Famous Proverbs, Sayings, Idioms Proverbs & Idioms & Sayings  

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Hell / Math / Dr. Laura

 

 

Doppelkopf

 

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Famous Proverbs, Clever Sayings, Common Idioms, Popular PhrasesA hand-picked collection of thoughtful phrases, keen and winged words of wisdom (as an inspiration) for speeches, letters, greeting cards, weddings, birthdays, and goodbye / farewell.This List of common idioms, proverbs and sayings commonly used in everyday conversational English, can help to speak English like a native speaker by learning English idiomatic expressions and proverbs.

There are literally thousands of popular sayings in English (and also in other languages). The terms saying, maxim, adage, saw, motto, epigram, proverb and aphorism are synonyms.They all convey the idea of a particular wisdom or truth, usually handed down by earlier generations. The origin of a saying is mostly unknown. Many English sayings have come from other languages (e.g. Latin, Greek, French, German), and vice versa.

Most sayings are very effective in transferring their meaning thanks to their shortness and directness. They use a simple and vivid language, often based on everyday situations, making them easy to understand and remember.

A l i n e i s a d o t t h a t w e n t f o r a w a l k . . . [Paul Klee]

Perfect

Todayisa perfect dayto bea perfect day.

Delphic oracle: three greek proverbs engraved into the temple

Know thyself.

Nothing in excess.

Make a pledge and mischief is nigh.

Famous Proverbs

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

When one door shuts, another opens.

He who pays the piper calls the tune.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

A fool with a tool is still a fool.

A wise man talks because he has something to say; a fool talks because he has to say something [Plato]

If you can't convince them, confuse them.

Funny Sayings

When your only tool is a hammer, all problems start looking like nails.

99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

The last thing I want to do is insult you. But it IS on the list.

I don't have a solution, but I do admire the problem.

The only substitute for good manners is fast reflexes.

Support bacteria - they're the only culture some people have.

Letting the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in.

Well, here I am! What are your other two wishes?

Proverbs about life

Sounds like its time to get that Enterprise built!

Time does'nt exist. Clocks exists.

My mind’s made up, don’t confuse me with facts.

Talk is cheap. Until you hire a lawyer.

Take my advice — I'm not using it.

I got lost in thoughts. It was unfamiliar territory.

Sure, I'd love to help you out ... now, which way did you come in?

I would like to slip into something more comfortable - like a coma.

I started with nothing, and I still have most of it.

Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?

There is no dance without the dancers.

Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

The problem with trouble shooting is that trouble shoots back.

If you are here - who is running hell?

If nothing was learned, nothing was taught.

Very funny, Scotty. Now beam down my clothes...

The dogs bark but the caravan moves on. [Arabic saying]

Clever Logic Phrases

Which one of these is the non-smoking lifeboat?

Treat each day as your last; one day you will be right.

Red meat is not bad for you. Fuzzy green meat is bad for you.

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Isn't it scary that doctors call what they do "practice"?

The problem with sex in the movies is, that the popcorn usually spills.

If I want your opinion, I'll ask you to fill out the necessary forms.

Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun.

Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?

All power corrupts. Absolute power is pretty neat, though.

Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.

Everybody repeat after me: "We are all individuals."

Confession is good for the soul, but bad for your career.

A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.

I want patience - AND I WANT IT NOW!!!!

A day for firm decisions! Or is it?

Am I ambivalent? Well, yes and no.

Bombs don't kill people, explosions kill people.

Bureaucrats cut red tape, lengthwise.

Help stamp out, eliminate and abolish redundancy!

How many of you believe in telekinesis? Raise MY hand!

A dog has an owner. A cat has a staff.

Every organisation is perfectly designed to get the results they are getting.

Inspirational Sayings

Welcome to Utah: set your watch back 20 years.

Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it.

Under my gruff exterior lies an even gruffer interior.

Jesus loves you, it's everybody else that thinks you're an a...

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.

I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.

You have the capacity to learn from your mistakes, and you will learn a lot today.

Failure is not an option. It's bundled with your software.

I think sex is better than logic, but I can't prove it.

I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.

When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane and going the wrong way.

If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.

If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

 

Irish Poem: ToastMay the road rise up to meet you,May the wind be ever at your back,May the sun shine warm upon your face,And the rain fall softly on your fields,And until we meet again, May God hold,you in the hollow of his hand.

Irish Poem: Blessing

A sunbeam to warm you,A moonbeam to charm you,A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.

Definitions: What are ... Proverbs, Sayings, Aphorisms, Idioms, etc. A saying is something that is said or written, notable in one respect or another, to be a pithy expression of wisdom or truth."

There are a number of specific types of saying, of which proverb is probably the best known. However, the distinction between them is often pretty vague.

AphorismA tersely, memorable phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage.[from Greek aphorismos, from aphorizein, to delimit, define. Apo- (1. Away from; off; Separate. 2. Without 3. Related to) + Horizein (limit, boundary)]

AdageAn aphorism that has that has gained credit through long use.

ClichéAn overly commonplace, banal or trite saying, expression or idea.“Even while the phrase was degenerating to cliché in ordinary public use . . . scholars were giving it increasing attention” (Anthony Brandt).

EpigramA concise, clever, often paradoxical statement, thought or observation; sometimes expressed as a short, witty poem.

EpithetA descriptive term (= word or phrase) used to characterize a person or thing, that has become popular is commonly understood. Example: "The Great Emancipator" as a term for Abraham Lincoln.

GnomeA pithy saying that expresses a general truth, fundamental principle or an instruction in a compact form; an aphorism. [Greek: from gignoskein, to know]

IdiomAn expression that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of the words. Quite a few idioms are language specific, and thus diificult to translate. Example: "a cold day in Hell"

HyperboleA figure of speech (or any rhetorical device) in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, mostly beyond credibility. It is encountered in casual speech, as in “I could sleep for a year” or “This book weighs a ton.” [Greek huperbol¶, excess, from: huper (= beyond) and ballein (=to throw)]

Mantra

Originated in the Vedic tradition of India; a mantra is now a religious or mystical syllable or poetic phrase.

MaximCompared with its approximate synonyms: saying, adage, saw, motto, epigram, proverb, aphorism, the term maxim stresses the succinct formulation of a fundamental principle, general truth, or rule of conduct. [Latin: maximus, "greatest", via the expression maxima propositio, "greatest premise".]

MottoA brief statement used to express a principle, a motivation, a goal, or an ideal.

Phrasal verbAn English verb and one or more following particles (e.g. a preposition or adverb); the combination creates a meaning different from the original verb thus acting as a complete syntactic and semantic unit.

ProverbA simple and short saying, widely known, often metaphorical, which expresses a basic truth or practical precept, based on common sense or cultural experience.

QuipA clever or witty observation or remark, with a tendency to descend into sarcasm, or otherwise is short of point.

SawA familiar saying that is commonplace, longstanding and occasionally trite (sometimes through repetition).

WitticismWitty remarks can be intentionally cruel and are more ingenious than funny.