed by the connection.] If you love her, you cannot see her [ "If you love her, you cannot see her." / "Why?" / "Because love is blind."] If you play both ends against the middle, the middle will soon fold up. [If you set two sides against each other for your own gain, you may get into trouble with both sides.] If you play with fire you get burned If you want a thing to be well done, you must do it yourself. If you want a thing well done, do it yourself If you want peace, prepare for war. [The best way for a nation to avert war is to intimidate potential aggressors by its military readiness.] If you want something done right, do it yourself. If you want something done, you should ask a busy person. If you want to clear the stream get the hog out of the spring If you want to dance, you must pay the fiddler. If your time ain't come not even a doctor can kill you If you're gonna run with the big dogs, you can't pee like a puppy If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem [Anyone who doesn't take direct action to make things better is just an obstacle to changing the status quo.] If you've got it, flaunt it. [Wealthy or otherwise well-endowed people have a right to be ostentatious.] If you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. [They all look alike, there's no real difference, sot it's enough to see one to have an idea of all the others.] If wishes were horses, beggars would ride Ignorance is bliss Ignorance of the law is no excuse I'm from Missouri; you've got to show me [I don't believe you; prove it to me. I'm not so easy to fool.] Imagination gallops; judgment merely walks. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery [Usually said ironically when someone tries to gain attention by copying someone else's original ideas.] Importance is always relative Indecision is the key to flexibility In for a penny, in for a pound. [Once you start something, you might as well go all the way with it.] In God we trust. [Official motto of the United States since 1956.] In God we trust; all others (pay) cash. [A saying] In the beginning was the word. [In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.---John, 1:1 Authorized Version] In the country of the blind the one-eyed man is king [Among incompetents, even mediocrity passes for brilliance.] In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. In teaching others we teach ourselves In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes. In unity there is strength In victory: magnanimity. [Be unselfish, gracious, great-hearted, even in victory.] In war there is no substitute for victory. [Dwight D. Eisenhower] In wine there's truth. [Those who are drunk often speak the truth.] Innocent until proven guilty. It ain't a fit night out for man or beast. [The weather is abominable.] It ain't over till it's over. It ain't over till the fat lady sings. It all depends on whose ox is gored .[Your view of the justness of the outcome of a dispute depends on which side you are on and the degree of personal loss you have suffered.] It always takes a person much longer to tell you what he thinks than what he knows. It comes with the territory. [There are certain duties or hardships entailed by one's position.] It doesn't grow on trees. It figures. [It makes sense. It all adds up. It's exactly as one would have expected. Used as a somewhat ironic response.] It goes against the grain. [It is contrary to the natural, expected, or regular order of things. The allusion is to wood, which is difficult to plane against the grain.] It goes in one ear and out the other. [It makes no impression; it is forgotten as soon as it is heard.] It goes with the territory. It has to get worse, before it gets better It is a long road (lane) that has no turning. [Bad times cannot last forever; things will eventually change for the better.] It is a wise child that knows its own father. It is a good experience, it makes me stronger It is an ill wind that blows nobody good It is better to be a big fish in a little (small) pond than a little (small) fish in a big (mighty) pond (ocean). It is better to be happy tan wise [Wisdom is worthless if you are not happy.] It is better to be on the safe side. [A wise person exercises extreme caution to eliminate any risk at all.] It is better to be safe than sorry It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees. It is better to give than to receive. It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. It is better to light one (little) candle than to curse the darkness. It is better to lose the battle and win the war. It is better to run back than run the wrong way It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive It is easier for a camel to go (pass) through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is easier to pull down than to build up. It is easy to be wise after the event It is easy to bear the misfortunes of others It is lonely at the top. It is more blessed to give than to receive It is never too late to mend [learn] It is no use crying over spilt milk It is not what happens to us but what we make of it that counts It is prosperity that gives us friends, adversity that proves them. It is the inside that really matters It never rains but it pours It runs in the family. [Said of characteristics that are common among members of the same family or group.] It seemed like a good idea at the time It takes a village to raise a child. It takes all sorts to make a world. It takes all sorts to make a world It takes a heap of living to make (a house) a home. [A house is only a home if we associate it with happy times and have made it a warm, cozy, inviting place by living there.] It takes a thief to catch a thief. [The most qualified person to catch a thief is another thief, because they both think the same way.] It takes a village to raise a child. It takes all kinds of people to make a world. It takes one to know one. [Only a person with identical character traits would be able to recognize those traits in someone else. Often used as a curt rejoinder to deflect an accusation: you're only saying that about me because it's true of you.] It takes two to make a quarrel It takes two to tango [Certain activities require mutual cooperation to achieve a common goal.] It takes two wings to fly. [Balance and cooperation are necessary to accomplish something important.] It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. [Opening line of Charles