ENGLISH PROVERBS - meaning and examples

English Proverbs

1.       No use crying over spilt milk.

Meaning - One should not get upset or worry about the things already happened because one cannot change them or fix them again.

Example – I feel very sorry for not completing my higher education. But there’s no use crying over spilt milk.

2.       Blind leading the blind.

Meaning – When someone who has no proper knowledge about something is advising or giving instructions to another person who needs help.

Example – Bhargavi asked me to help her in her Hindi homework but I haven’t studied Hindi for the last 12 years.

It was like blind leading the blind.

3.Caught red-handed.

Meaning – to be caught in the middle of doing something wrong or illegal thing (eg. Crime like stealing or something else)

Example – “Do you know what happened yesterday, Jack was caught red-handed stealing the important files from the office.”

4. Haste makes waste.

Meaning - Doing something so quickly can spoil our work.

                Haste means doing something so quickly or hurriedly. If someone is doing the things hastily (trying to do the task or work too quickly) that can cause failure in the work to be done.

Example – You need to solve all the sums carefully, otherwise you have to do all these things again. After all,

 haste makes waste.

5. The house divided against itself cannot stand.

Meaning – All things will accomplish or become successful when there is unity among persons doing the task.

Example – 1. If we have so much of differences of opinion we can’t appeal for that, the house divided against cannot stand.

                  2. the students will need to form a group because the house divided against itself cannot stand.

6. Down to earth.

 Meaning – honest truthful, trustworthy and straightforward.

Example – 1) Mrs Patil, my primary teacher, was really down to earth lady.

                   2) Today, it is hard to find down to earth people.

7.  Well begun is half done.

Meaning – It is always a good thing to start working on something we want to do, instead of just thinking and daydreaming about some idea.

This beginning at the proper time can give us a lot of confidence for further work and we feel the success in our work.

Example - Teacher said that it is not too late for my studies, well begun is half done.

8.   Learn till old, live till old and there’s still one 

      third not learned.

Meaning – We must learn throughout our life. Though we learn many things throughout our life still there are many things to be learnt. This proverb  is a Chinese proverb

Example – When Sana got PG degree and was boasting about her knowledge. Her uncle told that Learn till old, live till old and there’s still one third not learned.

9.  A man is known by his friends.

Meaning – Though the person is having many good qualities, he is accompanying bad people or friends, then other people judge him by his friend’s qualities and not his.

Example – Jack's parents had doubt that their son is in some serious addiction because most of his friends are addicted. After all, a man is known by his company or friends he keeps.

10.   Time is money.

Meaning - Everyone must value time because time never comes back, so we should not waste time.

Example -   Hurry up! John, time is money.