201. Let the cat out of the bag
To allow a secret to be known, usually without intending to.
To allow a secret to be known, usually without intending to.
202. Let the genie out of the bottle
To allow something bad or unwanted to happen which cannot then be stopped.
203. Let well alone / Leave well alone
Allow something to stay as it is because doing more might make things worse.
204. Lightning never strikes twice (in the same place)
It is unlikely that something bad or unusual will happen to the same person twice.
205. Like a bull in a china shop
This refers to someone who is very careless in the way that they move or behave.
206. Like father, like son.
Sons tend to resemble their fathers in character and behaviour.
207. Listeners hear no good of themselves.
It is possible that the conversation you secretly listen to
208. Little strokes fell great oaks.
Achievement can be attained in small stages and with persistence.
209. Little things please little minds.
Foolish people are easily pleased.
210. Live and learn.
People learn by making mistakes which are corrected by others.
211. Live and let live.
To accept the way other people live and behave, especially if they do things in a different way.
212. Look before you leap.
Think carefully before you act especially on something that has far-reaching consequences.
213. Look on the bright side.
Always be optimistic or have positive thinking even when experiencing personal difficulties in life.
214. Love begets love.
One has to be loving to gain the love of someone.
215. Love is blind.
You do not notice the faults of the person you love.
216. Love makes the world go round
Love motivates people and makes whatever they do worthwhile.
217. Love me little, love me long.
Warm affection lasts longer than burning passion.
218. Make hay while the sun shines
You should make good use of an opportunity while it lasts.
219. Man cannot live by bread alone
People need not just food, but other things such as poetry, art, music, etc. to live happily.
220. Man proposes; God disposes.
The realization or fulfillment of man' plan or project can only com about if God permits it.
221. Manners maketh man / Manners make the man
Good manners distinguish a man..
222. Many hands make light work.
When many people help to do a piece of work, it is quickly and easily done.
223. Marriage is a lottery.
Whether one's marriage succeeds or fails, or one's choice of a marriage partner is all a matter of luck.
224. Marriages are made in Heaven.
God decides a person's marriage.
225. Marry in haste, repent in leisure
If you marry someone without knowing them well, you will later fill with regret that you married them.
226. Misfortunes never come singly.
Misfortunes come in rapid succession.
227. Moderation in all things.
It is best not to have or do too much or too little of anything.
228. Money begets money.
It's easy to make money when you have money.
229. Money talks.
When you are rich or wealthy, you have great influence.
230. More haste less speed.
If you try to do something too quickly, it will take you longer to complete it.
231. Necessity is the mother of invention.
If you really need to have something or to do something, you will think of a way of getting it or doing it.
232. Never do things by halves.
When you do something by halves, you do it half-heartedly without much effort and enthusiasm.
233. Never say die
Keep trying without giving a thought to stop trying or give up.
234. Never the twain shall meet
When two things or people are completely different or very different in background or outlook and unsuitable for each other are likely never to agree.
235. Never too late to learn.
Nobody is too old to acquire knowledge or a skill.
236. Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.
Don't look forward to problems, deal with them only when they need to be dealt with.
237. New brooms sweep clean.
When someone new takes up a position of control of an organization, he or she makes thorough changes.
238. New wine in old bottle
Introduction of new ideas into an old establishment can lead to undesired consequences.
239. No gains without pains / No pain, no gain.
Nothing can be achieved without effort, suffering, or hardship.
240. No news is good news.
When no news is received about someone or something, it is assumed that nothing bad has happened.
241. No smoke without fire.
There is probably a good reason for saying unpleasant things about someone or something.
242. No time like the present.
It is better to take action immediately instead of waiting.
243. Nothing comes of nothing.
If you produce or provide nothing, you get nothing in return as nothing results from nothing; everything must result from something
244. Nothing is certain but death and the taxes
We are certain about death and taxes, but unsure about other things.
245. Nothing succeeds like success
Successful people go on to achieve more success.
246. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
One has to take risk in order to get something good.
247. Of two evils, choose the lesser / The lesser of two evils
Where both choices are no good, we choose the less disagreeable one.
248. Once bitten, twice shy.
Frightened to do something again because of a bad experience doing it the first time
249. Once in a blue moon.
Not very often
250. One cannot be in two places at once.
This is used to tell someone who desires to be at two different places at the same time; a choice that has to be made between varied options.
251. One good turn deserves another.
A kind act is worthy of reciprocation.
252. One half of the world does not know how the other half lives.
People lack understanding of how other people live their lives in different circumstances or countries.
253. One man's loss is another man's gain
One person benefits from someone else's misfortune.
