It is never too late to mend
Here 'to mend' means 'to reform, to mend one's ways'. It is never too late to turn over a new leaf and lead a better life.
Proverbs starting with letter I
It is love that makes the world go round
Love brings children into the world and so keeps human life from becoming extinct.
It is ill waiting for dead men’s shoes
To wait for dead men's shoes is to wait for the death of a person with the expectancy of succeeding to his possessions or office. This sometimes takes a long time, so the waiting is 'ill' – that... Read more →
It is ill striving against the stream
It is easier to adapt ourselves to circumstances than to fight against them.
It is ill jesting with edged tools
It is dangerous to play with sharp tools. Similarly it is dangerous to meddle with anything that may get you into trouble. For example, to take 'pep' pills condemned by the medical profession is to... Read more →
It is good fishing in troubled waters
Trout and other fish are more easily caught when the surface of the water is disturbed. Figuratively, 'to fish in troubled waters' is to take advantage of other people's difficulties, particularly in... Read more →
It is easy to bear the misfortunes of others
It is easy for us to tell others to be cheerful in the face of misfortune, because we don't have to suffer the hardship ourselves. It perhaps suggests too that we all secretly find satisfaction in... Read more →
It is easy to be wise after the event
When something has ended badly, it is easy to say what should have been done to ensure success. Foresight is being wise before the event; being wise after the event; being wise after the event is... Read more →
It is easier to pull down than to built
It is easier to destroy than to create. It is easier to criticise than to make constructive suggestions.
It’s dogged that does it
Here 'dogged' (two syllables with the stress on the first) means 'persistent'. The proverb teaches perseverance and the determination to succeed. Stick to it and you will achieve your object.