Cleanliness is next to godliness
Cleanliness can be defined as 'diligence in keeping clean in person and dress'; and 'next to' means 'second only to'. Francis Bacon wrote in his Advancement of Learning: 'Cleanliness of the body was... Read more →
Proverbs starting with letter C
Circumstances alter cases
Here 'case' has the meaning of situation, the position in which one finds oneself; and this position in the circumstances surrounding it. If the circumstances change, the situation (i.e. the case)... Read more →
Christmas comes but once a year
Because the Christmas festival comes only once a year, it is suggested that we ought to be tolerant and overlook people’s riotous behaviour - too much eating, drinking, spending. Equally, because... Read more →
Children should be seen and not heard
Children should be silent in the presence of their elders and not speak until they are spoken to. If only the kids would understand this!
The child is father of the man
This inversion of the natural order of things means that by studying the character of the child we can tell what sort of a man he is going to be. As Milton wrote in Paradise Regained: The... Read more →
Cherchez la femme
This is one of those proverbs that have remained more common in their original form than in English translation. It is the French for 'Find the woman' and means that whenever there is any trouble... Read more →
Charity covers a multitude of sins
By this we mean that some who give money away do so only to soothe their own uneasy consciences. But here again this is not the true meaning, for charity is love. The original wording is to be found... Read more →
Charity begins at home
This proverb is often used as an excuse for not helping those outside the family circle. 'I found myself being asked for subscriptions to so many good causes that it was costing me more than I could... Read more →
Caveat emptor
This is one of those proverbs that have remained more common in their original than in English translation. It is the Latin for LET THE BUYER BEWARE.
Catch your bear before you sell its skin
This is another way of saying Never spend your money before you have it.The proverb means act prudently and don't be over-optimistic.