Английские пословицы и поговорки

[Mari]

Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.   Черт знакомый лучше черта незнакомого.

A cat in gloves catches no mice.   Кот в перчатках мышей не поймает.

A danger foreseen is half avoided.   Предвидеть опасность — уже наполовину ее избежать.

A friend in need is a friend indeed.   Друг в беде есть настоящий друг.

[Indy]

Every why has a whereof

There is a reason behind everything, even if that's not so obvious.

[Indy]

Cut your coat according to your cloth

We should not be ambitious too much or want things which are beyond our possibilities. For example, we should adjust our expenses according to our monthly income, in order to save money for new things, which we want to purchase.

[Indy]

Cross the stream where it is shallowest

Find the easiest way of doing things; don’t create difficulties for yourself. Don't burden yourself with mere trivialities and pedantic issues if something can be done in a simple way.

[Indy]

A creaking gate hangs longest

A sickly person (a person of poor physical health) often tends to reach an old age, without dying suddenly.

[Indy]

Don’t have too many irons in the fire

It is much better to concentrate on one thing and do it properly than to attempt to do too many things at the same time. Being a multi-tasker can backfire at times, especially if you are a man. Basically, men are mono-taskers, women tend to be multi-taskers, still they fail from time to time.

[Indy]

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread

Foolish people express ideas and do things too fast. Wise personalities avoid rash actions. So think a while before you say or do anything.

[Indy]

Half a loaf is better than none

We should be grateful for what receive, even though we expect to receive a lot more. The main aim should be to work harder in order to achieve our goals.

[Indy]

Give a dog a bad name and hang him

If enough bad things are said about some person, they can ruin his reputation even though they may not be true. Some bad rumors may ruin the reputation of any person.

[Indy]

It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good

Most things that happen will benefit somebody, somewhere, sometime. But in this case it will be a really disastrous happening that brings no advantages at all.

[Indy]

A new broom sweeps clean

When a new person starts a job, he/she tends to make noticeable changes and carry out the job with thoroughness.

[Alexey S]

You may lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink

You can persuade a person or guide him only to a certain extent, because the final step can only be taken by the person himself. Thus, you cannot ultimately force a person to do what he or she does not want to do.

[info]

Every cloud has a silver lining

[Ann]

An army marches on its stomach 

Meaning: An army needs a regular supply of food in order to keep on fighting

     I've been trying to remember if there is a similar saying in Russian. The one I remembered is "Война войной, а обед по расписанию",  which sounds funny and is much softer.


     

[DAS]

An army marches on its stomach 

Meaning: An army needs a regular supply of food in order to keep on fighting