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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

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Proverbs Beginning with [T]

The tail cannot shake the dog.

Take it from me. [Trust me when I tell you this. Believe what I am saying.]

Take it or leave it. [I've made you the best offer I can. You can accept it as is or forget the whole deal.]

Take my wife--please!

Take my word for it.  [You can trust me. Accept my word as a guarantee of truth.]

Take the better with the sweet.

Take the good with the bad.

Talk is cheap. [You can talk all you want to. It's what you do that matters.]

Talk of the Devil, and he is bound to appear

Talk well of your friends and of your enemies say nothing

Talking without thinking is like shooting without taking aim.

Tall oaks from little acorns grow.

A task that's worth doing at all is worth doing well.

Tastes differ

The tears of strangers are only water.--- Russian proverb

Tell that (it) to the marines.  [I don't believe you. Said of a far-fetched story that lacks credibility.]

Tell the truth and shame the devil. [Be truthful even when you have good reasons not to do so.]

A tempest in a teapot.

TGIF  [Thank God it's Friday]

Thank God It's Friday. [I've survived another work week. It's almost over.]

Thanks, but no thanks. [I'm not interested, but thank you anyway. This expression is used as a refusal, often with an ironic connotation.]

That doesn't ring a bell. [That doesn't sound familiar.]

That government is best which governs least.

That which proves too much, proves nothingI

That's a horse of a different color. [That's quite a different matter.]

That's all there is to it. [That's final; there is nothing more to say.]

That's an albatross around one's neck.

That's life. [Life isn't fair, what happened to you isn't fair, but you need to accept it and go on. It is used to soften one's disappointment.]

That's music to my ears.

That's no skin off my nose.

That's not a bug, that's a feature. [Of computer defects] - [A saying]

That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.

That's show business. [That's the way life is: unpredictable.]

That's that. [That's all; that's the end of the matter.]

That's the $64,000 question. [That's the most difficult question.]

That's the name of the game. [That's the most essential point of something, what it's all about.]

That's the way it is.

That's the way the ball bounces.

That's the way the cookie crumbles. [That's life and there's little one can do about it. One has to accept one's fate.]

That's too close for comfort. [We narrowly escaped what would have been a nasty encounter.]

That's water under the bridge (over the dam). [That happened in the past, cannot be undone, and can no longer be a consideration.]

That's where the money is. [Response of famous bank robber Willie Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks.]

The apple does not fall far from the tree.

The back of one door is the face of another

The best defense is a good offense.

The best mirror is an old friend.

The best of friends must part

The best things come in small packages

The best things in life are free

The bigger the better

The butler did it. [A saying]

The camera does not lie.

The check is in the mail. [A saying]

The darkest hour is just before the dawn

The devil finds work for idle hands to do

The devil is in the details.

The devil is not so black as he is painted.

The dog is man's best friend.

The early bird catches the worm

The end justifies the means

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

The exception proves the rule

The eyes are the windows of the soul

The first casualty of war is truth.

The first hundred years are the hardest.

The first step is always the hardest

The first will be the last

The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.---Chinese proverb

The golden rule: whoever has the gold makes the rules. [A saying]

The good die young.

The grass is always greener on the other side.

The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world

The hardest work of all is to do nothing

The husband is always  the last to know.

The King can do no wrong.

The last straw breaks the camel's back.

The leopard cannot change his spots

The mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small.

The more the merrier.

The more you have, the more you want

The new broom sweeps clean.

The only good Indian is a dead Indian.

The pitcher will go to the well once too often.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

The show must go on.

The tide tarrieth no man

The tip of the iceberg

The truth hurts.

The waiting is the hardest part

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

Their name is legion. [They are numerous or extensive.]

There are lies, damned lies, and statistics. [Statistics are the worst sort of misleading statements.]

There are more ways to kill a cat besides (without) choking (skinning) him to death.

There are no gains without pains.

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

There are none so deaf as those who will not hear.

There are other fish in the sea. [There are even better ones out there. Don't be upset over  what you've lost.]

There are plenty more fish in the sea.

There are some things (that) money can't(cannot) buy.

There are two sides to every question  [Protagoras]

There are two sides to every story  [There 's always a different point of view, which is entitled to be heard.]

There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel

There is a remedy for everything except death

There is a time and place for everything

There is a time for everything.

There is an exception to every rule.

There is honor (even) among thieves. [Even criminals, who live by betraying other people, do not betray each other.]

There is many a true word spoken in jest

There is no accounting for tastes

There is no fire without some smoke

There is no harm in asking

There is no new thing under the sun

There is no time like the present

There is no royal road to learning

There is no such  thing as a free lunch.

There is safety in numbers

There is no smoke without fire

There is no such thing as a free lunch

There is no time like the present

There is nothing certain, but the uncertain.

There is nothing new under the sun

There is nothing to fear but fear itself

There isn't a (specific) bone in one's body. [There is not a (particular) characteristic, attitude, etc. in someone's character.]

There lies the rub. [There's the rub]

There must be a first time for everything.

There must be a reason

There will come a day when all the work is finished or when it is too late to finish it

There will be another one

There'll be hell to pay. [There'll be a lot of trouble; there'll be serious consequences.]

There'll be the devil to pay.  [There will be a great deal of trouble. The metaphor alludes to striking a bargain with the devil and paying a price.]

There's a black sheep in every flock. [There is one bad person in every group of people.]

There's a first time for everything.

There's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. [The legend goes that if you  reach the point where a rainbow meets the earth, you will find a pot of gold. Used to refer to chasing after imaginary or unrealistic things.]

There's a season and a time for every purpose under the heaven. [Everything has its proper time. ]

There's a season for all things.

There's a skeleton in every closet. [Everyone however well they keep up appearances, has a well-hidden secret.]

