What man has done, man can do
Once a thing has been done, however difficult or dangerous it may be, it can be done again. Take, for example, the example, the exploration of space. On April 12th, 1961, Major Gagarin of the USSR... Read more →
Proverbs starting with letter W
What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is my own
This is a skit on the quotation from Shakespeare's Measure for Measure: 'What's is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine.' A similar saying is: 'Heads I win, tails you lose'
What is worth doing is worth doing well
This is treated under If a thing is worth doing it is worth doing well.
What is the good of a sundial in the shade?
A sundial tells the time only when the sun is shining upon it. If it is placed where the sun cannot reach it, it will never tell the time. The moral is that talents should not be hidden. Benjamin... Read more →
What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander
Whether we eat goose or gander, we have the same apple sauce with it, so what is good for one is good for the other. If Barry plays a practical joke on George, then complains when George does the... Read more →
What’s done cannot be undone
It is too late to regret an action after it has been performed. It is no use crying over spilt milk.
What is bred in the bone will never come out of the flesh
This saying is often misquoted and misconstrued. People say, 'What's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh' meaning that a natural tendency cannot be restrained (e.g. Once a liar, always a... Read more →
What is a workman without his tools
The cleverest of craftsmen cannot make things with his bare hands. Similarly, if we are to undertake a task we must have the means of doing it.
What costs little is little esteemed
We tend to value things by the amount we pay for them, which is not always their true worth. The same article may cost twice as much in the fashionable store as it does in the little shop round the... Read more →
What can’t be cured must be endured
If nothing can be done to improve the situation, we must put up with it. The proverb can be used as a retort to somebody who complains about the weather or the government or noisy motorcycles or... Read more →