Dickens' classic novel of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities.] It will all come out in the wash. [Everything will work out all right; everything will come to a satisfactory conclusion. The allusion is to restoring the original appearance of clothing by laundering it.] It will be all the same a hundred years hence It will play in Peoria It won't wash. [The story, idea, theory, explanation, etc., does not stand up to scrutiny.] It would not be fun when life is so easy. It's a blessing in disguise. [A catastrophic event has brought with it some unexpected benefit.] It's a Catch-22 situation. [It's a no-win situation: no matter what you do, you lose--specifically, because the qualification or criterion for what you want simultaneously disqualifies you for consideration.] It's a close call. [It's a near miss: a narrow escape from danger, injury, failure, etc.; a decision that could go either way.] It's a date which will live in infamy. [Following Japan's surprise aerial bombardment of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt used this phrase in his address to Congress.] It's a different (new) ball game (ballpark). [Things have changed radically; the new situation is nothing at all like what we're used to.] It's a dream come true. [One has achieved one's greatest wish.] It's a drop in the bucket. [An insignificant quantity.] It's a labor of love. [It's work done not for profit or from necessity, but for the satisfaction of accomplishment.] It's a long time between drinks. [A saying] It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. [A saying]---New York It's a piece of cake. [It's very easy to do.] It's a sign of the times. [It's a characteristic feature of the present; it's a trend.] It's a small world. [This may seem like a big place, but you run into people you know surprisingly often.] It's all grist for the mill. [It's something of limited value that can be used for one's profit or advantage.] It's all in a day's work. [It's no pleasant, but it's normal.] It's all in the family. [Close-knit families share everything and often close ranks against outsiders. It's only safe to discuss certain issues within one's family.] It's all over and done with. [The matter is closed; forget it; let's put it behind us. An informal saying often used in conversation.] It's all over but the shouting. [The hard part is over--now let's celebrate.] It's all smoke and mirrors. [It's an illusion achieved by deliberate and calculated deception. Said of any attempt to conceal one's real motives from opponents or the public at large. The allusion is to the cloud of smoke and the mirrors used by conjurers to conceal their tricks.] It's all systems go. It's always darkest before the dawn. It's an 800-pound gorilla. [It's an overwhelming or dominating force that cannot be controlled and therefore may cause great difficulties.] It's an albatross around one's neck. [Said of a heavy burden or curse one can't get rid of.] It's an ill wind that blows no (nobody) good. [Someone is likely to capitalize on any given unwelcome or disastrous situation; one person's misfortune may turn out to be another's fortune.] It's as simple as that. [That's all there is to it] It's best to be on the safe side. It's business as usual. It's deja vu all over again. It's getting out of hand. It's Greek to me. It's in the blood. [It is typical of the whole family. It's inborn.] It's in the lap of the gods. [It's beyond human control.] It's just what the doctor ordered. [It is exactly what one needs or want.] It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. It's like opening a can of worms. [This is a highly problematical situation or complex problem. Broaching it may lead to utter chaos.] It's like taking candy from a baby. [It's almost too easy.] It's love that makes the world go round. It's music to my ears. [That's wonderful news. I'm happy to hear it.] It's nature's way It's nature's way of telling you to slow down. [Definition of death]--[A saying] It's never too late to learn It's never too late to mend. It's no skin off my nose. [That problem is not my concern. That task is not difficult for me.] It's no use to close (bar, lock, shut) the barn (stable) door after the hose has been stolen. It's none of your business. It's not my cup of tea. [I don't like it. It's not to my taste. I would prefer something else. It doesn't interest me.] It's not over till it's over. [Never give up hope until the outcome is final: in life, as in baseball, miracles can and often do, happen.] It's not the early bird that catches the worm, but the smart one. It's not the end of the world. It's not the money. It's the principle. [A saying] It's not what you know, but who you know. [It is more important to have good contacts than to have knowledge.] It's not what you say, but how you say it. It's not whether you win or lose but how you play the game. It's not worth the paper it is written on. It's out of one's hands. It's out of this world. [Said of something that is out of the ordinary, excellent, extremely beautiful.] It's politics as usual. It's six of one and half a dozen of the other. It's survival of the fittest. It's the early bird that catches the worm. It's the economy, Stupid! [Economy is the key issue.] It's the exception that proves the rule. It's the first step that costs. It's the fox guarding the chicken house. It's the greatest thing since sliced bread. [What a brilliant idea! What a fine thing! Said of any innovation more important than a bread slicer.] It's the last straw that breaks the camel's back. [Said of something that finally causes disaster in an already bad situation. Alludes to weighting articles where the last pinch turns the scale.] It's the only game in town. [It's the only available option.] It's the real McCoy. [It is the genuine thing.] It's the real thing. [a slogan for Coca-Cola] It's the thought that counts. It's the tip of the iceberg. It's too good to be true It's too late to shut the barn door after the horse has been stolen It's too little, too late. [Said of any action that is neither adequate or timely enough to be effective.] It's too much of a good thing. [In excess, even desirable things become burdensome; moderation is preferable in all things.] It's what's inside that counts. It's your funeral. [You're bound to fail, but go ahead; it won't affect me. Said ironically to someone who is about to make a bad decision or do something risky.] |