254. One man's meat is another man's poison.
It often happens that one person dislikes what another person likes.
255. One swallow does not make a summer.
Making a general statement based on one specific case
256. Out of debt, out of danger
People who don't owe money can feel free from fear or anxiety.
257. Out of sight, out of mind.
There is the tendency for people to forget other people whom they have not seen for some time.
258. Out of the frying-pan into the fire.
Move from a bad or difficult situation to one which is worse.
259. Penny wise, pound foolish.
Be extremely careful about small amounts of money but not careful enough about larger amounts of money.
260. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
You should not criticize other people for bad qualities in their character that you have yourself.
261. Practice makes perfect.
The repeated doing of something improves one's performance.
262. Practise what you preach.
Do the things that you advise others to do.
263. Prevention is better than cure / an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
It is better to stop something bad from happening than it is to deal with it after it has happened. / It often requires considerable effort to put right something that could have prevented with a little effort.
264. Pride goes before a fall.
When one is overconfident about one's abilities, it may cause one to fail and suffer the humiliation.
265. Procrastination is the thief of time.
If you constantly delay or postpone an action, you not only waste the time that you could have used to have it done but also will run out of time to do it in the end.
266. Promises are like pie-crust, made to be broken.
People make all kinds of big and small promises they have no intention of keeping.
267. Rats desert a sinking ship.
There is a tendency for people to abandon a failing business, cause or activity.
268. Revenge is sweet.
Feeling satisfaction from inflicting harm in return on someone because they have done or said something harmful to you
269. Robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Borrowing money from one person to pay it back to someone else from whom you have borrowed money.
270. Rome was not built in a day.
One cannot expect to do something worthwhile in a short period of time.
271. Run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
One can't support two opposing camps at the same time.
272. Second thoughts are best
This is a reminder to not act impulsively.
273. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil
Ignore and do not get involved in rumour or gossip that is circulating.
274. Seeing is believing
You have to see something yourself before you believe it to exist or be true which is impractical as there are things that actually exist but are extremely hard to see.
275. Self-preservation is nature's first law
This is used to demonstrate that people act to protect themselves as survival is the primary natural instinct of all living things.
276. Set a thief to catch a thief
A person who has been involved in illegal or dishonest acts is good at detecting such tendencies in others, whose thinking and actions he or she can understand and anticipate.
277. Share and share alike
This is used to encourage any person to share things equally with others who have a right to an equal share.
278. Shut the stable door after the horse has bolted
To be too late to take action to prevent something bad from happening
279. Silence gives consent
Those who do not respond to accusation, objection, etc. are assumed to accept or consent.
280. Six of one, half a dozen of the other
One is as bad as the other, so there's isn't a choice here.
281. Slow and steady wins the race
Success comes to those who move forward at a gentle steady pace and not to those who rush.
282. Sorrow comes unsent for
No one individual can escape the feeling of sorrow; it affects everyone.
283. Spare the rod and spoil the child
To punish children for misbehaviour is necessary in order to instill discipline.
284. Speech is silver; silence is golden
It is good to speak, but there are times when it is better to say nothing.
285. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
People cannot be hurt by unpleasant things that are said to them.
286. Still water runs deep
A person who says little, but who might in fact know a lot.
287. Strike while the iron is hot
Seize the opportunity as soon as it presents itself before it is lost.
288. Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves
Be careful with small amounts of money and one will have plenty of money.
289. Take the bull by the horns
Be brave and determined in doing something difficult.
290. Take things as they come (or, as you find them)
One should deal with difficulties or problems only when they occur and not worry about the future.
291. Talk of the devil, and he'll appear / Speak of the devil and he always appears
This refers to the coincidence which happens when someone we are talking about unexpectedly appear.
292. Teach your grandmother to suck eggs
Give advice to someone who is more experienced than you or knows more about a subject than you.
293. Tell the truth and shame the devil
We are often tempted to tell lies but it is always best to tell the truth.
294. The best of both worlds
Be enjoying two very different things at the same time.
295. The best of friends must part
No friendships can last a lifetime as friends will eventually move apart.
296. The better the day the better the deed
How valuable an action is depends on the day it is performed, especially if it is on a holy day.
297. The bigger they are, the harder they fall
The loss of power, prosperity, or status of a great or important person is embarrassingly worse and more damaging than a person who is not so great or important.
298. The blind leading the blind.
A person who knows nothing is getting advice and help from another person who knows almost nothing.
299. The boot/shoe is on the other foot.
Circumstances have become the opposite of what they were.
300. The burnt child dreads the fire
Someone learns from a bad experience and is fearful of going through it again.
