Questions tagged [proverb-requests]
This tag is for questions seeking a proverb that fits a certain context. If you are asking more generally about a suitable phrase to use in a particular context, see the "phrase-request" tag.
192 questions
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Proverb for when one is already in a hurry but the condition wastes even more time
I am looking for a proverb (short adage) for when one is already in a hurry but the situation makes the person wait even more.
Today I was in a hurry. I had to reach home at 2 o'clock but the driver ...
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What's the opposite saying to "A broken clock is right twice a day"?
A familiar proverb runs:
A broken clock is right twice a day.
is a saying used to express that even an entity which is typically wrong, would sometimes be right accidentally.
Is there an inverse ...
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Equivalent English for a Gujarati saying paraphrased as "Goldsmithing proved costlier than the gold"
Exact saying is (in Gujarati script, of course) - સોના કરતાં ઘડામણ મોંઘું.
You would use this for a scenario where after all is done, the mark-up charges unexpectedly costs at least a significant ...
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What do you call a moderate victory?
In the following bible passage, Prophet Elisha prophesies that King Joash should take his bow and arrows, and subsequently orders Joash to use his arrows to strike the ground to signify a symbolic act....
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Proverb for someone who mistakenly assumes he has found the right answer and is unwilling to accept his error?
There is a proverb in the Telugu language:
The hare he caught had only three legs.
He has caught a hare that has only three legs and has now convinced himself this is a rare hare, not just one that ...
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2
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someone much too enthusiastic about something that doesn't concern them
A group of people is too interested, enthusiastic, and excited about a basketball tournament taking place in Armenia when they live in the farthest country from Armenia in the world—New Zealand. They ...
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Ignorance is the opposite of bliss
The proverb "ignorance is bliss" is used to express that somebody feels better by not knowing all the details about a topic.
In an existing thread titled "ignorance is not bliss", ...
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Idiom for “pretending to like someone when you actually hate them”
I’m trying to translate a Vietnamese proverb into English, and I couldn’t find an idiom or proverb in English that provides an exact match with my Vietnamese one.
The Vietnamese one goes as follows: “...
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Is there a popular expression in English equivalent of Russian "water wears away a stone"?
Is there a popular English expression equivalent to this Russian proverb? It translates to:
Water wears away a stone.
And has the meaning that, step by step, eventually we (it) will get there (reach ...
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Similar quotes to "Eat the fish, spit the bones"
I need a quote similar to "Eat the fish, spit the bones".
Basically, I want to convey this to someone - "Look, on the internet you'll find 1000s of articles explaining this topic. Not ...
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Proverb or expression about a talent being ignored or unnoticed
In one of his songs, Eminem says:
It ain't too late to finally see what you closed-minded f**ks were too blind to see.
Whoever finds me is gonna get a finder's fee
I'm looking for a proverb about ...
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What is a word or phrase for student of the year? [closed]
I’m looking for a word/phrase similar to student of the year. I’m not using valedictorian, as I think it means student who has highest academic grade. I want to mean something that would mean like ...
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English version of Russian proverb "The hedgehogs got pricked, cried, but continued to eat the cactus"
Is there anything in English similar to this Russian joke/proverb/or you could even say sarcasm:
"The hedgehogs got pricked, cried, but continued to eat the cactus".
It describes people ...
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What is a term for a phenomenon where two people doing the same job are less effective than one person doing it alone?
For example, imagine a worker in a widget factory who is responsible for checking if all the widgets on a conveyor belt are well-made. This worker is successful in their job 99% of the time. However, ...
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English equivalent of a scornful Hindi expression, 'the rope got burnt, but the force did not'
There is a sarcastic Hindi proverb that goes like this:
रस्सी जल गई पर बल नहीं गया
Rassi (rope) jal gayi (got burnt) par (but) bal (literally: strength/force) nahi (not) gaya.
The rope got burnt, but ...