English Proverbs

Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language that best encapsulates a society's values and beliefs is its proverbs.

The graphic to the right shows the words that are used in English proverbs, with the size of each word indicating how often it occurs (click for a bigger image). It's interesting to note that the two most common words in English proverbs are 'good' and 'never'. A bit of armchair psychology leads to the conclusion that, if proverbs really do reflect belief, then the English are (or at least were when these proverbs were coined) inclined to be virtuous but negative - not so far from the truth perhaps?

Proverbs are short and pithy sayings that express some traditionally held truth. They are usually metaphorical and often, for the sake of memorability, alliterative.

A list of most of the commonly-used proverbs in the English language, with links to the meaning and origin of many of them.

Many proverbs have been absorbed into English having been known earlier in other languages. The list here is specifically of English proverbs and the dates given are those when the proverb first appeared in English.

A cat may look at a king

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link

A change is as good as a rest

A dog is a man's best friend

A drowning man will clutch at a straw

A fish always rots from the head down

A fool and his money are soon parted

A friend in need is a friend indeed

A golden key can open any door

A good beginning makes a good ending

A good man is hard to find

A house divided against itself cannot stand