There's a sucker born every minute. [There are many naive or stupid people who can become easy victims of cheating and ripoffs.]

There's a tide in the affairs of men. [There is a rhythm to our lives, and one should not miss the opportunity in the flow of events.]

There's a time and place for everything.

There's a time for all things.

There's a time for everything.

There's always a first time for everything.

There's always a light at the end of the tunnel.

There's always (a) tomorrow.

There's always room at the top. [You can succeed if you try hard.]

There's good and bad in everything.

There's many a slip between('twixt) (the) cup and (the) lip. [Nothing is certain until the action is finished.]

There's more than one way to skin a cat. [There are many ways to do something.]

There's more to it than meets the eye. [The situation is more complicated than what one sees on the surface.]

There's no getting blood out of a turnip.

There's no place like home

There's no accounting for tastes.

There's no business like show business.

There's no fool like an old fool. [One doesn't necessarily get smarter with age. Old people can be especially foolish.]

There's no honor among thieves.

There's no "I" in team.

There's no indispensable man.

There's no joy in Mudville. [After all the hopes and expectations, defeat is hard to bear.]

There's no place like home

There's no royal road to learning.

There's no rule without an exception.

There's no substitute for victory.

There's no such thing as a free lunch. [Nothing in life is free; you can't get something for nothing.]

There's no such thing as a free ride. [Nothing in life is free. If it appears to be "free,"  somebody is paying for it.]

There's no smoke without fire

There's no time like the present. [Act now; don't delay.]

There's no use crying over spilled (spilt) milk.

There's nobody here but us chickens. [A saying]

There's nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so.

There's nothing new under the sun.

There's nothing . . . so good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse.

There's safety in numbers. [One always feels safer having the same way as other people do; one feels more secure in a group of people.]

There's the rub. [That's the difficulty.]

They never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. [Some people always miss opportunities to do something important.]

"They say" is often a great liar.

They that envy others are their inferiors.

They that sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind. [Those who start wrong or violent actions will suffer the more violent consequences of their actions.]

They're over-paid, they're over-sexed, and they're over here. [British description of US soldiers stationed in England during World War II]

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever. [Something beautiful brings us pleasure for a long time.]

A thing worth doing is worth doing well.

Things are not always what they seem

Things come in threes.

Think before you speak.

The third time is the charm. [It takes three tries to get something done right.]

Third time lucky

Thirty pieces of silver. [A bribe for betrayal. Anyone can be bought.]

This hurts me more than you. [A saying]

This is a free country.

This is a good day to die. [Native American pre-battle motto]

This is the process of eliminating options

This land is your land.

This too, will (shall) pass. [Don't worry: tough times will eventually come to an end.]

Those hours spent fishing are not deducted from a man's allotted time. [A saying]

Those who can, do. Those who can't teach.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. [George Santayana]

Those who know don't speak; those who speak don't know. [Lao-tzu]

Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

Those who say don't know, and those who know don't say.

Those whom the gods love die young

Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.

Three strikes and you're out. [You get three tries; if you don't succeed on your third attempt, you'll get no additional tries.]

Throw dirt enough, and some will stick.

Throw enough dirt, and some will stick

Till death us do part. [Until one of us dies. Taken from the wedding ceremony of the Book of Common Prayer, which includes "till death us do part." The order is often reversed to "death do us part." Sometimes this saying is used not in reference to marriage but to an unattainable goal.]

Till hell freezes over.

Time and tide wait for no man

Time flies

Time heals all wounds

Time is a cure

Time is a great healer

Time is money

Time is of the essence.

A time to be born and a time to die.

Time waits for no man.

Time will tell

Time works wonders

Times change.

Times change and we with time.

Timing is everything

'Tis impossible to be sure of any thing but Death and Taxes.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

To be left holding the bag.  [To be forced to take responsibility for wrongdoings committed by others.]

To be, or not to be: that is the question.

To bite the bullet. [To force oneself to do an unpleasant or difficult job or brace oneself against a dangerous situation.]

To deceive oneself is very easy

To die with one's boots on. [To die violently or while being active.]

To each his own.

To err is human, to forgive divine.

To err is human. To really foul up - it takes a computer.

To the victor belong the spoils. [In a war or other contest, the winner gets the booty.]

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. [Slowly, the future continues to become, from one day to the next, forever.] [To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, / To the last syllable of recorded time; / And all our yesterdays have lighted fools / The way to dusty death.---Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act V, Scene V]

Tomorrow is a new day.

Tomorrow is another day

Tomorrow never comes

Too little, too late.

Too many chiefs, (and) not enough Indians.

Too many cooks spoil the broth

Toot your own horn lest the same be never tooted. [Praise yourself; others may never do it.]

Tooth for a tooth.

A torch has been passed to a new generation. [John F. Kennedy]

The Tower of Babel

Trade follows the flag.

Travel broadens the mind

The tree is known by its fruit

A Trojan horse [A hidden danger that is presented as a gift.]

A trouble shared is a trouble halved

Trust but verify.

Trust everyone, but cut the cards. [It's OK to trust everyone, but always take precautions to protect yourself just in case.]

Truth is beauty.

Truth is stranger than fiction

Truth is truth to the end of reckoning. [Truth never changes.]

Truth fears nothing but concealment

Truth lies at the bottom of a well. [The truth is often hard to find.]

The customer is always right.

The truth shall make you free. [Knowing what is true will free you from the bonds of deceit.]

Truth will (come) out

Turn the rascals out. [Charles Anderson Dana]

Turnabout is fair play. [Reversing a situation or relations is only fair.]

Two blacks do not make a white

Two can live as cheaply as one.

Two heads are better than one

Two is company, three is none (a crowd)

Two strikes against someone (something)

Two wrongs don't make a right

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